Solving the Marriage Mystery

I love the internet. How did anyone do genealogy before the internet?

After my last post, I did email the Frontenac mailing list. Today I got a response from someone named Joanna. I have never met her, nor will I probably ever. But Joanna took the time to find out the following:

Hi Jill, 

A.B Johnston was a Methodist minister. See his own marriage details:

3945-89 (Frontenac Co):

groom: Alexander B. JOHNSTON, 32, Methodist Minister, Hawkesbury, Elginburgh, s/o Alexander & Martha

bride: Millie M. PURDY, 21, Collinsby, same, d/o John & Mary

witness: Hedley V. WRIGHT of Portsmouth and Daniel McDONALD & Emma CLARK, both of Collinsby, 15 Aug 1889 at Collinsby (should be Collins Bay?)

This minister was in Sudbury, Nipissing in 1901 census with his family and several children. Just looking at the births of his children, this family was in Elginburg(h) Kingston Twp, Frontenac in 1892; Westmeath Renfrew County in 1894; and Sudbury, Nippissing District in 1894 and 1900.

Perhaps the minister was good friends with the Graves family, or a relative of the Graves family and returned to Frontenac just for this marriage?  

The marriage registration says the marriage occurred  in the township of Pittsburgh. The registration doesn't give the exact place in Pittsburgh. It was also by license  and not banns so an actual church affiliation would not have been necessary or  the record may be in the Methodist church register where the Graves family attended.  It could have been done at the bride's home.

So now at least I know who the minister was. A big THANK YOU to Joanna who figured that out. Yes, genealogy is the best thing that ever happens on the internet.