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 315

District of Christchurch Quarter ending 30 September 1903 Registrar L. C. Williams

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

466

30 July 1903

Albert Blunt
Emily Maud Fish

Albert Blunt
Emily Maud Frost
💍 1903/4615

Bachelor
Spinster

Tailor
Tailoress

29
23

Linwood
Christchurch

3 years
6 months

St. Andrew's Church, Christchurch

03/4288

30 July 1903

R. I. Mackenzie, Ruby Terrace

No	466
Date of Notice	30 July 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Albert Blunt	Emily Maud Fish
BDM Match (91%)	Albert Blunt	Emily Maud Frost
	💍 1903/4615
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Tailor	Tailoress
Age	29	23
Dwelling Place	Linwood	Christchurch
Length of Residence	3 years	6 months
Marriage Place	St. Andrew's Church, Christchurch
Folio	03/4288
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 July 1903
Officiating Minister	R. I. Mackenzie, Ruby Terrace

467

30 July 1903

William Thomas Cushion
Henrietta Grace Saunders

William Thomas Champion Mills
Henrietta Grace Saunders
💍 1903/4917

Widower
Widow

Labourer

64
48

St. Albans
St. Martins

6 months
4 years

St. Paul's Parish

03/4781

30 July 1903

Archd. Scott, Sydenham

No	467
Date of Notice	30 July 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Thomas Cushion	Henrietta Grace Saunders
BDM Match (83%)	William Thomas Champion Mills	Henrietta Grace Saunders
	💍 1903/4917
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Labourer
Age	64	48
Dwelling Place	St. Albans	St. Martins
Length of Residence	6 months	4 years
Marriage Place	St. Paul's Parish
Folio	03/4781
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 July 1903
Officiating Minister	Archd. Scott, Sydenham

468

31 July 1903

Sidney Percival Barnes
Dora Theodora Spurr

Sidney Percival Barnes
Dora Sherwood
💍 1903/5461

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic

20
23

Yaldhurst
Yaldhurst

2 years
2 years 8 months

St. Peter's Church, Riccarton

03/4775

W. T. Plumb, authorized by A. P. Barnes

15 August 1903

Rev. L. W. T. Plumb, Anglican

No	468
Date of Notice	31 July 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Sidney Percival Barnes	Dora Theodora Spurr
BDM Match (71%)	Sidney Percival Barnes	Dora Sherwood
	💍 1903/5461
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic
Age	20	23
Dwelling Place	Yaldhurst	Yaldhurst
Length of Residence	2 years	2 years 8 months
Marriage Place	St. Peter's Church, Riccarton
Folio	03/4775
Consent	W. T. Plumb, authorized by A. P. Barnes
Date of Certificate	15 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. L. W. T. Plumb, Anglican

469

1 August 1903

Frederick Kellerman
Virginia Catherine Bathiana Callen

Frederick Kellerman
Virginia Catherine Battilana
💍 1903/4911

Bachelor
Spinster

Brewer

26
27

Christchurch
Christchurch

3 months
1 week

St. Mary's Church, Manchester Street, Christchurch

03/4799

1 August 1903

Rev. H. E. Harman, Registrar

No	469
Date of Notice	1 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frederick Kellerman	Virginia Catherine Bathiana Callen
BDM Match (87%)	Frederick Kellerman	Virginia Catherine Battilana
	💍 1903/4911
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Brewer
Age	26	27
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	3 months	1 week
Marriage Place	St. Mary's Church, Manchester Street, Christchurch
Folio	03/4799
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. E. Harman, Registrar

470

3 August 1903

Percival Clennell Allen
Eliza Nona Jocelyn Leigh

Bachelor
Spinster

Surgeon

32
25

Christchurch
Avonside

4 days
25 years

Holy Trinity Church, Avonside

03/4281

3 August 1903

Rev. Canon Pascoe, Anglican

No	470
Date of Notice	3 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Percival Clennell Allen	Eliza Nona Jocelyn Leigh
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Surgeon
Age	32	25
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Avonside
Length of Residence	4 days	25 years
Marriage Place	Holy Trinity Church, Avonside
Folio	03/4281
Consent
Date of Certificate	3 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. Canon Pascoe, Anglican

471

3 August 1903

Frederick Arnold Pattersen
Helen Murray

Bachelor
Spinster

Bank Teller

24
26

Christchurch
Sydenham

3 years
3 years

St. Luke's Church, Durham Street, Christchurch

03/4374

3 August 1903

Rev. R. T. Baumber, Methodist

No	471
Date of Notice	3 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frederick Arnold Pattersen	Helen Murray
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bank Teller
Age	24	26
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Sydenham
Length of Residence	3 years	3 years
Marriage Place	St. Luke's Church, Durham Street, Christchurch
Folio	03/4374
Consent
Date of Certificate	3 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. R. T. Baumber, Methodist

472

4 August 1903

Arthur Smith
Ellen Green

Arthur Smith
Violet McKenzie
💍 1903/3007

Arthur Smith
Violet May Boden
💍 1903/6645

Bachelor
Spinster

Machinist
Domestic

37
30

Christchurch
Linwood

3 days
3 days

House of H. W. Evans, Papanui Road, Christchurch

03/4337

4 August 1903

Rev. I. Langridge, Methodist

No	472
Date of Notice	4 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Smith	Ellen Green
BDM Match (67%)	Arthur Smith	Violet McKenzie
	💍 1903/3007
BDM Match (66%)	Arthur Smith	Violet May Boden
	💍 1903/6645
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Machinist	Domestic
Age	37	30
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Linwood
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	House of H. W. Evans, Papanui Road, Christchurch
Folio	03/4337
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. I. Langridge, Methodist

473

4 August 1903

Charles William Newbery
Ruth Barker

Charles William Newbery
Ruth Barker
💍 1903/217

Widower
Spinster

Baker
Housekeeper

45
25

Christchurch
Christchurch

1 year
12 years

House of C. C. Newbery, Lichfield Street, Christchurch

03/4338

4 August 1903

Rev. I. I. Hogg, Baptist

No	473
Date of Notice	4 August 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles William Newbery	Ruth Barker
	💍 1903/217
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Baker	Housekeeper
Age	45	25
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	1 year	12 years
Marriage Place	House of C. C. Newbery, Lichfield Street, Christchurch
Folio	03/4338
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 August 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. I. I. Hogg, Baptist

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).