Intentions to Marry, 1904 South Island

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840426, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

Imaged by Carole at Archives NZ Wellington, October 13 2025.

1904 is bound in two volumes, North Island districts and South Island districts.

Page 532

District of Timaru Quarter ending 31 December 1904 Registrar Alex 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

2 November 1904

William Henry James
Elizabeth Jane Munro

William Henry James
Elizabeth Jane Munro
💍 1904/6458

Bachelor
Spinster

Engine Driver
Domestic Duties

24
19

Waimataitai
Waimataitai

3 months
4 years

Dwellinghouse of Wm James Munro, Waimataitai

04/6475

Jane Munro, Mother

2 November 1904

Rev. Robt Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

No	83
Date of Notice	2 November 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Henry James	Elizabeth Jane Munro
	💍 1904/6458
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Engine Driver	Domestic Duties
Age	24	19
Dwelling Place	Waimataitai	Waimataitai
Length of Residence	3 months	4 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Wm James Munro, Waimataitai
Folio	04/6475
Consent	Jane Munro, Mother
Date of Certificate	2 November 1904
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robt Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

5 November 1904

William Dawson Robertson
Eleanor Augusta Cameron

William McLaren Robertson
Eleanor Augusta Cameron
💍 1904/6459

Bachelor
Spinster

Painter
Domestic Duties

29
31

Timaru
Timaru

15 years
20 years

Dwellinghouse of Rev. Robt Jackson, Timaru

04/6476

5 November 1904

Rev. Robt Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

No	84
Date of Notice	5 November 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Dawson Robertson	Eleanor Augusta Cameron
BDM Match (88%)	William McLaren Robertson	Eleanor Augusta Cameron
	💍 1904/6459
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Painter	Domestic Duties
Age	29	31
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	15 years	20 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Rev. Robt Jackson, Timaru
Folio	04/6476
Consent
Date of Certificate	5 November 1904
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robt Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

7 November 1904

Ernest Frank Taylor
Elizabeth Emma Baker

Ernest Frank Taylor
Elizabeth Frances Baker
💍 1904/6450

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Servant

25
26

Timaru
Timaru

25 years
26 years

Dwellinghouse of Thomas Baker, Arthur St, Timaru

04/6468

7 November 1904

Rev. G. E. Hunt, Congregational Minister

No	85
Date of Notice	7 November 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Ernest Frank Taylor	Elizabeth Emma Baker
BDM Match (85%)	Ernest Frank Taylor	Elizabeth Frances Baker
	💍 1904/6450
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Servant
Age	25	26
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	25 years	26 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Thomas Baker, Arthur St, Timaru
Folio	04/6468
Consent
Date of Certificate	7 November 1904
Officiating Minister	Rev. G. E. Hunt, Congregational Minister

12 November 1904

George Mitchell
Theresa Mullany

George Mitchell
Theresa Mullany
💍 1904/6491

Bachelor
Spinster

Hairdresser
Domestic Duties

32
20

Timaru
Timaru

11 months
3 days

English Church, St. Mary's, Timaru

04/6485

Ellen Mullany, Mother

12 November 1904

Archdeacon H. W. Harper, English Church Clergyman

No	86
Date of Notice	12 November 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Mitchell	Theresa Mullany
	💍 1904/6491
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Hairdresser	Domestic Duties
Age	32	20
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	11 months	3 days
Marriage Place	English Church, St. Mary's, Timaru
Folio	04/6485
Consent	Ellen Mullany, Mother
Date of Certificate	12 November 1904
Officiating Minister	Archdeacon H. W. Harper, English Church Clergyman

19 November 1904

John Digby Percival Hira
Helen Isabel Smith

John Digby Percival Mee
Helen Mabel Smith
💍 1904/6492

Bachelor
Spinster

Stock Agent
Domestic Duties

34
28

Timaru
Timaru

14 years
23 years

English Church, St. Mary's, Timaru

04/6486

19 November 1904

Archdeacon H. W. Harper, English Church Clergyman

No	87
Date of Notice	19 November 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Digby Percival Hira	Helen Isabel Smith
BDM Match (86%)	John Digby Percival Mee	Helen Mabel Smith
	💍 1904/6492
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Stock Agent	Domestic Duties
Age	34	28
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	14 years	23 years
Marriage Place	English Church, St. Mary's, Timaru
Folio	04/6486
Consent
Date of Certificate	19 November 1904
Officiating Minister	Archdeacon H. W. Harper, English Church Clergyman

22 November 1904

Oliver Allsop
Ann Waugh

Oliver Allsop
Ann Waugh
💍 1904/6480

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher & Baker
Domestic Duties

35
35

Timaru
Timaru

3 days
35 years

Dwellinghouse of Rev. Thos Stinson, Timaru

04/6480

22 November 1904

Rev. Thos Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

No	88
Date of Notice	22 November 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Oliver Allsop	Ann Waugh
	💍 1904/6480
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher & Baker	Domestic Duties
Age	35	35
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 days	35 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Rev. Thos Stinson, Timaru
Folio	04/6480
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 November 1904
Officiating Minister	Rev. Thos Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

2 December 1904

Francis Albert Franks
Mary May Charn

Francis Albert Franks
Mary May Ahern
💍 1904/6493

Bachelor
Spinster

Slaughterman
Domestic Servant

42
18

Seadown
Seadown

3 days
2 months

English Church, St. Mary's, Timaru

04/6487

Mary Salway, Mother

2 December 1904

Rev. G. H. R. Wilkin, Church of England Clergyman

No	89
Date of Notice	2 December 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Francis Albert Franks	Mary May Charn
BDM Match (93%)	Francis Albert Franks	Mary May Ahern
	💍 1904/6493
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Slaughterman	Domestic Servant
Age	42	18
Dwelling Place	Seadown	Seadown
Length of Residence	3 days	2 months
Marriage Place	English Church, St. Mary's, Timaru
Folio	04/6487
Consent	Mary Salway, Mother
Date of Certificate	2 December 1904
Officiating Minister	Rev. G. H. R. Wilkin, Church of England Clergyman

12 December 1904

John Barratt Tomlinson
Elsie Ellen Malcolm

John Barratt Tomlinson
Elsie Ellen Malcolmson
💍 1904/6460

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher
Tailoress

24
19

Timaru
Timaru

3 years
19 years

Dwellinghouse of Robert O. Malcolm, Grey Road, Timaru

04/6477

Robert O. Malcolm, Father

12 December 1904

Rev. Robt Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

No	90
Date of Notice	12 December 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Barratt Tomlinson	Elsie Ellen Malcolm
BDM Match (93%)	John Barratt Tomlinson	Elsie Ellen Malcolmson
	💍 1904/6460
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher	Tailoress
Age	24	19
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 years	19 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Robert O. Malcolm, Grey Road, Timaru
Folio	04/6477
Consent	Robert O. Malcolm, Father
Date of Certificate	12 December 1904
Officiating Minister	Rev. Robt Jackson, Presbyterian Minister

13 December 1904

John Henry
Ethel May Smales

John Keay
Ethel May Smale
💍 1904/6471

Bachelor
Spinster

Fireman
Tailoress

23
18

Timaru
Timaru

11 years
3 years

Salvation Army Barracks, Timaru

04/6489

Mary James, Mother

13 December 1904

Francis Cummings, Major, Salvation Army

No	91
Date of Notice	13 December 1904
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Henry	Ethel May Smales
BDM Match (82%)	John Keay	Ethel May Smale
	💍 1904/6471
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fireman	Tailoress
Age	23	18
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	11 years	3 years
Marriage Place	Salvation Army Barracks, Timaru
Folio	04/6489
Consent	Mary James, Mother
Date of Certificate	13 December 1904
Officiating Minister	Francis Cummings, Major, Salvation Army

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).