Intentions to Marry, 1888

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840400, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Alexandra at Archives NZ Wellington, May 14 2025

Page 1351

District of Nelson Quarter ending 31 December 1888 Registrar Robert Kiton

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

16 October 1888

Thomas Thomas
Eliza Bell

Thomas Thomas
Eliza Bell
💍 1888/3013

Widower
Widow

Farmer
Nil

59
52

Harley Street, Nelson
Harley Street, Nelson

3 days
4 weeks

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

88/3130

16 October 1888

Robert Kiton, Registrar

No	66
Date of Notice	16 October 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Thomas	Eliza Bell
	💍 1888/3013
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Farmer	Nil
Age	59	52
Dwelling Place	Harley Street, Nelson	Harley Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	4 weeks
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	88/3130
Consent
Date of Certificate	16 October 1888
Officiating Minister	Robert Kiton, Registrar

17 October 1888

William Carr
Sarah Jane Bright

William Carr
Sarah Jane Bright
💍 1888/3025

Bachelor
Spinster

Innkeeper
Dressmaker

35
21

Waimea Road, Nelson
Waimea Road, Nelson

9 days
21 years

All Saints Church, Nelson

88/3118

17 October 1888

Revd. Francis Inner Jones, Church of England

No	67
Date of Notice	17 October 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Carr	Sarah Jane Bright
	💍 1888/3025
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Innkeeper	Dressmaker
Age	35	21
Dwelling Place	Waimea Road, Nelson	Waimea Road, Nelson
Length of Residence	9 days	21 years
Marriage Place	All Saints Church, Nelson
Folio	88/3118
Consent
Date of Certificate	17 October 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. Francis Inner Jones, Church of England

17 October 1888

Charles Tandy
Ellen Lukins Jones

Charles Tandy
Ellen Lukuis Jones
💍 1888/3027

Bachelor
Spinster

Coach Builder
Dressmaker

28
26

Hardy Street, Nelson
Waimea Street, Nelson

3 days
24 years

Christchurch

88/3120

17 October 1888

Revd. Allan S. Jones Jones, Church of England

No	68
Date of Notice	17 October 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Tandy	Ellen Lukins Jones
BDM Match (94%)	Charles Tandy	Ellen Lukuis Jones
	💍 1888/3027
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Coach Builder	Dressmaker
Age	28	26
Dwelling Place	Hardy Street, Nelson	Waimea Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	24 years
Marriage Place	Christchurch
Folio	88/3120
Consent
Date of Certificate	17 October 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. Allan S. Jones Jones, Church of England

20 October 1888

William Burke
Annie M'Cormack

William Burke
Annie McCormack
💍 1888/3026

Bachelor
Widow

Cab Driver
Nil

38
37

Collingwood Street, Nelson
Collingwood Street, Nelson

8 years
12 years

St. Mary, Catholic Church, Nelson

88/3119

20 October 1888

Revd. William Joseph Mahony, Roman Catholic Church

No	69
Date of Notice	20 October 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Burke	Annie M'Cormack
BDM Match (97%)	William Burke	Annie McCormack
	💍 1888/3026
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Cab Driver	Nil
Age	38	37
Dwelling Place	Collingwood Street, Nelson	Collingwood Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	8 years	12 years
Marriage Place	St. Mary, Catholic Church, Nelson
Folio	88/3119
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 October 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. William Joseph Mahony, Roman Catholic Church

27 October 1888

George Chapman
Elizabeth Spicer

George Chapman
Elizabeth Spicer
💍 1888/3014

Widower
Spinster

Miller
Servant

31
22

Nile Street East, Nelson
Bridge Street, Nelson

15 years
4 days

Office of the Registrar of Marriage, Nelson

88/3131

27 October 1888

Robert Kiton, Registrar

No	70
Date of Notice	27 October 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Chapman	Elizabeth Spicer
	💍 1888/3014
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Miller	Servant
Age	31	22
Dwelling Place	Nile Street East, Nelson	Bridge Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	15 years	4 days
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriage, Nelson
Folio	88/3131
Consent
Date of Certificate	27 October 1888
Officiating Minister	Robert Kiton, Registrar

29 October 1888

Austin Herbert Bisley
Mary Gawkrodger

Austin Herbert Bisley
Mary Gaukrodger
💍 1888/3007

Bachelor
Spinster

Merchant
Nil

28
26

Collingwood Street, Nelson
Brook Street, Nelson

28 years
4 years

Wesleyan Church, Nelson

88/3124

29 October 1888

Revd. William Oliver, Wesleyan Church

No	71
Date of Notice	29 October 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Austin Herbert Bisley	Mary Gawkrodger
BDM Match (97%)	Austin Herbert Bisley	Mary Gaukrodger
	💍 1888/3007
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Merchant	Nil
Age	28	26
Dwelling Place	Collingwood Street, Nelson	Brook Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	28 years	4 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Nelson
Folio	88/3124
Consent
Date of Certificate	29 October 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. William Oliver, Wesleyan Church

3 November 1888

William Frederick Christoph Nelwass
Florence Annis Kerr

William Frederick Christopher Schwass
Florence Annie Kerr
💍 1888/3006

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Nil

23
19

Waimea West
Waimea West

10 years
19 years

Residence of James Kerr, Waimea West

88/3123

James Kerr, Father

3 November 1888

Revd. Henry Hayward, Church of England

No	72
Date of Notice	3 November 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Frederick Christoph Nelwass	Florence Annis Kerr
BDM Match (91%)	William Frederick Christopher Schwass	Florence Annie Kerr
	💍 1888/3006
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Nil
Age	23	19
Dwelling Place	Waimea West	Waimea West
Length of Residence	10 years	19 years
Marriage Place	Residence of James Kerr, Waimea West
Folio	88/3123
Consent	James Kerr, Father
Date of Certificate	3 November 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. Henry Hayward, Church of England

5 November 1888

James Cooper
Naomi Ranger

James Cooper
Naomi Ranger
💍 1888/3010

Bachelor
Widow

Labourer
Nil

35
30

Vanguard Street, Nelson
Washington Valley, Nelson

6 months
5 months

Residence of James Pasch, Vanguard Street, Nelson

88/3127

5 November 1888

Revd. Richard James Williams, Congregational Church

No	73
Date of Notice	5 November 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Cooper	Naomi Ranger
	💍 1888/3010
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Labourer	Nil
Age	35	30
Dwelling Place	Vanguard Street, Nelson	Washington Valley, Nelson
Length of Residence	6 months	5 months
Marriage Place	Residence of James Pasch, Vanguard Street, Nelson
Folio	88/3127
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 November 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. Richard James Williams, Congregational Church

7 November 1888

Henry Rishlton Walker
Lydia Winter Howatt

Henry Rishton Walker
Lydia Winton Hounsell
💍 1888/3008

Bachelor
Spinster

Engineer
Nil

22
23

Nile Street East, Nelson
Nile Street East, Nelson

3 days
23 years

Wesleyan Church, Nelson

88/3125

7 November 1888

Revd. William Oliver, Wesleyan Church

No	74
Date of Notice	7 November 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Rishlton Walker	Lydia Winter Howatt
BDM Match (79%)	Henry Rishton Walker	Lydia Winton Hounsell
	💍 1888/3008
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Engineer	Nil
Age	22	23
Dwelling Place	Nile Street East, Nelson	Nile Street East, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	23 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Nelson
Folio	88/3125
Consent
Date of Certificate	7 November 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. William Oliver, Wesleyan Church

22 November 1888

Joseph John Baker
Ellen Kenning

Joseph John Baker
Ellen Kenning
💍 1888/3011

Bachelor
Spinster

Carpenter
Nil

25
20

Wellington Street, Nelson
Stone Street, Nelson

25 years
20 years

Residence of Bogle, Kawai Street, Nelson

88/3128

William Kenning, Father

22 November 1888

Revd. Richard J. Williams, Congregational Church

No	75
Date of Notice	22 November 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Joseph John Baker	Ellen Kenning
	💍 1888/3011
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Nil
Age	25	20
Dwelling Place	Wellington Street, Nelson	Stone Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	25 years	20 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Bogle, Kawai Street, Nelson
Folio	88/3128
Consent	William Kenning, Father
Date of Certificate	22 November 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. Richard J. Williams, Congregational Church

24 November 1888

Thomas Brough
Jane Wells

Thomas Brough
Jane Wells
💍 1888/3009

Widower
Spinster

French Polisher
None

36
21

Grove Street, Nelson
Tor Tor Street, Nelson

6 years
3 days

Residence of George Page, Tor Tor Street, Nelson

88/3126

24 November 1888

Revd. William Oliver, Wesleyan Church

No	76
Date of Notice	24 November 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Brough	Jane Wells
	💍 1888/3009
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	French Polisher	None
Age	36	21
Dwelling Place	Grove Street, Nelson	Tor Tor Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	6 years	3 days
Marriage Place	Residence of George Page, Tor Tor Street, Nelson
Folio	88/3126
Consent
Date of Certificate	24 November 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. William Oliver, Wesleyan Church

15 December 1888

John McDowell
Hannah Lindman

John McDowell
Hannah Lindman
💍 1888/3023

Bachelor
Widow

Miner
Housekeeper

50
45

Collingwood Street, Nelson
Collingwood Street, Nelson

4 days
5 years

Catholic Station, Nelson

88/3116

15 December 1888

Revd. William J. Mahony, Roman Catholic Church

No	77
Date of Notice	15 December 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John McDowell	Hannah Lindman
	💍 1888/3023
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Miner	Housekeeper
Age	50	45
Dwelling Place	Collingwood Street, Nelson	Collingwood Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	4 days	5 years
Marriage Place	Catholic Station, Nelson
Folio	88/3116
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 December 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd. William J. Mahony, Roman Catholic Church

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).