November 15, 2020

Pages 2821-2823
Whole Number 132

SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS LISTED ON THE 1840 CENSUS OF PENNSYLVANIA

(Editor's Note: In earlier issues of the Quarterly, we have presented census data for pensons listed on the federal censuses of Pennsylvania prior to 1840. In the very first issue, that for March 1953, we reported on the Sparkses appearing on the 1790 census, the first taken by the U.S. government. Sparks data from the 1800 census of Pennsylvania appeared in the September 1976 issue, Whole No. 95; for 1810 in the September 1977 issue, Whole No. 99; for 1820 in the September 1978 issue, Whole No. 103; and for 1830 in the March 1977 issue, Whole No. 97.

For an explanation of the use of census records for genealogical research, see the Quarterly of March 1985, Whole No. 129, pp. 2728-9. Here we shall simply call the reader's attention to the fact that the persons enumerated in age categories in the 1840 census were those considered to be members of the household headed by the individual named. That individual was also enumerated according to his or her age as reported to the census taker. Persons working for the head of the household, along with relatives and others living under his/her roof, were included.

Many errors were made, of course, in computing the ages of the household members, particularly if knowledgeable individuals were not present on the day that the census taker called. It is apparent that on some occasions the census taker merely guessed at ages. The page number on which each entry appears on the original census return is included in parentheses following the name. This often provides a clue regarding the proximity of one household to another.)

  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
Adams County
Reading Township
Samuel Spark (133) 1 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
 
Allegheny County
Pitt Township
S. M. Sparks (490) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Bedford County
East Providence T/S
John Sparks (246) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Providence T/S
Joseph Sparks (250) 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
West Providence T/S
James Sparks (253) 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
John Sparks (253) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Joseph Sparks (253) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Absalom Sparks 257 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
James Sparks 260 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
William Sparks 260 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Solomon Sparks 260 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Abraham Sparks 261 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Jonah Sparks 261 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Malon Sparks 261 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Crawford County
S. Shenango T/S
Henry Sparks 356 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sudbury Township
Waterman Sparks 403 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Erie County
Greenfield Township
Elisha Sparks 205 2 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Mifflin County
McVeyton Borough
Samuel Spark 36 1 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Philadelphia County
Philadelphia City
Dock Ward
Thomas Sparks 68 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Upper Delaware Ward
N. Sparks 104 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
New Market Ward
Peter Spark 142 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
South Ward
Samuel A. Sparks 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
 
Southward District
Ward 1
Joseph Sparks 4 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Samuel Sparks 12 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Ward 2
Robert Sparks 60 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jacob F. Sparks 64 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0
 
Ward 4
James Sparks 143 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Ward 5
M. Sparks 101 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
E. Sparks 111 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
N.& S. Penn. T/S
Jacob Sparks 206 1 1 0 0 10 20 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
(31 of these males were in manufacturing
 
North Liberties
Ward 7
Edward Sparks 193 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Potter County
Sharon Township
John Sparkes 262 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Hebron Township
William Sparks 264 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
(Lovina Sparks is 71 & a Rev. pensioner) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Osias Sparks 264 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Schuykill County
Branch Township
Miss Sparks 120 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Susquehanna County
Great Bend T/S
Thomas Sparks 352 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Gibson Township
David Sparks 357 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 ||| 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
Lee Sparks 357 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Humphrey Sparks " 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Elizabeth Sparks 358 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
George Sparks 358 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 
Venango County
French Creek T/S
Benjamin Sparks 47 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ||| 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

(Editor's note: One of the purposes of the 1840 census was to list by name veterans and their widows of the American Revolution who were receiving pensions. Lovina Sparks, noted as a resident of Potter County, was the widow of John Sparks (1750 -1825). See the Quarterly of December 1957, Whole No. 20, for a record of his service.)

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