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 143

District of Masterton Quarter ending 30 June 1909 Registrar William Miller Easthope

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

16 April 1909

James Kitchener
Ada Flora Joy

James Kitchener
Ada Flora Joy
💍 1909/1457

Bachelor
Spinster

Bootmaker
Domestic Duties

28
26

Masterton
Masterton

4.5 years
1.5 years

Alex. Donald's house

09/2489

26 April 1909

Rev. A. Hodge, Congregational

No	36
Date of Notice	16 April 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	James Kitchener	Ada Flora Joy
	💍 1909/1457
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Bootmaker	Domestic Duties
Age	28	26
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	4.5 years	1.5 years
Marriage Place	Alex. Donald's house
Folio	09/2489
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 April 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. Hodge, Congregational

1 May 1909

Henry William Barr
Ethel Grace Bright

Henry William Carr
Ethel Grace Bright
💍 1909/1439

Bachelor
Spinster

Brickmaker
Housekeeper

38
29

Masterton
Masterton

15 years
6 years

The Registrar's Office, Masterton

09/2487

1 May 1909

Wm. M. Easthope, Registrar

No	37
Date of Notice	1 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry William Barr	Ethel Grace Bright
BDM Match (97%)	Henry William Carr	Ethel Grace Bright
	💍 1909/1439
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Brickmaker	Housekeeper
Age	38	29
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	15 years	6 years
Marriage Place	The Registrar's Office, Masterton
Folio	09/2487
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Wm. M. Easthope, Registrar

4 May 1909

William Alleyne David Meredith
May Gladys Latham

William Alleyne Laird Meredith
Ivy Gladys Tatham
💍 1909/4069

Bachelor
Spinster

Sheepfarmer

Full Age
Full Age

Riversdale, Masterton
Homewood, Masterton

10 years
21 years

St. Matthews Church, Masterton

09/2482

4 May 1909

Rev. John H. Sykes, Anglican

No	38
Date of Notice	4 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Alleyne David Meredith	May Gladys Latham
BDM Match (86%)	William Alleyne Laird Meredith	Ivy Gladys Tatham
	💍 1909/4069
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Sheepfarmer
Age	Full Age	Full Age
Dwelling Place	Riversdale, Masterton	Homewood, Masterton
Length of Residence	10 years	21 years
Marriage Place	St. Matthews Church, Masterton
Folio	09/2482
Consent
Date of Certificate	4 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. John H. Sykes, Anglican

13 May 1909

Frank Victor McEwen
Mary Elizabeth Scott

Frank Victor McEwen
Mary Elizabeth Scott
💍 1909/1450

Bachelor
Spinster

Gasfitter
Housemaid

23
24

Masterton
Masterton

15 years
14 months

Congregational Church, Masterton

09/2488

13 May 1909

Rev. A. Hodge, Congregational

No	39
Date of Notice	13 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Frank Victor McEwen	Mary Elizabeth Scott
	💍 1909/1450
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Gasfitter	Housemaid
Age	23	24
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	15 years	14 months
Marriage Place	Congregational Church, Masterton
Folio	09/2488
Consent
Date of Certificate	13 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. Hodge, Congregational

21 May 1909

Albert William Maxted
Mary Louise Coe

Albert William Maxted
May Louisa Coe
💍 1909/7027

Widower
Spinster

Butcher
Domestic Duties

31
21

Masterton
Kahautara, Featherston

9 years
8 years

Jas. S. Coe's house, Kahautara, Featherston

09/2446

21 May 1909

Rev. A. J. B. Page, Anglican

No	40
Date of Notice	21 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Albert William Maxted	Mary Louise Coe
BDM Match (93%)	Albert William Maxted	May Louisa Coe
	💍 1909/7027
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Butcher	Domestic Duties
Age	31	21
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Kahautara, Featherston
Length of Residence	9 years	8 years
Marriage Place	Jas. S. Coe's house, Kahautara, Featherston
Folio	09/2446
Consent
Date of Certificate	21 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. A. J. B. Page, Anglican

21 May 1909

William Hugh Long
Amy Amelia Reid

William Hugh Long
Amy Amelia Reid
💍 1909/4070

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher
Domestic Duties

30
28

Masterton
Masterton

2.5 years
1.5 years

St. Matthews Church, Masterton

09/2483

21 May 1909

Rev. H. Watson, Anglican

No	41
Date of Notice	21 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Hugh Long	Amy Amelia Reid
	💍 1909/4070
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher	Domestic Duties
Age	30	28
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	2.5 years	1.5 years
Marriage Place	St. Matthews Church, Masterton
Folio	09/2483
Consent
Date of Certificate	21 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. H. Watson, Anglican

25 May 1909

Angus William McLeod
May Wallace

Angus William McLeod
May Wallace
💍 1909/1461

William Frederick Lyon
May Wallace
💍 1909/6105

Bachelor
Spinster

Shepherd
Domestic Duties

29
22

Masterton
Masterton

1.5 years
5 weeks

Walter Wright's house, 21 Villa Street, Masterton

09/2493

25 May 1909

Rev. Alex. J. Thompson, Presbyterian

No	42
Date of Notice	25 May 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Angus William McLeod	May Wallace
	💍 1909/1461
BDM Match (61%)	William Frederick Lyon	May Wallace
	💍 1909/6105
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Shepherd	Domestic Duties
Age	29	22
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	1.5 years	5 weeks
Marriage Place	Walter Wright's house, 21 Villa Street, Masterton
Folio	09/2493
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 May 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. Alex. J. Thompson, Presbyterian

1 June 1909

John Alexander Munro
Maud Ransome

John Alexander Munro
Maud Ransome
💍 1909/3319

Widower
Spinster

Shepherd
Housekeeper

42
26

Masterton
Masterton

15 years
15 years

Wesleyan Church, Kuripuni, Masterton

09/4579

1 June 1909

Rev. Chas. Porter, Wesleyan

No	43
Date of Notice	1 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John Alexander Munro	Maud Ransome
	💍 1909/3319
Condition	Widower	Spinster
Profession	Shepherd	Housekeeper
Age	42	26
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	15 years	15 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Kuripuni, Masterton
Folio	09/4579
Consent
Date of Certificate	1 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. Chas. Porter, Wesleyan

1 June 1909

Wilfred Harold Shute
Janet Devenport

Wilfred Harold Shute
Janet Devenport
💍 1909/3334

Bachelor
Spinster

Farmer
Domestic Duties

29
24

Masterton
Masterton

3 years
20.5 years

Knox Church, Masterton

09/4570

2 June 1909

Rev. Alex. J. Thompson, Presbyterian

No	44
Date of Notice	1 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Wilfred Harold Shute	Janet Devenport
	💍 1909/3334
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Farmer	Domestic Duties
Age	29	24
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	3 years	20.5 years
Marriage Place	Knox Church, Masterton
Folio	09/4570
Consent
Date of Certificate	2 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. Alex. J. Thompson, Presbyterian

9 June 1909

William Robert Roulston
Emily Newcome Rive

William Robert Roulston
Emily Newcome Rive
💍 1909/3320

Bachelor
Spinster

Signalman Railway
Domestic Duties

32
26

Masterton
Masterton

3 days
10 years

Wesleyan Church, Masterton

09/4520

9 June 1909

Rev. Chas. Porter, Wesleyan

No	45
Date of Notice	9 June 1909
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Robert Roulston	Emily Newcome Rive
	💍 1909/3320
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Signalman Railway	Domestic Duties
Age	32	26
Dwelling Place	Masterton	Masterton
Length of Residence	3 days	10 years
Marriage Place	Wesleyan Church, Masterton
Folio	09/4520
Consent
Date of Certificate	9 June 1909
Officiating Minister	Rev. Chas. Porter, Wesleyan

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).