Pages 164
Whole Number 15
In previous issues of the Quarterly we have mentioned the importance of the 1850 census of the United States as a source for genealogical research. Because of the time and expense involved in locating Sparks families in this census, it will seldom be feasible to give data from an entire state as was done in the March 1956 issue for Texas. We plan, instead, to include miscellaneous counties from different states as space permits. For each county, however, we shall always list all the Sparkses named in the census.
In the 1850 census, not only was the name of the head of the family given, but also the name of each member of the household along with his age, birthplace and sex. For those who were bread-winners the census taker also noted the occupation and the value of property, real and personal. In the following lists only the total value of property is given.
Page 505
Whole Number 31
In previous issues of the Quarterly we have published Sparks records from the complete 1850 census of Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Indiana. In the future we hope to have the 1850 census of other entire states searched for Sparkses. Meanwhile, however, it may prove useful to give Sparks records from the 1850 census of some scattered counties in several states.
It should be noted that on the 1850 census, each family group represented a household, and that besides the parents and children, a household may have included relatives and employees living with the family. In each instance where a person named Sparks appears on the census, the entire household of which be was a member is given. In the following list, the page number refers to the page in the volume containing the particular county named on which the family appears. The two numbers given below the page number are those supplied by the census taker. The first was the house number, the second was the family number. These two numbers are often the same, but when two families liied in the same house, the sequences were thereafter different. These numbers are useful to the genealogist because one can frequently judge how near one family lived to another by comparing the numbers. The age of each individual as recorded by the ceflaus taker follows the name; 'M' or 'F' is given to indicate sex. The place of birth is followed by the profession of the head of the household and that of any other member who was self employed. The value of any real estate owned is the last item.