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 0812

District of Oamaru Quarter ending 31 March 1878

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

638

25 February 1878

Ronald McMillen
Barbara Alexandra Bowie

Ronald McMillan
Barbara Alexandra Cowie
💍 1878/652

Widower
Spinster

Shepherd
Domestic Servant

40 years
28 years

Benmore
Oamaru

3 years
6 months

The Residence of Mr Andrew Hulding

78/637

25 February 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	638
Date of Notice	25 February 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Ronald McMillen	Barbara Alexandra Bowie
BDM Match (95%)	Ronald McMillan	Barbara Alexandra Cowie
	💍 1878/652
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Shepherd	Domestic Servant
Age	40 years	28 years
Dwelling Place	Benmore	Oamaru
Length of Residence	3 years	6 months
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr Andrew Hulding
Folio	78/637
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 February 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

639

25 February 1878

William Jarvie Orr
Annie Clark

William Jarvie Orr
Annie Clark
💍 1878/645

Bachelor
Spinster

Shepherd

28 years
20 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

14 days
14 days

The Residence of Mr James Clarke

78/636

James Clark, Father

25 February 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	639
Date of Notice	25 February 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Jarvie Orr	Annie Clark
	💍 1878/645
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Shepherd
Age	28 years	20 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	14 days	14 days
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr James Clarke
Folio	78/636
Consent	James Clark, Father
Date of Certificate	25 February 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

640

27 February 1878

George Henry Griff Brook
Mary Ann Searle

George Henry Croft Hook
Mary Ann Searle
💍 1878/658

Bachelor
Spinster

Plasterer

26 years
22 years

Oamaru
Kakanui

15 years
3 years

Wesley Church, Oamaru

78/673

27 February 1878

Rev. John Armitage

No	640
Date of Notice	27 February 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Henry Griff Brook	Mary Ann Searle
BDM Match (90%)	George Henry Croft Hook	Mary Ann Searle
	💍 1878/658
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Plasterer
Age	26 years	22 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Kakanui
Length of Residence	15 years	3 years
Marriage Place	Wesley Church, Oamaru
Folio	78/673
Consent
Date of Certificate	27 February 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Armitage

641

4 March 1878

James Wilson
Catherine Courtney

James Wilson
Catherine Courtney
💍 1878/653

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmerman

24 years
23 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

14 months
7 months

The Residence of Mr James Wilson in Coquet Street, Oamaru

78/638

4 March 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	641
Date of Notice	4 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Wilson	Catherine Courtney
	💍 1878/653
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmerman
Age	24 years	23 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	14 months	7 months
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr James Wilson in Coquet Street, Oamaru
Folio	78/638
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

642

6 March 1878

John Moore
Honora Murphy

Widower
Spinster

Laborer
Domestic Servant

65 years
44 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

4 years
4 years

St. Patrick's

78/675

6 March 1878

Rev. W. Coleman, RC

No	642
Date of Notice	6 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Moore	Honora Murphy
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Laborer	Domestic Servant
Age	65 years	44 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	4 years	4 years
Marriage Place	St. Patrick's
Folio	78/675
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. W. Coleman, RC

643

6 March 1878

Robert Kilpatrick
Margaret Riddle Campbell

Robert Kilpatrick
Margaret Riddle Campbell
💍 1878/654

Bachelor
Spinster

Laborer
Dressmaker

26 years
21 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

2 years
18 months

St. Paul's Church, Oamaru

78/639

6 March 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	643
Date of Notice	6 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Robert Kilpatrick	Margaret Riddle Campbell
	💍 1878/654
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Laborer	Dressmaker
Age	26 years	21 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	2 years	18 months
Marriage Place	St. Paul's Church, Oamaru
Folio	78/639
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

644

15 March 1878

Henry Hewitt
Jessie Duncan

Henry Hewitt
Jessie Duncan
💍 1878/538

Bachelor
Spinster

Fishmonger

39 years
30 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

12 months
15 months

At Oamaru

78/5

15 March 1878

The Deputy Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

No	644
Date of Notice	15 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Hewitt	Jessie Duncan
	💍 1878/538
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fishmonger
Age	39 years	30 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	12 months	15 months
Marriage Place	At Oamaru
Folio	78/5
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 March 1878
Officiating Minister	The Deputy Registrar of Marriages, Oamaru

645

16 March 1878

George Harris
Bridget Flannery

George Harris
Bridget Flannery
💍 1878/635

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher

28 years
21 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

12 months
2 years

The Residence of Mr Brown in Greta Street, Oamaru

78/644

16 March 1878

Rev. John Armitage

No	645
Date of Notice	16 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Harris	Bridget Flannery
	💍 1878/635
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher
Age	28 years	21 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	12 months	2 years
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr Brown in Greta Street, Oamaru
Folio	78/644
Consent
Date of Certificate	16 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Armitage

646

19 March 1878

Alexander Adams
Annie Alfain

Alexander Adams
Annie Alford
💍 1878/655

Bachelor
Spinster

Baker
Domestic Servant

24 years
18 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

15 months
4 months

The Residence of Mr Barraclough in Wye Street, Meadowbank

78/640

Declaration

19 March 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	646
Date of Notice	19 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Alexander Adams	Annie Alfain
BDM Match (88%)	Alexander Adams	Annie Alford
	💍 1878/655
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Baker	Domestic Servant
Age	24 years	18 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	15 months	4 months
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr Barraclough in Wye Street, Meadowbank
Folio	78/640
Consent	Declaration
Date of Certificate	19 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

647

25 March 1878

John Murray
Bridget Coffey

John Murray
Bridgett Coffey
💍 1878/2966

Widower
Widow

Laborer

41 years
30 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

3 years
4 months

St. Patrick's Church, Oamaru

78/987

25 March 1878

Rev. W. Coleman, RC

No	647
Date of Notice	25 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Murray	Bridget Coffey
BDM Match (97%)	John Murray	Bridgett Coffey
	💍 1878/2966
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Laborer
Age	41 years	30 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	3 years	4 months
Marriage Place	St. Patrick's Church, Oamaru
Folio	78/987
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. W. Coleman, RC

648

25 March 1878

John Jones
Mary Griffin

John Jones
Mary Griffen
💍 1878/656

John Jones
Martha Baker
💍 1879/555

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Servant

33 years
24 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

14 years
1 month

At the Residence of Mr. Peter Coulson in Trent Street, Oamaru

78/641

25 March 1878

Rev. A. B. Todd

No	648
Date of Notice	25 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Jones	Mary Griffin
BDM Match (96%)	John Jones	Mary Griffen
	💍 1878/656
BDM Match (63%)	John Jones	Martha Baker
	💍 1879/555
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Servant
Age	33 years	24 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	14 years	1 month
Marriage Place	At the Residence of Mr. Peter Coulson in Trent Street, Oamaru
Folio	78/641
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Todd

649

28 March 1878

Hans Holm
Emily Farran

Hans Holm
Emily Farrar
💍 1878/636

Bachelor
Widow

Blacksmith

43 years
41 years

Oamaru
Oamaru

3 days
5 years

The Residence of Mr Barraclough, Meadowbank

78/645

28 March 1878

Rev. John Armitage

No	649
Date of Notice	28 March 1878
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Hans Holm	Emily Farran
BDM Match (96%)	Hans Holm	Emily Farrar
	💍 1878/636
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Blacksmith
Age	43 years	41 years
Dwelling Place	Oamaru	Oamaru
Length of Residence	3 days	5 years
Marriage Place	The Residence of Mr Barraclough, Meadowbank
Folio	78/645
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 March 1878
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Armitage

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

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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).