J.M. Snowdon and the Span of Generations

I was reviewing the manuscript of a biography of A.R. Menzies yesterday and found that my great-grandfather, the Venerable Archdeacon J.M. Snowdon (1860-1956), had officiated at his marriage to Sheila Skelton in 1943.   My great-grandfather had been rector of St. George's Church on Metcalfe Street in Ottawa, but went to Montreal to do the wedding at Christ Church Cathedral there as he had been close to the Skelton family.

My immigrant parents and I had lived briefly with my great-grandfather at 66 Lisgar Street when I was still an infant.  He baptised me and many of  my cousins including Judy Blasutti and Diana Stinson when he was very old.  He had baptised thousands of infants of 3 generations by then.  At its peak the Sunday School at that Church had over 400 children in regular attendance.

In 1891 Rev. J.M. Snowdon had been one of the many officiants at the funeral of John A. MacDonald.  This had not been long after he had traveled from Trinity College in Toronto along a rutted muddy road into Ottawa paying the toll to cross at Billings Bridge.

It seems like very ancient history now, but actually just follows the span of only one lifetime.