Intentions to Marry, 1902 South Island

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840422, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Luke and Carole at Archives NZ Wellington, October 3 and October 8, 2025.

1902 is bound in two volumes, North Island districts and South Island districts.

Page 131

District of Nelson Quarter ending 31 March 1902 Registrar Blomfield

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

4 January 1902

Jabez Eli Wells
Isabella Tear

Jabez Eli Wells
Isabella Tear
💍 1902/2615

Bachelor
Spinster

Dairy Farmer
Domestic Duties

29
35

Russell Street, Nelson
Government Buildings, Nelson

29 years
6 weeks

St Barnabas Church, Stoke

02/856

4 January 1902

Rev A. C. Wright, Church of England Minister

No	1
Date of Notice	4 January 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Jabez Eli Wells	Isabella Tear
	💍 1902/2615
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Dairy Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	29	35
Dwelling Place	Russell Street, Nelson	Government Buildings, Nelson
Length of Residence	29 years	6 weeks
Marriage Place	St Barnabas Church, Stoke
Folio	02/856
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 January 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev A. C. Wright, Church of England Minister

21 January 1902

Harry Martin Nalder
Elizabeth Jane Brooker

Harry Martin Nalder
Elizabeth Jane Brooker
💍 1902/320

Bachelor
Spinster

Clerk
Dressmaker

28
27

Government Buildings, Nelson
Washington Terrace, Nelson

28 years
25 years

Residence of Mr George Brooker, Washington Terrace, Nelson

02/854

21 January 1902

Rev J. S. Smalley, Wesleyan Minister

No	2
Date of Notice	21 January 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Harry Martin Nalder	Elizabeth Jane Brooker
	💍 1902/320
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Clerk	Dressmaker
Age	28	27
Dwelling Place	Government Buildings, Nelson	Washington Terrace, Nelson
Length of Residence	28 years	25 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Mr George Brooker, Washington Terrace, Nelson
Folio	02/854
Consent
Date of Certificate	21 January 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev J. S. Smalley, Wesleyan Minister

22 January 1902

William Kingdom Tomlinson
Adelaide Mary Trolove

William Kingdom Tomlinson
Adelaide Mary Trolove
💍 1902/707

Bachelor
Spinster

Accountant
Household duties

27
22

Ngatitama Street, Nelson
Ngatitama Street, Nelson

3 days
22 years

Christ's Church, Trafalgar Square, Nelson

02/863

22 January 1902

Revd J. P. Kempthorne, Church of England Minister

No	3
Date of Notice	22 January 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Kingdom Tomlinson	Adelaide Mary Trolove
	💍 1902/707
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Accountant	Household duties
Age	27	22
Dwelling Place	Ngatitama Street, Nelson	Ngatitama Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	22 years
Marriage Place	Christ's Church, Trafalgar Square, Nelson
Folio	02/863
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 January 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd J. P. Kempthorne, Church of England Minister

24 January 1902

Stephen Solly
Mary Grace Brewer

Stephen Solly
Mary Grace Brewer
💍 1902/2618

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Household duties

24
18

Haven Road, Nelson
Haven Road, Nelson

11 days
2 weeks

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

02/859

Thomas Brewer, Father

24 January 1902

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

No	4
Date of Notice	24 January 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Stephen Solly	Mary Grace Brewer
	💍 1902/2618
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Household duties
Age	24	18
Dwelling Place	Haven Road, Nelson	Haven Road, Nelson
Length of Residence	11 days	2 weeks
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	02/859
Consent	Thomas Brewer, Father
Date of Certificate	24 January 1902
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

24 January 1902

David Brunton Scott Nidd
Mary Beveridge Pearce

David Brunton Scott
Mary Beveridge Pearce
💍 1902/713

Widower
Spinster

Gentleman
Storekeeper

69
64

Harper Street, Nelson
Washington Valley, Nelson

11 months
38 years

Residence of Mrs Mary Beveridge Pearce, Washington Valley, Nelson

02/867

24 January 1902

Revd Jas H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

No	5
Date of Notice	24 January 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	David Brunton Scott Nidd	Mary Beveridge Pearce
BDM Match (90%)	David Brunton Scott	Mary Beveridge Pearce
	💍 1902/713
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Gentleman	Storekeeper
Age	69	64
Dwelling Place	Harper Street, Nelson	Washington Valley, Nelson
Length of Residence	11 months	38 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Mrs Mary Beveridge Pearce, Washington Valley, Nelson
Folio	02/867
Consent
Date of Certificate	24 January 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd Jas H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

30 January 1902

Henry Baigent
Annie Boyd Wilkie

Henry Baigent
Annie Boyd Wilkie
💍 1902/714

Bachelor
Widow

Hotelkeeper
Household duties

48
49

Hardy Street, Nelson
Collingwood Street, Nelson

2 years
3 years

Residence of Mrs Wilkie, Collingwood Street, Nelson

02/868

30 January 1902

Revd Jas H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

No	6
Date of Notice	30 January 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Baigent	Annie Boyd Wilkie
	💍 1902/714
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Hotelkeeper	Household duties
Age	48	49
Dwelling Place	Hardy Street, Nelson	Collingwood Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	2 years	3 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Mrs Wilkie, Collingwood Street, Nelson
Folio	02/868
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 January 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd Jas H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

4 February 1902

George Robert Simpson
Sarah Beatrice Barthrop

George Robert Simpson
Sara Beatrice Barltrop
💍 1902/2617

Bachelor
Spinster

Clerk
Domestic Duties

36
29

Toi Toi Valley, Nelson
Nile Street, Nelson

3 days
29 years

Congregational Church, Hardy Street, Nelson

02/858

4 February 1902

Revd David McKee Wright, Congregational Minister

No	7
Date of Notice	4 February 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Robert Simpson	Sarah Beatrice Barthrop
BDM Match (94%)	George Robert Simpson	Sara Beatrice Barltrop
	💍 1902/2617
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Clerk	Domestic Duties
Age	36	29
Dwelling Place	Toi Toi Valley, Nelson	Nile Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	29 years
Marriage Place	Congregational Church, Hardy Street, Nelson
Folio	02/858
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 February 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd David McKee Wright, Congregational Minister

5 February 1902

William Nelson Dodson
Rosie Mary Andrews

William Weldon Dodson
Rose May Andrews
💍 1902/711

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Household duties

24
21

Brook Street, Nelson
Brook Street, Nelson

3 days
6 months

Christ's Church, Trafalgar Square, Nelson

02/865

5 February 1902

Revd W. H. Klingender, Church of England Minister

No	8
Date of Notice	5 February 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Nelson Dodson	Rosie Mary Andrews
BDM Match (90%)	William Weldon Dodson	Rose May Andrews
	💍 1902/711
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Household duties
Age	24	21
Dwelling Place	Brook Street, Nelson	Brook Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	6 months
Marriage Place	Christ's Church, Trafalgar Square, Nelson
Folio	02/865
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 February 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd W. H. Klingender, Church of England Minister

4 February 1902

Harry Pollen
Sybil Amy Hunter Brown

Harry Pollen
Sybil Amy Hunter Brown
💍 1902/2084

Widower
Spinster

Medical Practitioner
Household duties

49
32

Manners Street, Wellington
Nelson

12 years
32 years

Christ's Church, Trafalgar Square, Nelson

02/864

4 February 1902

Revd J. P. Kempthorne, Church of England Minister

No	9
Date of Notice	4 February 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Harry Pollen	Sybil Amy Hunter Brown
	💍 1902/2084
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Medical Practitioner	Household duties
Age	49	32
Dwelling Place	Manners Street, Wellington	Nelson
Length of Residence	12 years	32 years
Marriage Place	Christ's Church, Trafalgar Square, Nelson
Folio	02/864
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 February 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd J. P. Kempthorne, Church of England Minister

7 February 1902

Allan Robertson
Mary Jane Greenoms

Allan Robertson
Mary Jane Greenem
💍 1902/716

William Robertson
Mary Ann Perry
💍 1902/6374

Bachelor
Spinster

Clerk
Domestic Duties

33
24

Washington Road, Nelson
Cambria Street, Nelson

4 years
24 years

The Baptist Church, Bridge Street, Nelson

02/870

7 February 1902

Revd Jas H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

No	10
Date of Notice	7 February 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Allan Robertson	Mary Jane Greenoms
BDM Match (94%)	Allan Robertson	Mary Jane Greenem
	💍 1902/716
BDM Match (60%)	William Robertson	Mary Ann Perry
	💍 1902/6374
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Clerk	Domestic Duties
Age	33	24
Dwelling Place	Washington Road, Nelson	Cambria Street, Nelson
Length of Residence	4 years	24 years
Marriage Place	The Baptist Church, Bridge Street, Nelson
Folio	02/870
Consent
Date of Certificate	7 February 1902
Officiating Minister	Revd Jas H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

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).