David E. Smith

Mrge reg. 002909-97 Toronto, York Co.
David E. Smith, 24, bachelor, machinist, Presbyterian. Born Canada, residing Toronto. Parents Simon and Jessie Smith.
Anna Habkirk, 24, spinster, Presbyterian. Born Canada, residing Toronto. Parents Robert and Jane Habkirk.
Witnesses T. S. McCutcheon and Mamie(?) Habkirk, both of Toronto.
On Jan 23 1897, by Alex Gilray.

Was Rev. Gilray remiss in his return of marriage registrations? Or had he taken over the church and found registrations that should have been submitted? Every marriage on this page shows Alex Gilray as the marriage officiant, but then all of the marriages were submitted on November 22, 1901. A third alternative: Was the registrars office in Toronto behind in the recording of its entries? This seems unlikely. There is some order to the dates of marriages on this page, though not entirely so. Was the Smith-Habkirk marriage actually performed in January of 1898?

(As it turns out, there are other entries entered enmasse for other clergy. This probably does not represent any delays in the submitting of forms by the clergy, but it does appear to be some issue that exists in the registrars office. It may have to do with the changing of forms...yes, a guess.)

Presbyterians tended to hang onto their ministers for a few years, sometimes decades. Alex Gilray, who was the minister that married Annie and David also officiated at the burial for Jane Johnston Habkirk, Annie's mother, in 1907.