Intentions to Marry, 1866

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840378, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Page 311

District of Nelson Quarter ending 30 June 1866 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 April 1866

John Leslie Stewart
Hester Smith

John Leslie Stewart
Hester Smith
💍 1866/6961

Bachelor
Spinster

Banker

25
25

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

1 year
10 years

at Christ Church, Nelson

881

4 April 1866

Rev. Geo. Henry Johnstone

No	25
Date of Notice	4 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Leslie Stewart	Hester Smith
	💍 1866/6961
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Banker
Age	25	25
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	1 year	10 years
Marriage Place	at Christ Church, Nelson
Folio	881
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Geo. Henry Johnstone

5 April 1866

Edward Masters
Harriet Jane McCalla

Edward Masters
Harriet Jane McCaller
💍 1866/6889

Bachelor
Spinster

Ironmonger

27
23

City of Nelson

3 months
1 week

at the residence of William Henry Barlow gentleman, Ngatitama St., Nelson

855

5 April 1866

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	26
Date of Notice	5 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Masters	Harriet Jane McCalla
BDM Match (95%)	Edward Masters	Harriet Jane McCaller
	💍 1866/6889
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Ironmonger
Age	27	23
Dwelling Place		City of Nelson
Length of Residence	3 months	1 week
Marriage Place	at the residence of William Henry Barlow gentleman, Ngatitama St., Nelson
Folio	855
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

6 April 1866

James Griffis Roberts
Mary Jane Caroline Doig

James Griffis Roberts
Mary Jane Caroline Doig
💍 1866/6841

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

21
16

Waimea East
Waimea East

21 years
10 years

at the Wesleyan Chapel, Richmond

839

Mary Elizabeth Rawlings Mother

6 April 1866

Rev. Robt. S. Bunn

No	27
Date of Notice	6 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Griffis Roberts	Mary Jane Caroline Doig
	💍 1866/6841
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	21	16
Dwelling Place	Waimea East	Waimea East
Length of Residence	21 years	10 years
Marriage Place	at the Wesleyan Chapel, Richmond
Folio	839
Consent	Mary Elizabeth Rawlings Mother
Date of Certificate	6 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robt. S. Bunn

16 April 1866

Agenore Dupuis
Rose Martin

Agenose Dupuis
Rose Martin
💍 1866/7087

Bachelor
Spinster

Hairdresser

30
22

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

3 years
2 years

at the residence of The Rev. E. Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson

928

16 April 1866

Rev. E. Thomas

No	28
Date of Notice	16 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Agenore Dupuis	Rose Martin
BDM Match (96%)	Agenose Dupuis	Rose Martin
	💍 1866/7087
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Hairdresser
Age	30	22
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	3 years	2 years
Marriage Place	at the residence of The Rev. E. Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson
Folio	928
Consent
Date of Certificate	16 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. E. Thomas

17 April 1866

Thomas Shaw
Deborah Healy

Thomas Shaw
Deborah Healy
💍 1866/7072

Widower
Widow

Coal Miner

46
41

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

6 years
3 years

at the Catholic Church, Nelson

922

2 May 1866

Rev. Ant. M. Garin

No	29
Date of Notice	17 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Shaw	Deborah Healy
	💍 1866/7072
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Coal Miner
Age	46	41
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	6 years	3 years
Marriage Place	at the Catholic Church, Nelson
Folio	922
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 May 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Ant. M. Garin

23 April 1866

John Simeon
Mary Ellen Winstanley

John Simeon
Mary Ellen Winstanley
💍 1866/7090

Bachelor
Spinster

Gentleman

25
27

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

3 months
3 months

at the residence of The Rev. E. Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson

929

23 April 1866

Rev. E. Thomas

No	30
Date of Notice	23 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Simeon	Mary Ellen Winstanley
	💍 1866/7090
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Gentleman
Age	25	27
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	3 months	3 months
Marriage Place	at the residence of The Rev. E. Thomas, Manuka St., Nelson
Folio	929
Consent
Date of Certificate	23 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. E. Thomas

23 April 1866

Andrew Barret Williamson
Charlotte Ranger

Andrew Barnet Williamson
Charlotte Ranger
💍 1866/4237

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

26
24

Richmond
Richmond

3 days
6 months

at the residence of James Ranger farmer, Richmond

840

23 April 1866

Rev. Robt. S. Bunn

No	31
Date of Notice	23 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Andrew Barret Williamson	Charlotte Ranger
BDM Match (98%)	Andrew Barnet Williamson	Charlotte Ranger
	💍 1866/4237
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	26	24
Dwelling Place	Richmond	Richmond
Length of Residence	3 days	6 months
Marriage Place	at the residence of James Ranger farmer, Richmond
Folio	840
Consent
Date of Certificate	23 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robt. S. Bunn

25 April 1866

Thomas Zealand
Elizabeth James

Thomas Zealand
Elizabeth James
💍 1866/4145

James Freestone
Elizabeth James
💍 1866/4489

Bachelor
Spinster

Master Mariner

27
26

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

8 months
5 days

at Christ Church, Nelson

882

25 April 1866

Rev. Geo. H. Johnstone

No	32
Date of Notice	25 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Zealand	Elizabeth James
	💍 1866/4145
BDM Match (63%)	James Freestone	Elizabeth James
	💍 1866/4489
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Master Mariner
Age	27	26
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	8 months	5 days
Marriage Place	at Christ Church, Nelson
Folio	882
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Geo. H. Johnstone

25 April 1866

James Rutherford
Martha Thompson

James Rutherford
Martha Thompson
💍 1866/7021

Bachelor
Spinster

Wheelwright

27
24

Spring Grove
Spring Grove

14 years
6 years

at the residence of William Jeffery farmer, Spring Grove

904

25 April 1866

Rev. William Kirk

No	33
Date of Notice	25 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Rutherford	Martha Thompson
	💍 1866/7021
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Wheelwright
Age	27	24
Dwelling Place	Spring Grove	Spring Grove
Length of Residence	14 years	6 years
Marriage Place	at the residence of William Jeffery farmer, Spring Grove
Folio	904
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

25 April 1866

Thomas Reuben Bird
Harriet Webber

Thomas Reuben Baird
Harriet Webber
💍 1866/6892

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher

22
20

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

22 years
2 years

at the residence of Ann Bird widow, Trafalgar St., Nelson

856

Declaration "no person in N.Z. having authority to consent"

25 April 1866

Rev. Patrick Calder

No	34
Date of Notice	25 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Reuben Bird	Harriet Webber
BDM Match (97%)	Thomas Reuben Baird	Harriet Webber
	💍 1866/6892
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher
Age	22	20
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	22 years	2 years
Marriage Place	at the residence of Ann Bird widow, Trafalgar St., Nelson
Folio	856
Consent	Declaration "no person in N.Z. having authority to consent"
Date of Certificate	25 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder

30 April 1866

Thomas Evens
Mary Ann Crighton

Thomas Evans
Mary Ann Crighton
💍 1866/7024

Bachelor
Widow

Mariner

29
30

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

10 years
2 weeks

at the residence of John Staples brewer, Collingwood St.

905

30 April 1866

Rev. William Kirk

No	35
Date of Notice	30 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Evens	Mary Ann Crighton
BDM Match (96%)	Thomas Evans	Mary Ann Crighton
	💍 1866/7024
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Mariner
Age	29	30
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	10 years	2 weeks
Marriage Place	at the residence of John Staples brewer, Collingwood St.
Folio	905
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 April 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Kirk

30 April 1866

Hugh Kenyon
Susan Elizabeth Eden

Hugh Kenyon
Susan Elizabeth Eden
💍 1866/6934

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

32
23

Dove Dale
Waimea West

3 years
20 years

at the Protestant Episcopalian Church, Spring Grove

871

19 May 1866

Late Bishop of Nelson

No	36
Date of Notice	30 April 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Hugh Kenyon	Susan Elizabeth Eden
	💍 1866/6934
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	32	23
Dwelling Place	Dove Dale	Waimea West
Length of Residence	3 years	20 years
Marriage Place	at the Protestant Episcopalian Church, Spring Grove
Folio	871
Consent
Date of Certificate	19 May 1866
Officiating Minister	Late Bishop of Nelson

14 May 1866

Timothy O'Regan
Margaret Kenny

Timothy O'Regan
Margaret Kenny
💍 1866/7075

Bachelor
Spinster

Digger

25
25

City of Nelson
City of Nelson

9 months
4 years

at the Catholic Church, Nelson

923

28 May 1866

Rev. Ant. M. Garin

No	37
Date of Notice	14 May 1866
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Timothy O'Regan	Margaret Kenny
	💍 1866/7075
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Digger
Age	25	25
Dwelling Place	City of Nelson	City of Nelson
Length of Residence	9 months	4 years
Marriage Place	at the Catholic Church, Nelson
Folio	923
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 May 1866
Officiating Minister	Rev. Ant. M. Garin

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).