Intentions to Marry, 1912 Canterbury, Otago, Southland, Chatham Islands

Reference: Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Notices of intention to marry, Series 8937, R2840450, Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington

1912 is bound in three volumes - Auckland, Taranaki, Gisborne (1912a), Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland (1912b), and Canterbury, Otago, Southland, Chatham Islands (1912c).

Page 030

District of Christchurch Quarter ending 31 March 1912 Registrar L. C. Williams

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

25 January 1912

John William Taylor
Alice Mary French

John William Taylor
Alice Mary French
💍 1912/1157

Bachelor
Spinster

Cycle Mechanic
Dressmaker

30
24

Christchurch
Christchurch

Life
Life

Baptist Church, Sydenham

12/784

25 January 1912

Rev. J. A. Williams, Baptist

No	42
Date of Notice	25 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	John William Taylor	Alice Mary French
	💍 1912/1157
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Cycle Mechanic	Dressmaker
Age	30	24
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	Life	Life
Marriage Place	Baptist Church, Sydenham
Folio	12/784
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. A. Williams, Baptist

25 January 1912

Walter Eaton
Edith Brown known as Hadfield

Walter Eaton
Edith Hadfield
💍 1912/586

Bachelor
Spinster

Laborer

25
23

Christchurch
Christchurch

5 years
3 years

Registrar's Office, Christchurch

12/176

25 January 1912

L. C. Williams, Registrar

No	43
Date of Notice	25 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Walter Eaton	Edith Brown known as Hadfield
BDM Match (74%)	Walter Eaton	Edith Hadfield
	💍 1912/586
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Laborer
Age	25	23
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	5 years	3 years
Marriage Place	Registrar's Office, Christchurch
Folio	12/176
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 January 1912
Officiating Minister	L. C. Williams, Registrar

25 January 1912

Albert Fletcher
Ada Emma Ford

Albert Flitcher
Ada Emma Ford
💍 1912/4488

Bachelor
Spinster

Butcher

34
33

Papanui
Papanui

Life
Life

St. Paul's Church, Papanui

12/433

25 January 1912

Rev. J. A. Julius, Anglican

No	44
Date of Notice	25 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Albert Fletcher	Ada Emma Ford
BDM Match (97%)	Albert Flitcher	Ada Emma Ford
	💍 1912/4488
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Butcher
Age	34	33
Dwelling Place	Papanui	Papanui
Length of Residence	Life	Life
Marriage Place	St. Paul's Church, Papanui
Folio	12/433
Consent
Date of Certificate	25 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. A. Julius, Anglican

26 January 1912

Henry Victor Armstrong
Mary Ann Twomey

Henry Victor Armstrong
Mary Ann Twomey
💍 1912/1930

Bachelor
Spinster

Warehouseman
Tailoress

22
28

Christchurch
Christchurch

5 years
20 years

Roman Catholic Presbytery, Barbadoes St., Christchurch

12/1643

26 January 1912

Rev. T. W. Price, Romanist

No	45
Date of Notice	26 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Henry Victor Armstrong	Mary Ann Twomey
	💍 1912/1930
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Warehouseman	Tailoress
Age	22	28
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	5 years	20 years
Marriage Place	Roman Catholic Presbytery, Barbadoes St., Christchurch
Folio	12/1643
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. T. W. Price, Romanist

26 January 1912

Joseph Johnston
Elsie Anderson Davidson

Joseph Johnson
Elsie Anderson Davidson
💍 1912/1155

Bachelor
Spinster

Grocer

24
22

Christchurch
Christchurch

2 years
4 years

House of Rev. C. H. Laws, Fitzgerald Avenue, Christchurch

12/782

26 January 1912

Rev. C. H. Laws, Methodist

No	46
Date of Notice	26 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Joseph Johnston	Elsie Anderson Davidson
BDM Match (97%)	Joseph Johnson	Elsie Anderson Davidson
	💍 1912/1155
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Grocer
Age	24	22
Dwelling Place	Christchurch	Christchurch
Length of Residence	2 years	4 years
Marriage Place	House of Rev. C. H. Laws, Fitzgerald Avenue, Christchurch
Folio	12/782
Consent
Date of Certificate	26 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. H. Laws, Methodist

27 January 1912

Walter William Mann
Gertrude Flower

Walter William Mann
Gertrude Flower
💍 1912/1190

Divorced, o.a. 16 June 1911
Spinster

Carpenter

32
23

Spreydon
Spreydon

1 year
4 years

Presbyterian Church, Colombo St., Sydenham

12/842

27 January 1912

Rev. C. Murray, Presbyterian

No	47
Date of Notice	27 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Walter William Mann	Gertrude Flower
	💍 1912/1190
Condition	Divorced, o.a. 16 June 1911	Spinster
Profession	Carpenter
Age	32	23
Dwelling Place	Spreydon	Spreydon
Length of Residence	1 year	4 years
Marriage Place	Presbyterian Church, Colombo St., Sydenham
Folio	12/842
Consent
Date of Certificate	27 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Murray, Presbyterian

27 January 1912

William Duff Templeton
Annie Christina Scott

William Duff Templeton
Annie Christina Scott
💍 1912/2016

Bachelor
Spinster

Blacksmith

25
22

St. Albans
St. Albans

10 years
14 years

House of Mr. J. Scott, 72 St. Albans St., St. Albans

12/1681

27 January 1912

Rev. S. Henderson, Primitive Methodist

No	48
Date of Notice	27 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	William Duff Templeton	Annie Christina Scott
	💍 1912/2016
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Blacksmith
Age	25	22
Dwelling Place	St. Albans	St. Albans
Length of Residence	10 years	14 years
Marriage Place	House of Mr. J. Scott, 72 St. Albans St., St. Albans
Folio	12/1681
Consent
Date of Certificate	27 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. S. Henderson, Primitive Methodist

27 January 1912

Louis Arthur Keats
Mabel Elizabeth Jane Atkins

Louis Arthur Keats
Mabel Jane Elizabeth Atkins
💍 1912/1191

Bachelor
Spinster

Laborer

19
21

Woolston
Sydenham

9 months
Life

House of Mrs. Atkins, 208 Moorhouse Ave., Sydenham

12/143

Mother

27 January 1912

Rev. C. Murray, Presbyterian

No	49
Date of Notice	27 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Louis Arthur Keats	Mabel Elizabeth Jane Atkins
BDM Match (82%)	Louis Arthur Keats	Mabel Jane Elizabeth Atkins
	💍 1912/1191
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Laborer
Age	19	21
Dwelling Place	Woolston	Sydenham
Length of Residence	9 months	Life
Marriage Place	House of Mrs. Atkins, 208 Moorhouse Ave., Sydenham
Folio	12/143
Consent	Mother
Date of Certificate	27 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Murray, Presbyterian

29 January 1912

Charles Inwood
Charlotte Blanche Sarah Emily Brewer

Charles Inwood
Charlotte Blanche Sarah Emily Brewer
💍 1912/1296

Widower, 31 December 1910
Spinster

Laborer

32
19

Templeton
Templeton

3 years
Life

House of Mrs. Brewer, Templeton

12/874

Mother

29 January 1912

Rev. J. T. Pinfold, Methodist

No	50
Date of Notice	29 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Charles Inwood	Charlotte Blanche Sarah Emily Brewer
	💍 1912/1296
Condition	Widower, 31 December 1910	Spinster
Profession	Laborer
Age	32	19
Dwelling Place	Templeton	Templeton
Length of Residence	3 years	Life
Marriage Place	House of Mrs. Brewer, Templeton
Folio	12/874
Consent	Mother
Date of Certificate	29 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. T. Pinfold, Methodist

30 January 1912

Leslie Eyre West
Margaret Craig Burns

Leslie Eyre West
Margaret Craig Burns
💍 1912/1205

Bachelor
Spinster

Salesman

24
27

Linwood
Christchurch

1 year
9 months

House of Mrs. West, 388 St. Asaph St., Linwood

12/833

30 January 1912

Rev. J. Sarginson, Congregationalist

No	51
Date of Notice	30 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Leslie Eyre West	Margaret Craig Burns
	💍 1912/1205
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Salesman
Age	24	27
Dwelling Place	Linwood	Christchurch
Length of Residence	1 year	9 months
Marriage Place	House of Mrs. West, 388 St. Asaph St., Linwood
Folio	12/833
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. J. Sarginson, Congregationalist

30 January 1912

Ernest James Rickerby
Agnes Algie

Ernest James Rickerby
Agnes Algie
💍 1912/1192

Bachelor
Spinster

Laborer

29
29

Halswell
Sydenham

Life
3 years

House of Mrs. Algie, 114 Wordsworth St., Sydenham

12/844

30 January 1912

Rev. C. Murray, Presbyterian

No	52
Date of Notice	30 January 1912
	Groom	Bride
Names of Parties	Ernest James Rickerby	Agnes Algie
	💍 1912/1192
Condition	Bachelor	Spinster
Profession	Laborer
Age	29	29
Dwelling Place	Halswell	Sydenham
Length of Residence	Life	3 years
Marriage Place	House of Mrs. Algie, 114 Wordsworth St., Sydenham
Folio	12/844
Consent
Date of Certificate	30 January 1912
Officiating Minister	Rev. C. Murray, Presbyterian

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).