Brlan,
We don’t know if there are two Julias or one. My suspicion is that the Julia listed in New
FamilySearch as born in 1833 is the Julia listed on the 1850 census with an age of 17 and that the
information in NFS is based on the census. Census takers were notoriously inaccurate, and I
think it is likely that the Julia listed on the 1850 census was actually born in 1841. Because there
is only one Julia listed on the 1850 census with the Snider family, an older Julia would have had
to have died or married by then. That, of course, is possible, but I think it more likely that the
census taker simply made a mistake.
The other option is that the son who reported Julia’s birth date at the time of her death in 1911
was wrong, and she was born in 1833 rather than 1841. After all the son did not know her
maternal grandmother’s name. The evidence against this latter option, however, is that the trail
diary indicates a child, which would fit someone 10 years old but not someone 18. Note that the
death certificate and the 1880 and 1910 censuses are consistent that her father was born in
Ireland (John Snider was born in Canada).
As for Joseph Smith, I suppose someone like Michael Quinn could say that the adoption story
was simply to cover up who the real father was. The problem with that argument is that the
argument made for “polyandry” is that a married women would not have to explain the birth of
an infant. It seems to me that the critics can’t have it both ways. And to argue that the adoption
account is fiction would take much more evidence than any one has at this point, and the burden
of proof would be on the person criticizing the adoption account. Let us hope no one is so
audacious as to try.
With all best wishes,
Kathy
From: BRIAN C HALES [mailto:brianhales@msn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 11:08 AM
To: Kathryn Daynes
Subject: RE: Pioneer Julia Ann Snider
Hi Kathy,
Great research! Very impressive. As you say, she is one more we can eliminate (that makes 19
total on my list).
Do we believe this is the Julia Snider listed as born in 1833 in Toronto?
Thanks for sharing this!
Brian
From: kathryn_daynes@byu.edu
To: brianhales@msn.com
Subject: FW: Pioneer Julia Ann Snider
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:16:32 +0000
Brian,
Here is the information about Julia Snider, born in 1841. This eliminates the possibility that this
Julia could be a child of Joseph Smith.
With best wishes,
Kathy
From: Judy Wood [mailto:Judy.Wood@ldschurch.org]
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 11:02 AM
To: Kathryn Daynes
Subject: Pioneer Julia Ann Snider
Dear Kathryn,
I have solved the problem of the discrepancy of Julia Ann Snider’s birth date by doing the
following research:
·
Searched the Utah death certificates by date of death—28 July 1911—which pulled up the
certificate for Julia A. Leonard. Her birth date is shown as 13 June 1841. Born in Toronto,
Canada, daughter of “given name unknown) Hillock.” The information was given by her son,
William F. Leonard, so I assume it is correct.
·
Find a Grave website shows her birth as 30 July 1841, but the marker is recent and could
be incorrect.
·
FamilySearch: Julia Snider, d/o John and Mary Heron Snider, born 1833. No death date,
no marriage information.
·
FamilySearch: Julia Ann Hillock, d/o Edward and Charlotte Hill Hillock. Born 30 July
1841 in Toronto, Canada, died 28 July 1911. Married George Bradford Leonard.
·
Obituary: Deseret News [Semi-Weekly], 17 Aug. 1911, 12.
o Julia A. Hillock Leonard
o Born Toronto, Canada
o Parents died when she was very young
o Adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Snider
Above documents are attached.
You will now see her listed on our Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel website in the 1851 Almon
W. Babbit Company with the Snider family under the name of Julia Ann Hillock with the
following explanation:
Internal evidence in the Mary Augusta Hawkins Snow journal substantiates that the John Snider
family traveled in the Babbitt company. Julia was listed with the "Snider" surname. According
to her obituary, she was an orphan who was adopted by John and Mary Snider when she was
very young, but apparently maintained "Hillock" as her maiden name. She was born to Edward
and Charlotte Hill Hillock."
The link to the above is:
http://portaltest/churchhistory/admin/pioneer/edit/1,15819,48233,00.html I have made a note
with the entry for John Snider that he had adopted Julia Ann Hillock and she traveled with his
family.
She appears in the 1856 Utah Census under the surname of “Snider,” but apparently she
maintained “Hillock” as her maiden name.
Thank you for helping us dig out the correct information.
Sister Wood
Church History Library
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