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 588

District of Nelson Quarter ending 30 June 1888 Registrar Robert Kirton

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

14 May 1888

James Robert Sharp
Rose Betts

James Robert Sharp
Rose Catherine Betts
💍 1888/1454

Bachelor
Spinster

Expressman
Nil

30
27

Gloucester Street Nelson
Hardy Street Nelson

2 years
10 years

Residence of Mrs. Betts, Hardy Street, Nelson

88/1379

14 May 1888

Rev. A. C. Wright, Church of England

No	39
Date of Notice	14 May 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Robert Sharp	Rose Betts
BDM Match (75%)	James Robert Sharp	Rose Catherine Betts
	💍 1888/1454
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Expressman	Nil
Age	30	27
Dwelling Place	Gloucester Street Nelson	Hardy Street Nelson
Length of Residence	2 years	10 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Mrs. Betts, Hardy Street, Nelson
Folio	88/1379
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 May 1888
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. C. Wright, Church of England

23 May 1888

Benjamin Blick
Jane Stewart

Benjamin Blick
Jane Stewart
💍 1888/1443

Bachelor
Spinster

Blacksmith
Dressmaker

23
28

Brook Street Valley Nelson
Brook Street Valley Nelson

5 days
28 years

Residence of Joseph Stewart, Brook Street Valley, Nelson

88/1369

23 May 1888

Revd James Standing, Baptist Minister

No	40
Date of Notice	23 May 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Benjamin Blick	Jane Stewart
	💍 1888/1443
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Blacksmith	Dressmaker
Age	23	28
Dwelling Place	Brook Street Valley Nelson	Brook Street Valley Nelson
Length of Residence	5 days	28 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Joseph Stewart, Brook Street Valley, Nelson
Folio	88/1369
Consent
Date of Certificate	23 May 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd James Standing, Baptist Minister

28 May 1888

Herbert Ephraim Lonsdale
Louise Mary Little

Herbert Ephraim Lonsdale
Louise Mary Little
💍 1888/1382

Bachelor
Spinster

Importer
Nil

35
26

Trafalgar Street Nelson
Haven Road Nelson

4 days
16 years

Christ church, Nelson

88/1357

28 May 1888

Revd John Pratt Kempthorne, Church of England.

No	41
Date of Notice	28 May 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Herbert Ephraim Lonsdale	Louise Mary Little
	💍 1888/1382
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Importer	Nil
Age	35	26
Dwelling Place	Trafalgar Street Nelson	Haven Road Nelson
Length of Residence	4 days	16 years
Marriage Place	Christ church, Nelson
Folio	88/1357
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 May 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd John Pratt Kempthorne, Church of England.

28 May 1888

William Smith Simkin
Frances Warren Mcgee

William Smith Simkin
Frances Warren McGee
💍 1888/1441

Bachelor
Spinster

Commercial Traveller
Nil

34
27

Trafalgar Street Nelson
Milton Street Nelson

3 days
27 years

Residence of Charles Mcgee, Milton Street, Nelson

88/1367

28 May 1888

Revd William Joseph Mahoney, Roman Catholic Church

No	42
Date of Notice	28 May 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Smith Simkin	Frances Warren Mcgee
BDM Match (98%)	William Smith Simkin	Frances Warren McGee
	💍 1888/1441
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Commercial Traveller	Nil
Age	34	27
Dwelling Place	Trafalgar Street Nelson	Milton Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	27 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Charles Mcgee, Milton Street, Nelson
Folio	88/1367
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 May 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd William Joseph Mahoney, Roman Catholic Church

4 June 1888

Horace Wakefield
Eliza Diana Cheel

Horace Wakefield
Eliza Diana Cheel
💍 1888/1444

Bachelor
Spinster

Lighthouse Keeper
Nil

35
24

Boulder Bank Nelson
Collingwood Street Nelson

2 years
10 years

Residence of Charles William Cheel, Collingwood Street, Nelson

88/1370

4 June 1888

Revd James Standing, Baptist Church

No	43
Date of Notice	4 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Horace Wakefield	Eliza Diana Cheel
	💍 1888/1444
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Lighthouse Keeper	Nil
Age	35	24
Dwelling Place	Boulder Bank Nelson	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	2 years	10 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Charles William Cheel, Collingwood Street, Nelson
Folio	88/1370
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd James Standing, Baptist Church

5 June 1888

Arthur Kennedy Blundell
Annie Mary Tweedie

Arthur Kennedy Blundell
Anne Mary Tweedie
💍 1888/1440

Bachelor
Spinster

Sheep Inspector
Nil

39
26

Hardy Street Nelson
Nile Street East, Nelson

3 days
5 years

Christ church, Nelson

88/1358

5 June 1888

Revd Charles Oliver Mules MA, Church of England

No	44
Date of Notice	5 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Kennedy Blundell	Annie Mary Tweedie
BDM Match (97%)	Arthur Kennedy Blundell	Anne Mary Tweedie
	💍 1888/1440
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Sheep Inspector	Nil
Age	39	26
Dwelling Place	Hardy Street Nelson	Nile Street East, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	5 years
Marriage Place	Christ church, Nelson
Folio	88/1358
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd Charles Oliver Mules MA, Church of England

6 June 1888

Thomas James Quirk
Sophia Busch

Thomas James Quirk
Sophia Busch
💍 1888/1449

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Servant

41
22

Gloucester Street Nelson
Gloucester Street Nelson

2 years
22 years

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

88/1375

6 June 1888

Robert Kirton, Registrar

No	45
Date of Notice	6 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas James Quirk	Sophia Busch
	💍 1888/1449
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Servant
Age	41	22
Dwelling Place	Gloucester Street Nelson	Gloucester Street Nelson
Length of Residence	2 years	22 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	88/1375
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Robert Kirton, Registrar

11 June 1888

George Elijah Nancarrow
Ellen Allport

George Elijah Nancarrow
Ellen Allport
💍 1888/1455

Bachelor
Spinster

Miner
Servant

38
27

Collingwood Street Nelson
Stoke

3 days
27 years

All Saints' Church, Nelson

88/1380

11 June 1888

Revd Alfred Cecil Wright Smith, Church of England

No	46
Date of Notice	11 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Elijah Nancarrow	Ellen Allport
	💍 1888/1455
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Miner	Servant
Age	38	27
Dwelling Place	Collingwood Street Nelson	Stoke
Length of Residence	3 days	27 years
Marriage Place	All Saints' Church, Nelson
Folio	88/1380
Consent
Date of Certificate	11 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd Alfred Cecil Wright Smith, Church of England

19 June 1888

Walter Woolbrough Browning
Emma Rosalie Mildred Airey

Walker Woolnough Browning
Emma Rosalie Mildred Airey
💍 1888/1453

Bachelor
Spinster

Telegraphist
Nil

34
21

Wakapuaka
Richmond

2 years
2 Weeks

Holy Trinity Church, Richmond

88/1378

19 June 1888

Revd John Leashley Nightingale, Church of England

No	47
Date of Notice	19 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Walter Woolbrough Browning	Emma Rosalie Mildred Airey
BDM Match (94%)	Walker Woolnough Browning	Emma Rosalie Mildred Airey
	💍 1888/1453
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Telegraphist	Nil
Age	34	21
Dwelling Place	Wakapuaka	Richmond
Length of Residence	2 years	2 Weeks
Marriage Place	Holy Trinity Church, Richmond
Folio	88/1378
Consent
Date of Certificate	19 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd John Leashley Nightingale, Church of England

25 June 1888

Vernon Richard Hackworth
Constance Fleetwood Sharp

Vernon Richard Hackworth
Constance Fleetwood Sharp
💍 1888/1451

Bachelor
Spinster

Bank Manager
Nil

30
24

Bridge Street Nelson
Milton Street Nelson

3 days
24 years

Christ church, Nelson

88/1359

25 June 1888

Revd John Pratt Kempthorne, Church of England

No	48
Date of Notice	25 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Vernon Richard Hackworth	Constance Fleetwood Sharp
	💍 1888/1451
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bank Manager	Nil
Age	30	24
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Milton Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	24 years
Marriage Place	Christ church, Nelson
Folio	88/1359
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Revd John Pratt Kempthorne, Church of England

29 June 1888

James Marshall
Clara Scoles

James Marshall
Clara Scales
💍 1888/1450

Widower
Widow

Miner
Nil

62
37

Vanguard Street Nelson
Van Dieman Street Nelson

1 week
37 years

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

88/1376

29 June 1888

Robert Kirton, Registrar

No	49
Date of Notice	29 June 1888
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Marshall	Clara Scoles
BDM Match (96%)	James Marshall	Clara Scales
	💍 1888/1450
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Miner	Nil
Age	62	37
Dwelling Place	Vanguard Street Nelson	Van Dieman Street Nelson
Length of Residence	1 week	37 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	88/1376
Consent
Date of Certificate	29 June 1888
Officiating Minister	Robert Kirton, Registrar

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).