Intentions to Marry, 1883

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840395, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

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

Page 658

District of Rangiora Quarter ending 31 December 1883 Registrar A. H. Henningham

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

419

14 October 1883

Edward Shea
Jane Hawke

Edward Shaw
Jane Hawke
💍 1883/3086

Bachelor
Widow

Carpenter
Domestic Servant

49
35

Ashley
Southbrook

21 years
18 months

Dwelling House of Richd. Marline, Southbrook

83/3040

14 October 1883

Rev. John Stubbs, Wesleyan

No	419
Date of Notice	14 October 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Shea	Jane Hawke
BDM Match (91%)	Edward Shaw	Jane Hawke
	💍 1883/3086
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Carpenter	Domestic Servant
Age	49	35
Dwelling Place	Ashley	Southbrook
Length of Residence	21 years	18 months
Marriage Place	Dwelling House of Richd. Marline, Southbrook
Folio	83/3040
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 October 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Stubbs, Wesleyan

420

12 November 1883

John Bolger
Mary Gallen

John Bolger
Mary Gallen
💍 1883/3087

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Servant

39
24

Mount Thomas
Rangiora

2 years
3 months

Roman Catholic Church, Rangiora

83/3041

12 November 1883

Rev. I. M. Newsfeld, R. Catholic

No	420
Date of Notice	12 November 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Bolger	Mary Gallen
	💍 1883/3087
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Servant
Age	39	24
Dwelling Place	Mount Thomas	Rangiora
Length of Residence	2 years	3 months
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Church, Rangiora
Folio	83/3041
Consent
Date of Certificate	12 November 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. I. M. Newsfeld, R. Catholic

421

20 November 1883

William George Baker
Jessie Christina Rice

William George Baker
Jessie Christina Rice
💍 1883/3080

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Servant

20
19

Southbrook
Southbrook

17 years
9 months

Church of England, Rangiora

83/3034

Frederick Baker, Father; James Rice, Father

20 November 1883

Rev. H. W. Dudley, Ch. of England

No	421
Date of Notice	20 November 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William George Baker	Jessie Christina Rice
	💍 1883/3080
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Servant
Age	20	19
Dwelling Place	Southbrook	Southbrook
Length of Residence	17 years	9 months
Marriage Place	Church of England, Rangiora
Folio	83/3034
Consent	Frederick Baker, Father; James Rice, Father
Date of Certificate	20 November 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. W. Dudley, Ch. of England

422

26 November 1883

Henry Jos. Hopkins
Eliza Stevens

Henry Joseph Hopkins
Eliza Stevens
💍 1883/3085

Bachelor
Spinster

Storekeeper
Not-any

22 years
24 years

Wood End
Wood End

2 years
16 years

Wesleyan Church, Wood End

83/3039

26 November 1883

The Rev. Lucas Hudson, Wesleyan Minister

No	422
Date of Notice	26 November 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Jos. Hopkins	Eliza Stevens
BDM Match (93%)	Henry Joseph Hopkins	Eliza Stevens
	💍 1883/3085
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Storekeeper	Not-any
Age	22 years	24 years
Dwelling Place	Wood End	Wood End
Length of Residence	2 years	16 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Wood End
Folio	83/3039
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 November 1883
Officiating Minister	The Rev. Lucas Hudson, Wesleyan Minister

423

26 November 1883

George Allan Gulliver
Elizabeth Hopsell

George Allen Gulliver
Elizabeth Hessell
💍 1883/3081

Bachelor
Spinster

Builder
Teacher

27 years
24 years

Rangiora
Rangiora

5 years
24 years

Church of England, Rangiora

83/3035

26 November 1883

Rev. H. W. Dudley, Ch. of Engd.

No	423
Date of Notice	26 November 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Allan Gulliver	Elizabeth Hopsell
BDM Match (92%)	George Allen Gulliver	Elizabeth Hessell
	💍 1883/3081
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Builder	Teacher
Age	27 years	24 years
Dwelling Place	Rangiora	Rangiora
Length of Residence	5 years	24 years
Marriage Place	Church of England, Rangiora
Folio	83/3035
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 November 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. W. Dudley, Ch. of Engd.

424

3 December 1883

Thos. McHugh
Joanna Power
'Ashworth' written in pencil

Thomas McKugh
Johanna Ashworth
💍 1883/3088

Bachelor
Widow

Labourer
Farmer

38 years
40 years

Mandeville, Rangiora
Ohoka, Kaiapoi

3 years
12 years

Roman Catholic Church, Kaiapoi

83/3042

3 December 1883

Rev. I. M. Newsfeld, R. C. Church

No	424
Date of Notice	3 December 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thos. McHugh	Joanna Power 'Ashworth' written in pencil
BDM Match (63%)	Thomas McKugh	Johanna Ashworth
	💍 1883/3088
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Labourer	Farmer
Age	38 years	40 years
Dwelling Place	Mandeville, Rangiora	Ohoka, Kaiapoi
Length of Residence	3 years	12 years
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Church, Kaiapoi
Folio	83/3042
Consent
Date of Certificate	3 December 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. I. M. Newsfeld, R. C. Church

425

12 December 1883

John Hughey
Annie Sutherland

John Hughey
Annie Sutherland
💍 1883/3084

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Not-any

25 years
22 years

Rangiora
Mt. Grey Downs, Rangiora

6 years
10 years

Presbyterian Church, Leffor Rangiora

83/3038

12 December 1883

Rev. Robb. Loud, Presbyterian

No	425
Date of Notice	12 December 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Hughey	Annie Sutherland
	💍 1883/3084
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Not-any
Age	25 years	22 years
Dwelling Place	Rangiora	Mt. Grey Downs, Rangiora
Length of Residence	6 years	10 years
Marriage Place	Presbyterian Church, Leffor Rangiora
Folio	83/3038
Consent
Date of Certificate	12 December 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robb. Loud, Presbyterian

426

17 December 1883

James Pearce
Mary Ann Daniel

James Pearce
Mary Annie Daniel
💍 1883/3082

Bachelor
Spinster

Miller
Not-any

26 years
26 years

Southbrook
Southbrook

4 years
4 days

Church of England, Rangiora

83/3036

17 December 1883

Rev. H. W. Dudley, Ch. of England

No	426
Date of Notice	17 December 1883
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Pearce	Mary Ann Daniel
BDM Match (94%)	James Pearce	Mary Annie Daniel
	💍 1883/3082
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Miller	Not-any
Age	26 years	26 years
Dwelling Place	Southbrook	Southbrook
Length of Residence	4 years	4 days
Marriage Place	Church of England, Rangiora
Folio	83/3036
Consent
Date of Certificate	17 December 1883
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. W. Dudley, Ch. of England

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 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).