January 11, 2022 1:33 PM

Pages 3293-3306
Whole Number 143

SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS APPEARING ON THE CENSUS RECORDS OF
THE STATE OF NEW YORK 1800-1840

In the pages that follow, we present the federal census records for the state of New York, as they pertain to persons named Sparks (Spark, Sparkes), for the years 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, and 1840.

Sparkses named on the first U. S. census in 1790 were given on page 5 of the very first issue of the Quarterly, March 1953, Whole No. 1. Only five households headed by Sparkses appeared on the 1790 census:

Pearl Sparks headed a household in Montgomery County;
Jacob Sparks, George Sparks, and Robert Sparks each headed a household in Ulster County; and
Henry Sparks in Washington.

It will be noted that these same men appear on the 1800 census with the exception of Jacob.

A record of Sparkses appearing on the 1850 census of New York was given on pages 2378-98 of the March 1982 Quarterly, Whole No. 117.

As we have noted in the publication of previous census records, only the names of the heads of households were recorded prior to 1850. The members of each household, along with the head, were then enumerated by sex and age group following the name. It must be kept in mind that these enumerations were for households, not families. Employees living in their employer's household were included in the enumeration, as were foster children, relatives, etc. For example, in the entry below for James Sparks in Albany County on the 1800 census, we can be certain that the male shown as aged between 26 and 45 was James, himself, since the other three males were still children, and we can guess that the female aged between 26 and 45 was his wife. The others were probably their children, but we cannot be certain unless we find other records to prove this.

The page number on which each name has been found in the census is given here following the name; in many instances, this may suggest how near one Sparks lived to another.

(Editor's Note: Although slavery had been abolished in New York prior to the time that the 1820 federal census was taken, census takers throughout the nation were instructed to record households headed by free Blacks differently from those headed by white people. The members of those households were not enumerated; only the number of "free colored males" and "free colored females" was to be recorded.This is the reason given for Robert Sparks and Sophia Sparks in the 6th Ward of New York City - - see page 3297.)