The Sparrow Line

Capt. Edward Sparrow
1718-1746

Sparrow originated as a surname from the nickname applied to some person because of a trait of character or disposition. The name is often found in the old registers which show many quaint spellings and variations. In 1273 John Sparuwe was in County Oxford, Laurence Sparwe in County Cambridge, and Hugh Sparewe in the same locality. In 1379 we more nearly approach the modern spelling when we find Rogerus Sparowe and Adam Sparowe in County York. In 1529-30 Robert Sparrow was granted a license to wed in London. (See Bardsley Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames. Also Americana 1933, page 357).

Through the line of Sparrow as traced hereafter, the families of this record have a connection with that courageous, God fearing band of Pilgrims (originally known as Separatists) whose names surround the story of the passage and landing of the gallant little Mayflower. A line of honor in its own right, the relationship that thus follows is one lending additional distinction to a proud family history. (Americana 1928, page 111, also page 113.)

Arms – Argent, three roses gules (the color red on a coat of arms), a chief of the last
Crest – A yew tree proper

Edward Sparrow (1), first of the name in New England, was born at Ipswich, England a descendent of Robert. Edward was a seaman and made voyages between England and the American colonies. He was a Captain and was lost at sea. (SE Mass Vol 2, Page 1068). [Note: The above information on Edward (1) was collected about 1970 by a dedicated amateur genealogist, but does differ from several accounts available today on the Internet.]

Edward (1) Sparrow and Jerusha Bradford, both of Plymouth, were married at Plymouth, Mass. on April 16, 1741. She was born December 20, 1722 in Kingston, Mass., the daughter of William and Elizabeth Finney Bradford.

Edward (1) Sparrow and wife Jerusha Bradford Sparrow had one child, Edward, who was born April 2, 1746 in Wareham, Mass. He will be referred to as Edward (2).

Edward (1) and his wife, Jerusha, were living in Plymouth, Mass. in 1744 as they sold the following to Mrs. Elizabeth Bradford, Jerusha’s widowed mother, and the deed was dated June 20, 1744—

“sold Northerly front lowe room in ye dwelling house where I now dwell in Plymouth together with the chamber over said room and the bed chamber as now partitioned off adjoining to ye South East end of said chamber, also the garrett cover over the said chambers, and the entry and stairway at ye North end of said house and a privilege in ye cellar under the said house, and also a piece of land adjoining to ye northerly end of said house. Said land is 19 feet front and 26 feet deep and is bounded as followeth—Northerly by land belonging to ye heirs of John Watson Esq., deceased, Easterly by the Training Green, Southerly by the said house and Westerly by my own land.”

After Mrs. Elizabeth Bradford died her daughter, Sarah Bradford Holmes, a widow, administrator of her mother’s estate, sold to a William Bradford of said Plymouth, Cordwainer, the above described property which Mrs. Bradford bought of Edward (1) Bradford and Jerusha. This second transaction was dated August 21, 1779.

Edward (1) Sparrow was lost at sea apparently some time before December 27, 1746, as the Mayflower Descendent Book 18, Page 119 has the publishment of marriage of Jerusha Sparrow and Josiah Carver, Jr. dated December 27, 1746. They were married January 22, 1747 at Plymouth, Mass.

Jerusha Bradford Sparrow Carver died April 23, 1820 and is buried in Middleboro, Mass. Josiah Carver died April 5, 1799, aged 74 years, and is also buried in Middleboro, Mass. Jerusha was 98 years old when she died.

The house occupied by William R. Drew stands on land which was a part of the homestead lot of John Howland of the Mayflower. It afterwards passed into the hands of Edward Gray, who sold it in 1670 to Rev. John Cotton, who in turn sold it in 1680 to James Cole. It was afterwards owned by Ephraim Cole, the son of James, whose daughter Mary, the wife of Peleg Durfee, sold it in 1743 to Edward (1) Sparrow.

The administrators of Edward (1) Sparrow sold it in 1747 to Ezra Allen, who built the house now standing, and after his death it was sold by his heirs to the late Barnabas Hedge in 1785. This pedigree refers, however, only to the lot on which the house stands with the garden in the immediate rear. The westerly part of the lot covers a part of the homestead of John Howland, and a part of that of Stephen Hopkins. This part, after possession by Ephraim Cole, was sold by his daughter Mary in 1743 to James Hovey, who sold it in 1747 to Josiah Carver. Josiah Carver sold it in 1757 to Elias Trask, who sold it in 1763 to Samuel Lanman, by whom it was again sold to Ezra Allen, the owner of the other part and the grantor to Barnabas Hedge. Mr. Hedge enlarged the house by the addition of a third storey, and occupied it after his marriage until his death in 1840. In 1854 it passed into the possession of Zaben Olney and is now the property of its present occupant. (From Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth, Page 167—Davis).

Edward (2) Sparrow, who was called Colonel Edward later in life, married Rhoda Bump. She was born in Wareham, Mass. February 22, 1748. They were married February 7, 1765.

In the Revolutionary War Edward (2) was a Captain, and a Nathan Warren was one of the men who served as a Sergeant in Sparrow’s Company from July 23, 1777 to October 27, 1780.

Edward (2) also served in the Middleboro, Mass. Militia, 4th Regiment of Infantry as:
Major—from July 1, 1781 to July 17, 1787
Lt. Colonel—from July 17, 1787 to Oct 29, 1793
Colonel—from October 29, 1793 to April 1, 1796

Children of Col. Edward (2) and Rhoda:
1. Jerusha (3) born January 13, 1766. Married first to Joseph Lovell, secondly to Joseph Tinkham. Jerusha died August 6, 1843 at the age of 78.
2. Edward (3) born January 10, 1768. Married Bethsheba Peter (or Porter). Both Edward and Bethsheba died at Middleboro, Mass. She died March 27, 1853, age 79, and he died November 18, 1853, age 85. They had two still born babies, both sons. One died April 1799, and one died December 7, 1804. A son, Edward H. (4).
Edward H. (4) married Cordelia Bartlett. A daughter Cordelia died April 20, 1847, aged 2. Edward H. (4) died January 13, 1861, aged 48.
3. Philip (3) born April 9, 1770. Married Deborah _____. They had a daughter, Philura, who died in Vermont. Philip died February 1827, aged 57, in Harmony, Ohio. Deborah died in Vermont.
4. Susannah (3) born January 19, 1772.
5. Josiah (3) born March 21, 1775. He married three times, first to Minerva Miller.

Josiah and Minerva had a daughter, Rhoda, who married Newton Southworth. Newton and Rhoda had a daughter Sophia who married Joseph Kirtland, and they had a daughter Mary who was born in Belle Plain, Minn. Minerva died August 15, 1839, aged 60.

Josiah’s second wife was Abigail, widow of John Hayward. She died January 22, 1847, aged 64, and is buried in a grave on a hill.

Josiah’s third wife was Alice Cushman. Josiah is known to have lived in Rochester, NY at one time. He had a son, Josiah, Jr. who married a Priscilla Ellis.

Josiah (3) died June 25, 1851 in Middleboro, Mass., aged 76.
6. Elizabeth (3) born March 15, 1778 in Middleboro, Mass. and was married in Middleboro.
7. Rhoda (3) born November 21, 1780 in Middleboro, Mass.
8. William (3) born October 9, 1783 in Middleboro, Mass. The line continues with William (3).
9. Polly (3) born July 1, 1786 in Middleboro, Mass.
10. James (3) born July 6, 1789 in Middleboro, Mass.
11. Bradford (3) born April 13, 1793 in Middleboro, Mass. Bradford (3) married twice:
1st to ______ Tinkham
2nd to ______ Miller
Bradford (3) died February 19, 1874, age 80, in Colchester, Conn.

We will follow through on William (3) Sparrow, son of Edward (2) and Rhoda Bump Sparrow.

William (3) married Sarah Washburn (see the Washburn Line) June 5, 1811 in Hartford, Maine.

“Hartford Town Records: Oxford, ss. I hereby certify that the Institution of marriage was solemnized between William Sparrow and Sally (Washburn) Sparrow, both of Harford, in said County, at the dwelling house of Mr. Ebenezer Washburn in said Hartford on the 5th day of June, A.D. 1811, by me, Isaac Sturtevant, Justice of the Peace.”

Sarah (aka “Sally”) was born July 5, 1791 in Kingston, Mass., a daughter of Ebenezer and Lucy (Chase) Washburn.

Children of William (3) and Sarah (Washburn) Sparrow, all born in Hartford, Maine:
1. William (4) born January 7, 1812. Died August 27, 1814 at Hartford, Maine, aged 2.
2. Rhoda (4) born August 17, 1813. She married in Hartford, Maine on November 28, 1831 to Thomas Thorn, Jr. of Canton, Maine. They had a son, George Emerson, born August 19, 1833, who married Mary Thomas, born in Hartford, Maine March 16, 1838. Also a second son, William S. Thorn.
3. Jehiel (4) born November 1, 1815. Died April 17, 1827 at Hartford, Maine.
4. Clarinda (4) born February 20, 1819. Married March 10, 1850 at Hartford, Maine to Jacob Pratt of Yarmouth.
5. Christiana (4) born February 11, 1821. Died February 17, 1839 in Hartford, Maine, aged 18.
6. William Bradford (4) born September 13, 1826. Married May 23, 1852 in Hartford, Maine. (The line will be carried from this William (4)).
7. Edward (4) born October 24, 1830. Married in Plympton, Mass. to Adelia Miller, daughter of Alden and Fanny Miller. Died November 21, 1858, aged 20 years, 11 months.
William W., Jehiel, and Christiana Sparrow are buried at Sparrow Cemetary in Hartford, Maine.
The line continues with William Bradford (4) Sparrow, who married Lydia Jane Sampson. She was born April 10, 1827 and was educated in the schools of Hartford, Maine and Hebron Academy. Lydia Jane Sampson married May 23, 1852 to William Bradford Sparrow. He attended schools of Hartford, Maine.

Children of William Bradford (4) Sparrow and Lydia Jane (Sampson) Sparrow:
1. Emerson Bradford (5) born September 17, 1853 in Hartford, Maine. Died May 5, 1875 age 22.
2. Adaline Wood (5) born June 22, 1856 in Hartford, Maine. Married Milton French of Turner, Maine on June 29, 1882. He was educated in Hartford schools and Hebron Academy. Milton was an engineer with the Turner, Maine dairying association and was a son of Horace and Zoa (Turner) French. Their three daughters are: Zoe Gertrude, Maude Belle, and Grace Wilmar.
3. Alice Gertrude (5) born September 29, 1862 in Hartford, Maine. Alice attended Hartford schools and married Fred Myrick Nevens of New Gloucester, Maine, son of Alfred I. Nevens, and Sarah Webb Nevens. Fred was a farmer. They had one child, William, who was born and died on September 19, 1899.
4. George Edward (5) born March 29, 1865 at Hartford, Maine. George Edward attended Hartford schools and Hebron Academy and married Mabel Bailey of Bridgton, Maine. (the line is carried forward from this George Edward (5))

After the death of William Bradford Sparrow, wife Jerusha sold their farm in Hartford, Maine and bought another farm in New Gloucester, Maine. George Edward (5) married Mabel Bailey, daughter of Alonzo and Martha (Burnham) Bailey.

Children of George Edward (5) and Mabel (Bailey) Sparrow:
1. Emma Louise (6) born April 14, 1887 at New Gloucester, Maine. Emma married Horace Huntington of Gardiner, Maine and had two sons, George and Keith.
2. Gertrude Eva (6) born August 18, 1890 at New Gloucester, Maine. Gertrude married John Troop of Pittston, Maine and had seven children: Donald, Phyllis, Verna, Harold, Joan, Mabel, and John, Jr.
3. Elsie Mae (6) born September 8, 1892 at New Gloucester, Maine. Elsie died at age 10 of acute appendicitis and is buried in the New Gloucester Cemetery.
4. Alice Mabel (6) born May 5, 1895 at New Gloucester, Maine. Alice married Charles Leavitt of Randolph, Maine and had five children: Richard, Charles, Patricia, Robert, and Dorothy.
5. William Emerson (6) born February 13, 1897 at New Gloucester, Maine. William married Mina Webber of Pittston, Maine and had one child, son William Bradford.
6. Mildred Adaline (6) born January 28, 1899 at New Gloucester, Maine. Mildred married Alexander Litsis in Washington, D.C. and had three children: Leon, David, and Mary.
7. Frank Leslie (6) born may 19, 1901 at New Gloucester, Maine. Frank Leslie never married.
8. George Augustus (6) born September 18, 1902 at New Gloucester, Maine. George married Alice Clough of Pittston, Maine and had one child, daughter Ruth.

The George Edward and Mabel Sparrow family moved from New Gloucester to Pittston, Maine about 1903. George had purchased a farm on the North Whitefield Road (now Route 126) in North Pittston, Maine. A large herd of dairy cows were driven down the highways to their new home, taking a very long summer’s day to complete.

9. Theodore Roosevelt (6) born July 16, 1905 in Pittston, Maine. Ted married Marion Marley of Smyrna, Maine and had two children: Theodore, Jr. and Priscilla. (The line is carried forward from this Theodore Roosevelt (6)).
10. Hazel Easter (6) born April 11, 1909 in Pittston, Maine. Hazel married J. Weldon Russell of Millinocket, Maine and had two daughters: Carol and Constance.

George Edward (5) operated a large dairy for several decades and delivered fresh milk to customers in Pittston and Randolph. The farm also owned a heavy truck in the 1920s and 1930s which was used to haul gravel for the city of Gardiner. George Edward was a State Representative to the Maine Legislature from Pittston during the 1923-24 session. George Edward and Mabel Sparrow were active Grange members and were active in community affairs.

George Edward Sparrow died April 27, 1949. Mabel (Bailey) Sparrow died May 16, 1942. Both are buried at Putnam Cemetery on Route 126 in Pittston, Maine.

The line continues with Theodore Roosevelt Sparrow (6). Theodore Roosevelt Sparrow married Marion Lillian Marley on November 30, 1931 in Houlton, Maine. They had two children: Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (7) was born June 7, 1932, and daughter Priscilla Ann was born March 19, 1935.

Marion was a new elementary school teacher from the Smyrna, Maine area and had arranged for room and board with Theodore’s oldest sister, Emma, and her husband when she was assigned to teach at a small school in the Pittston area. Marion enjoyed a 37-year career as a teacher at area Pittston and Gardiner schools, not counting a seven year hiatus to rear her two children. Theodore helped his father on the dairy farm and sawmill, worked at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and operated an automotive garage. Theodore was especially fond of woodworking and built many lamps, mirrors, games, bowls, serving trays, and “lazy Susans” over the years.

Theodore Roosevelt Sparrow, Jr. (7) graduated from Gardiner High School in 1950 and attended University of Maine, Orono campus for two years before transferring to the University of Hawaii on scholarship. Following graduation from the University of Hawaii he had a twenty-year career with an agribusiness corporation in Hawaii, during which time he married Genevieve Brown of Randolph, Maine and raised four children: Ronald, Lani, Thomas, and Jani. Theodore Roosevelt Sparrow (7) married Genevieve Brown in January 1953 in Hawaii.

Priscilla Ann Sparrow graduated from Gardiner schools and attended Tufts University in Boston, attaining a certificate in dental hygiene. Priscilla worked as a hygienist in Auburn and Lewiston for a few years before meeting Jack Henderson Gunter, of Fisher, Arkansas, during the summer of 1958 at Old Orchard Beach. Jack was serving in the Air Force at the time and was stationed at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine from 1955-58. Priscilla Ann Sparrow married Jack Henderson Gunter in Gardiner on February 14, 1959. The couple moved to a rural area east of Fisher, Arkansas and raised four children on a rice farm: Jill Ann, John Robert, Joy Alicia, and Jay Russell.