Other than the Jane part, little Jane Theodosia Sneeson--the first child of my third-great-grandparents--has an unquestionably unusual name. I've written before about Sneestons, and how my branch of that name's line comes to a clear end, so today we will concentrate on the Theodosia part, which might just have led us to more of our Sneestons in England.
Greek for "a gift from God", there are a couple of early Christian martyrs with the name Theodosia (google them if you want to read about two very gruesome deaths), and it pops up once in a rare while, but it's never been hugely popular. Pretty though. Lots of syllables. Cries out for a snappy nickname like...Theo. Thea. Dosie? :shrug:
My Jane Theodosia Sneeston was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on 6 Aug 1855, "on monday tow [sic] oclock morning". Whoever recorded her birth in the Family Bible wrote Thedosia-with-one-o, actually, but the name is usually spelled TheOdosia, and that's how it is recorded elsewhere in the Bible, and in her baptismal record, so we will keep both os. Her parents were William Sneeston and Mary Grace Hiscox. William's birth date is the earliest date in the Bible, which says simply that he was born in "England" on 5 Feb 1805. A missed opportunity to be specific, for sure.
So far I haven't found any record of William's crossing from England to Prince Edward Island. I find going across the pond really hard.
Anyway, when she was eight weeks old, Jane was baptized at St. Paul's Church in Charlottetown by the rector, Reverend C. Lloyd. Her mother was there and served as witness. The beautiful red sandstone structure that stands as St. Paul's now is actually relatively new: it replaced Jane's church late in the nineteenth century, and unfortunately I haven't discovered any images of the old church yet.
Hey, they spelled her name right!
At two-year intervals, the family added two more little girls to the mix: Elizabeth Sarah in 1857 and Annie Caroline in 1859 (my 2nd great-grandmother).
But sadly, little Jane did not live long; she died at only five and half years old. I saw online somewhere that she died of the croup, but I can't confirm that. The family Bible says simply "Jane Theodosia Sneeston Died on the 25th of February 1861 Aged 5 years and 6 months". She was buried two days later in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Charlottetown¹. No marker remains. Her mother was pregnant at the time.
Poor Jane's middle name does open up a very interesting possibility for her father, William. Family Search has indexed a christening for a William Sneaston that took place on 6 Mar 1805² in Newark-Upon-Trent, in Nottingham³, just one month after our William was born. And that William Sneaston's parents? Robert and Theodosia Sneaston! Obviously more research has to be done, but it's a great place to start, isn't it?
I know so little of Jane Theodosia Sneeston's life, but she is one little person in my big tree whom I never forget. Partly because of the sad story of her nuclear family, which would go on to lose another young child, and partly because Prince Edward Island is very dear to me. But it is unquestionably also because of her beautiful, unusual name.
1. Microtech Supply and Services; Burial, Pew Rent, Wardens Accounts, Minutes; Charlottetown; 1840-1918, 1933-63; Author: Prince Edward Island Public Archives; St. Paul Anglican Church of Canada (Charlottetown); FHL Roll: 1630132
2. "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NYL3-57Z : 11 February 2018, William Sneaston, 06 Mar 1805); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 503,796, 504,069, 504,524, 504,525.
3. Robin Hood's hood!