Time histories of the emission of a number of spectrum lines of the ions N⁺ to N⁵⁺ have been measured in a theta-pinch discharge of maximum axial electron temperature 100 eV and electron density 8*10¹⁵ cm^-3. The lines observed in the discharge are subordinate lines in the quartz UV region and the observations were made both end on and side on to the discharge axis. Ionisation rate coefficients have been inferred from comparison with a theoretical model of the transient ionisation. The rates are conveniently expressed as scaling factors of an empirical ionisation rate expression due to Kunze (1971). These factors are 1.5 and 0.55 for N³⁺ and N⁴⁺ and the electron temperatures at the times of maximum abundance of these ions are 32 eV and 68 eV respectively. The result N⁴⁺ agrees well with the measurements of Kunze.