Person Record

Metadata

Name

Snider, George

Othernames

Sheriff Snider

Born

January 31, 1813

Birthplace

Eglinton, Upper Canada

Places of residence

Owen Sound, Grey County
Mrs. Snider died at Terrace Street.

Titles & honors

Received a Confederation Medal (his example is now in the Grey Roots collection)

Father

Martin Snider Sr. (1753-1828)

Nationality

Canadian

Notes

George Snider was born at Eglinton on January 31, 1813. His grandfather Johann Jacob Snider (Schneider) born 1728 Palitinate, Germany had emigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania. George married Jane Maughan on the 12 of March 1835. They became residents of Grey County August 1848 and moved to Owen Sound March 21, 1854. Between the years 1848-1850, he sold Crown Lands to people, and served as Sherriff of Grey County between 1853-1863. In 1855, he was among the trustees of the new Owen Sound Mechanics' Institute (a library organization precursor of the Owen Sound Public library). Circa 1861, he owned a corner lot at what is now 9th St. and 1st Ave. West, Owen Sound. An 1879 map of Owen Sound (1977.032.002) has "Geo. Snider's" property labelled on the west side.

After the Toronto and Sydenham Road and Durham Road lines were surveyed 1848-1849 in the Artemesia Township area, George Snider acted as a land agent in the settlement of the roads, as grant lots were provided to actual settlers. After the lots along the roads were taken up, the rest of the township soon followed. Mr. Snider received a letter in 1851 from Black settlers in Artemesia, who wished him to not allow a certain person they did not trust to be granted land in the township. This letter is now at the Grey County Archives.

George Snider was a Reformer Member of Parliament for three terms, and was presented with a "Confederation Medal" as he had been present as a member on July 1, 1867. Mr. Snider also served as Mayor of Owen Sound in 1859-1860, 1863-1864 and 1871. He died at the age of 73 on June 16, 1885. There is a photograph of him when elderly (see 1981.008.001).

When one looks at land registry abstract books for Grey County, one sometimes see "Sheriff Snider" recorded.

The Owen Sound Public Library has an original charter for the 1850s Mechanic's Institute of Owen Sound, that was a precursor to the library. George Snider is one of the gentlemen who added his signature to the bottom of it.

A photograph in the Grey Roots archival collection shows a street scene with the area known as "Snider's Hill" in the background, and one can see the Snider residence.

In 1994, Mr. Murray Wilkinson said that he and his brother Gordon are relatives, as their mother's mother was related to George & Jane Snider. The Sniders were connected by marriage to the Sherriff Moore family of Owen Sound (Charles Henry Moore married Emily Elizabeth Snider in 1864).

In 1994, Mr. Robert McKay of Scarborough, Ont. wrote to the County of Grey-Owen Sound Museum to inform us that he had an Allen Patent 1860 44 calibre single shot rimfire rifle that was recorded as the first breech-loading rifle brought to Owen Sound by George Snider (serial number 2622).

Jane Snider was a quilter, and a lovely example of her work is pictured in the book, ONTARIO'S HERITAGE QUILTS. It is a red and white applique quilt of the "Oak Leaf" pattern. "Here we see a signed and dated 1858 quilt which exhibits the smallest of applique stitches on its totally handworked surface. For added interest Jane Snider appliqued a serpentine vine-and-leaf border around her central oak leaf motif. For a quilting design, Jane used a trailing leaf throughout the open area. While it is not known for certain that Jane made the linen fringe, one assumes she did, since it has been as precisely worked as the applique and the quilting design. If she did make it, it is likely that she had a supply of linen yarn on hand, as cotton was very difficult to procure at the time...Once again, we see the use of the popular turkey red, which together with the fringe, has withstood the test of time."

There was an obituary for "Mrs. Snider" (Jane Maughan Snider) who died May 2, 1907, reported in the May 7, 1907 edition of the OWEN SOUND TIMES. Sheriff Moore, W. T. Moore were pallbearers at her funeral. Born in Haltwhistle, Northumberlands, England. She had a nephew J. A. Maughan of Buffalo, and a nephew George Maughan of Toronto.

- - - - -
Maughan Connection:

The Sniders helped take care of the Maughan children.
Mrs. John Armstrong was formerly Maria Maughan of Owen Sound. Maria was born July 31, 1860. In an article she recalled memories of her childhood"
"Mrs. Snider apparently had a great love for children and could never do enough for the children of her own family, even to raising her brother John's four children. Mrs. Armstrong recalls that she never heard her aunt or uncle address each other by their first names, so when Mrs. Snider said "Mr. Snider, I would like to adopt one of Brother John's children," Mr. Snider replied "Mrs. Snider, if you adopt one, you will adopt all four." Mrs. Snider did just that. That is why Mrs. Armstrong's memories of going to church as a child include the row of children in the long Snider pew in the old Methodist Church, where they attended the service until the roof fell in under the weight of snow one winter. The present church, Central United Church, formerly Scrope Street Methodist Church, was built on the same site. Mr. Snider took the children to church every Sunday morning and Mrs. Snider stayed home to get the dinner."

In the 1881 Census of Owen Sound, in the section of town enumerated by Simon Parke, Maria Maughan is listed with her siblings and mother. In 1881 she was 20 years of age. The Maughan family had an English origin.

Maria's parents were Joseph Maughan (see ambrotype 1994.032.004) and Mary Buchan (a daughter of Walter Buchan, who built Buchan Manor at Owen Sound). Joseph's sister was Mrs. George Snider, and the Maughan family lived with the Sniders for about two years while their house on the west hill was being built next door. Maria was born before the Maughan cottage was built. She spent a lot of her young life taking care of her aunt, Mrs. Snider, who had virtually adopted the Maughan children. Maria attended the Owen Sound high school in the late 1870s, but found that she could not enter the University of Toronto, as they offered no courses for women. She became a local teacher before her marriage to Mr. John Armstrong in the 1880s. The Armstrongs lived at the Snider residence and Mr. Armstrong became a law partner with W.P. Telford Jr. Later on, Mr. Armstrong became Grey County's Crown Attorney. Maria was involved in many Owen Sound organizations in her lifetime.
- - - -
1881 Census of Owen Sound
THE OWEN SOUND DAILY SUN-TIMES, Feb. 4, 1950 [article about Mrs. Armstrong, has an image of her as a young woman]

Occupation

Land Agent
Sherriff of Grey County (1854-1863)
Mayor of Owen Sound
Politician
Member of Parliament
Gentleman
Methodist Church congregation

Publications

-Marsh, Edith, A HISTORY OF GREY COUNTY, 1931, page 97, has a portrait of George Snider (which differs from 1981.008.001), as well as one of Mrs. Snider
-Obituary in the June 18, 1885 edition of THE OWEN SOUND ADVERTISER
-THE OWEN SOUND DAILY SUN-TIMES, Feb. 4, 1950 had an article about the Sniders
-"Political History of Grey is Varied But Interesting", THE OWEN SOUND DAILY SUN-TIMES, July 1, 1927 Old Home Week Edition
-"Owen Sound Libary, Organized in 1855, Over 35,000 Books," THE OWEN SOUND SUN-TIMES, Oct. 18, 1952, p. 12 mentions Mr. Snider as Mechanics' Institute trustee.
-Walker, Marilyn I., ONTARIO'S HERITAGE QUILTS, Boston Mills Press, 1992, page 104 (re Jane Snider's quilt)
-Pearce, Helen, "Life-long Resident of Owen Sound Mrs. John Armstrong's Memory Covers History of a Century", OWEN SOUND SUN TIMES, Feb. 4, 1950

Relationships

Owen Sound Mechanics' Institute (a fore-runner of the public library)
Sister or Niece?: Emily Elizabeth Snider (1842-1907), b. at Eglinton, m. Charles Henry Moore in 1864, moved to Owen Sound. They had ten children.
Brother-in-law: Joseph Maughan (was John also his name, or was there a typo in the Armstrong article?)
Niece: Maria Maughan (b. July 31, 1860) m. John Armstrong (later County Crown Attorney)
Nephew: Walter Maughan
Nephew: Bert Maughan
Niece: Jean Maughan (did not marry), was four years old in 1867