Intentions to Marry, 1903 South Island

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840424, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Carole at Archives NZ Wellington, October 10 2025.

1903 is bound in two volumes, North Island districts and South Island districts.

Page 145

District of Nelson Quarter ending 30 September 1903 Registrar Sidney 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

1 July 1903

David Wilson
Annie Maria Dee

David Wilson
Annie Maria Dee
💍 1903/4379

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Household Duties

37
42

Shakespeare Walk Nelson
Collingwood Street Nelson

3 days
42 years

The Baptist Church, Bridge Street, Nelson

03/4140

1 July 1903

F. G. Buckingham, Baptist Minister

No	50
Date of Notice	1 July 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	David Wilson	Annie Maria Dee
	💍 1903/4379
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Household Duties
Age	37	42
Dwelling Place	Shakespeare Walk Nelson	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	42 years
Marriage Place	The Baptist Church, Bridge Street, Nelson
Folio	03/4140
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 July 1903
Officiating Minister	F. G. Buckingham, Baptist Minister

1 July 1903

Frederick Strange
Fanny Louisa Burrows

Frederick Strange
Fanny Louisa Burrows
💍 1903/4371

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

29
24

Aniseed Valley Hope
Aniseed Valley Hope

6 months
2 months

The Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

03/4133

6 July 1903

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages Nelson

No	51
Date of Notice	1 July 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frederick Strange	Fanny Louisa Burrows
	💍 1903/4371
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	29	24
Dwelling Place	Aniseed Valley Hope	Aniseed Valley Hope
Length of Residence	6 months	2 months
Marriage Place	The Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	03/4133
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 July 1903
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages Nelson

2 July 1903

Wallace Greenem
Annie Alexander Matthew

Wallace Greanson
Annie Alexander Matthew
💍 1903/4387

Widower
Spinster

Gardener
Household Duties

54
34

Cambria Street Nelson
Shelbourne Street Nelson

28 years
30 years

The Residence of Jessie Matthew, Shelbourne Street, Nelson

03/4141

20 July 1903

F. G. Buckingham, Baptist Minister

No	52
Date of Notice	2 July 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Wallace Greenem	Annie Alexander Matthew
BDM Match (88%)	Wallace Greanson	Annie Alexander Matthew
	💍 1903/4387
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Gardener	Household Duties
Age	54	34
Dwelling Place	Cambria Street Nelson	Shelbourne Street Nelson
Length of Residence	28 years	30 years
Marriage Place	The Residence of Jessie Matthew, Shelbourne Street, Nelson
Folio	03/4141
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 July 1903
Officiating Minister	F. G. Buckingham, Baptist Minister

1 August 1903

Samuel Francis Knowles
Winifred Hilda Holdaway

Samuel Francis Knowles
Winifred Hilda Holdaway
💍 1903/4372

Bachelor
Spinster

Fruit-grower
Domestic Duties

25
19

Bridge Street Nelson
Haven Road Nelson

3 days
4 days

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

03/4134

Edwin Holdaway, Father

1 August 1903

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

No	53
Date of Notice	1 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Samuel Francis Knowles	Winifred Hilda Holdaway
	💍 1903/4372
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fruit-grower	Domestic Duties
Age	25	19
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Haven Road Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	4 days
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	03/4134
Consent	Edwin Holdaway, Father
Date of Certificate	1 August 1903
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

4 August 1903

Alfred Ernest Thomas
Emily Jane Hart

Alfred Ernest Thomas
Emily Jane Hart
💍 1903/4375

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

25
23

Appleby
Richmond

25 years
23 years

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

03/4136

4 August 1903

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

No	54
Date of Notice	4 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Alfred Ernest Thomas	Emily Jane Hart
	💍 1903/4375
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	25	23
Dwelling Place	Appleby	Richmond
Length of Residence	25 years	23 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	03/4136
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 August 1903
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

10 August 1903

Victor Johnston
Ada Harvey

Victor Johnston
Ada Harvey
💍 1903/4374

Bachelor
Spinster

Miner
Domestic Duties

32
22

Bridge Street Nelson
Waimea Street Nelson

17 days
5 months

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

03/4135

10 August 1903

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

No	55
Date of Notice	10 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Victor Johnston	Ada Harvey
	💍 1903/4374
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Miner	Domestic Duties
Age	32	22
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Waimea Street Nelson
Length of Residence	17 days	5 months
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	03/4135
Consent
Date of Certificate	10 August 1903
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

14 August 1903

Edward Moss Jackson
Fanny Maria Marchant Ryder

Edward Moss Jackson
Fanny Maria Marchant Ryder
💍 1903/4405

Bachelor
Spinster

Telegraphist
Domestic Duties

28
28

Nile Street Nelson
Waimea Street Nelson

28 years
16 years

Residence of Edward Moss Jackson, Waimea Street, Nelson

03/4143

14 August 1903

E. C. Robison, Church of England Minister

No	56
Date of Notice	14 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Edward Moss Jackson	Fanny Maria Marchant Ryder
	💍 1903/4405
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Telegraphist	Domestic Duties
Age	28	28
Dwelling Place	Nile Street Nelson	Waimea Street Nelson
Length of Residence	28 years	16 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Edward Moss Jackson, Waimea Street, Nelson
Folio	03/4143
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 August 1903
Officiating Minister	E. C. Robison, Church of England Minister

15 August 1903

Fredrick John Henry Ewers
Emma Sophia Dora Schroder

Diedrick John Henry Ewers
Emma Sophia Dora Schrodir
💍 1903/4376

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

26
27

Hope
Hope

4 days
27 years

Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

03/4137

15 August 1903

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

No	57
Date of Notice	15 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Fredrick John Henry Ewers	Emma Sophia Dora Schroder
BDM Match (94%)	Diedrick John Henry Ewers	Emma Sophia Dora Schrodir
	💍 1903/4376
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	26	27
Dwelling Place	Hope	Hope
Length of Residence	4 days	27 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	03/4137
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 August 1903
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages

25 August 1903

Hector Bates Walker
Edith Annie Spear Short

Hector Bates Walker
Edith Annie Spear Short
💍 1903/4406

Bachelor
Spinster

Ironmonger
Domestic Duties

27
26

Cambria Street Nelson
Cambria Street Nelson

12 months
14 years

St. Barnabas Church of England, Stoke

03/4144

25 August 1903

E. C. Robison, Church of England Minister

No	58
Date of Notice	25 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Hector Bates Walker	Edith Annie Spear Short
	💍 1903/4406
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Ironmonger	Domestic Duties
Age	27	26
Dwelling Place	Cambria Street Nelson	Cambria Street Nelson
Length of Residence	12 months	14 years
Marriage Place	St. Barnabas Church of England, Stoke
Folio	03/4144
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 August 1903
Officiating Minister	E. C. Robison, Church of England Minister

26 August 1903

William Henry Roberts
Ivy Adele Hadfield

William Henry Roberts
Ivy Adele Hadfield
💍 1903/4407

Bachelor
Spinster

Cab Proprietor
Domestic Servant

26
20

Grove Street Nelson
Grove Street Nelson

26 years
2 years

Residence of Thomas Watson, Grove Street, Nelson

03/4145

William Welby Hadfield, Father

26 August 1903

Jas. H. MacKenzie, Presbyterian Minister

No	59
Date of Notice	26 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Henry Roberts	Ivy Adele Hadfield
	💍 1903/4407
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Cab Proprietor	Domestic Servant
Age	26	20
Dwelling Place	Grove Street Nelson	Grove Street Nelson
Length of Residence	26 years	2 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Thomas Watson, Grove Street, Nelson
Folio	03/4145
Consent	William Welby Hadfield, Father
Date of Certificate	26 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Jas. H. MacKenzie, Presbyterian Minister

4 September 1903

John Wade Christian
Elizabeth Hannah Fitch

John Wade Christian
Elizabeth Hannah Fitch
💍 1903/4408

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

33
27

Tasman Street Nelson
Tasman Street Nelson

3 days
3 days

St. Johns Wesleyan Church, Hardy Street, Nelson

03/4146

4 September 1903

Wm. J. Williams, Wesleyan Minister

No	60
Date of Notice	4 September 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Wade Christian	Elizabeth Hannah Fitch
	💍 1903/4408
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	33	27
Dwelling Place	Tasman Street Nelson	Tasman Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	St. Johns Wesleyan Church, Hardy Street, Nelson
Folio	03/4146
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 September 1903
Officiating Minister	Wm. J. Williams, Wesleyan Minister

17 September 1903

Walter Charles Mitchell
Isabel Kesselbaum

Walter Charles Mitchell
Hilda Isabel Kassebaum
💍 1903/4377

Bachelor
Spinster

Fisherman
Domestic Duties

23
17

French Pass Nelson
French Pass Nelson

4 1/2 years
17 years

Office of Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

03/4138

George Kesselbaum, Father

17 September 1903

S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages Nelson

No	61
Date of Notice	17 September 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Walter Charles Mitchell	Isabel Kesselbaum
BDM Match (82%)	Walter Charles Mitchell	Hilda Isabel Kassebaum
	💍 1903/4377
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fisherman	Domestic Duties
Age	23	17
Dwelling Place	French Pass Nelson	French Pass Nelson
Length of Residence	4 1/2 years	17 years
Marriage Place	Office of Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	03/4138
Consent	George Kesselbaum, Father
Date of Certificate	17 September 1903
Officiating Minister	S. Blomfield, Registrar of Marriages Nelson

30 September 1903

John Walter Richards
Nellie Greenem

John Walter Richards
Nellie Greenens
💍 1903/4378

Bachelor
Spinster

Compositor
Domestic Duties

26
21

Nile Street Nelson
Cambria Street Nelson

26 years
20 years

Residence of Wallace Greenem, Cambria Street, Nelson

03/4139

30 September 1903

J. G. Buckingham, Baptist Minister

No	62
Date of Notice	30 September 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Walter Richards	Nellie Greenem
BDM Match (93%)	John Walter Richards	Nellie Greenens
	💍 1903/4378
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Compositor	Domestic Duties
Age	26	21
Dwelling Place	Nile Street Nelson	Cambria Street Nelson
Length of Residence	26 years	20 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Wallace Greenem, Cambria Street, Nelson
Folio	03/4139
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 September 1903
Officiating Minister	J. G. Buckingham, Baptist 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 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).