Sparks Family Genealogy,
Union, Laurens and Spartanburg
Counties, South Carolina
Some surnames involved: Sparks, Timmons, Gostwick, Gossett, Hewett,
Malone, Estes, Fincher
There was a man named Zachariah Sparks who, according to his tombstone, was born
January 12, 1756, and died April 16, 1852. This Zachariah Sparks lived
much of his life
in Union County, South Carolina, and was probably a son of the elder
Zachariah Sparks
who lived in Laurens County, South Carolina and died in the
Revoluntionary
War. That is another story in itself and has been covered very
well by the Sparks
Quarterly.
In case you don't know, Laurens County borders Union County on the north-east.
Zachariah of Union County owned a
farm in that county located near the present day town of Cross Keys. On the farm there is an
old cemetery known as the Sparks Graveyard. Zachariah Sparks
(1756-1852), however,
wasn't buried there as you would expect, but was buried in Cedar Springs Cemetery in Spartanburg County. It is necessary to look at a few facts to determine how this might have happened.
In 1850, Zachariah of Union County can be found in the census living in the household with his daughter Catherine
(born about 1795) in
the home of William Lawson in Union County. Note: Claude Sparks, a researcher of Sparks genealogy from Union County,
South Carolina,
who located the grave of this Zachariah, stated: “I am not certain why
Zachariah Sparks,
who owned land near Cross Keys and in later life lived with the William
Lawson family
until shortly before his death, happened to be buried in Cedar Springs
Cemetery in
Spartanburg County.” Claude concluded, “However, there was a
Drury Sparks who was
a member of Putman Baptist Church, located in the north-western part of
Union County,
and the indications are that he lived close to the Spartanburg-Union
County line about the
time Zachariah Sparks died in 1852; so this Drury Sparks may have been
a son of
Zachariah, and was living in the vicinity of Cedar Springs at that
time.”
(Another researcher of the Sparks family, Kenneth M. Sparks of Clinton,
SC, in August 2002,
stated: concerning Zachariah’s (1756 - 1852) burial in Cedar Spings.)
“I have researched and found a John S. Sparks that was living in Cedar Springs
(Spartanburg
County) according to the 1850 census and who was recorded as 60
years old in that
census. It is plausible that this John (born abt 1790 -1800)
could have been a son of
Zachariah Sparks of Union and it would explain why Zachariah of Union County was buried in
Cedar
Springs. I find it very probable that this Zachariah would have named
one of his sons
John after his brother John who was ‘lost’ according to the
research about
Zachariah Sparks of Laurens County who died in the Rev. War we mentioned earlier. John
S. Sparks
was living in Cedar Springs with his wife Unice and siblings Tilmon,
Mary,
Coleman, Thomas, Nancy and another Mary listed in the household.
Three of
John’s children, Coleman, Tilmon and the first Mary were shown as
attending
school in Cedar Springs for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb.
Futhermore, I have traced this John S. Sparks through the 1820, 1830 and 1840
census living in
Union County and at times living very near Zachariah according to the census. John, after having been in Spartanburg County in 1850, can
once again be
found living in Union County in 1860. It is believed he was only in
Spartanburg county
for a short time while his children were attending Cedar Springs
School. It was learned after contacting the school that the
school first opened in 1849. Padgett Creek church records indicate that John S. Sparks had returned to
Union County by 1855. Padgett Creek Church records indicate that he joined
the church
that year along with his daughter Mary, a mute. It was
during this time (1852)
when Zachariah died and was buried in Cedar Springs.
Another point that can be made is in the 1820 census. John
Sparks was living
within 10 households of Zachariah and is listed on the same page with
him in the
census. If you research this information yourself, you will find there are several John’s in the 1820 Union
County census, but
from research of these families it can be determined John S. is the one
shown
without children in 1820.
The 1810 Union County census shows that Zachariah had 4 males other than
himself, and 5 females in his household. I believe it is very
likely this John is one of
these sons.
Another note of interest is that Zachariah and his daughter Catherine
Sparks were
“dismissed by Letter” on February 11, 1832 from the Upper Duncan Creek
Church
in Laurens County. This church was later renamed Langston Baptist
Church. This
information may help strengthen the belief that Zachriah of Union was
indeed a son
of the Zachariah Sparks mentioned earlier from Laurens county who died
in the
Revolutionary War. Zachariah and Catherine are shown as members
of Padgett
Creek Baptist Church after moving their letter from the Upper Duncan
Creek
Church. I have seen other accounts that he may have been a member
of the Cedar
Springs Baptist Church too.
See 1850 Spartanburg Census, page 234 library microfilm, page 228
Ancestry.com.
(End of new information by Kenneth M. Sparks)
It seems probable that this Zachariah Sparks (1756-1852) also had a son
named William
Sparks who married Sarah Dodd and had children named Drury; Zachariah;
Sarah, Jr.;
Frances; and Elizabeth. William Sparks lived near the farm owned by
Zachariah Sparks
in Union County and died on April 9, 1859. His daughter, Frances, was
postmistress at
Cross Keys at the time of the Civil War.
McGary S. and John S. Sparks
connection, Union County South Carolina:
McGary S. Sparks was born, according to his tombstone at
Padgetts Creek
Baptist Church, on March 6, 1829 . Although I cannot prove for
certain at this
time the names of his parents, there are several key points which
suggest that
he was a son of the John S. Sparks mentioned above who I believe is a
son of
Zachariah from Union County, S.C.,. John had two sons under the
age of 5, and
3 sons in the 5/10 category in the 1830 census. Three of these
sons we can
identify as Tilmon , Coleman and Thomas through later census records.
The
1840 census shows 5 males in the household excluding John which
means we
are missing 2 sons. It is my belief that McGary S. Sparks is one
of John’s
missing sons:
l. He fits by approximate age.
2.His middle initial is the same as John’s, “S”.
3.He joined Padgetts Creek Baptist Church in 1858 with Tilmon (one of
John’s known sons). Tilmon is listed as a mute in the church
records. It
makes sense that a family member would join the church with him
that
day.
4.McGary lived in the same area of Union County that John lived.
5.McGary and his wife Precie, John and John’s son, Coleman, are
all
buried in Padgetts Creek graveyard. I also believe John’s wife
may be
buried in an unmarked plot next to John’s grave. What I
believe to be
John’s grave is a field rock that was marked with the initials,
J.S.,. This
grave is located next to the the grave of his son Coleman as depicted in
the Padgetts Creek Babtist Church history book compiled by Claude
Sparks.
6.McGary’s son (Franklin Martin) named his second son John Olin
Sparks.
I believe the above circumstantial information could conclude that John
S.
Sparks was McGary S. Sparks’ father.
I believe we should address the 'other' Mary that was shown in Johns
household in the
1850 census. Her age is given as what appears to be 16. I have no
idea who she
might be at this time, maybe a daughter. I question her being
another daughter. I wouldn't think they
would've named two daughters Mary. Maybe she's just a relative.
Life must have been quite a chore for John and Unice. Just the
thought of caring
for 3 'mute' children as described here had to take its toll on their
lives. I believe
John must have been a caring person just by the fact that he moved his
family to
be near the Cedar Springs School in hopes that it would help educate
his children.
All of these children apparently lived with him all their lives,
and he never
abandoned them. He also didn't abandon them in death
either. He chose to be
buried next to his son Coleman when he died. Of course, I
don't know to what
extent these children were disabled. I do know that they didn't
live long lives as
evidenced by their death dates.
John's family apparently didn't have very much in the way of worldly
goods
because no records of wills or probates have been found. When
official
documents aren't available, research gets difficult as you have
witnessed here.
I have tried to find John and Unice in the 1870 census, but so far I
have had no
luck.
John died in1871, his wife Unice in 1874, Tilmon in 1873 according to
church records and Coleman died in 1861 per his tombstone. Mary
and
Thomas’ death dates have not been established at this time.
Coleman’s
grave (son of John) at Padgetts Creek is marked with a Confederate Iron
Cross, but I haven’t located any record identifying Coleman as being in
the CSA.
Other church records for this family are entered October 17, 1857
when
John and his daughter Mary Sparks (a mute) were granted letters of
dismission. It further states that they had joined the church two
years
earlier (1855). On July 18, 1863, it was recorded that Sister
Unice Sparks
had been “Received by letter” as a member. This was John’s
wife.
It appears that Unice may not be the mother of all of John’s children.
Although the ages of the children are confusing, it appears that
the three
oldest children (Tilmon, Mary and possibly Gary) must have a different
mother. As we indicated previously, the 1830 and 1840 census
reports
that John had 5 boys, 3 of which we can readily identify. He also
had in
his household in 1830 one (1) female other than his wife, and in 1840
two
(2) females not including his wife. Because of the differences in
ages of
the children in the 1850 and 1860 census is so confusing, I have tried
to
determine their ages by the 1830 and 1840 census. The 1830 census
shows there were 2 boys under 5, and 3 in the 5/10 age range.
There
was 1 girl in the 5/10 age range. Using this, and comparing it to
the other
census, it was determined by me that Tilmon and Mary were probably
born about 1821 and were twins. Gary and another missing son were
born between 1823 and 1825. This would mean that Unice
isn’t the
mother of these four children. If her age is given correctly, she
would
have been just 11 to 15 years old during the times of their
births. Other
evidence is in the 1830 census which shows a female in the same age
range as John which is probably his first wife and the mother of the
children mentioned above. The 1840 census shows a female which
must
be Unice and she is 20 years younger than John and is probably the
mother of the remaining children. This would indicate his first
wife had
died after 1830 but before 1840. Confusing, yes, but I will try
to clear
things up as we go along.
McGary S. Sparks
McGary Sparks’ first official appearance in any records that I’ve found
was
the aforementioned day he joined Padgetts Creek Baptist Church with
Tilmon Sparks on October 17, 1858 “by experience”. His name
in the
church record was given as Magary.
Before proceeding any further, I should point out that McGary Sparks’
name was spelled several ways in the census reports, in his CSA records
and in the church records. He can be found with the first name
Magary,
Margery, M., M.S., Gary, and Garey. His tombstone lists him
simply as
Gary, but his obituary in the 1906 Union Times lists him as McGary.
Because he can be found with the Magary and Margery spellings, I
conclude his name must be McGary as the obituary states.
The account as it was recorded in The Union Times June 22, 1906, under:
“Happenings
of Interest about Town”
reads:
“Mr. McGary Sparks, an old soldier,
died at his home, Colerain, of this county on
Friday last. His remains were interred
Saturday at Padgett’s Creek Baptist
Church.”
Why McGary Sparks isn’t listed in the 1850 census cannot be determined.
He would have been at least 21 at that time, and probably as old as
27. I
suppose there’s a chance he had gone elsewhere to seek his
fortune and
he is in a census in that unknown place and returned to Union County
later. There is also a chance that the census taker missed him in 1850
for
whatever reason, or he was listed under another misspelled name or
initial. I have not been able to locate him in any other state census
for
1850.
In the 1860 Laurens County Census there is a Garey Spark listed as
living in the Reynosia District (present day Renno) with a wife
named
Mary, age 30 and an infant child 3/12 of a year old. This section
of
Laurens County joins the Cross Keys section of Union County separated
only by the Enoree River. Garey’s age is recorded as 35 which
doesn’t fit
with the birthdate on his tombstone. The date carved into the
tombstone
appears to be March 6, 1829, which would have made him 31 in 1860.
This confused me to believe for a time that it wasn’t the Gary I was
researching because of the age and the wifes name, but I later changed
my mind.
You must follow this paragraph closely to determine Gary’s age.
His age
recorded in the 1870 census agrees with the tombstone, but the 1880
census gives his age as 56. This would agree with the 1860
Laurens
census. The 1900 census reports his age as 77 and gives his
birthdate
as March 1823. Keep in mind that this is information that McGary
would
have had to give the census taker. This convinces me that this
Garey in
Laurens County in 1860 is indeed the McGary we are researching and I
suppose we must say he was born in 1823 and the tombstone isn’t
correct. Also it is possible that what we are reading as a 9 on
the
tombstone is really a 3 and age/wear has made us believe it is a
9.
Also living in Laurens County in 1860 were 3 other Sparks’. There
was a
T. Sparks, age 32 living in the Martins Depot area with a wife also
named
Mary, age 35 and a female child named Susan, age 7. T. Sparks is
listed
as a Carpenter by trade. I believe this to be Thomas Sparks, one
of
John’s known sons and McGary’s brother. His age is given within 1
year
of the age 21 given Thomas in the 1850 census while living in John’s
household. Also , in the Clinton area of Laurens County was a
Drury
Sparks, Farmer, age 35 with a wife S. ---- age 33. Their 4
children were
listed by initials ranging from 2 to 14 years old. I believe this
to be
McGary’s 1st cousin and a son of his uncle William Sparks mentioned
earlier. In the Tylersville area of Laurens county lived a Jessee
Sparks,
age 46, no occupation, with a female named Elizabeth, age 26 with M.E.
age 12 (F), James 10, and John 8. I would guess M. E. is M.
Elizabeth,
named after her mother. I’m not certain who Jessee is at this
time, but I
feel that he is related to the others. The Sparks Quarterly
Newsletter
believes that all 4 of these Sparks’ men are related, and so do I.
In December 1861, Gary (the name on his tombstone) joined the 18th
South Carolina Infantry which was organized in Union County South
Carolina. His CSA war records are attached. After having
been wounded
in the head and spending much of the war in hospitals in Richmond, Va.,
he was retired as an invalid two weeks prior to the end of the
war. Two
weeks later he was listed as a Prisoner Of War receiving a Pardon at
Appmottox Court House in Virginia. It has also been learned that
he
received a pension for his service to the CSA. His name in that
document
list him as McG. Sparks.
The next official record for McGary is found after the war in the 1870
Union County Census living in the Bogansville section. This
census lists
his name as Margery. Living in his household was his wife Precia
Sparks,
born in 1830 and a 4 year old son, Franklin. This child would be
his only
known child, Franklin Martin Sparks, born March 22, 1866. We have
to
ask ourselves what became of the previous wife, Mary, and the 3/12
month old child he was shown with in the 1860 census? Although
Precia
is the same age as Mary, it can’t be determined if she is the same
person.
McGary has been found in the 1870, 1880, 1890 and 1900 Union County
census. In all cases, he was living in the Bogansville
area. The 1900
census records him living in the household of Frank Martin Sparks, his
son, on a 144 acre farm. The census records indicate the
land was
rented. Living in the home of Frank Sparks was his wife Fannie V.
(Malone) age 34, and children William L. 10, Mattie P. 9, Clara B. 7,
Annie
V. 5, John Olin 3, and McGary age 77.
Frank Martin Sparks
Son of McGary Sparks
One can only imagine what life was like for Gary and
his wife Precia when he
returned to Union, South Carolina from the
war. Surely there wasn't much in the
way of food, cattle, horses or other things
important to life available in those early
days after the war. It was probably hard to just
survive. Many folks had lost
everything they owned. They lost their farms, loved
ones and their way of life.
Gary and Precia were definitely ready to get on with
their lives. They didn't waste
much time either, because Precia became pregnant and
bore them a new baby boy
within one year after the war ended that they named
Frank Martin Sparks. Frank
was born on March 22, 1866. I don't know if
his name was Frank Martin, or
Martin Frank. I've seen it both ways.
So, don't get confused if you do too.
I suppose because of her age, Precia 36, this would
be the only child they would
have togeather. There could have been others
that I don't know about, but none
that lived very long.
Frank Martin Sparks
The first official record of Frank Martin Sparks was in the 1870 census
listed as a child of
Gary and Precia, age 4. In 1880, he is listed as age 14.
The 1890 census was destroyed,
so we have no record of it. By 1900, Frank was listed as 34 years
of age, married with
children. He had married Fannie V. Malone, born Oct. 1868.
Fannie and Frank's first child was a girl they named Lether, but she
would only survive a
short time. She was born in 1888 and died in 1888. She is
buried at Putman's Baptist
Church in Bogansville, Union County, SC.
Their first child to survive into manhood was my grandfather, William
Levi Sparks, born
August 1889. The 1900 census list 4 more children in their
household plus McGary,
Franks father. Precia, Gary's wife had died in 1894, and I
suppose after her death, Gary
moved in with Frank and Fannie and the kids. I don't know for
sure, but Gary and Precia
could have been living with Frank and Fannie in 1890. Since that
census was destroyed, I
can't verifty it. Franks household consisted of the following in
1900:
1900 Union Census
Frank Sparks 34
Fannie V. 34, born Oct 1868
William L. 10, born Aug. 1889
Mattie P. 9, born Jan. 1890
Clara B. 7, born Jan. 1893
Annie V. 5, born Oct. 1894
John O. 3, born Oct. 1896
McGary 77, born Mar. 1823 (so he stated to the census taker)
Without going through each census, the following children were also
born to Frank and
Fannie later. J. Vernon Sparks, born 1911, died 1912,
Fredrick W. Sparks (b. abt.
1903), Charles M. Sparks (b. abt. 1907).
Frank and Fannie are both buried at Putman's Baptist Church in Union
County, SC. Also
buried in the same family plot are Lether and J. Vernon Sparks.
The graves are located to
the right of the church in the far back right corner. It's a
large, tall rock with granite
borders around the family plot.
In 1900, Frank was living on a 144 acre farm in the Bogansville
area of Union County.
The census indicates that the land was rented. This might have
been the same land that
McGary had lived on for so many years, but I don't know that. All
I know is Gary lived
in the Bogansville section since the time he came home from the war.
After the death of his father, there came a time in Franks life that he
could no longer
support his family with a rented farm, and he moved with all the kids
to the Monarch
section of Union where the large cotton mill was hiring. Frank
became an elevator
operator in that mill. This was a position he would hold for
years. As far as I can tell,
Fannie remained a housewife and was never employed in the mill.
By 1920, Franks household listed the following as living in his
home: Fred, 17, Charles,
15, Willie (William Levi) 29, Marie (Willie's wife) 23, and (Willie's
children) Arthur 8,
and Clyde 3 (my father). Fannie was listed at age 54 and Frank
was listed as age 52.
Willie's first wife and the mother of Arthur and Clyde had died in 1918
in the flu
epidemic. Willie had remarried to Marie Hewett, probably about
the time of this census.
Fred wasn't shown as having an occupation. Charles was listed as
a Spinner in the mill
and Willie was listed as a driver. Frank was an elevator operator.
By the 1930 census, Frank and Fannie were still living at
Monarch. Frank was still an
elevator operator, Fannie was a housewife and the only other person in
the household was
my father, Clyde Sparks 14, no occupation. My dad always told me
that his grandfather
and grandmother raised him. He thought the world of both of them.
If you search for Frank in the 1920 census, you will find him with his
last name spelled
"Starks" in the index. Census takers were still making mistakes.
On November 17, 1939, the Union paper printed the following obituary:
M. F. Sparks, 73, passed away at the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Marvin
Propes, at Whitmire, at a late hour Thursday night after a week's
illness.
The funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at Putman Baptist
Church at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by the Rev. C.B. Prince of Cameron,
assisted by the Rev. R. M. Hagler and the Rev. A. M. Doggett of Pacolet,
the internment following in the churchyard.
The following will serve as active pallbearers: John Lawson,
William
Crocker, Claude Turner, Milan Jett, Bill Hawkins, and Newt O'shields.
Surviving Mr. Sparks are the following children: Mrs. Marvin
Propes,
Mrs. Clara Keisler of Whitmire, Mrs. John Ivey of Irwin, Tenn.: four
sons,
Fred Sparks of Ottaray, Orland Sparks of Pacolet, Charlie and Willie
Sparks, both of Union. Also 23 grandchildren and six
great-grandchildren.
The body was taken from the Edgar Funeral home this morning to the
home of his son, Fred Sparks, at Ottaray, where it will remain until the
hour of service.
(For everyones information, Mrs. Marvin Propes is Annie,
and Mrs. John Ivey is
Mattie.)
Fannie V. Malone
Wife of Frank Martin Sparks
Fannie V. Malone was born 17 October 1865 and died 15 February 1933 in
Union
County, South Carolina. Fannie was the daughter of James
Thomas Malone, born 1848,
died 1929, and Dora Frances Sumner, born 1846, died 1927.
James Thomas Malone was the son of Joseph Gist Malone, b. abt.
1826 in Cross Keys, d.
1 October 1904, at his home in Boiling Springs, and Emilia Gaines
Estes b. abt. 1834.
Joseph Gist Malone was the son of William Malone Sr b. 15 March 1786,
d. 24 June
1844 in Union., and his second wife, Sarah Fincher, the daughter of
Aaron Fincher and
Mary Parker. William and Sarah were married abt. 1813-14.
An in depth study has been put into a book with just about everything
you would want to
know about the Malone family, so I won't go into much detail about
them. This line can
be traced back to 1643. I know there is a book at the Whitmire
Library, and I would
imagine you could find one in Union, Spartanburg and Greenville
libraries.. I understand
the family bible is available with the SC Genealogical Society.
Fannie and Frank Martin
Sparks are listed in both the book and the bible.
If we review the 1930 census, we can find some of Frank and
Fannie's children.
Fred Sparks - age 27 - second hand cotton mill, first married at 19
Cora - age 24 - housewife
Elizabeth - age 7 - daughter
Everlin - age 3 - daughter
Margaret - age 1 - daughter
Charles Sparks - age 39 - Frame hand in cotton mill - married at 29
Irene - age 22 - first married at 17
Christine - age 4 - daughter
John O. Sparks - Spartanburg - Doffer in mill - married at 26 - Veteran
Elise - age 26 - Weaver in mill - married at 20
Gartrell - age 5 - son
John Waco Propes - 40 - Whitmire - 13 April 1890 to 15 August 1968
Annie Sparks Propes - 34 - Whitmire - 19 October 1894 to 10 Feb. 1967
Helen Propes - 13 - b. 1916 d. 2002
The above family is buried in Whitmire. Helen Propes married Ikie
Lewis and they
resided in Rock Hill most of their lives, but she was buried in
Whitmire.
John Ivey - 41 - married at 23 - Living in Erwin, Tn. in 1930
Mattie Sparks Ivey - 39 - married 21
Can't read - F - 17 born in SC
Can't read - F - 15 born in SC
John W. - M - 11 born in SC
Can't read - M - 8 born in TN
Louise - F - 6 - born in TN
Unable to locate Clara Belle Sparks Keasler in 1930 census.
Tombstone info - 18 Feb. 1893 to 8 July 1963
buried in Whitmire, SC
William Levi Sparks
my grandfather
My grandfather, William Levi Sparks was born August 1889, the
first son of Frank
Martin and Fannie Malone Sparks.
He first married Ada Timmons, born 15 July 1893 and died 31 December
1917. She was
the daughter of Christopher Columbus Timmons. (See Timmons for
details). Ada was
my biological grandmother. Marie was my step-grandmother.
Will, as we knew him, worked for the Monarch Mills as a public
driver. He would later
be promoted to what was called " Ran Section". I don't know what
that means, but my
dad said, "he had a good job".
Referring back to the 1920 census, we find Will and his family living
with Frank Martin
Sparks with his new wife, Marie Hewett and 2 sons from his first
marriage to Ada.
By 1930, Will had moved but not very far from Frank. As a matter
of fact, he was living
next door to his father. The census records indicate that he
stated his first marriage was at
the age of 18. He also was listed as not being a veteran of the
1st World War. His wife,
Marie, stated to the census taker that she first married at the age of
25, and she was a
housewife. Living in the household of Will and Marie in 1930 was:
Will Sparks - age 41
Marie - age 34
Robert - age 9
Mary - age 8
Arthur - age 17 (working in drawing, cotton mill)
My dad told me that his father, Will, became involved with the unions
that tried to
orginize the cotton mills in the 30's, and he lost his position with
the mill after the unions
were defeated. He also said it was hard for him to find
employment for awhile, but he
later found a job in the Whitmire mill.
Will and Marie moved from Union to Whitmire, S.C. after he lost his job
at Monarch.
This was a distance of about 18 miles. Will worked in the
cotton mill in Whitmire until
his retirement. His residence in Whitmire was next door to the
Weslyn Methodist
Church, which I believe is now the parking lot for the church.
I can remember my grandfather during my early years as a person who
liked to bird hunt
and fish. On several occasions, he took me with him to fish the
Tyger River which was
very near his home. He had built a small home and a one room
store about half way
between Whitmire and Union, on the Union side of the Tyger after he had
retired from
the cotton mill in Whitmire.
I have some fond memories of visiting him, especially when my cousin
Teresa Sparks
(Roberts daughter by his first marriage) was staying at granddaddy's
during the summer.
Teresa was my half-first cousin (I guess you call it) since Robert was
my dad's half
brother. I would always go there to spend a few days when Teresa
was visiting during the
summer. We were "big" buddies.
I remember one summer visiting with my grandfather and Teresa.
This would be the first
and only time I ever eat possum. I thought it was chicken.
After eating it, they informed
me and Teresa we had just had a possum sandwich, gag!! You
had to be careful what
you eat at granddaddy's, he still lived like it was the 'old' days.
Visiting them was very different.. We had to draw water from a
well that was located
between his house and the river. It was a commumity well.
We also had the pleasure of
using an "out house". In other words, when you spent the night
with Granddaddy Sparks,
you didn't have all the conveniences of living on the 'millhill".
At least on the millhill, I
had in door plumbing.
I'll always remember Christmas too. Granddaddy and Marie never
forgot me on
Christmas. I could count on going to their house and getting my
annual box of
"Chocolate Covered Cherries". Thank goodness I liked them,
because that's what I got
every year. Everytime I see a box of those cherries now, I
remember Will and Marie.
Will and Marie are both buried in Rosemount Cemetery in Union,
SC. Also buried there
is his first wife, my grandmother, Ada Timmons Sparks.
Joseph Goswick, Father of Precia
Sparks (wife of Gary)
Using the census data as my reference, I noted in the 1880
census that
Precia Sparks, wife of Gary, told the census taker that
both of her
parents were born in North Carolina. I always suspected
Precia wasn’t
her real name, maybe a nickname, or the census taker spelled her
name
by sound. It is a known fact that a lot of names in the census
are spelled
by sound and not the way Webster would do it. McGary’s name
was a
very good example.
A thorough name by name search of the 1850 Union County census
revealed a Joseph Goswick living near several Sparks families with a
daughter named Prussia, age 20. The 1860 census indicates Mr and
Mrs
Goswick were both born in North Carolina. This couple was the only
family that I could find listing a female in their household that
fit the
following criteria:
1.A daugher age 20 in 1850. Precia was born
January 9, 1830 and
would have been 20
in 1850.
2.Both parents born in N.C. The Goswicks were
born in N.C.
3.A name like Prussia that could be easily
interpretted as Precia
by the census taker or maybe used as a
nickname.
4.Living in the same area of Union County with
Sparks neighbors.
I should note there was also a Prussia Prince in the 1850 census in the
household of Millie Prince living near Sparks’ but she was identified
in the
1860 census as married to Leroy Langston who had been her next door
neighbor. Millie, her mother, was identified as born in
S.C., and we know
Precie’s parents were born in N.C.,. Prussia Prince was
identified as
Preshy Langston in the Padgett Creek church records and she was still in
the Langston household in 1870 with a Prince living with her.
That was
the same year Gary was listed as married to Precia. Note Ms.
Langston’s
name (Prussia) was spelled as it sounds (Preshy).
I have since learned through the Death Certificate of Frank Martin
Sparks,
that his mother is listed as Mrs Gossett. This positively
identifies Prussia
Goswick as Gary’s wife. The Goswick name changed with time to
Gossett
as I will explain as we continue. So, I know for certain Prussia
Goswick
was Precia Sparks.
Prussia’s parents, Joseph and Sarah Goswick had in their household in
1850 a
George Washington Goswick, age 17 and Prussia, age 20. Joseph is
listed as 52
(born abt. 1798) and his wife Sarah was 57 (born abt. 1793).
Living next door to Joseph was Pleasant Goswick age 27 with his wife
Frances,
age 24. It is believed by this writer and other Goswick
researchers that this was a
son of Joseph and a brother to Prussia. Also living in the
household was a
Thomas Burnett, age 12. I have no idea what his connection was
with the family.
In 1860, these families were still living next door to each other but
their last
names were now spelled Gosit. (Do you see where it is going?) It
has come to the
attention of this writer that it wasn’t unusual for the Goswick name to
change to
Goset, Gosit and Gossett and other variations as the years
progressed. For
example, (George) Washington Goswick, Prussia’s brother, later married
Elizabeth Bobo, and he spelled his name Gossett. All of
Washington Goswick’s
ancesters are known as Gossett’s. Washington has been found as
late as 1900
living in Cross Anchor on a large farm with his family. Some
claim the reason for
changing the Goswick name to Gossett was to make it easier to pronounce
and
spell. This information was learned through Goswick researchers who have
researched many changes of the name this way.
In 1860, Joseph and Sarah were living alone according to the census,
but Pleasant
had added children to his family. There was a son named James,
age 7 and an
infant shown as 3. It was later learned that this baby was a
daughter named
Madora. Pleasant would have another son in 1862 named
Joseph.
I haven’t determined where Prussia was at the time of the 1860 census
since she
wasn’t in either of these households. Remember, Gary was shown as
living with a
Mary in 1860 in Laurens County, and we questioned whether or not this
Mary was
Prussia. I can’t verify this and probably will never be able to
do so. I can say I
haven’t located another Precie married or living with any other
families in 1860.
Living next door to Joseph Goswick was Carpenter Sparks, and next door
to
Carpenter was a Jesse Sparks. I haven’t been able to connect our
family to either
of these two men, but I believe we are in someway.
I have not learned where Joseph and Sarah Goswick Gossett are
buried. I don’t
believe they left the area since their ages were shown in
their 60’s and 70’s in
1860 census. I do know that they were members of Padgetts Creek
Baptist
Church prior to 1874 but they aren’t listed as buried in that graveyard
unless they
are in some of the unmarked graves. There is also a possibility
they are in a
family plot somewhere, maybe in Cross Anchor.
Research will continue with these families, and hopefully we will learn
more
about them.
1850 Census Union County
Joseph Goswick 53 M
Planter 1108
Sarah Goswick 59 F
Prussia Goswick 20 F
Washington 17 M
1860 Census Union County
Joseph Gosit 66 M
Farmer
Sarah Gosit 78 F
Note: Age differences for Sarah and Joseph between census.
Definitely Sarah’s
age in 1860 appears wrong, probably should be 68/69 instead of
78. Joseph’s age
shows a 3 year difference.
(Dec. 1, 2004)
Further research into Precie’s family
has now been done and the following
information is being added to this
paper.
Pleasant Goswick Gossett, the brother of Prussia (Precia) Sparks can be
found in
1860 employed as a Miller living next door to his parents as mentioned
above. In
1870 he was living in the Glenn Springs area of Spartanburg County and
listed as
a farmer. By 1880, he was living in the Scuffletown area of
Laurens County with
his wife and son Joseph still living at home. Next door to
Pleasant was his other
son James who had a family by this time. In James’ household was his
wife
Ellenoir, 26 and two sons, Martin 6, and James 2. I assume his
daughter Madora
had married and a good guess would be that she married one of three men
from
the Glenn Springs area. There was a Smith, a White and a Wofford
who had
wives named Madora. All of their ages were about the same as
Madora’s would
have been at that time. Maybe someone will determine this at a
later date.
Since we don’t have an 1890 census because it was burned, we have to
skip
further into time. By 1910 Pleasant’s son, Joseph, can be found
listed as Joe
Gossett, 49 yrs old and married for 29 years to Susan J. who is also 49
yrs old.
She states that she had 4 children, 3 living. Living in their
household was Jodie,
21, a son that states he has been married for 2 yrs to Bettie, 23 who
states she has
had 2 children, 1 living. Their one child at that time is Fred
who was less than 2
yrs old in 1910. Also living in the household is Yancy 17,
another son of Joseph’s
who is single and Susan’s father James P. Dillard, 80 yrs old.
The 1920 census lists Joseph (Joe) Gossett 58 and Susie 48,
living alone in
Laurens County. Their son Jodie 31, and Bettie 32 can now
be found living in
the city of Laurens and employed in the cotton mill. In their
household is their
son Fred 11, Joe’s brother Yancy 27, and Bettie’s sister Letha
23. They are also
employed in the Cotton Mill.
In 1930, Jodie and Susan still have their son Fred 21, in their
household. They
also have added another child to the household, Milton 9, who is listed
as their
son.
The other son of Pleasant named James, now 60 yrs old can be found in
1910
living with a wife Mary, 39 (second marriage). In their household
are 2 step
daughters, Nancy Prince age 11 and ----- Bailew age 19 who states she
is married.
I assume his new wife Mary was married to a Prince man prior to
marrying James
who was probably a widower.
The other brother of Prussia ‘Precie’ Gossett Sparks was George
Washington
Gossett. In 1900 he can be found living on a very large farm in
Cross Anchor,
SC, on the north side of Buncomb Road with his family and servants.
By 1910 George Washington Gossett has died but the family is still
living on
Buncomb Rd in Cross Anchor. The head of the household at this
time is General
Gossett, 46, his brother Barney, 42 and their mother Elizabeth
73. Also listed in
the household are General E. Willard 32, and David L. Willard, 23, both
listed as
nephews. Both General and Barney are listed as single.
Living next door to this family is Lesel B. Gossett, 34 with his wife
Othella, 30
and their children General L., 7, Willie A., 5, and Lizzie B., 3.
This Lesel B.
Gossett I am sure is Brockman Gossett, another son of George Washington
Gossett. I should add that the writing is so poor it is hard to
tell if the first name is
really Lesel. But, that’s what it appears to be.
In 1910, the following head of households were living in Cross Anchor
Twp,
Spartanburg, SC
Adolphus Gossett
born 1850 SC
General S. Gossett born 1863 SC
Greenberry Gossett born 1879 SC
James Gossett
born 1849 SC
Joe Gossett
born 1860 SC
Lesel B. Gossett
born 1875 SC
It can be concluded that all of these persons were probably related.
Conclusion
It is my opinion with the information that I have available at
this time that Gary’s
father was John S. Sparks. John’s father was Zachariah Sparks
from Union
county, and Zackariah’s father was Zackariah Sparks from Laurens
County. And
of course, we know Precia’s parents were Joseph and Sarah Goswick.
It is also my belief that after all was said and done, the only Sparks
families still
living in the Cross Keys/Bogansville area of Union County after 1870
were the
family I’m researching and the Sparks family for Claude Sparks’,
genealogy
researcher from Cross Keys, SC who wrote the book about Padgetts Creek
and
passed away 30 yrs ago. If the truth were known, somewhere down
the line, all of
these Sparks’ families from Cross Keys, SC and across the line in
Laurens County
were probably connected, but that’s a different theory that probably
will never be
proven without DNA.
As for the Goswick/Gossett family tree, I feel certain this data is,
for the most
part, correct. It was with the help of other researchers that I
was able to put it all
togeather.
There are a few lingering questions that I have about this entire
project. Why did
Frank Martin Sparks, Gary’s son, name his first born son William Levi
Sparks?
Families in those days usually named their children after fathers and
grandfathers.
There was a William Levi Sparks in Union, but his family is well
documented and
he couldn’t be a direct line. Frank Martin Sparks didn’t name any of
his sons after
his own father. I also ask myself why did Gary name his only son
Franklin
Martin? Then, of course, I have to ask why did John name
his son McGary? I
have never found that name used as a first name any other place.
Maybe it was a
family name? But, there aren’t any McGary families listed in
South Carolina. It
appears that this family didn’t follow those traditions for whatever
reasons. I
guess I’ll never have those answers.
K. Sparks
December 2004