Mary Sarah Snell Canada's Early Women Writers Linnea McNally Canada's Early Women Writers Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory Born digital object, initially housed by the Simon Fraser University library English Born digital Life writing Biography Bibliography Mary Sarah Snell (1841-1910) Placeholder for image / image caption:

Mary Sarah Snell spent most of her life in New Brunswick and issued two volumes of writings despite losing her sight during childhood.

 24 December 1841, Seaham Harbour, Durham, England 15 December 1910, Chatham, ON Name at birth: Mary SarahSnell Alternate names: Miss M.S. Snell Note

This author's life has been researched earlier for inclusion in the <XREF URL="http://digital.lib.sfu.ca/ceww-collection" RESP="KME">Canada's Early Women Writers</XREF> project at Simon Fraser University. Information in this entry therefore may not be comprehensive, but has been verified.

Entry revised by Linnea McNally

 Mary Sarah Snell (1841-1910)

Mary Sarah Snell was born in 1841 in Seaham Harbour, Durham, England to William Iago Snell (1806-1860) and Elizabeth Stewart (1815-1893). In 1842, she accompanied her parents to New Brunswick, where her father served as the lighthouse keeper at Head Harbour, Campobello Island.

Mary grew up at Head Harbour, taking in views of lush greenery and the wild Atlantic, until an illness deprived her of sight at age seven. Caring for family pets and teaching herself to sew, she spent much of her childhood pursuing interests alone, being the only sister among three brothers. She seems to have not attended school—likely on account of the island’s remoteness. Mary did, however, regularly make a three-mile journey to attend church, where she memorized hymns and passages. As an adolescent, she took up playing the melodeon with some success.

Four years after the death of Mary’s father, the Snell family left Campobello Island and went to live on a farm previously purchased by William, situated across from where the lighthouse stood. Here, Mary finally gained neighbours in both the settler and Indigenous communities living nearby.

In the late 1860s, Mary made one last attempt to remedy her blindness through a trip to Boston, where she met with well-known oculist, Professor Williams. The trip rendered no healing, and Mary returned to the family farm, finally accepting her visual impairment. In 1871, the Snell family moved to Chatham, ON, where despite her blindness, Mary issued her writings in two books, published in 1881 and 1888.

Mary lived at her brother William’s home for six months prior to her death from a lingering illness in 1910. She was buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.

 Published Texts Life writing Essays, Short Stories And Poems, Including a Sketch of the Author’s Life (Chatham, ON: Banner Steam, 1881) Short story collections Essays, Short Stories And Poems, Including a Sketch of the Author’s Life (Chatham, ON: Banner Steam, 1881) Poetry Essays, Short Stories And Poems, Including a Sketch of the Author’s Life (Chatham, ON: Banner Steam, 1881) Poems For Children (Chatham, ON: Banner Steam, 1888) Family and Relationships Father: William Iago Snell (9 January 1806 – 5 May 1860)

William Iago Snell was born in 1806 in England, to John Snell (1772-1857) and Fanny Dukes (1775-1832).

John Snell was the first keeper of Head Harbour Lighthouse on Campobello Island, NB. Likely following his father’s retirement, seaman William left England and brought his wife, Elizabeth Stewart (c1810-1893) and two children, to Head Harbour in 1842, taking over operation of the lighthouse. Another brother seems to have been keeper at nearby Southern Wolf Island.

William, who fathered two more children, remained as Head Harbour keeper until he died on the island in 1860. His eldest son, John, took over the lighthouse briefly before moving with his mother and siblings to Chatham, ON.

 Mother: Elizabeth Stewart (c1815 – 2 April 1893)

Elizabeth Stewart was born in about 1815 in England. She married William Iago Snell (1806-1860) some time in the late 1830s. In 1842, she accompanied William to Head Harbour, NB, where the couple raised their four children. In 1864, four years after her husband’s death, Elizabeth moved to the family’s property on the New Brunswick mainland, where she farmed. She later moved with her children to Chatham, ON, where she died in 1893.

 Siblings John Ralph Snell (1839 – 19 January 1907): m. Jane Gray McNeill: m. Cecilia Stuart

John was a lighthouse keeper at Head Harbour, Campobello, NB. After being widowed and re-marrying, he became a painter in Chatham, ON.

 William Wrightson Snell (11 October 1845 – 12 September 1924)

William was a farm labourer, fisherman, and janitor who remained a bachelor until late in life. His death record lists him as “widowed.”

 George A. Snell (c1847 – after 1910)

George was a fisherman; he settled in Detroit, MI.

 Religion Methodist Residences

Campobello Island, NB (1842-1864)

Chatham, ON (1871-1910)

family farm, NB (1864-1871)

Seaham Harbor, Durham, England (1841-1842)

 Education Awards Employment and Volunteer Activities Employment

farmer

 Tangential Information

Essays, Short Stories And Poems, Including a Sketch of the Author’s Life (1881), by Miss M.S. Snell, is incorrectly identified by some as the work of early twentieth-century playwright, Mina Sloane Snell.

 Archival Holdings Published Resources 1841 England Census. 1851 Census of New Brunswick. 1861 Census of Canada. 1871 Census of Canada. 1881 Census of Canada. 1891 Census of Canada. 1901 Census of Canada. Death of Miss Snell. Chatham Daily Planet (16 December 1910). Demise of Miss Snell. Chatham Daily News (16 December 1910). England &amp; Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915. Head Harbour (East Quoddy), NB. Lighthouse Friends 2015. Web. 28 January 2015. Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947. Watters, R.E. A Checklist of Canadian Literature and Background Materials. (Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1972): 230.