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 488

District of Timaru Quarter ending 30 September 1902 Registrar Alexander Montgomery

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 July 1902

Herbert John Clarkson
Isabella Blair

Herbert John Clarkson
Isabella Blair
💍 1902/4235

Bachelor
Spinster

Shepherd
Domestic Servant

29 years
23

Timaru
Timaru

3 days
14 days

Dwellinghouse of Andrew Blair, Wai-iti Road

02/4243

1 July 1902

Rev. Thomas Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

No	39
Date of Notice	1 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Herbert John Clarkson	Isabella Blair
	💍 1902/4235
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Shepherd	Domestic Servant
Age	29 years	23
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 days	14 days
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Andrew Blair, Wai-iti Road
Folio	02/4243
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. Thomas Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

1 July 1902

John Henry Cain
Emily Innes

John Henry Cain
Emily Frires
💍 1902/4495

Bachelor
Spinster

Laborer
Domestic Help

25
16

Seadown
Seadown

10 years
3 days

Dwellinghouse of Samuel Cain, Seadown

02/4226

Innes, father

1 July 1902

Rev. David John Steele, Presbyterian Minister

No	40
Date of Notice	1 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Henry Cain	Emily Innes
BDM Match (83%)	John Henry Cain	Emily Frires
	💍 1902/4495
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Laborer	Domestic Help
Age	25	16
Dwelling Place	Seadown	Seadown
Length of Residence	10 years	3 days
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Samuel Cain, Seadown
Folio	02/4226
Consent	Innes, father
Date of Certificate	1 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. David John Steele, Presbyterian Minister

4 July 1902

Pelham George Ellis
Angelina Jane Shute

Pelham George Ellis
Angelina Jane Shute
💍 1902/4493

Bachelor
Spinster

Woolworker
Domestic duties

21
18

Timaru
Timaru

20 years
18 years

Registrar's Office, Timaru

02/4224

James Shute, father

4 July 1902

Alex. Montgomery, Registrar

No	41
Date of Notice	4 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Pelham George Ellis	Angelina Jane Shute
	💍 1902/4493
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Woolworker	Domestic duties
Age	21	18
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	20 years	18 years
Marriage Place	Registrar's Office, Timaru
Folio	02/4224
Consent	James Shute, father
Date of Certificate	4 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Alex. Montgomery, Registrar

5 July 1902

Maurice Cairns
Elizabeth Duggan

Maurice Cairns
Elizabeth Duggan
💍 1902/4237

Bachelor
Spinster

Laborer
Domestic Servant

35
32

Timaru
Timaru

3 days
3 months

Catholic Church, Timaru

02/4245

5 July 1902

Rev. John Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

No	42
Date of Notice	5 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Maurice Cairns	Elizabeth Duggan
	💍 1902/4237
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Laborer	Domestic Servant
Age	35	32
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 days	3 months
Marriage Place	Catholic Church, Timaru
Folio	02/4245
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

5 July 1902

Samuel Joshua Greens
Harriet Louisa Hull

Samuel Joshua Greene
Harriet Louisa Hull
💍 1902/4496

Bachelor
Widow

Postal official

35
32

Timaru
Timaru

14 years
3 years

Dwellinghouse of Bride, Latter Street, Timaru

02/4227

5 July 1902

Rev. Robert Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

No	43
Date of Notice	5 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Samuel Joshua Greens	Harriet Louisa Hull
BDM Match (98%)	Samuel Joshua Greene	Harriet Louisa Hull
	💍 1902/4496
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Postal official
Age	35	32
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	14 years	3 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Bride, Latter Street, Timaru
Folio	02/4227
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robert Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

7 July 1902

Thomas Hearns
Mary Jane Wade

Thomas Kearns
Mary Jane Wade
💍 1902/4215

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher
Domestic duties

24 years
22 years

Timaru
Timaru

18 months
22 years

Catholic Church, Timaru

02/4246

7 July 1902

Rev. J. Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

No	44
Date of Notice	7 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Hearns	Mary Jane Wade
BDM Match (96%)	Thomas Kearns	Mary Jane Wade
	💍 1902/4215
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher	Domestic duties
Age	24 years	22 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	18 months	22 years
Marriage Place	Catholic Church, Timaru
Folio	02/4246
Consent
Date of Certificate	7 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

8 July 1902

Geoffrey Shaw
Eleanor Anne Westerman

Geoffrey Shaw
Eleanor Ann Waterman Coullher
💍 1902/4690

Bachelor
Widow

Farmer
Domestic duties

45
48

Timaru
Timaru

14 days
14 days

St. Mary's English Church, Timaru

02/4542

8 July 1902

Rev. Stanley Stinson, Church of England Clergyman

No	45
Date of Notice	8 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Geoffrey Shaw	Eleanor Anne Westerman
BDM Match (79%)	Geoffrey Shaw	Eleanor Ann Waterman Coullher
	💍 1902/4690
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Farmer	Domestic duties
Age	45	48
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	14 days	14 days
Marriage Place	St. Mary's English Church, Timaru
Folio	02/4542
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. Stanley Stinson, Church of England Clergyman

14 July 1902

William John Clarke
Annie Wooffinden

William John Clarke
Annie Wooffinden
💍 1902/4236

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

24 years
23 years

Levels
Seadown

12 months
16 years

Trinity Presbyterian Church, Timaru

02/4244

14 July 1902

Rev. Thomas Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

No	46
Date of Notice	14 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William John Clarke	Annie Wooffinden
	💍 1902/4236
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	24 years	23 years
Dwelling Place	Levels	Seadown
Length of Residence	12 months	16 years
Marriage Place	Trinity Presbyterian Church, Timaru
Folio	02/4244
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. Thomas Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

15 July 1902

Peter James Golden
Henrietta Croad

Peter James Golden
Henrietta Croad
💍 1902/4504

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Servant

25
25

Timaru
Timaru

10 years
10 months

Dwellinghouse of Mrs. Emily Edgerley, Mahade St., Timaru

02/4234

15 July 1902

Rev. J. Newman Buttle, Wesleyan Minister

No	47
Date of Notice	15 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Peter James Golden	Henrietta Croad
	💍 1902/4504
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Servant
Age	25	25
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	10 years	10 months
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Mrs. Emily Edgerley, Mahade St., Timaru
Folio	02/4234
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. Newman Buttle, Wesleyan Minister

18 July 1902

John Kirkland
Hannah Gertrude Smith

John Kirkland
Hannah Gertrude Smith
💍 1902/4691

Bachelor
Spinster

Dentist
Domestic duties

22 years
23

Timaru
Timaru

3 days
2 months

St. Mary's English Church, Timaru

02/4543

18 July 1902

Archdeacon H. W. Harper, Church of England Clergyman

No	48
Date of Notice	18 July 1902
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Kirkland	Hannah Gertrude Smith
	💍 1902/4691
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Dentist	Domestic duties
Age	22 years	23
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 days	2 months
Marriage Place	St. Mary's English Church, Timaru
Folio	02/4543
Consent
Date of Certificate	18 July 1902
Officiating Minister	Archdeacon H. W. Harper, Church of England Clergyman

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).