Intentions to Marry, 1907 Canterbury, Otago, Chatham Islands

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840435, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

1907 is bound in three volumes - Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay (1907a), Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland (1907b), and Canterbury, Otago, Chatham Islands (1907c).

Page 766

District of Port Chalmers Quarter ending 31 March 1907 Registrar James Miller

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 January 1907

William Hitchcox
Margaret Davis

William Hitchcox
Margaret Davis
💍 1907/1638

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

24
17

Sandymount, Port Chalmers
Sandymount, Port Chalmers

20 years 5 days
17 years 5 days

Registrar's Office, Port Chalmers

07/1753

Michael Davis, father

2 January 1907

George Redpath Baudinet, Deputy Registrar

No	1
Date of Notice	2 January 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Hitchcox	Margaret Davis
	💍 1907/1638
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	24	17
Dwelling Place	Sandymount, Port Chalmers	Sandymount, Port Chalmers
Length of Residence	20 years 5 days	17 years 5 days
Marriage Place	Registrar's Office, Port Chalmers
Folio	07/1753
Consent	Michael Davis, father
Date of Certificate	2 January 1907
Officiating Minister	George Redpath Baudinet, Deputy Registrar

7 January 1907

Arthur Philip Pratley
Annie Isabella Mackay

Arthur Philip Pratley
Annie Isabella MacKay
💍 1907/1728

Bachelor
Spinster

Fruit Grower
Domestic Duties

25
21

Port Chalmers
Sawyers Bay

6 years
4 months

Residence of Peter Murray Mackay, Sawyers Bay

07/1848

7 January 1907

Reverend William J. Hastie

No	2
Date of Notice	7 January 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Philip Pratley	Annie Isabella Mackay
BDM Match (98%)	Arthur Philip Pratley	Annie Isabella MacKay
	💍 1907/1728
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Fruit Grower	Domestic Duties
Age	25	21
Dwelling Place	Port Chalmers	Sawyers Bay
Length of Residence	6 years	4 months
Marriage Place	Residence of Peter Murray Mackay, Sawyers Bay
Folio	07/1848
Consent
Date of Certificate	7 January 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend William J. Hastie

28 January 1907

Alexander McLachlan
Elizabeth Kessar

Alexander McLachlan
Elizabeth McKessar
💍 1907/1647

Bachelor
Spinster

Surfaceman
Domestic Duties

33
29

Purakaunui
Purakaunui

33 years
29 years

Residence of George McKessor, Purakaunui

07/1756

28 January 1907

Reverend Edward Cowper, Tennent

No	3
Date of Notice	28 January 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Alexander McLachlan	Elizabeth Kessar
BDM Match (94%)	Alexander McLachlan	Elizabeth McKessar
	💍 1907/1647
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Surfaceman	Domestic Duties
Age	33	29
Dwelling Place	Purakaunui	Purakaunui
Length of Residence	33 years	29 years
Marriage Place	Residence of George McKessor, Purakaunui
Folio	07/1756
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 January 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend Edward Cowper, Tennent

4 February 1907

George Parsons Miller
Eliza Jane Dow

George Parsons Miller
Eliza Jane Dow
💍 1907/1658

Widower
Widow

Labourer
Domestic Duties

49
29

Lower Harbour
Lower Harbour

1 week
29 years

Presbyterian Manse, Port Chalmers

07/1757

4 February 1907

Reverend Edward Cowper Tennent

No	4
Date of Notice	4 February 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Parsons Miller	Eliza Jane Dow
	💍 1907/1658
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	49	29
Dwelling Place	Lower Harbour	Lower Harbour
Length of Residence	1 week	29 years
Marriage Place	Presbyterian Manse, Port Chalmers
Folio	07/1757
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 February 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend Edward Cowper Tennent

9 February 1907

Kenneth Macdonald
Margaret Wilson

Kenneth Macdonald
Margaret Wilson
💍 1907/1666

Bachelor
Spinster

Boatman
Domestic Duties

37
35

Otago Heads, Port Chalmers
Otago Heads, Port Chalmers

3 days
3 days

Presbyterian Manse, Port Chalmers

07/1760

9 February 1907

Reverend Edward Cowper, Tennent

No	5
Date of Notice	9 February 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Kenneth Macdonald	Margaret Wilson
	💍 1907/1666
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Boatman	Domestic Duties
Age	37	35
Dwelling Place	Otago Heads, Port Chalmers	Otago Heads, Port Chalmers
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	Presbyterian Manse, Port Chalmers
Folio	07/1760
Consent
Date of Certificate	9 February 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend Edward Cowper, Tennent

6 March 1907

James Thompson
Helen Frances Elizabeth Weir

James Thompson
Helen Frances Elizabeth Weir
💍 1907/5750

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

23
18

Carey's Bay
Carey's Bay

23 years
6 weeks

Residence of Mrs. Solomon, Carey's Bay

07/1755

William Weir, father

6 March 1907

Reverend William Mugford Grant

No	6
Date of Notice	6 March 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Thompson	Helen Frances Elizabeth Weir
	💍 1907/5750
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	23	18
Dwelling Place	Carey's Bay	Carey's Bay
Length of Residence	23 years	6 weeks
Marriage Place	Residence of Mrs. Solomon, Carey's Bay
Folio	07/1755
Consent	William Weir, father
Date of Certificate	6 March 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend William Mugford Grant

21 March 1907

Joseph Hannky
Emily Johnston

Joseph Harrhy
Emily Johnston
💍 1907/1667

Bachelor
Spinster

Painter
Domestic Duties

26
18

Port Chalmers
Port Chalmers

26 years
18 years

Residence of Alice Johnston, Port Chalmers

07/1761

Alice Johnston, mother

21 March 1907

Reverend Edward Cowper Tennent

No	7
Date of Notice	21 March 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Joseph Hannky	Emily Johnston
BDM Match (88%)	Joseph Harrhy	Emily Johnston
	💍 1907/1667
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Painter	Domestic Duties
Age	26	18
Dwelling Place	Port Chalmers	Port Chalmers
Length of Residence	26 years	18 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Alice Johnston, Port Chalmers
Folio	07/1761
Consent	Alice Johnston, mother
Date of Certificate	21 March 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend Edward Cowper Tennent

21 March 1907

James William Denne
Margaret Brown Grant

James William Denne
Margaret Brown Grant
💍 1907/1639

Bachelor
Spinster

Storeman
Domestic Duties

23
25

Dunedin, Port Chalmers
Ravensbourne, Port Chalmers

3 days
14 days

Residence of Frederick Smith, Port Chalmers

07/1754

21 March 1907

Reverend William Mugford Grant

No	8
Date of Notice	21 March 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James William Denne	Margaret Brown Grant
	💍 1907/1639
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Storeman	Domestic Duties
Age	23	25
Dwelling Place	Dunedin, Port Chalmers	Ravensbourne, Port Chalmers
Length of Residence	3 days	14 days
Marriage Place	Residence of Frederick Smith, Port Chalmers
Folio	07/1754
Consent
Date of Certificate	21 March 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend William Mugford Grant

22 March 1907

William John Harkness
Margaret Shadforth Stevens

William John Harkness
Margaret Shadforth Stevens
💍 1907/2003

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

32
25

Port Chalmers
Sawyers Bay

3 weeks
7 years

Residence of John R. Stevens, Sawyers Bay

07/2127

22 March 1907

Reverend Josiah Ward

No	9
Date of Notice	22 March 1907
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William John Harkness	Margaret Shadforth Stevens
	💍 1907/2003
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	32	25
Dwelling Place	Port Chalmers	Sawyers Bay
Length of Residence	3 weeks	7 years
Marriage Place	Residence of John R. Stevens, Sawyers Bay
Folio	07/2127
Consent
Date of Certificate	22 March 1907
Officiating Minister	Reverend Josiah Ward

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 1908. 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).