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 587

District of Invercargill Quarter ending 31 March 1905 Registrar J. E. Taylor

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

24 January 1905

John Joe Mercer
Mercy Maria Spence

John Joe Mercer
Mercy Maria Spence
💍 1905/5074

Bachelor
Widow

Fisherman
Domestic

53
43

Clyde St, Invercargill
Woodend, Invercargill

4 days
9 years

Office of the Deputy Registrar of Marriages, Invercargill

05/1429

24 January 1905

Deputy Registrar of Marriages

No	9
Date of Notice	24 January 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Joe Mercer	Mercy Maria Spence
	💍 1905/5074
Condition	Bachelor	Widow
Profession	Fisherman	Domestic
Age	53	43
Dwelling Place	Clyde St, Invercargill	Woodend, Invercargill
Length of Residence	4 days	9 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Deputy Registrar of Marriages, Invercargill
Folio	05/1429
Consent
Date of Certificate	24 January 1905
Officiating Minister	Deputy Registrar of Marriages

31 January 1905

James Duncan Mathieson
Rhoda Grigor Williamson

James Duncan Mathieson
Rhoda Grigor Williamson
💍 1905/5083

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic

27
19

Dee St, Invercargill
Woodlands, Invercargill

3 days
3 days

at the First Church Manse, Tay St

05/1438

Donald Williamson, father

31 January 1905

Rev. R. Ferguson

No	10
Date of Notice	31 January 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Duncan Mathieson	Rhoda Grigor Williamson
	💍 1905/5083
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic
Age	27	19
Dwelling Place	Dee St, Invercargill	Woodlands, Invercargill
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	at the First Church Manse, Tay St
Folio	05/1438
Consent	Donald Williamson, father
Date of Certificate	31 January 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. R. Ferguson

2 February 1905

James Pirie
Lucy Barthe Theodore Harkwick

James Pirie
Lucy Martha Feodore Hardwick
💍 1905/6393

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic

27
21

Woodlands, Invercargill
Woodlands, Invercargill

7 years
9 years

Primitive Methodist Church, Don St

05/1612

2 February 1905

Rev. R. Raine

No	11
Date of Notice	2 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Pirie	Lucy Barthe Theodore Harkwick
BDM Match (91%)	James Pirie	Lucy Martha Feodore Hardwick
	💍 1905/6393
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic
Age	27	21
Dwelling Place	Woodlands, Invercargill	Woodlands, Invercargill
Length of Residence	7 years	9 years
Marriage Place	Primitive Methodist Church, Don St
Folio	05/1612
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. R. Raine

3 February 1905

William Hogan
Kate Fitzgerald

William Hogan
Catherine Fitzgerald
💍 1905/1021

Bachelor
Spinster

Sawmill-hand
Domestic

29
30

Makarewa, Invercargill
Waikiwi, Invercargill

28 years
30 years

Roman Catholic Church, Waikiwi

05/3405

3 February 1905

Very Rev. Dean Burke

No	12
Date of Notice	3 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Hogan	Kate Fitzgerald
BDM Match (85%)	William Hogan	Catherine Fitzgerald
	💍 1905/1021
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Sawmill-hand	Domestic
Age	29	30
Dwelling Place	Makarewa, Invercargill	Waikiwi, Invercargill
Length of Residence	28 years	30 years
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Church, Waikiwi
Folio	05/3405
Consent
Date of Certificate	3 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Very Rev. Dean Burke

6 February 1905

George Biggan
Rosalie Clifford Cresty

George Higgan
Rosalie Clifford Cresty
💍 1905/5117

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic

35
20

Invercargill
Makarewa, Invercargill

2 weeks
1 month

Presbyterian Church, Dee St

05/1450

Elizabeth Ann Bann (formerly Cresty), mother

6 February 1905

Rev G. Lindsay

No	13
Date of Notice	6 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Biggan	Rosalie Clifford Cresty
BDM Match (96%)	George Higgan	Rosalie Clifford Cresty
	💍 1905/5117
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic
Age	35	20
Dwelling Place	Invercargill	Makarewa, Invercargill
Length of Residence	2 weeks	1 month
Marriage Place	Presbyterian Church, Dee St
Folio	05/1450
Consent	Elizabeth Ann Bann (formerly Cresty), mother
Date of Certificate	6 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev G. Lindsay

8 February 1905

Herbert Mitchell
Maria McInerney

Herbert Mitchell
Maria McInerney
💍 1905/1022

Bachelor
Spinster

Contractor
Domestic

27
23

Esk St, Invercargill
Kawaketown, Invercargill

7 years
23 years

Roman Catholic Church, Avenal

05/3406

8 February 1905

Very Rev. Dean Burke

No	14
Date of Notice	8 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Herbert Mitchell	Maria McInerney
	💍 1905/1022
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Contractor	Domestic
Age	27	23
Dwelling Place	Esk St, Invercargill	Kawaketown, Invercargill
Length of Residence	7 years	23 years
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Church, Avenal
Folio	05/3406
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Very Rev. Dean Burke

9 February 1905

Isaac Bailey
Minnie Murray

Isaac Bailey
Minnie Murray
💍 1905/1050

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic

22
18

Conon St, Invercargill
Leet St, Invercargill

22 years
16 years

Church of England, Tay St

05/3433

Mary Ann Murray, mother

9 February 1905

Rev. Archdeacon Stocker

No	15
Date of Notice	9 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Isaac Bailey	Minnie Murray
	💍 1905/1050
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic
Age	22	18
Dwelling Place	Conon St, Invercargill	Leet St, Invercargill
Length of Residence	22 years	16 years
Marriage Place	Church of England, Tay St
Folio	05/3433
Consent	Mary Ann Murray, mother
Date of Certificate	9 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. Archdeacon Stocker

11 February 1905

Frank Murdoch
Martha Selina Orr

Frank Murdoch
Martha Selina Orr
💍 1905/354

Bachelor
Spinster

Clerk
Domestic

22
26

Crinan St, Invercargill
Teviot St, Invercargill

22 years
7 years

First Presbyterian Church, Tay St, Invercargill

05/1459

11 February 1905

Rev. R. Ferguson

No	16
Date of Notice	11 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frank Murdoch	Martha Selina Orr
	💍 1905/354
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Clerk	Domestic
Age	22	26
Dwelling Place	Crinan St, Invercargill	Teviot St, Invercargill
Length of Residence	22 years	7 years
Marriage Place	First Presbyterian Church, Tay St, Invercargill
Folio	05/1459
Consent
Date of Certificate	11 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. R. Ferguson

15 February 1905

James Henry Crapper
Sarah Ann Brookland

James Henry Crapper
Sarah Ann Brookland
💍 1905/5075

Bachelor
Spinster

Iron-fitter
Domestic

23
26

Grasmere, Invercargill
Makarewa, Invercargill

23 years
9 years

Office of the Registrar of Marriages

05/1430

15 February 1905

Deputy Registrar of Marriages

No	17
Date of Notice	15 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Henry Crapper	Sarah Ann Brookland
	💍 1905/5075
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Iron-fitter	Domestic
Age	23	26
Dwelling Place	Grasmere, Invercargill	Makarewa, Invercargill
Length of Residence	23 years	9 years
Marriage Place	Office of the Registrar of Marriages
Folio	05/1430
Consent
Date of Certificate	15 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Deputy Registrar of Marriages

20 February 1905

David Dale
Mary Ann Patterson

David Wale
Mary Ann Patterson
💍 1905/5118

Bachelor
Spinster

Bootmaker
Domestic

24
24

Georgetown, Invercargill
Don St, Invercargill

24 years
6 days

St Pauls Manse, Kelvin St

05/1457

20 February 1905

Rev. G. Lindsay

No	18
Date of Notice	20 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	David Dale	Mary Ann Patterson
BDM Match (95%)	David Wale	Mary Ann Patterson
	💍 1905/5118
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bootmaker	Domestic
Age	24	24
Dwelling Place	Georgetown, Invercargill	Don St, Invercargill
Length of Residence	24 years	6 days
Marriage Place	St Pauls Manse, Kelvin St
Folio	05/1457
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. G. Lindsay

20 February 1905

Andrew Gabriel Riddell
Hannah Victoria Fox

Andrew Gabriel Riddell
Hannah Victoria Fox
💍 1905/5101

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic

28
22

Yarrow St, Invercargill
Clyde St, Invercargill

1 month
22 years

House of R. G. Fox, Clyde St

05/1458

20 February 1905

Rev. S. F. Prior

No	19
Date of Notice	20 February 1905
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Andrew Gabriel Riddell	Hannah Victoria Fox
	💍 1905/5101
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic
Age	28	22
Dwelling Place	Yarrow St, Invercargill	Clyde St, Invercargill
Length of Residence	1 month	22 years
Marriage Place	House of R. G. Fox, Clyde St
Folio	05/1458
Consent
Date of Certificate	20 February 1905
Officiating Minister	Rev. S. F. Prior

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).