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.]
| 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:
|
||||||
| 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) | |||