November 15, 2020
Pages 1413-1414
Whole Number 74
Sparks Families Enumerated on the 1840 Census of South Carolina
(Editors note: One of our very generous members, Major Gerald H. Sparks, Box 443, Runge, Texas, has arranged to have the 1840 census of South Carolina searched for Sparks families for publication in the Quarterly. We are most grateful to Major Sparks for this contribution.
(In using the following records, it should be kept in mind that in all federal census records prior to 1850, only the name of the head of each household was actually recorded by the census taker. Following his or her name, all members of the household, including the head, were enumerated in columns by sex and age group. The members of the household so enumerated not only included the parents and their children, but also anyone else living with the family at the time, such as relatives, servants, roomers, etc.
(We can be sure that there were persons named Sparks who were living in households headed by persons that were not named Sparks in 1840, but perhaps their number was about offset by those persons enumerated in Sparks households who were not really Sparkses. It should be kept in mind that census takers often made mistakes, not only in spelling and in counting, but on occasion a family was missed altogether.
(The census taker ordinarily recorded whatever data he was told by the person at home the day he stopped. Ages were often guessed at while some members of the household were overlooked. Sometimes parents included sons or daughters who were no longer living at home and who were counted in some other household also. Just because one fails to find his ancestor listed in a given county is by no means positive proof that he was not there.
(Where two Sparks households were listed on the same page by the census taker, the chances are great they actually lived near each other and were probably closely related.)
| Males | Females | Slaves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|||
| Chesterfield County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexr. Sparks (p.375) | 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 | 13 |
| Darlington County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Martha P. Sparks p.42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Alexr. Sparks (p.42) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| Laurens County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zachariah Sparks p.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Lexington County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Sparks (p. 124) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Marlborough County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saml. Sparks (p. 193) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 |
| Spartanburgh County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Sparks (p. 71) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Zere Sparks (p.97) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Zach. Sparks (p.97) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Geo Sparks (p. 100) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Josh K. Sparks (p100) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Maria Sparks(p.102) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jacob Sparks(p.150) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Thos. Sparks (p.154) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| J. L. Sparks (p. 155) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Wm. Sparks (p. 163) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Union County | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thos R Sparks (p 181) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mrs H Sparks (p. 186) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Wm. Sparks (p. 187) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Loyd Sparks (p. 191) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| John Sparks (p. 198) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Drury Sparks (p 199) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Zach. Sparks (p 199) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Josiah Sparks (p. 213) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Shelton Sparks (p224) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Josiah Sparks (p. 228) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| John Sparks (p.193) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | || | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
(Editor's Note: The "Alxn. Sparks" listed in Chesterfield County was Alexander Sparks who was also listed in Darlington County. He owned slaves in Chesterfield County and for that reason was listed there as well as in Darlington County. The Martha P. Sparks listed in Darlington County was Alexander's mother; his father, Daniel Sparks, had died in 1810. (See the Quarterly of December 1962, Whole No. 40; for a record of this family.)