Intentions to Marry, 1909 Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840440, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

1909 is bound in three volumes - Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay (1909a), Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland (1909b), and Canterbury, Otago, Chatham Islands (1909c).

Page 681

District of Nelson Quarter ending 30 June 1909 Registrar G. R. Selby

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

28 April 1909

Basil Bramoton Hooper
Edith Jessie Seldow

Basil Bramston Hooper
Edith Jessie Seldon
💍 1909/1763

Bachelor
Spinster

Architect
School Teacher

33
28

Dunedin
Milton Street Nelson

24 years

St Johns Methodist Church, Hardy Street, Nelson

09/2921

28 April 1909

Rev. William Hooper D.D., Church of England Minister

No	33
Date of Notice	28 April 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Basil Bramoton Hooper	Edith Jessie Seldow
BDM Match (95%)	Basil Bramston Hooper	Edith Jessie Seldon
	💍 1909/1763
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Architect	School Teacher
Age	33	28
Dwelling Place	Dunedin	Milton Street Nelson
Length of Residence		24 years
Marriage Place	St Johns Methodist Church, Hardy Street, Nelson
Folio	09/2921
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 April 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. William Hooper D.D., Church of England Minister

1 May 1909

Arthur Bernard Walker
Mabel Ann Jennings

Arthur Bernard Walker
Mabel Ann Jennings
💍 1909/1740

Bachelor
Spinster

Carpenter
Shop Assistant

26
24

Nile Street East Nelson
Weka Street Nelson

19 years
18 years

Church of Christ Meeting House, Waimea Street, Nelson

09/2916

1 May 1909

Rev. W. L. Jones, Church of Christ Minister

No	34
Date of Notice	1 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Arthur Bernard Walker	Mabel Ann Jennings
	💍 1909/1740
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Shop Assistant
Age	26	24
Dwelling Place	Nile Street East Nelson	Weka Street Nelson
Length of Residence	19 years	18 years
Marriage Place	Church of Christ Meeting House, Waimea Street, Nelson
Folio	09/2916
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. W. L. Jones, Church of Christ Minister

3 May 1909

Alfred Guy
May Florence Bunster

Alfred Guy
May Florence Bunker
💍 1909/1772

Bachelor
Spinster

Assistant Storeman
Domestic Duties

22
16

St Vincent Street Nelson
Washington Road Nelson

19 months
16 years

Residence of Mr. Alfred Guy, St Vincent Street, Nelson

09/2924

George Thomas Bunster, Father

3 May 1909

Rev. J. H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

No	35
Date of Notice	3 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Alfred Guy	May Florence Bunster
BDM Match (95%)	Alfred Guy	May Florence Bunker
	💍 1909/1772
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Assistant Storeman	Domestic Duties
Age	22	16
Dwelling Place	St Vincent Street Nelson	Washington Road Nelson
Length of Residence	19 months	16 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Mr. Alfred Guy, St Vincent Street, Nelson
Folio	09/2924
Consent	George Thomas Bunster, Father
Date of Certificate	3 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. H. Mackenzie, Presbyterian Minister

25 May 1909

Philip Moore
Amy Christina Spence

Philip Moore
Amy Christina Spence
💍 1909/7584

Bachelor
Spinster

Solicitor

32
24

Nelson
Te Aroha

32 years

The Church of England, Te Aroha

09/2177

25 May 1909

Rev. P. Cleary, Church of England Minister

No	36
Date of Notice	25 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Philip Moore	Amy Christina Spence
	💍 1909/7584
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Solicitor
Age	32	24
Dwelling Place	Nelson	Te Aroha
Length of Residence	32 years
Marriage Place	The Church of England, Te Aroha
Folio	09/2177
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. P. Cleary, Church of England Minister

31 May 1909

Percy Harold Arthur Eyles
Dora Florence Hope

Percy Harold Arthur Eyles
Dora Florence Hope
💍 1909/3697

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

23
22

Hardy Street Nelson
Collingwood Street Nelson

1 week
6 weeks

The Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

09/4976

31 May 1909

G. R. Selby, Deputy Registrar of Marriages

No	37
Date of Notice	31 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Percy Harold Arthur Eyles	Dora Florence Hope
	💍 1909/3697
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	23	22
Dwelling Place	Hardy Street Nelson	Collingwood Street Nelson
Length of Residence	1 week	6 weeks
Marriage Place	The Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	09/4976
Consent
Date of Certificate	31 May 1909
Officiating Minister	G. R. Selby, Deputy Registrar of Marriages

1 June 1909

Hugh Hannen
Bertha Violet Hodgkinson

Hugh Hannen
Bertha Violet Hodgkinson
💍 1909/3686

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

26
18

Bridge Street Nelson
Bridge Street Nelson

3 days
3 days

The Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson

09/4975

Reuben Hodgkinson, Father

1 June 1909

G. R. Selby, Deputy Registrar of Marriages

No	38
Date of Notice	1 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Hugh Hannen	Bertha Violet Hodgkinson
	💍 1909/3686
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	26	18
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Bridge Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	The Office of the Registrar of Marriages, Nelson
Folio	09/4975
Consent	Reuben Hodgkinson, Father
Date of Certificate	1 June 1909
Officiating Minister	G. R. Selby, Deputy Registrar of Marriages

8 June 1909

Charles Hansen
Olive Hunter

Charles Hansen
Olive Hunter
💍 1909/1776

Bachelor
Spinster

Cycle Engineer
Dress Maker

29
21

Waimea Street Nelson
Waimea Street Nelson

5 years
6 years

Residence of Mr. Alexander Hunter, 84 Waimea Street, Nelson

09/2928

8 June 1909

Rev. Stanley W. Jenkin, Baptist Minister

No	39
Date of Notice	8 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Hansen	Olive Hunter
	💍 1909/1776
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Cycle Engineer	Dress Maker
Age	29	21
Dwelling Place	Waimea Street Nelson	Waimea Street Nelson
Length of Residence	5 years	6 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Mr. Alexander Hunter, 84 Waimea Street, Nelson
Folio	09/2928
Consent
Date of Certificate	8 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. Stanley W. Jenkin, Baptist Minister

14 June 1909

George Albert Whiting
Elizabeth Ann Whiting

George Albert Whiting
Elizabeth Ann Whiting
💍 1909/1775

Widower
Widow

Miner
Domestic Duties

40
44

Cambria Street Nelson
Cambria Street Nelson

8 months
44 years

Residence of Elizabeth Amy Whiting, Cambria Street, Nelson

09/2927

14 June 1909

Rev. Stanley W. Jenkin, Baptist Minister

No	40
Date of Notice	14 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	George Albert Whiting	Elizabeth Ann Whiting
	💍 1909/1775
Condition	Widower	Widow
Profession	Miner	Domestic Duties
Age	40	44
Dwelling Place	Cambria Street Nelson	Cambria Street Nelson
Length of Residence	8 months	44 years
Marriage Place	Residence of Elizabeth Amy Whiting, Cambria Street, Nelson
Folio	09/2927
Consent
Date of Certificate	14 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. Stanley W. Jenkin, Baptist Minister

21 June 1909

Frank Hedley Roughton
Estelle Josephine Mary Hoult

Frank Hedley Roughton
Estelle Josephine Mary Hoult
💍 1909/3653

Bachelor
Spinster

Labourer
Domestic Duties

23
22

St Vincent Street Nelson
Bridge Street Nelson

10 weeks
4 days

St Mary's Presbytery, Manuka Street, Nelson

09/4949

21 June 1909

Rev. John D. Clancy, Roman Catholic Priest

No	41
Date of Notice	21 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frank Hedley Roughton	Estelle Josephine Mary Hoult
	💍 1909/3653
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Labourer	Domestic Duties
Age	23	22
Dwelling Place	St Vincent Street Nelson	Bridge Street Nelson
Length of Residence	10 weeks	4 days
Marriage Place	St Mary's Presbytery, Manuka Street, Nelson
Folio	09/4949
Consent
Date of Certificate	21 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. John D. Clancy, Roman Catholic Priest

28 June 1909

Claude Cecil Cook
Margaret Mary Nicholas

Claude Cecil Cook
Margaret Mary Nicholas
💍 1909/3654

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

19
17

Bridge Street Nelson
Bridge Street Nelson

3 days
3 days

St Mary's Church, Manuka Street, Nelson

09/4950

William Cook, Father; William Nicholas, Father

28 June 1909

Rev. John D. Clancy, Roman Catholic Priest

No	42
Date of Notice	28 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Claude Cecil Cook	Margaret Mary Nicholas
	💍 1909/3654
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	19	17
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Bridge Street Nelson
Length of Residence	3 days	3 days
Marriage Place	St Mary's Church, Manuka Street, Nelson
Folio	09/4950
Consent	William Cook, Father; William Nicholas, Father
Date of Certificate	28 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. John D. Clancy, Roman Catholic Priest

28 June 1909

Albert John Hunter
Mary Ellen Pope

Albert John Hunter
Mary Ellen Pope
💍 1909/3676

Bachelor
Spinster

Carpenter
Domestic Duties

24
28

Bridge Street Nelson
Bridge Street Nelson

24 years
5 years

All Saints' Church, Vanguard Street, Nelson

09/4975

28 June 1909

Rev. W. S. Lucas, Church of England Minister

No	43
Date of Notice	28 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Albert John Hunter	Mary Ellen Pope
	💍 1909/3676
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter	Domestic Duties
Age	24	28
Dwelling Place	Bridge Street Nelson	Bridge Street Nelson
Length of Residence	24 years	5 years
Marriage Place	All Saints' Church, Vanguard Street, Nelson
Folio	09/4975
Consent
Date of Certificate	28 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. W. S. Lucas, Church of England Minister

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 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).