January 25, 2022

Pages 122-125
Whole Number 13

SPARKS FAMILIES IN TEXAS - 1850 CENSUS

by William Perry Johnson



[Editor' Note: Texas became a state in 1845, and the first Federal census was taken in the State in 1850. Although a Federal census had been taken among the states in 1790, and every ten years thereafter, it was not until the census of 1850 that every member of every household was listed by name. Besides his name, the census taker listed also each person's age, birthplace and sex. For those who were bread-winners, the census taker also noted the occupation and the value of property. Mr. Johnson has made a search for persons named Sparks who were living in Texas and enumerated on the 1850 census. There are now 254 counties in Texas, but there were only 80 in 1850, and Sparkses were found in thirteen of these, as follows: (The numbers given beneath the page numbers in the following list stand for household and family and were simply assigned by the census taker as he progressed from one house to the next. They are useful in indicating who lived "next door" to a given family.]

(a record of this family [above] was given in the June, 1955, issue of the Quarterly [Whole No. 10])

Number Person Age Born M/F Occupation Net Worth
Brazos County.
(p.--) William C. Sparks 52 Georgia (M) Farming $26,664
51-51 Jane 44 Tennessee (F)    
  Cleracy 13 Texas (F)    
  John 11 " (M)    
  Elijah 9 " (M)    
  Minerva 7 " (F)    
  William 6 " (M)    
  Samuel 4 " (M)    
  Stephen 26 Tennessee (M) Farming  
  Elizabeth 15 Texas      
Cass County
(p.733) Frances M. Sparks 33 Georgia (M) House Carpenter  
128-134 Mary C. 25 Alabama (F)    
  Mary C. 6 " (F)    
  Laici (?) J. 4 " (F)    
  William B. 2 Texas (M)    
Collin County
(p.34) Benjamin Sparks 33 Indiana (M) Farming $960
128-134 Amanda 28 Tennessee (F)    
  William 13 Indiana (M)    
  Martha J. 10 Missouri (F)    
  F. H. 7 " (M)    
  Sarah 4 " (F)    
  Jas. M. 2 Texas (F)    
  Isaac 3/12 " (F) (sic)  
(p.40) Moses Sparks 61 Kentucky (M) Farming $640
252-252 Elizabeth 55 " (F)    
  Richd. 24 Indiana (M) Farming $320
  Sarah 22 " (F)    
  A. J. 18 " (M)    
  Elizabeth 16 " (F)    
  A. J. Jones 3 Arkansas (M)    
Fort Bend County
(p.458) William F. Sparks 35 Mississippi (M) Farmer $400
76-76 Manerva 30 Louisiana (F)    
  Amanda 12 Texas (F)    
  N. 9 " (F)    
  Matilda 6 " (F)    
  Thaddeus 21 " (M)    
(The above William F. Sparks was the son of Richard & Elizabeth Sparks and was born in Lawrence Co. Miss., in 1814.)
Galveston County - City of Galveston
(p.493) William Sparks 43 Tennessee (M) Sheriff $1500
131-139 Lucy 32 South Carolina (F)    
  Arabella 15 Mississippi (F)    
  Sarah 13 " (F)    
  Mary Ann 12 Texas (F)    
  William W. 9 " (M)    
  John 7 " (M)    
(The above William Sparks was a son of Isaac and Wilmoth (Knowland) Sparks of Carroll County, Tenn.)
Harrison County
(p.153) William P. Sparks 53 South Carolina (M) Farmer $1500
387-387 M. 38 Tennessee (F)    
  M. E. 17 Mississippi (F)    
  R. 15 " (M)    
  G. P. 13 " (M)    
  M. 11 Texas (F)    
  J. E. 5 " (M)    
  F. 3 " (F)    
Jefferson County
(p.513) Solomon Sparks 30 Tennessee (M) Laborer  
218-218 Martha C. 30 South Carolina (F)    
  Lucy Ann 8 Tennessee (F)    
  John L. 6 " (M)    
  James E. 3 Louisiana (M)    
  Mary Susan 1 Texas (F)    
  Jacob 22 Tennessee (M)    
(513) John S. Sparks 39 North Carolina (M) Farmer $150
219-219 Melinda 29 Tennessee (F)    
  Albert 9 Texas (M)    
  Eliza J. 7 " (F)    
  John F. 4 " (M)    
  Sarah C. 1 " (F)    
  James Court 22 Louisiana (M)    
  Julia Ann Court 14 Tennessee (F)    
Limestone County
(p.785) Willaba Sparks 47 Georgia (M) Farmer $250
369-369 Mary 40 Illinois      
  Levi 25 Arkansas      
  William 17 "      
  Tilman 13 "      
  Clarinda 9 Tennessee      
  Nancy C. 7 "      
  Bayley M. 3 "      
. John 1 "      
  Wilbern Jones 31 (not known)   Merchant  
  Anna R. Loup 14 Germany      
  George Swingler 16 "   "None"  
(The above Willaba Sparks was doubtless the "Willoby Sparks" listed on the Pope County, Arkansas, census of 1830)
Nacogdoches County - Town of Nacogdoches
(p105.) Masa C. Millard 27 South Carolina (F)   $6124
33-33 John Millard 5 Texas (M)    
  Mary Millard 2 " (F)    
  Jesse Sparks 12 Mississippi (M)    
  William Sparks 11 Texas (M)    
  O. L. Holmes 36 New York (M) C. C. Clerk $5000
  John Shepherd 27 Pennsylvania (M) Clerk in Store  
  W. C. Pollack 26 Ohio (M) Lawyer $1000
  Simpson Shepheard 66 Ireland (M) Merchant $2569
Nacogdoches County
(p.152) Thomas B. Sparks 21 Mississippi (M)    
33-33 Phereby 19 Tennessee (F)    
(p.117) Elijah Sparks 24 Alabama (M)    
  Kisiah 30 Georgia (F)    
  Daniel 8 Alabama (M)    
  Dartha 5 " (F)    
  Sarah 3 " (F)    
  William 5/12 Texas (M)    
(p.179) A. J. Sparks 23 Mississippi (M) Farmer $640
481-481 Mary 19 Tennessee (F)    
  Thomas 11/12 Texas (M)    
  Thomas 21 Mississippi (M)    
  John 17 " (M)    
             
(p.183) J. H. Sparks 35. Mississippi (M) Farmer $5000
512-512 Elizabeth 27 Tennessee (F)    
. Rebecca 12 Texas (F)    
  Martha 8 " (F)    
  Isabella 6 " (F)    
  Nancy 2 " (F)    
  Wiley Davis 25 Mississippi (M)    

(Note: The above A. J. Sparks (p.179) is known to have been 1.2.1.2.2.3.1.7 Andrew Jackson Sparks and the J. H. Sparks (p. 183) is known to have been 1.2.1.2.2.3.1.2 James Hawkins Sparks; they were the sons of 1.2.1.2.2.3.1 Richard and Elizabeth (Cooper) Sparks and brothers of:

1.2.1.2.2.3.1.1 William F. Sparks of Fort Bend County.
1.2.1.2.2.3.1.8 Thomas Sparks (21) and
1.2.1.2.2.3.1.9 John Sparks (17) living with A. J. Sparks were also brothers.)

Rusk County
(p.535) Luvisa R. Sparks (living with:) 28 Tennessee (F)   $2000
  Elizabeth Wood 40 South Carolina (F)   $1000
 
(p.557 John Sparks 46 Georgia (M) Farmer $500
464-464
(p.637) James Sparks 23 Mississippi (M) Farmer $500
1026- Lucinda 22 Alabama (F)    
...1026
Sabine County
(p.652) Matthew Sparks 50 South Carlolina (M) Farmer $100
  Elizabeth 43 " (F)    
  Elizabeth 10 Louisiana (F)    
  Nancy 7 " (F)    
Titus County
(p.249) Sarah Sparks 61 Georgia (F)    
445-445 Martha 20 " (F)    
  Sarah 17 " (F)    
 
(p.249) William Sparks 43 Georgia (M)    
446-446 George 12 Alabama (M)    
  Elizabeth 15 " (F)    
  William 5 Texas (M)    
  Marion 1 " (M)    
Washington County
(p.620) M. H. Sparks 35 Ohio (M) Engineer  
381-381 Emiline 25 Arkansas (F)    
  Caroline 6 Texas (F)    
  Mary 4 " (F)    
  John 2 " (M)    

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