Intentions to Marry, 1887

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840399, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Carole at Archives NZ Wellington, May 14 2025

Page 552

District of Nelson Quarter ending 30 June 1887 Registrar Robert Watson

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

1 April 1887

Albert Augustus Lucas
Alice Mabel Field

Albert Augustus Lucas
Alice Mabel Field
💍 1887/3304

Bachelor
Spinster

Printer
Nil

22
21

Britannia Heights Nelson
Examiner Street Nelson

22 years
5 years

Residence of Thomas Field Examiner Street Nelson

87/1301

1 April 1887

Rev. William Henry Beck Wesleyan Church

No	27
Date of Notice	1 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Albert Augustus Lucas	Alice Mabel Field
	💍 1887/3304
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Printer	Nil
Age	22	21
Dwelling Place	Britannia Heights Nelson	Examiner Street Nelson
Length of Residence	22 years	5 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Thomas Field Examiner Street Nelson
Folio	87/1301
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Henry Beck Wesleyan Church

2 April 1887

William Marshall
Kate Keen

William Wanstall
Kate Keen
💍 1887/3446

Widower
Spinster

Painter
Nil

31
16

Hope
Richmond

2 years
10 years

Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson

87/1292

John Keen Father

2 April 1887

Robert Watson Registrar

No	28
Date of Notice	2 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Marshall	Kate Keen
BDM Match (91%)	William Wanstall	Kate Keen
	💍 1887/3446
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Painter	Nil
Age	31	16
Dwelling Place	Hope	Richmond
Length of Residence	2 years	10 years
Marriage Place	Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson
Folio	87/1292
Consent	John Keen Father
Date of Certificate	2 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Robert Watson Registrar

2 April 1887

Andrew Miller
Frances Bowen

Andrew Miller
Francis Bowen
💍 1887/3305

Bachelor
Spinster

Carpenter
Nil

24
23

Alton Street Nelson
Bridge Street Nelson

24 years
23 years

Residence of John Paul Miller Alton Street Nelson

87/1302

2 April 1887

Rev. William Henry Beck Wesleyan Church

No	29
Date of Notice	2 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Andrew Miller	Frances Bowen
BDM Match (96%)	Andrew Miller	Francis Bowen
	💍 1887/3305
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Nil
Age	24	23
Dwelling Place	Alton Street Nelson	Bridge Street Nelson
Length of Residence	24 years	23 years
Marriage Place	Residence of John Paul Miller Alton Street Nelson
Folio	87/1302
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Henry Beck Wesleyan Church

12 April 1887

William Lyon Naby
Louisa Carter

William Lyon Raby
Louisa Carter
💍 1887/3448

Bachelor
Spinster

Seaman
Nil

38
30

41 Aorere Nelson
Hardy Street Nelson

2 years
4 days

Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson

87/1293

12 April 1887

Robert Watson Registrar

No	30
Date of Notice	12 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Lyon Naby	Louisa Carter
BDM Match (97%)	William Lyon Raby	Louisa Carter
	💍 1887/3448
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Seaman	Nil
Age	38	30
Dwelling Place	41 Aorere Nelson	Hardy Street Nelson
Length of Residence	2 years	4 days
Marriage Place	Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson
Folio	87/1293
Consent
Date of Certificate	12 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Robert Watson Registrar

19 April 1887

John Alfred Stringer
Catherine Calder

John Alfred Stringer
Catherine Calder
💍 1887/3310

Bachelor
Spinster

Carpenter
Shop Assistant

24
25

Haven Road, Nelson
Bridge Street, Nelson

24 years
25 years

Presbyterian Church, Nelson

87/1307

19 April 1887

Rev. Patrick Calder, Presbyterian Church

No	31
Date of Notice	19 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Alfred Stringer	Catherine Calder
	💍 1887/3310
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Shop Assistant
Age	24	25
Dwelling Place	Haven Road, Nelson	Bridge Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	24 years	25 years
Marriage Place	Presbyterian Church, Nelson
Folio	87/1307
Consent
Date of Certificate	19 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. Patrick Calder, Presbyterian Church

22 April 1887

William Kenning
Jane Good

William Kenning
Jane Good
💍 1887/3306

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Nil

23
23

Stoke
Collingwood Street Nelson

23 years
23 years

Residence of William Good Collingwood Street Nelson

87/1303

22 April 1887

Rev. William C. Oliver Wesleyan Church

No	32
Date of Notice	22 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Kenning	Jane Good
	💍 1887/3306
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Nil
Age	23	23
Dwelling Place	Stoke	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	23 years	23 years
Marriage Place	Residence of William Good Collingwood Street Nelson
Folio	87/1303
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. William C. Oliver Wesleyan Church

28 April 1887

Arthur Simms
Mary Reilly

Arthur Emms
Mary Reilly
💍 1887/3450

Bachelor
Spinster

Saddler
Nil

22
17

Bridge Street Nelson
Collingwood Street Nelson

3 days
2 months

Residence of J. Waterhouse Collingwood Street Nelson

87/1295

James Reilly Father

28 April 1887

Rev. William Joseph Mahony S.M. Roman Catholic Church

No	33
Date of Notice	28 April 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Simms	Mary Reilly
BDM Match (92%)	Arthur Emms	Mary Reilly
	💍 1887/3450
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Saddler	Nil
Age	22	17
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	2 months
Marriage Place	Residence of J. Waterhouse Collingwood Street Nelson
Folio	87/1295
Consent	James Reilly Father
Date of Certificate	28 April 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Joseph Mahony S.M. Roman Catholic Church

2 May 1887

Alexander Ferrier Hamilton
Phyllis Carruthers Renwick

Alexander Ferrier Hamilton
Phyllis Carruthers Renwick
💍 1887/3453

Bachelor
Spinster

Bank Manager
Nil

37
27

Hardy Street Nelson
Manuka Street Nelson

18 months
8 years

Church of England

87/1298

Certificate not granted

Rev. John Chapman Andrew M.A.

No	34
Date of Notice	2 May 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Alexander Ferrier Hamilton	Phyllis Carruthers Renwick
	💍 1887/3453
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bank Manager	Nil
Age	37	27
Dwelling Place	Hardy Street Nelson	Manuka Street Nelson
Length of Residence	18 months	8 years
Marriage Place	Church of England
Folio	87/1298
Consent
Date of Certificate	Certificate not granted
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Chapman Andrew M.A.

4 May 1887

Henry James Bright
Annie Hill

Henry James Bright
Annie Hill
💍 1887/3449

Bachelor
Spinster

Fellmonger
Nil

27
23

Motueka Street Nelson
Hope

1 month
2 months

Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson

87/1294

5 May 1887

Robert Watson Registrar

No	35
Date of Notice	4 May 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry James Bright	Annie Hill
	💍 1887/3449
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fellmonger	Nil
Age	27	23
Dwelling Place	Motueka Street Nelson	Hope
Length of Residence	1 month	2 months
Marriage Place	Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson
Folio	87/1294
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 May 1887
Officiating Minister	Robert Watson Registrar

5 May 1887

Henry James Bright
Annie Hill

Henry James Bright
Annie Hill
💍 1887/3449

Bachelor
Spinster

Fellmonger
Nil

27
23

Motueka Street Nelson
Hope

1 month
2 months

Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson

87/1294

5 May 1887

Robert Watson Registrar

No	36
Date of Notice	5 May 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry James Bright	Annie Hill
	💍 1887/3449
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fellmonger	Nil
Age	27	23
Dwelling Place	Motueka Street Nelson	Hope
Length of Residence	1 month	2 months
Marriage Place	Office of Registrar of Marriages Nelson
Folio	87/1294
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 May 1887
Officiating Minister	Robert Watson Registrar

4 May 1887

Charles Henry Hanning Broughton
Mary Ann O'Connor

Charles Henry S Broughton
Mary Ann O'Connor
💍 1887/3451

Bachelor
Spinster

Lighthouse Keeper
Nil

30
25

Bridge Street Nelson
Brook Street Nelson

3 days
25 years

St. Mary's Catholic Church Nelson

87/1296

5 May 1887

Rev. William Joseph Mahony S.M. Roman Catholic Church

No	37
Date of Notice	4 May 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Henry Hanning Broughton	Mary Ann O'Connor
BDM Match (89%)	Charles Henry S Broughton	Mary Ann O'Connor
	💍 1887/3451
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Lighthouse Keeper	Nil
Age	30	25
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Brook Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	25 years
Marriage Place	St. Mary's Catholic Church Nelson
Folio	87/1296
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 May 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Joseph Mahony S.M. Roman Catholic Church

4 May 1887

Charles Revell
Helen Coles

Charles Revell
Helen Coles
💍 1887/3452

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Nil

26
16

Collingwood Street Nelson
Collingwood Street Nelson

12 days
14 years

Church of England

87/1299

Samuel Coles father

5 May 1887

Rev. John Pratt Newcombe Church of England

No	38
Date of Notice	4 May 1887
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Revell	Helen Coles
	💍 1887/3452
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Nil
Age	26	16
Dwelling Place	Collingwood Street Nelson	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	12 days	14 years
Marriage Place	Church of England
Folio	87/1299
Consent	Samuel Coles father
Date of Certificate	5 May 1887
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Pratt Newcombe Church 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).