Una Elizabeth Dwyer née Sneyd (1900-1982), first cousin twice removed of my husband Greg, was the daughter of Samuel Charles Sneyd (1863-1938) and Emily Sneyd née Way (1868-1952).
Usually in my family work I am able to find a considerable quantity and variety of information about the person I’m looking researching. I gain, I hope, some small insight into their circumstances and perhaps one or two events of their lives.
Una Sneyd and her family, however, managed to keep a very low profile. They didn’t write to the paper with bright ideas about burials in wicker baskets, weren’t imprisoned for bankruptcy, and weren’t exiled for their religious views. Thoreau said that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation; the Sneyds apparently just led quiet lives, and left few traces of themselves for a family historian to work with.
Una’s mother Emily was the seventh of ten children of John Way and Sarah Way née Daw. She was born in Grenfell, New South Wales in 1868 but her family moved to Parkes, New South Wales, when she was about five years old.
In 1892 Emily married Samuel Charles Sneyd, a police constable, in Hughenden, Queensland. I don’t know why Emily, then aged 24, was in Queensland; Hughenden is two thousand kilometres north of Parkes. As far as I know, no other members of her family were in Hughenden. At the time of her marriage Emily was living at Hughenden.
Emily and Samuel Charles had six children:
- Lionel Walter Sneyd 1894–1976
- Cecil Sneyd 1896–1954
- infant daughter Sneyd 1898–1898
- Una Elizabeth Sneyd 1900–1982
- Ruth Dawes Sneyd 1904–1996
- Jasper Samuel Sneyd 1906–1991
Lionel was born in Hughendon but the others were born in the Emmaville district of north-east of New South Wales. Samuel Charles Sneyd worked as a miner.
When Emily’s father John Way died in 1911, four daughters were mentioned in his obituary, so it would seem Emily was still in touch with her family. When her sister Mary Ann Waine died in 1938, Mary Ann’s obituary mentioned only one sister, Eliza: the family seemed to have lost touch with Emily.
The Sneyd family moved to Sydney sometime after 1913. In August 1915 Lionel Sneyd enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He gave his father as his next of kin. At the time, he was living in Marrickville, an inner-west suburb of Sydney
Lionel served overseas in France, was wounded in action in July 1916, and was repatriated with a fractured left ankle.
Only limited number of electoral rolls for New South Wales have been digitised. In these I have been able to find Una Elizabeth Sneyd listed in 1930 as living at 39 Tupper Street, Marrickville. Her occupation was shop assistant. She was living with her parents and younger brother Jasper, who was also a shop assistant. Samuel was a carpenter. Emily’s occupation was listed as home duties.
In 1932 Una Sneyd married Patrick George Dwyer, an engine driver. In 1935 the Dwyers were living at 11 Audley Street, Petersham. Una’s occupation was given as home duties. Petersham is immediately north of Marrickville.
By 1936 the Dwyers had moved to 6 Brightmore Street, Cremorne. The suburb of Cremorne is on the lower North Shore in Sydney, 13 kilometres north-east of Marrickville, across the harbour. The Dwyers were still at the same address at the time of the 1980 electoral roll.
Samuel Charles Sneyd died in 1938 and Emily Sneyd died in 1952.
I have not ordered her death certificate, but I notice from the index that Emily’s mother was named Ruth; her family appear to have known very little about Emily’s parents.
Patrick and Una seem to have had only one child, called John. He is listed on the 1958 electoral roll as living with them and is named in their death notices. As the voting age was 21, he was born between 1936 and 1937. I have not found a newspaper birth notice.
Patrick George (Paddy) Dwyer died 29 December 1981 in hospital. His death notice stated that he was from Cremorne, loved husband of Una. The notice names his son and two grandsons. Una died on 13 February 1982, also in hospital. Her death notice also named her late husband, son and two grandsons. In May 1982 there was a notice in the Sydney Morning Herald associated with the estate of Patrick George Dwyer, retired council employee.
In researching Una I have been able to verify dates, places and relationships with the aid of birth, death and marriage indexes, electoral rolls and notices in the newspapers. The Sneyd and Dwyer families, however, did not attract much notice in the newspapers and it has been hard to find any events that enable me to get to know Una Dwyer née Sneyd.
lindamaycurry said:
I love your comment by Thoreau. Maybe their lives were not as bleak as all that! I know the Marrickville area quite well as my daughter has moved to Earlwood next door. It has become quite popular recently as it is relatively close to the CBD and a new restaurant/cafe scene is emerging.
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Anne Young said:
I don’t think their lives were bleak just quiet. A lot of changes in Marrickville and elsewhere since the Sneyds were living there.
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john dwyer said:
this may come as a surprise but I am the John Dwyer in the U history you have presented. I was looking for Kenneth Samuel Sneyd, son of Jasper Sneyd as it
will be his 83rd birthday on My 16th next. I was born 11th October 1935 and am
currently living on the Central Coast NSW at Wyong. I would be very pleased to
fill in whatever gaps your missing as I gave up some years ago through sheer
neglect of any family at that time to assist me and would be happy to help in any
way I can.
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Anne Young said:
Dear John – I am delighted to hear from you and would b very pleased to share family history. Thank you for writing. Regards Anne
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Jeanne Bryan Insalaco said:
I’ve never seen an Una before – reminded me of my grandmother’s name of Ola! They both sound like shrinking Violets in the background of life!
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SeemaMisra said:
Una’s life is summed up so neatly. No upheavals. And a bit of humor in the write up.
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Wendy Mathias said:
I have those ancestors too that seemed to just BE. Maybe no news is good news.
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Kim said:
You know the saying about it’s the quiet ones you have to watch… Lol. There might just be some juicy tidbits hiding out. 😉 I wish you all the best in your continued searches.
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Lyndl Nanos said:
Lionel Walter Sneyd was my grandfather. He had 4 sons and two daughters. My father, Clifford Cecil is the only one still alive, he’s 82.
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John Dywer said:
Hi everybody, John Dwyer son of Patrick and Una Dwyer,I am 83 years old living on
the Central Coast NSW . My email is trishad@tpg.com.au , phone 0243519309 and
I would really enjoy any communication from anybody regarding my nondesript family
as like most of you I ran into a dead end when trying to find traces of my parents or
grandparents which I would love to find out about before my time runs out.
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU CAN AND LET.S SEE IF WE CAN FILL IN SOME OF THE BLANK SPACES.
REGARDS
John Dwyer
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