Originally posted on Facebook: April 1, 2020

An Immigration Story...

The Snowden surname comes to us via Rachel Sargent who's maiden name was Snowden. I have been able to trace the Snowden line back several generations in London, England with records dating as far back as 1695. This, however, is not my focus for this entry. I want to share with you the immigration story for the Snowden family to Canada.

William Henry Snowden and Celia Frances Middlestaff (actually Middlestorb, but that's a story for another day) were married in 1869 at St. James the Great an east end London church. In the same year only a month later they baptized all 4 children at a different east London church, called Christ Church on May 12, 1869 - that same day they boarded a ship and set sail for Canada.

During this time in England, Church of England parishioners were required to pay wedding fees and it is likely the Snowdens could not afford to marry. There is evidence that starting in about 1864 the vicar of the church where they were married waived marriage fees in light of the known poverty in the parish.

We cannot know the full status of the couple during this time, but it was likely they were living a difficult life in east London which was known for its high mortality rates, disease, unsanitary living conditions and most overwhelmingly for its poverty. At this time the recorded mortality rate for Bethnal Green where they were married was more than double that of west London and 1 in 5 children did not reach their first birthday. 

The May 1869 voyage of the S.S. Cleopatra from England to Quebec was recorded in the Canadian Sessional Papers in 1870 as a ship containing immigrants sponsored by a benevolent society called The British and Colonial Emigration Fund, a London based society. The society chose candidates for emigration who had a good opportunity for success in Canada and William and Celia were likely considered good candidates because of William's trade as a carpenter.

Their journey lasted 19 days and although there was still risk associated with travel to Canada during this period I can only imagine it would have been a very happy time for the young family. They were new Canadians in the new Dominion of Canada with so much more opportunity to own property, vote and send their children to school.

William and Celia settled in Hamilton initially but within about 5 years moved to London, Ontario. They were married for 61 years and when William passed away they had spent over 50 years in Canada together. They had 11 children, losing only one to a childhood illness. At the time of William's death in 1922, there were 38 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Notably, 7 grandsons fought in WWI and all but 1 returned safely.

St. James The Great also known as the Red Church due to its construction in red brick,

 where William and Celia were married.

Image Source: http://www.mernick.org.uk/elhs/Markets/images/Bethnal2.jpg

Marriage Registration for William and Celia on April 19,1869

Source document: London, England Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932

Christ Church, Watney, where the children were baptized on May 12, 1869

Image source: https://mprobb.wordpress.com/category/webb/page/2/

Baptismal registrations for all four children,

Celia Caroline, William, Robert & Mary Ann.

Note that at the top, right of the page the word "llegitimate" is written.
Source Document:

London Metropolitan Archives, Christ Church, Watney Street, Register of Baptism, p93/ctc2, Item 006

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906

S.S. Cleopatra

The family left for Canada on this ship on May 12, 1869.

Passenger List

Source document:

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
Library and Archives Canada. Passenger Lists, 1865-1935. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada:

Library and Archives Canada, n.d. RG 76-C

Close up view of Snowden family on the passenger list.

Mary Ann is not listed for some reason, she was the youngest and only about 16 months old.