Intentions to Marry, 1878

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840390, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Luke at Archives NZ Wellington, March 5 2025

Page 0811

District of Oamaru Quarter ending 31 March 1878 Registrar W G Filleul

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

626

2 January 1878

William Harrison
Agnes Neilson

William Harrison
Agnes Neilson
💍 1878/539

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer

40
22

Weymouth
Weymouth

10 years
10 years

The Residence of Mr Neilson, Papakaio Plain

78/520

2 January 1878

Rev. John Steven

No	626
Date of Notice	2 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Harrison	Agnes Neilson
	💍 1878/539
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer
Age	40	22
Dwelling Place	Weymouth	Weymouth
Length of Residence	10 years	10 years
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr Neilson, Papakaio Plain
Folio	78/520
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Steven

627

2 January 1878

William Michael Angelo Jones
Ellen Griffin

William Michael Angelo Jones
Ellen Griffin
💍 1878/657

Bachelor
Spinster

Clerk

22
22

Oamaru
Oamaru

10 months
8 months

Residence of Mrs. Parsons in Wharf Street, Oamaru

78/642

2 January 1878

Rev. John Armitage

No	627
Date of Notice	2 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Michael Angelo Jones	Ellen Griffin
	💍 1878/657
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Clerk
Age	22	22
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	10 months	8 months
Marriage Place	Residence of Mrs. Parsons in Wharf Street, Oamaru
Folio	78/642
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Armitage

628

16 January 1878

Thomas Gormaly
Mary Grailish

Thomas Gormaly
Mary Grailish
💍 1878/2964

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer

24
25

Oamaru
Oamaru

4 years
2 years

St Patricks Church, Oamaru

78/2985

16 January 1878

Rev. W. Coleman

No	628
Date of Notice	16 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Gormaly	Mary Grailish
	💍 1878/2964
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer
Age	24	25
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	4 years	2 years
Marriage Place	St Patricks Church, Oamaru
Folio	78/2985
Consent
Date of Certificate	16 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. W. Coleman

629

22 January 1878

Frank Dunlop
Agnes Caldwell

Frank Dunlop
Agnes Caldwell
💍 1878/748

Widower
Spinster

Grain Merchant

Oamaru
Oamaru

4 years

The Residence of Mr. James Hindlay, near Hampden

78/757

22 January 1878

Rev. James Baird

No	629
Date of Notice	22 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frank Dunlop	Agnes Caldwell
	💍 1878/748
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Grain Merchant
Age	41
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	4 years
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr. James Hindlay, near Hampden
Folio	78/757
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. James Baird

630

24 January 1878

Thomas Falconer
Bridget Sheahon

Thomas Falconer
Bridget Sheahon
💍 1878/542

Bachelor
Spinster

Cabinet Maker
Cook

28
20

Oamaru
Oamaru

15 years
2 1/2 years

The Manse Oamaru

78/523

24 January 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	630
Date of Notice	24 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Falconer	Bridget Sheahon
	💍 1878/542
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Cabinet Maker	Cook
Age	28	20
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	15 years	2 1/2 years
Marriage Place	The Manse Oamaru
Folio	78/523
Consent
Date of Certificate	24 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

631

26 January 1878

George Norton
Sarah Jane Mereddith

George Norton
Sarah Jane Meredith
💍 1878/624

Widower
Spinster

Gardener
Cook

43
30

Oamaru
Oamaru

2 months
2 months

Wesley Church Oamaru

78/632

26 January 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	631
Date of Notice	26 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Norton	Sarah Jane Mereddith
BDM Match (98%)	George Norton	Sarah Jane Meredith
	💍 1878/624
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Gardener	Cook
Age	43	30
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	2 months	2 months
Marriage Place	Wesley Church Oamaru
Folio	78/632
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

632

28 January 1878

George Aitkenhead
Elizabeth Atkinson

George Aitkenhead
Elizabeth Atkinson
💍 1878/626

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Servant

31
23

Awamoa
Oamaru

9 years
6 months

The Manse Oamaru

78/634

28 January 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	632
Date of Notice	28 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Aitkenhead	Elizabeth Atkinson
	💍 1878/626
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Servant
Age	31	23
Dwelling Place	Awamoa	Oamaru
Length of Residence	9 years	6 months
Marriage Place	The Manse Oamaru
Folio	78/634
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

633

28 January 1878

John Ireland
Agnes McMurtrie

John Ireland
Agnes McMurtrie
💍 1878/625

Widower
Spinster

Grocer

35
20

Oamaru
Oamaru

8 years
6 years

At the residence of Mrs McMustrie in Exon Street, Oamaru

78/633

Mary McMurtrie, mother

28 January 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	633
Date of Notice	28 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Ireland	Agnes McMurtrie
	💍 1878/625
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Grocer
Age	35	20
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	8 years	6 years
Marriage Place	At the residence of Mrs McMustrie in Exon Street, Oamaru
Folio	78/633
Consent	Mary McMurtrie, mother
Date of Certificate	28 January 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

634

28 January 1878

Edward Bellamy
Elvine Kroning

Edward Bellamy
Elvine Kroning
💍 1878/560

Bachelor
Spinster

Blacksmith
House Maid

26
19

Oamaru
Oamaru

2 years
1 year

The office of the Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

78/517

Franz Johann Kroning father

4 February 1878

Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

No	634
Date of Notice	28 January 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Bellamy	Elvine Kroning
	💍 1878/560
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Blacksmith	House Maid
Age	26	19
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	2 years	1 year
Marriage Place	The office of the Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru
Folio	78/517
Consent	Franz Johann Kroning father
Date of Certificate	4 February 1878
Officiating Minister	Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

635

4 February 1878

Adam Plennes
Margaret Dempsey

Adam Plennes
Margaret Dempsey
💍 1878/2965

Bachelor
Spinster

Miner
Domestic Servant

39
34

Oamaru
Oamaru

8 days
7 weeks

The Residence of Rev. W. Coleman Oamaru

78/2986

4 February 1878

Rev. W. Coleman

No	635
Date of Notice	4 February 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Adam Plennes	Margaret Dempsey
	💍 1878/2965
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Miner	Domestic Servant
Age	39	34
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	8 days	7 weeks
Marriage Place	The Residence of Rev. W. Coleman Oamaru
Folio	78/2986
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 February 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. W. Coleman

636

5 February 1878

Arthur Gethin Creagh
Jane Ann Sewell

Arthur Gethin Creagh
Jane Ann Sewell
💍 1878/637

Bachelor
Spinster

Solicitor

27
22

Oamaru
Oamaru

4 years
12 years

St Lukes Church, Oamaru

78/646

5 February 1878

Rev. A. Gifford

No	636
Date of Notice	5 February 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Gethin Creagh	Jane Ann Sewell
	💍 1878/637
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Solicitor
Age	27	22
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	4 years	12 years
Marriage Place	St Lukes Church, Oamaru
Folio	78/646
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 February 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. Gifford

637

8 February 1878

Isaac Kear
Kate Baker

Isaac Kear
Kate Baker
💍 1878/561

Widower
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Servant

45
21

Oamaru
Oamaru

10 years
1 year

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

78/518

8 February 1878

The Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

No	637
Date of Notice	8 February 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Isaac Kear	Kate Baker
	💍 1878/561
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Servant
Age	45	21
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	10 years	1 year
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru
Folio	78/518
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 February 1878
Officiating Minister	The Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

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 1908. 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).