March 3, 2020
Pages 87 and 90-9
Whole Number 11
SPARKS FAMILIES IN TENNESSEE -- 1820 and 1830
by William Perry Johnson
The 1790 and 1800 census schedules for the state of Tennessee are lost, as are those for 1810, except for that of Rutherford County. Also, the 1820 census for the following Tennessee counties has been destroyed: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Orainger, Greene, Hawkins, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, McMirin, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Sevier, Sullivan, and Washington. The 1820 census for the following Tennessee countIes has been preserved: Bedford, Davidson, Dickson, Franklin, Giles, Hardin, Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lincoln, Maury, Montgomery, Overton, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson, and Wilson. Sparks familIes were living in eight of the foregoing twenty-five Tennessee counties in 1820 as listed on page 90.
In all federal census records before 1850, only the name of the head of the family is given. The household, including the head, is then enumerated by sex and age. In the 1820 census, the males were enumerated in six different age groups while the females were listed in five. Usually the head of the family appears as the oldest male, the oldest female is usually his wife, and the younger members are ordinarily his children. One must keep in mind, however, that the parents, nephews and nieces, hired men and women, etc., were living in the household at the time the census was taken, they too would be listed as part of the family. One can never be positive, therefore, of the relationship of the various members of a given household.
| Sparks Families Listed on the 1820 Census of Tennessee | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | |||||||||||
| Ages Between | 0 10 |
10 16 |
16 18 |
18 26 |
26 45 |
45 up |
0 10 |
10 16 |
16 26 |
26 45 |
45 up |
|
| Davidson, County | ||||||||||||
| John Sparks | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| Dickson County | ||||||||||||
| Samuel Sparks | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| Franklin County | ||||||||||||
| Joseph Sparks | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| William Sparks | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| Hickman County | ||||||||||||
| Hardy Sparks | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Jesse Sparks | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Humphreys County | ||||||||||||
| John Sparks | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| Isaac Sparks | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| Bailey Sparks | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Lincoln County | ||||||||||||
| David Sparks | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| Warren County | ||||||||||||
| George Sparks | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |||||
| Wilson County | ||||||||||||
| Nathaniel Sparks | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
The 1830 census has been preserved for all of the sixty-two counties that were in Tennessee in 1830. Twenty-seven different Sparks families (with a total of 198 men, women, and children, living in these households) were listed in fifteen of these sixty-two Tennessee counties in 1830. The method of enumerating families in the 1830 census differed from that of 1820 only in that there was a larger number of age groups. The number given in parenthesis following each name is the number of the page on which this name appears.
| Sparks Families Listed on the 1830 Census of Tennessee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ages Between | 0 5 |
5 10 |
10 15 |
15 20 |
20 30 |
30 40 |
40 50 |
50 60 |
60 70 |
> 70 |
0 5 |
5 |
10 15 |
15 20 |
20 30 |
30 40 |
40 50 |
50 60 |
60 70 |
> 70 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Bedford County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Robert Sparks (p. 2) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Edmond Sparks (p. 118) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mat. B. Sparks (p. 118) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Blount County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Absolom Sparks (p. 74) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personte Sparks (p. 106) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peterson Sparks (p. 110) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carroll County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isaac Sparks, Jr. (p. 12) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hardy Sparks (p. 26) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baily Sparks (p. 28) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isaac Sparks, Sr. (p. 78) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Claiborne County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Sparks (p. 66) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Franklin County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Solomon Sparks (p. 126) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hardeman County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Sparks (p. 61) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Sparks (p. 63) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ephraim Sparks (p.69) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Henderson County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Sparks (p. 8) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hickman County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jesse Sparks (p. 32) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McMinn County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Sparks (p. 138) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Madison County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daniel Sparks (p. 64) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| David Sparks (p. 66) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Perry County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saml. Sparks (p. 66) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Roane County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abijah Sparks (p. 24) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richard Sparks (p. 26) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shelby County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| J. Sparks (p. 85) | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| J. Sparks (p. 85) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Sparks (p. 140) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wilson County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nathan Sparks (p. 66) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||