Intentions to Marry, 1880

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840392, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Page 499

District of Nelson Quarter ending Oct - Dec

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

2 October 1880

Edward Wade Petherick
Elizabeth Smith

Edward Wade Petherick
Elizabeth Smith
💍 1880/75

John Walker
Elizabeth Smith
💍 1880/1911

Widower
Spinster

Builder
Domestic Servt

40
25

Richmond Nelson
Richmond Nelson

3 days
10 years

Church of England Richmond

80/12554

25 October 1880

Rev. William Atherry Whyte Church of England

No	53
Date of Notice	2 October 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Wade Petherick	Elizabeth Smith
	💍 1880/75
BDM Match (62%)	John Walker	Elizabeth Smith
	💍 1880/1911
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Builder	Domestic Servt
Age	40	25
Dwelling Place	Richmond Nelson	Richmond Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	10 years
Marriage Place	Church of England Richmond
Folio	80/12554
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 October 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Atherry Whyte Church of England

4 October 1880

Henry Eure
Pamelia Jane Shiles

Henry Eure
Pamilea Jane Stiles
💍 1880/83

Widower
Widow

Mariner
Dressmaker

43
39

Harley Street Nelson
Harley Street Nelson

21 years
7 years

Residence of Rich Metcalf Brook Street Nelson

80/12557

4 October 1880

Rev. John Beckenham Congregational Independent

No	54
Date of Notice	4 October 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Eure	Pamelia Jane Shiles
BDM Match (92%)	Henry Eure	Pamilea Jane Stiles
	💍 1880/83
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Mariner	Dressmaker
Age	43	39
Dwelling Place	Harley Street Nelson	Harley Street Nelson
Length of Residence	21 years	7 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Rich Metcalf Brook Street Nelson
Folio	80/12557
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 October 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Beckenham Congregational Independent

6 October 1880

Thomas Fathers
Jean Malcolm Calder

Thomas Fathers
Jean Malcolm Calder
💍 1880/91

Bachelor
Spinster

Shoemaker
Shop Assistant

22
20

Waimea Road Nelson
Bridge Street Nelson

5 years
20 years

Residence of Thomas Calder Haven Road Nelson

80/12561

Thomas Calder father No person in colony having authority

19 October 1880

Rev. Patrick Calder Presbyterian Church

No	55
Date of Notice	6 October 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Fathers	Jean Malcolm Calder
	💍 1880/91
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Shoemaker	Shop Assistant
Age	22	20
Dwelling Place	Waimea Road Nelson	Bridge Street Nelson
Length of Residence	5 years	20 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Thomas Calder Haven Road Nelson
Folio	80/12561
Consent	Thomas Calder father No person in colony having authority
Date of Certificate	19 October 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder Presbyterian Church

5 October 1880

Thomas Arthur Clements
Jane McHary

Thomas Arthur Clements
Jane McAlary
💍 1880/88

Widower
Spinster

Bootmaker
Servant

39
21

Waimea Road Nelson
Haven Road Nelson

1 year
4 years

Residence of Thomas John June New Street Nelson

80/12558

6 October 1880

Rev. John Beckenham Congregational Independent

No	56
Date of Notice	5 October 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Arthur Clements	Jane McHary
BDM Match (92%)	Thomas Arthur Clements	Jane McAlary
	💍 1880/88
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Bootmaker	Servant
Age	39	21
Dwelling Place	Waimea Road Nelson	Haven Road Nelson
Length of Residence	1 year	4 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Thomas John June New Street Nelson
Folio	80/12558
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 October 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Beckenham Congregational Independent

11 October 1880

Charles Henry Dement
Ann Watson Henry

Charles Henry Dement
Ann Watson Henry
💍 1880/90

Bachelor
Spinster

Bricklayer
Dressmaker

24
22

Hardy Street Nelson
Collingwood Street Nelson

25 years
13 years

Residence of Architect Hardy Collingwood Street Nelson

80/12560

11 October 1880

Rev. Patrick Calder Presbyterian Church

No	57
Date of Notice	11 October 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Henry Dement	Ann Watson Henry
	💍 1880/90
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bricklayer	Dressmaker
Age	24	22
Dwelling Place	Hardy Street Nelson	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	25 years	13 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Architect Hardy Collingwood Street Nelson
Folio	80/12560
Consent
Date of Certificate	11 October 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder Presbyterian Church

8 November 1880

Arthur Henry Isedgeworth
Maud Mary Sealy

Arthur Henry Sedgwick
Maude Mary Sealy
💍 1880/516

Bachelor
Spinster

Minister
Nil

26
30

Bishopdale Nelson
Hardy Street Nelson

3 days
15 years

Bishopdale Chapel Nelson

80/3069

8 November 1880

Rev. A. B. Suter, Bishop of Nelson Church of England

No	58
Date of Notice	8 November 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Henry Isedgeworth	Maud Mary Sealy
BDM Match (82%)	Arthur Henry Sedgwick	Maude Mary Sealy
	💍 1880/516
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Minister	Nil
Age	26	30
Dwelling Place	Bishopdale Nelson	Hardy Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	15 years
Marriage Place	Bishopdale Chapel Nelson
Folio	80/3069
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 November 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. B. Suter, Bishop of Nelson Church of England

9 November 1880

James Newman
Emily Gardener

James Newman
Emily Gardiner
💍 1880/2879

Bachelor
Spinster

Bookbinder
Nil

33
18

Nile Street East Nelson
Nile Street East Nelson

15 Months
18 years

Residence of Jesse Gardener, Nile Street East Nelson

80/12555

Jesse Gardener father

9 November 1880

Rev. Rainsford Bavin Wesleyan

No	59
Date of Notice	9 November 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Newman	Emily Gardener
BDM Match (96%)	James Newman	Emily Gardiner
	💍 1880/2879
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bookbinder	Nil
Age	33	18
Dwelling Place	Nile Street East Nelson	Nile Street East Nelson
Length of Residence	15 Months	18 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Jesse Gardener, Nile Street East Nelson
Folio	80/12555
Consent	Jesse Gardener father
Date of Certificate	9 November 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. Rainsford Bavin Wesleyan

11 November 1880

William Oliver Jones
Mary Ann Whiting

William Oliver Jones
Mary Ann Whiting
💍 1880/73

Bachelor
Spinster

Saddler
Nil

22
21

Trafalgar Street Nelson
Brook Street Nelson

14 days
21 years

Residence David Whiting Brook Street Nelson

80/12565

11 November 1880

Rev. Alexander John Hambleton Baptist Minister

No	60
Date of Notice	11 November 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Oliver Jones	Mary Ann Whiting
	💍 1880/73
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Saddler	Nil
Age	22	21
Dwelling Place	Trafalgar Street Nelson	Brook Street Nelson
Length of Residence	14 days	21 years
Marriage Place	Residence David Whiting Brook Street Nelson
Folio	80/12565
Consent
Date of Certificate	11 November 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. Alexander John Hambleton Baptist Minister

24 November 1880

Charles Henry Hopkins
Sarah Agnes Griffith

Charles Henry Wilkinson
Sarah Agnes Griffiths
💍 1880/74

Bachelor
Spinster

Wool Sorter
Nil

23
19

Waimea Street Nelson
Brook Street Valley Nelson

3 Weeks
1 Week

Residence Richard John Griffith Brook Valley Nelson

80/12566

John Griffith father

24 November 1880

Rev. Alexander John Hambleton Baptist

No	61
Date of Notice	24 November 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Henry Hopkins	Sarah Agnes Griffith
BDM Match (87%)	Charles Henry Wilkinson	Sarah Agnes Griffiths
	💍 1880/74
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Wool Sorter	Nil
Age	23	19
Dwelling Place	Waimea Street Nelson	Brook Street Valley Nelson
Length of Residence	3 Weeks	1 Week
Marriage Place	Residence Richard John Griffith Brook Valley Nelson
Folio	80/12566
Consent	John Griffith father
Date of Certificate	24 November 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. Alexander John Hambleton Baptist

26 November 1880

Thomas Brice Allow
Martha Almore

Thomas Brice Allan
Martha Atmore
💍 1880/89

Bachelor
Spinster

Engineer
Nil

24
23

Bridge Street Nelson
Alma Street Nelson

20 Months
23 years

Residence Edward Almore, Alma Street Nelson

80/12559

26 November 1880

Rev. John Beckenham Congregational Independent

No	62
Date of Notice	26 November 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Brice Allow	Martha Almore
BDM Match (91%)	Thomas Brice Allan	Martha Atmore
	💍 1880/89
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Engineer	Nil
Age	24	23
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Alma Street Nelson
Length of Residence	20 Months	23 years
Marriage Place	Residence Edward Almore, Alma Street Nelson
Folio	80/12559
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 November 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Beckenham Congregational Independent

30 November 1880

Alexander McHale
Mary Kezia Yanall

Alexander McKenzie
Mary Kezia Yarrall
💍 1880/92

Bachelor
Spinster

Carpenter
Nil

25
21

Bridge Street Nelson
Cambria Street Nelson

1 day
21 years

All Saints Church Nelson

80/12562

30 November 1880

Rev. J. A. Bowden Church of England

No	63
Date of Notice	30 November 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Alexander McHale	Mary Kezia Yanall
BDM Match (81%)	Alexander McKenzie	Mary Kezia Yarrall
	💍 1880/92
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Nil
Age	25	21
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Cambria Street Nelson
Length of Residence	1 day	21 years
Marriage Place	All Saints Church Nelson
Folio	80/12562
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 November 1880
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. A. Bowden Church of England

4 December 1880

Charles John Bartlett
Mahilda Evelyn Scadden

Charles John Bartlett
Matilda Evelyn Scadden
💍 1880/2877

Widower
Spinster

Carpenter
Dressmaker

32
20

Grove Street Nelson
Grove Street Nelson

1 year
17 years

Office of the Registrar of Marriages Nelson

80/12563

No person in Colony having authority

20 December 1880

Robert Runton Registrar of Marriages

No	64
Date of Notice	4 December 1880
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles John Bartlett	Mahilda Evelyn Scadden
BDM Match (98%)	Charles John Bartlett	Matilda Evelyn Scadden
	💍 1880/2877
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Dressmaker
Age	32	20
Dwelling Place	Grove Street Nelson	Grove Street Nelson
Length of Residence	1 year	17 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages Nelson
Folio	80/12563
Consent	No person in Colony having authority
Date of Certificate	20 December 1880
Officiating Minister	Robert Runton Registrar of Marriages

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).