1865 Intentions to Marry

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840377, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Page 253

District of Nelson Quarter ending 31 March 1865 Registrar John Poynter

Date of Notice

Names and Surnames of Parties

BDM Match

Condition

Calling or Profession

Age

Dwelling Place

Length of Residence

Marriage Place

Folio

Consent

Date of Certificate

Officiating Minister

4 January 1865

Charles Burns
Marion McPherson

Charles Burns
Marian McNutchan
💍 1865/6827

Bachelor
Spinster

Builder

34
26

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

14 years
4 years

At the residence of Alexander Sclanders, merchant, Bronte Street, Nelson

928

4 January 1865

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	1
Date of Notice	4 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Burns	Marion McPherson
BDM Match (78%)	Charles Burns	Marian McNutchan
	💍 1865/6827
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Builder
Age	34	26
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	14 years	4 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of Alexander Sclanders, merchant, Bronte Street, Nelson
Folio	928
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

9 January 1865

Charles Burns
Marion McHutchon

Charles Burns
Marian McNutchan
💍 1865/6827

Bachelor
Spinster

Builder

34
26

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

14 years
4 years

At the Manse of the Presbyterian Church in Nelson

928

9 January 1865

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	2
Date of Notice	9 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Burns	Marion McHutchon
BDM Match (91%)	Charles Burns	Marian McNutchan
	💍 1865/6827
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Builder
Age	34	26
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	14 years	4 years
Marriage Place	At the Manse of the Presbyterian Church in Nelson
Folio	928
Consent
Date of Certificate	9 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

11 January 1865

William Jordan
Mary Ann Oliphant

William Jordan
Mary Ann Oliphant
💍 1865/6785

Widower
Widow

Labourer

49
47

Waimea East
City of Nelson

5 years
18 months

At the residence of David Whiting, labourer, Brook Street, Nelson

913

7 February 1865

Rev. Edward Thomas

No	3
Date of Notice	11 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Jordan	Mary Ann Oliphant
	💍 1865/6785
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Labourer
Age	49	47
Dwelling Place	Waimea East	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	5 years	18 months
Marriage Place	At the residence of David Whiting, labourer, Brook Street, Nelson
Folio	913
Consent
Date of Certificate	7 February 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. Edward Thomas

17 January 1865

Paul Coffey
Elizabeth Clara Newman

Paul Coffey
Elizabeth Clara Newman
💍 1865/6701

Bachelor
Spinster

Shipwright

28
21

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

1 week
20 years

At the residence of Joseph Newman, farmer, Spring Grove

884

17 January 1865

Rev. William Kirk

No	4
Date of Notice	17 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Paul Coffey	Elizabeth Clara Newman
	💍 1865/6701
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Shipwright
Age	28	21
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	1 week	20 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of Joseph Newman, farmer, Spring Grove
Folio	884
Consent
Date of Certificate	17 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

20 January 1865

William Macey
Ellen Robinson

William Macey
Ellen Robinson
💍 1865/6830

Widower
Spinster

Baker

39
21

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

1 month
20 years

At the residence of Elizabeth Shaw, wife of Joseph Shaw labourer, Collingwood Street

929

20 January 1865

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	5
Date of Notice	20 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Macey	Ellen Robinson
	💍 1865/6830
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Baker
Age	39	21
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	1 month	20 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of Elizabeth Shaw, wife of Joseph Shaw labourer, Collingwood Street
Folio	929
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

23 January 1865

Thomas Sanders Rogers
Amelia Gapper

Thomas Sanders Rogers
Amelia Gapper
💍 1865/6707

Bachelor
Spinster

Store Keeper

32
23

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

8 years
22 years

At the residence of Bernard Gapper, gentleman, Appleby

886

24 January 1865

Rev. William Kirk

No	6
Date of Notice	23 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Sanders Rogers	Amelia Gapper
	💍 1865/6707
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Store Keeper
Age	32	23
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	8 years	22 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of Bernard Gapper, gentleman, Appleby
Folio	886
Consent
Date of Certificate	24 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

24 January 1865

John Johnson
Charlotte Heatley

John Johnson
Charlotte Heatley
💍 1865/6872

Bachelor
Spinster

Fireman

26
24

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

3 years
1 week

At Christ Church, Nelson

943

24 January 1865

Rev. Geo. Henry Johnstone

No	7
Date of Notice	24 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Johnson	Charlotte Heatley
	💍 1865/6872
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fireman
Age	26	24
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	3 years	1 week
Marriage Place	At Christ Church, Nelson
Folio	943
Consent
Date of Certificate	24 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. Geo. Henry Johnstone

26 January 1865

George Kite
Elizabeth Ellen Sutton

George Kite
Ellen Elizabeth Sutton
💍 1865/6710

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher

25
21

Richmond
City of Nelson

21 years
1 week

At the residence of Lucy Kite, widow, Richmond

887

26 January 1865

Rev. James Wallis

No	8
Date of Notice	26 January 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Kite	Elizabeth Ellen Sutton
BDM Match (73%)	George Kite	Ellen Elizabeth Sutton
	💍 1865/6710
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher
Age	25	21
Dwelling Place	Richmond	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	21 years	1 week
Marriage Place	At the residence of Lucy Kite, widow, Richmond
Folio	887
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. James Wallis

14 February 1865

Frederick Bonnington
Mary Ann Saywell

Frederick Bonnington
Mary Ann Saywell
💍 1865/6713

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

20
18

Richmond
Richmond

10 years
10 years

At the residence of George Saywell, carpenter, Richmond

888

Joseph Bonnington, Father George Saywell Father

16 February 1865

Rev. James Wallis

No	9
Date of Notice	14 February 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frederick Bonnington	Mary Ann Saywell
	💍 1865/6713
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	20	18
Dwelling Place	Richmond	Richmond
Length of Residence	10 years	10 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of George Saywell, carpenter, Richmond
Folio	888
Consent	Joseph Bonnington, Father George Saywell Father
Date of Certificate	16 February 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. James Wallis

18 February 1865

Joseph Mitchell
Caroline Eves

Joseph Mitchell
Caroline Eves
💍 1865/4074

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

25
21

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

3 days
3 days

At the Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

953

18 February 1865

The Registrar of Marriages

No	10
Date of Notice	18 February 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Joseph Mitchell	Caroline Eves
	💍 1865/4074
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	25	21
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	At the Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	953
Consent
Date of Certificate	18 February 1865
Officiating Minister	The Registrar of Marriages

18 February 1865

George Rutland
Jane Turner

George Rutland
Jane Turner
💍 1865/6875

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

26
27

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

7 days
12 months

At Christ Church, Nelson

944

18 February 1865

Rev. George Henry Johnstone

No	11
Date of Notice	18 February 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Rutland	Jane Turner
	💍 1865/6875
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	26	27
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	7 days	12 months
Marriage Place	At Christ Church, Nelson
Folio	944
Consent
Date of Certificate	18 February 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. George Henry Johnstone

21 February 1865

Charles Merritt
Rachael Epps

Charles Merritt
Rachael Epps
💍 1865/3953

Bachelor
Spinster

Hotel Keeper

30
20

City of Wellington
City of Nelson

2 months
20 years

At the residence of Thomas Epps, nurseryman, Nile Street, Nelson

941

Thomas Epps, Father

21 February 1865

Rev. Edward Thomas

No	12
Date of Notice	21 February 1865
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Merritt	Rachael Epps
	💍 1865/3953
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Hotel Keeper
Age	30	20
Dwelling Place	City of Wellington	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	2 months	20 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of Thomas Epps, nurseryman, Nile Street, Nelson
Folio	941
Consent	Thomas Epps, Father
Date of Certificate	21 February 1865
Officiating Minister	Rev. Edward Thomas

24 December 1864

Edward Gill
Mary Scadden

Edward Gill
Mary Scadden
💍 1865/6869

(Vide Return preceeding quarter)

10 January 1865

Revd Geo. Henry Johnstone

No	87
Date of Notice	24 December 1864
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Gill	Mary Scadden
	💍 1865/6869
Condition
Profession
Age
Dwelling Place
Length of Residence
Marriage Place	(Vide Return preceeding quarter)
Folio
Consent
Date of Certificate	10 January 1865
Officiating Minister	Revd Geo. Henry Johnstone

These records have been automatically transcribed and must be verified using the page image (below)

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Attribution: This image was digitised by Archives NZ Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga and is republished here under CC BY. It has been cropped and rotated for convenience.

What is an Intention to Marry?

The 1854 Marriage Act required Pakeha settlers (and later Maori) to register their intention to marry from 1855. The resulting Notices of intention to marry were sent by the district registrars to the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages and bound into large volumes, each containing a year of notices. These registers were eventually deposited with Archives New Zealand.

What information does an ItM record?

A typical Intention to Marry notice records:

the bride and groom's full names
occupation of the groom (and sometimes the bride)
their ages
district where the marriage would take place
how long they had resided in the district
Where the marriage would take place (eg, a specific church)
Who would officiate the marriage (eg, a minister)
The date of the notice and also a date when the certificate was issued. Marriages had to take place within 3 months, and usually occurred within a week or so of the certificate date.
If one of the parties was under 21, a parent who consented to their marriage was usually specified

These details can provide clues for genealogical and historical research. Knowing the date and district makes it easier to look for wedding notices in Papers Past, and the amount of time that the parties had resided in a district can offer clues to whether a person was born in NZ, or when they immigrated.

However, finding individual records in the Intentions to Marry registers was typically a slow and manual process, usually requiring an in-person visit to Archives NZ's Wellington office (during limited opening hours) and using a handwritten card catalogue index to look up individual names.

Eight years of the registers had been digitised by Archives NZ prior to 2024, but even these digital versions required the use of a manual index and usually examining several pages to locate specific records.

What is the Intentions to Marry Project?

This project aims to transcribe the New Zealand Intentions to Marry registers (from 1855 to 1925) with the assistance of new technology (AI), making the records freely available and easily searchable.

The ITM records have also been cross-referenced with the registered marriages at DIA Births, Deaths and Marriages, where possible (a small fraction of the recorded intentions to marry did not become a registered marriage).

Currently we have almost all records between 1855 and 1903. More registers are being added almost every week.

The project is led by Luke Howison, a web developer who made the free genealogical research search tool NZ Ancestor Search Helper and Archway-style Collections Search. There are also some wonderful volunteers assisting with digitising the registers.

Can I volunteer to help?

Yes, you can! You can sign up to correct errors in the transcribed records and match ITMs with registered marriages.

I am also looking for Wellington-based volunteers to help me digitise more years of the registers. I can provide lighting equipment and a 'clicker' (to trigger your phone's camera).

How is the transcription done?

There are several steps to digitising and transcribing the records:

Digitising the registers (taking clean, straight, high-quality photos)
Processing the digitised pages by straightening, cropping and sharpening the images
Transcribing each page with a combination of AI tools
Matching each ITM with a registered marriage when possible
Human verification of the transcribed information

The main LLM (AI) used are the Google Gemini Pro and Flash models, which have excellent 'Vision' capabilities, and a generous free tier.

Archives NZ has released the register years they have digitised (1865-69, 1872, 1874 and 1880) under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.

The Intention to Marry registers (up to 1925) are more than 100 years old, so their Crown Copyright has expired, putting them in the public domain. This also applies to any 'mechanical reproductions' (eg, pictures or photocopies) of their content without substantial alteration.

The transcribed records on this website are released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal license, which allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, even for commercial purposes, while giving credit to the creator (NZ Intentions to Marry Project).