Intentions to Marry, 1905 Canterbury, Otago, Chatham Islands

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840429, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

1905 is bound in three volumes - Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay (1905a), Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland (1905b), and Canterbury, Otago, Chatham Islands (1905c).

Page 292

District of Timaru Quarter ending 30 June 1905 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

11 April 1905

William Robert Brookland

Bride's name not visible

William Robert Brookland
Elizabeth Dynes
💍 1905/2417

Bachelor

Farmer

21 years

Pareora

10 years

Dwellinghouse of Rev. Thomas Ralph

05/3110

11 April 1905

Rev. Thomas Farley, Church of England

No	30
Date of Notice	11 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Robert Brookland	Bride's name not visible
BDM Match (50%)	William Robert Brookland	Elizabeth Dynes
	💍 1905/2417
Condition	Bachelor
Profession	Farmer
Age	21 years
Dwelling Place	Pareora
Length of Residence	10 years
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Rev. Thomas Ralph
Folio	05/3110
Consent
Date of Certificate	11 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. Thomas Farley, Church of England

12 April 1905

William Elcock
Annie Elizabeth Lewis Brookers

William Elcock
Annie Elizabeth Lewis Brookes
💍 1905/783

Widower
Spinster

Fruit Grower
Housekeeper

52 years
28 years

Esk Valley
Esk Valley

12 years
1 year

St. Mary's Church, Upper Otaio

05/3113

12 April 1905

Rev. L.C. Brady, Church of England Clergyman

No	31
Date of Notice	12 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Elcock	Annie Elizabeth Lewis Brookers
BDM Match (98%)	William Elcock	Annie Elizabeth Lewis Brookes
	💍 1905/783
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Fruit Grower	Housekeeper
Age	52 years	28 years
Dwelling Place	Esk Valley	Esk Valley
Length of Residence	12 years	1 year
Marriage Place	St. Mary's Church, Upper Otaio
Folio	05/3113
Consent
Date of Certificate	12 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. L.C. Brady, Church of England Clergyman

14 April 1905

Ernest Lyons Bryant
Alice Mary Valpy

Ernest Lyons Bryant
Alice Mary Valpy
💍 1905/1005

Bachelor
Spinster

Ironmonger
Domestic Duties

30 years
28 years

Timaru
Musselburgh, Dunedin

4 months
5 days

Dwellinghouse of Percy James Valpy, Musselburgh, Dunedin

05/3315

14 April 1905

Rev. William Sinclair, Methodist Minister

No	32
Date of Notice	14 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Ernest Lyons Bryant	Alice Mary Valpy
	💍 1905/1005
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Ironmonger	Domestic Duties
Age	30 years	28 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Musselburgh, Dunedin
Length of Residence	4 months	5 days
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Percy James Valpy, Musselburgh, Dunedin
Folio	05/3315
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Sinclair, Methodist Minister

14 April 1905

James Anderson
Frances Maud Sarah Thompson

James Anderson
Frances Maude Sarai Thompson
💍 1905/814

Widower
Spinster

Plasterer
Housekeeper

44 years
34 years

Timaru
Timaru

3 months
2 years

Wesleyan Church, Timaru

05/3121

14 April 1905

Rev. S.J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

No	33
Date of Notice	14 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Anderson	Frances Maud Sarah Thompson
BDM Match (96%)	James Anderson	Frances Maude Sarai Thompson
	💍 1905/814
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Plasterer	Housekeeper
Age	44 years	34 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	3 months	2 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Timaru
Folio	05/3121
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. S.J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

15 April 1905

Maurice Cecil Harper
Emily Orbell

Maurice Cecil Harper
Emily Orbell
💍 1905/776

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

28 years
22 years

Levels
Levels

4 days
21 years

St. Mary's English Church, Timaru

05/3107

15 April 1905

Rev. Walter Harper, Dean of Christchurch

No	34
Date of Notice	15 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Maurice Cecil Harper	Emily Orbell
	💍 1905/776
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	28 years	22 years
Dwelling Place	Levels	Levels
Length of Residence	4 days	21 years
Marriage Place	St. Mary's English Church, Timaru
Folio	05/3107
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. Walter Harper, Dean of Christchurch

17 April 1905

John Henry Were
Mary Carlish Kelland

John Henry Were
Mary Carlisle Kelland
💍 1905/775

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

24 years
23 years

Timaru
Timaru

4 days
4 days

St. Mary's English Church, Timaru

05/3106

17 April 1905

Archdeacon W. Harper, Church of England Clergyman

No	35
Date of Notice	17 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Henry Were	Mary Carlish Kelland
BDM Match (95%)	John Henry Were	Mary Carlisle Kelland
	💍 1905/775
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	24 years	23 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	4 days	4 days
Marriage Place	St. Mary's English Church, Timaru
Folio	05/3106
Consent
Date of Certificate	17 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Archdeacon W. Harper, Church of England Clergyman

17 April 1905

William Simpson
Nancy Smith

William Simpson
Nancy Smith
💍 1905/778

Widower
Divorced

Farmer
Farmer

49 years
46 years

Timaru
Timaru

6 days
12 months

Dwellinghouse of Rev. Thos. Stinson, Timaru

05/3109

17 April 1905

Rev. Thomas Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

No	36
Date of Notice	17 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Simpson	Nancy Smith
	💍 1905/778
Condition	Widower	Divorced
Profession	Farmer	Farmer
Age	49 years	46 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	6 days	12 months
Marriage Place	Dwellinghouse of Rev. Thos. Stinson, Timaru
Folio	05/3109
Consent
Date of Certificate	17 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. Thomas Stinson, Presbyterian Minister

18 April 1905

Thomas Ralph Birnside Robson
Isabella Green

Thomas Ralph Birnside Robson
Isabella Green
💍 1905/807

Bachelor
Spinster

Yardman
Domestic Duties

24 years
27 years

Timaru
Timaru

1 year
3 years

Wesleyan Church, Timaru

05/3120

18 April 1905

Rev. S.J. Serpell, Wesleyan Minister

No	37
Date of Notice	18 April 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Thomas Ralph Birnside Robson	Isabella Green
	💍 1905/807
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Yardman	Domestic Duties
Age	24 years	27 years
Dwelling Place	Timaru	Timaru
Length of Residence	1 year	3 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Timaru
Folio	05/3120
Consent
Date of Certificate	18 April 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. S.J. Serpell, Wesleyan 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 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).