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 502

District of Timaru Quarter ending 30 June 1903 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

6 June 1903

Humphrey Lane
Clara Bell Kisby

Humphrey Lane
Clara Bell Frisby
💍 1903/3027

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Servant

22 years
23 years

Timaru
Timaru

22 years
6 years

Roman Catholic Church Timaru

03/2869

6 June 1903

Rev. John Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

No	41
Date of Notice	6 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Humphrey Lane	Clara Bell Kisby
BDM Match (94%)	Humphrey Lane	Clara Bell Frisby
	💍 1903/3027
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Servant
Age	22 years	23 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	22 years	6 years
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Church Timaru
Folio	03/2869
Consent
Date of Certificate	6 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

8 June 1903

Felix David Hathaway
Isabella Jamieson

Felix David Hathaway
Isabella Jamieson
💍 1903/3075

Bachelor
Spinster

Packerman
Domestic Duties

23 years
23 years

Timaru
Timaru

23 years
12 years

Dwellinghouse of Rev. Samuel Buchanan, Russell Square, Timaru

03/2871

8 June 1903

Rev. Samuel Buchanan, Independent Free Church Minister

No	42
Date of Notice	8 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Felix David Hathaway	Isabella Jamieson
	💍 1903/3075
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Packerman	Domestic Duties
Age	23 years	23 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	23 years	12 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Rev. Samuel Buchanan, Russell Square, Timaru
Folio	03/2871
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. Samuel Buchanan, Independent Free Church Minister

12 June 1903

Robert Clark
Elizabeth Fowler

Robert Clark
Elizabeth Fowler
💍 1903/3030

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

24 years
22 years

Pareora
Pareora

14 years
12 months

Wesleyan Church Pareora

03/2872

12 June 1903

Rev. Samuel J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

No	43
Date of Notice	12 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Robert Clark	Elizabeth Fowler
	💍 1903/3030
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	24 years	22 years
Dwelling Place	Pareora	Pareora
Length of Residence	14 years	12 months
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church Pareora
Folio	03/2872
Consent
Date of Certificate	12 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. Samuel J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

13 June 1903

George Alexander Fowler
Margaret Fowler

George Alexander
Margaret Fowler
💍 1903/4779

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic duties

24 years
22 years

Fairview
Glen-iti

24 years
22 years

Dwellinghouse of Mr. Fowler, Glen-iti

03/4432

13 June 1903

Rev. S. J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

No	44
Date of Notice	13 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Alexander Fowler	Margaret Fowler
BDM Match (85%)	George Alexander	Margaret Fowler
	💍 1903/4779
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic duties
Age	24 years	22 years
Dwelling Place	Fairview	Glen-iti
Length of Residence	24 years	22 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Mr. Fowler, Glen-iti
Folio	03/4432
Consent
Date of Certificate	13 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. S. J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

15 June 1903

Montague Haddon Brown
Emma Pearson

Martaque Hadden Browne
Emma Pearson
💍 1903/3035

Bachelor
Spinster

Inspector Education Department
Music Teacher

36 years
29 years

Timaru
Timaru

3 days
20 years

St. Mary's English Church Timaru

03/2854

15 June 1903

Archdeacon A. W. Harper, Church of England Clergyman

No	45
Date of Notice	15 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Montague Haddon Brown	Emma Pearson
BDM Match (89%)	Martaque Hadden Browne	Emma Pearson
	💍 1903/3035
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Inspector Education Department	Music Teacher
Age	36 years	29 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 days	20 years
Marriage Place	St. Mary's English Church Timaru
Folio	03/2854
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Archdeacon A. W. Harper, Church of England Clergyman

16 June 1903

Francis Alfred Ellis
Margaret Wilson

Francis Alfred Ellis
Margaret Nelson
💍 1903/3031

Bachelor
Widow

Fireman
Domestic Duties

21 years
26 years

Timaru
Timaru

4 months
5 years

Dwellinghouse of Mrs. Margaret Wilson, Edward St., Timaru

03/2873

16 June 1903

Rev. Samuel J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

No	46
Date of Notice	16 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Francis Alfred Ellis	Margaret Wilson
BDM Match (93%)	Francis Alfred Ellis	Margaret Nelson
	💍 1903/3031
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Fireman	Domestic Duties
Age	21 years	26 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	4 months	5 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Mrs. Margaret Wilson, Edward St., Timaru
Folio	03/2873
Consent
Date of Certificate	16 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. Samuel J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

23 June 1903

Frederick John Hedges
Katherine May Allen

Frederick John Hedges
Catherina Mary Allen
💍 1903/3029

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Household duties

31
25

Timaru
Timaru

3 days
10 years

Roman Catholic Priory Timaru

03/2870

23 June 1903

Rev. John Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

No	47
Date of Notice	23 June 1903
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frederick John Hedges	Katherine May Allen
BDM Match (93%)	Frederick John Hedges	Catherina Mary Allen
	💍 1903/3029
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Household duties
Age	31	25
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 days	10 years
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Priory Timaru
Folio	03/2870
Consent
Date of Certificate	23 June 1903
Officiating Minister	Rev. John Lubman, Roman Catholic Priest

These records have been automatically transcribed and must be verified using the page image (below)

100% Contrast

100% Brightness

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).