Intentions to Marry, 1875

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840387, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Luke at Archives NZ Wellington, May 16 2025.

This register is quite fragile and some of the pages are damaged or even missing.

Page 555

District of Christchurch Quarter ending 31 March 1875 Registrar Brankwant

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

3554

10 February 1875

William Robert Robinson
Sarah Jane Binstead

William Robert Robinson
Sarah Jane Binstead
💍 1875/238

Bachelor
Spinster

Coppersmith

33
21

Christchurch
Christchurch

11 Years
8 Years

In the house of Mr. Binstead

75/237

18 February 1875

Rev. H. I. Habens

No	3554
Date of Notice	10 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Robert Robinson	Sarah Jane Binstead
	💍 1875/238
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Coppersmith
Age	33	21
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	11 Years	8 Years
Marriage Place	In the house of Mr. Binstead
Folio	75/237
Consent
Date of Certificate	18 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. I. Habens

3555

10 February 1875

George Handsides
Mary Ann Coalbeck

George Handyside
Mary Ann Coalbeck
💍 1875/136

Bachelor
Widow

Carpenter
Servant

32
27

Christchurch
Christchurch

1 Year
7 months

In the house of Mr. Handsides

75/141

19 February 1875

Rev. G. Bond

No	3555
Date of Notice	10 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Handsides	Mary Ann Coalbeck
BDM Match (94%)	George Handyside	Mary Ann Coalbeck
	💍 1875/136
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Carpenter	Servant
Age	32	27
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	1 Year	7 months
Marriage Place	In the house of Mr. Handsides
Folio	75/141
Consent
Date of Certificate	19 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. G. Bond

3559

20 February 1875

Thomas Pace
Charlotte Lydia Spoush

Bachelor
Spinster

Shepherd
Cook

39
36

Rakain Gorge
Rakain Gorge

9 months
9 months

In the house of Rev. C. Fraser

75/1346

20 February 1875

Rev. C. Fraser

No	3559
Date of Notice	20 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Pace	Charlotte Lydia Spoush
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Shepherd	Cook
Age	39	36
Dwelling Place	Rakain Gorge	Rakain Gorge
Length of Residence	9 months	9 months
Marriage Place	In the house of Rev. C. Fraser
Folio	75/1346
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Fraser

3560

20 February 1875

Thomas Barton Peto
Emily Sophia Felton

Thomas Barton Peto
Emily Sophia Felton
💍 1875/2997

Bachelor
Spinster

Painter
Servant

24
19

Christchurch
Christchurch

3 Years
10 Years

In the house of Mr. Felton

75/1347

Joseph Felton, Father

6 March 1875

Rev. B. I. Westbrook

No	3560
Date of Notice	20 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Barton Peto	Emily Sophia Felton
	💍 1875/2997
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Painter	Servant
Age	24	19
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	3 Years	10 Years
Marriage Place	In the house of Mr. Felton
Folio	75/1347
Consent	Joseph Felton, Father
Date of Certificate	6 March 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. B. I. Westbrook

3561

20 February 1875

Henry Kings Chalmers
Martha Sweet

George Chalmers
Martha Smash
💍 1875/1305

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Servant

27
21

Christchurch
Christchurch

1 Week
4 days

In the house of Rev. C. Fraser

75/1345

20 February 1875

Rev. C. Fraser

No	3561
Date of Notice	20 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Kings Chalmers	Martha Sweet
BDM Match (63%)	George Chalmers	Martha Smash
	💍 1875/1305
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Servant
Age	27	21
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	1 Week	4 days
Marriage Place	In the house of Rev. C. Fraser
Folio	75/1345
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Fraser

3562

20 February 1875

Henry Loram Lawson
Frances Elizabeth Sole

Bachelor
Spinster

Gentleman

23
21

Riccarton
Courtenay

6 Years
3 Years

In Courtenay Church

75/720

6 March 1875

Rev. S. H. Gould

No	3562
Date of Notice	20 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Loram Lawson	Frances Elizabeth Sole
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Gentleman
Age	23	21
Dwelling Place	Riccarton	Courtenay
Length of Residence	6 Years	3 Years
Marriage Place	In Courtenay Church
Folio	75/720
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 March 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. S. H. Gould

3563

22 February 1875

Presonby May Carew
Ellen Sudley

Ponsonby May Carew
Ellen Dudley
💍 1875/487

Bachelor
Spinster

Gentleman

40
29

Addington
New Brighton

2 Years
20 Years

In Avonside Church

75/572

22 February 1875

Rev. H. S. Glasson

No	3563
Date of Notice	22 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Presonby May Carew	Ellen Sudley
BDM Match (90%)	Ponsonby May Carew	Ellen Dudley
	💍 1875/487
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Gentleman
Age	40	29
Dwelling Place	Addington	New Brighton
Length of Residence	2 Years	20 Years
Marriage Place	In Avonside Church
Folio	75/572
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. S. Glasson

3564

22 February 1875

John Chapman
Margaret Davison

John Chapman
Margaret Davidson
💍 1875/1307

Widower
Spinster

Publican
Cook

50
45

Hillsborough
Opawa

10 Years
7 Years

In the house of Rev. C. Fraser, Tuam Street

75/1347

22 February 1875

Rev. C. Fraser

No	3564
Date of Notice	22 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Chapman	Margaret Davison
BDM Match (97%)	John Chapman	Margaret Davidson
	💍 1875/1307
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Publican	Cook
Age	50	45
Dwelling Place	Hillsborough	Opawa
Length of Residence	10 Years	7 Years
Marriage Place	In the house of Rev. C. Fraser, Tuam Street
Folio	75/1347
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Fraser

3565

22 February 1875

John McDonald
Emma Ruth Staples

John McDonald
Emma Ruth Staples
💍 1875/728

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

25
21

Christchurch
Christchurch

4 days
8 Years

In the house Lyttelton Mr. Staples

75/615

22 February 1875

Rev. A. F. Douglas

No	3565
Date of Notice	22 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John McDonald	Emma Ruth Staples
	💍 1875/728
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	25	21
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	4 days	8 Years
Marriage Place	In the house Lyttelton Mr. Staples
Folio	75/615
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. F. Douglas

3566

23 February 1875

William Given
Sarah Jane Wills

William Dunn
Sarah Jane Wills
💍 1875/1308

Bachelor
Spinster

Slaughterman
Servant

26
21

Addington
Addington

14 months
1 week

In the house of Rev. C. Fraser

75/1348

23 February 1875

Rev. C. Fraser

No	3566
Date of Notice	23 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Given	Sarah Jane Wills
BDM Match (85%)	William Dunn	Sarah Jane Wills
	💍 1875/1308
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Slaughterman	Servant
Age	26	21
Dwelling Place	Addington	Addington
Length of Residence	14 months	1 week
Marriage Place	In the house of Rev. C. Fraser
Folio	75/1348
Consent
Date of Certificate	23 February 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Fraser

3567

24 February 1875

James Souter
Mary Ann Calpin

James Louter
Mary McAlpine
💍 1875/730

James Capper
Mary Ann Green
💍 1875/741

James Fraser
Mary Ann Brialey
💍 1875/2893

James Smith
Mary Ann Dyer
💍 1875/2572

James Stone
Mary Ann Stone
💍 1875/2222

James Jones
Mary Anne Hodder
💍 1875/3008

James Smith
Mary Ann Broughton
💍 1875/2946

James White
Mary Allan
💍 1876/219

Bachelor
Spinster

Gardener

29
21

Christchurch
Christchurch

10 Years
14 Years

In the house of Rev. A. F. Douglas

75/617

10 March 1875

Rev. A. F. Douglas

No	3567
Date of Notice	24 February 1875
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Souter	Mary Ann Calpin
BDM Match (73%)	James Louter	Mary McAlpine
	💍 1875/730
BDM Match (67%)	James Capper	Mary Ann Green
	💍 1875/741
BDM Match (65%)	James Fraser	Mary Ann Brialey
	💍 1875/2893
BDM Match (63%)	James Smith	Mary Ann Dyer
	💍 1875/2572
BDM Match (63%)	James Stone	Mary Ann Stone
	💍 1875/2222
BDM Match (62%)	James Jones	Mary Anne Hodder
	💍 1875/3008
BDM Match (61%)	James Smith	Mary Ann Broughton
	💍 1875/2946
BDM Match (60%)	James White	Mary Allan
	💍 1876/219
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Gardener
Age	29	21
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	10 Years	14 Years
Marriage Place	In the house of Rev. A. F. Douglas
Folio	75/617
Consent
Date of Certificate	10 March 1875
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. F. Douglas

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

100% Contrast

100% Brightness

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).