January 20, 2021
Pages 3213-3217
Whole Number 141
SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS APPEARING ON MASSACHUSETTS
CENSUS RECORDS, 1810-1840
(Editor's Note: In the first issue of the Quarterly, dated March 1953, we published the record of the households in Massachusetts headed by persons named Sparks. There were only two: Sarah Sparks in Province Town, Barnstable County; and Asa Sparks in Mount Washington Town, Berkshire County.
In the Quarterly of September 1978, Whole No. 103, page 2036, we published a record of Sparks households appearing on the 1800 census of Massachusetts. James Sparks then headed a household in Barnstable County. In Berkshire County there were three Sparks households; the heads being Asa Sparks, Lemuel Sparks, and William Sparks. In Hampshire County, another Lemuel Sparks was listed as heading a household.
We now present the record of Sparks households found on the federal censuses of 1810, 1820, 1830, and 1840 for the state of Massachusetts. A record of the persons named Sparks appearing on the 1850 census of Massachusetts was published in the Quarterly of December 1981, Whole No. 116, pp. 2370-74.
Readers are reminded that federal census records from 1790 to and including 1840 provide only the name of the individual heading each household followed by an enumeration of the members of that household, including the head. These enumerations were by sex and various age categories. It was not until 1850 that census-takers were instructed to record the name, sex, age, and place of birth of every individual. In using census records prior to 1850, therefore, we must remember that household members that were enumerated sometimes included persons other than immediate family members, such as hired men, orphaned relatives or neighbors, apprentices, etc. Likewise, we can be sure that there were persons named Sparks that were living in households headed by individuals with names other than Sparks. For example, while we can be quite certain that the James Sparks shown in Barnstable County in 1810 was, himself, the male enumerated as between 26 and 45, we can only speculate that the female enumerated in she same age category was his wife and that the six children enumerated were probably the children of James.
It will be noted that the census taker in Berkshire County in 1810 spelled the name "Sparcks." We can be sure, however, that it was intended for "Sparks."
SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS, CENSUS RECORDS, MASSACHUSETTS
| Sparks Households - 1810 Census | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | |||||||||||
| 0 10 |
10 16 |
16 26 |
26 45 |
45 up |
||| | 0 10 |
10 16 |
16 26 |
26 45 |
45 up |
||
| Barnstable County | ||||||||||||
| James Sparks | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Thomas Sparks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Berkshire County | ||||||||||||
| Sheffield Town | ||||||||||||
| Benjamin Sparcks (p. 137) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Elisha Sparcks (p. 137) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Asa Sparcks (p. 138) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||| | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Samuel Sparks (p. 138) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||| | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mt. Washington Town | ||||||||||||
| William Sparks (p. 139) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||| | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Washington Town | ||||||||||||
| Lemuel Sparks (p. 219) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Suffolk County | ||||||||||||
| Boston, Ward 2, Fish Street | ||||||||||||
| Richard Sparks (p. 170) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| (Note: Richard Sparks was apparently a nonresident, but he was shown with 5 "other" persons - - these were probably Free Blacks in his employ.) | ||||||||||||
| Sparks Households - 1820 Census | ||||||||||||
| Males | Females | |||||||||||
| 0 10 |
10 16 |
16 18 |
18 26 |
26 45 |
45 up |
||| | 0 10 |
10 16 |
16 26 |
26 45 |
45 up |
|
| Barnstable County | ||||||||||||
| Provincetown | ||||||||||||
| James Sparks (p. 238) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||| | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Thomas S. Sparks (p. 238) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Berkshire County | ||||||||||||
| Mt. Washington | ||||||||||||
| Frederick Sparks (p. 13) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfort Sparks (p. 13) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Austin Sparks (p. 14) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Otis Sparks (p. 15) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lee | ||||||||||||
| Lemuel Sparks (p. 144) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||| | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sheffield | ||||||||||||
| Lemuel Sparks (p. 144) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joseph Sparks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tallbot Sparks | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Benjamin Sparks | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||| | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hampshire County | ||||||||||||
| Westhampton | ||||||||||||
| Mercy Sparks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sparks Households - 1830 Census | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 5 |
5 10 |
10 15 |
15 20 |
20 30 |
30 40 |
40 50 |
50 60 |
60 70 |
70 80 |
80 90 |
90 100 |
+ 100 |
||| | 0 5 |
5 10 |
10 15 |
15 20 |
20 30 |
30 40 |
40 50 |
50 60 |
60 70 |
70 80 |
80 90 |
90 100 |
+ 100 |
|
| Barnstable County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provincetown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Sparks (421) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thomas Sparks (422) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Sparks (422) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Berkshire County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Egremont | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Comfort Sparks (256) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Geo. Sparks (250) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheffield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Sparks (268) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lyman Sparks (268) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aretius Sparks (269) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lenox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph Sparks (406) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Richmond | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fred Sparks (446) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mirtle Sparks (446) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sparks Households - 1840 Census | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barnstable County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provincetown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Sparks (108) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Sparks (108) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Heman Sparks (109) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thomas Sparks (113) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Sparks, Jr 119 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Berkshire County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Sparks (69) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Richmond | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frederick Sparks 238 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheffield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lemuel Sparks (261) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amelia Sparks (261) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Horace Sparks (261) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Stockman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stom Sparks (272) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mt. Washington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Merrick Sparks (303) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Essex County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lynn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Sparks (149) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Middlesex County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kath Sparks (83) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Worcester County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Brookfield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Sparks (195) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||| | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |