Spears Family Page
The Spears Surname
The Spears/Speir name can be traced to Willelmus SPER of Scotland during the reign of Alexander II, about 1240. The name derives from the Norman word espier and the Old English word espyen, which mean Scout or Watchman.
Bibb and Twiggs Cos., Georgia
The earliest Spears in the line is believed to be Archibald Spears, who married Sarah _____. He died in Twiggs County, Georgia about 1812, and she applied for administration of his estate. [2] In the 1818 Tax Digest of Twiggs Co., Sarah Spears was listed directly after Henry Sapp.
Presumably Archibald and Sarah Spears were the parents of Archibald C. Spears, Sr, who was born about 1783 and married Elizabeth Remillicent Sapp, daughter of Henry Sapp, who lived in Bibb and Twiggs Counties, Georgia.
Archibald and Elizabeth's children were as follows:
- Eliza Spears, born September 27, 1797 in Georgia, married John Hathorn Powell, Jr., and died: January 17, 1884 in Alvarado, Johnson Co., Texas
- Henry William Spears, born January 07, 1801 in Georgia, married Elizabeth (Betsy) Barnes, and lived out his life in Stewart and Webster Cos., Georgia
- Patience Spears, born about 1804, married Ben Barnes, Sr., and died about 1841
- Archibald C. Spears, Jr., born about 1807 in Georgia, married Elizabeth (Betsy) Nelson, lived in Stewart Co., Georgia, then Jones Co., Mississisppi, and died at Alvarado, Johnson Co., Texas. Betsy was the daughter of Alexander Nelson formerly of Twiggs Co.. Archibald and Betsy lost three sons in the Civil War.
The 1830 Georgia census shows Henry Spear in Bibb County and Archibald Spears in Twiggs Co.
Henry and Archibald Spears in Stewart Co., Georgia
Both Henry and his brother moved to Stewart Co., Georgia, where they were prominent in local affairs. Archibald was appointed commissioner in 1832 along with James Parker, who may be the James who was the father of Frances Parker who married Henry's son Amos in Jones Co., Mississippi.. [1] In 1837 Henry W. Spears was appointed tax collector. [1] In 1839 Henry Spears was apponted to the school board for the Lanahassee District. [1] By legislative acts 1840-1850, Henry was authorized to erect and establish a toll gate on the turnpike over the Kichefonee Swamp. [1] In 1841 Henry defaulted on a tax bill. [1] In 1843 Henry made bond for John F. Thompson as guardian of Hessy and William Price, orphans of William Price. [1] In 1853 Henry W. Spears was made guardian of Enoch F. Spann, and A. C. Spears was the bondsman. Henry was a charter member of the Masonic Lodge No. 188. [1]
There were also other unidentified Spears in Stewart County. In 1839 a Washington Spears was named in the estate of Samuel Williams.
Henry W. Spears served in the militia in the Creek Indian War. In 1855 Henry signed an affadavit in support of the pension application of John Audulf stating that he served with Audulf in the Battle of Eachoway Nochoway.
Henry William married Elizabeth (Betsy) Barnes, daughter of William Barnes of Barnesville, Georgia and moved to Stewart County, Georgia, along with his brother Archibald. In Stewart and later Webster County Henry was prominent in local affairs, serving as a county commissioner and as a school trustee. Henry was also in the militia and fought in the Battle of Eachoway Nochaway in the Creek Indian War in 1836. Henry is believed to have died in Webster County.
Henry and Betsy's children were as follows:
- Amos Jefferson Spears, born August 31, 1822 in Georgia, married Frances Parker in Jones Co., Mississippi, and died March 28, 1900 in Terrell, Texas
- Archibald Spears, born October 22, 1825
- Eliza Ann Spears, born May 11, 1828, who married G. W. Montgomery [1]
- Henry William Spears, Jr., born March 21, 1830 and married Bethea A. Cato, daughter of Butt Lee Cato and Bethia Brewer. [1]
- John James Spears, born May 11, 1832
- Elizabeth Melissa Spears, born April 27, 1835, who married J. Montgomery [1]
- Benamin Franklin Spears, born October 03, 1837
- Walter Colquitt Spears, born March 20, 1839, married Addialade (Addie) _____
- Lucy Ellen Spears, born February 27, 1832, and married William F. Spann, son of Henry William Spann.
After Betsy's death Henry married Martha Thompson, and they had a son Dick Spears.
Jones County, Mississippi
Amos Jefferson Spears, who was the son of Henry W. Spears, went west to seek his fortune and moved to Jones County, Mississippi before 1850 where he initially lived with the James Leander Parker family. [3] Amos married James and Mary Parker's daughter Frances. [8,11] Both Parker and Spears owned considerable real estate in and around Ellisville. [4]
Amos and Frances had the following children [12]:
- Henry Walter Spears, born September 29, 1854 and died October 06, 1871
- Ophelia Olevia (Ophie) Spears, born January 11, 1858 in Ellisville, Jones Co, Mississippi, married John Dudley, and died November 10, 1914 in Stockdale, Wilson Co., Texas
- James Madison (Jim) Spears b: December 22, 1859, married Martha Jane (Mattie) Largent
- Amos Latson Spears, born November 07, 1862, and died July 21, 1863
- Della Rejoiner Spears, born March 17, 1864, and married a Brewer
- Parilee Lafloer Spears, born December 06, 1866, and married Jim Smith.
- Viola Sanora Spears, born December 06, 1866, and died August 22, 1868
- Eliza Azalee Spears, born October 10, 1871 in Angelina County, Texas, married Malcom David Largent, and died November 04, 1951 in Lufkin, Texas
- Benjamin Franklin Spears, born April 26, 1873, married Susan Matilda (Susie) Largent, and died November 18, 1940
- Addy Grazila Spears, born May 01, 1876, and married Bud Davis
The Angelina County, Texas Spears
About 1859 both the James Parker and Amos Spears families emigrated to Angelina County, Texas. Amos Spears is said to have owned a section of land in southeastern Angelina County, about two miles east of the Blue Hole Lake. He logged the virgin pine timber and farmed. He floated the timber strapped together as rafts to Beaumont on the Neches River during swells.
When the railroad was build through Lufkin around 1880, the Spears family and many others in the southern end of the county traveled to Lufkin to see the train. They liked the area so much they decided to stay and thus became one of the founding families of Lufkin. Amos ran a combination dry goods and grocery store and saloon in partnership with a Mr. Mantooth, a member of an old and prominent family in Lufkin. The store was located in "Old Lufkin" between the present business section and Keltys.
My Spears Line
- M. Lee Murrah
- Ina Gertrude Johnson m. Earvin Elroy Murrah
- Florence Ophelia Largent m. Franklin John Johnson
- Eliza Azalee Spears m. Malcom David Largent
- Amos Jefferson Spears m. Frances Parker
- Henry William Spears m. Betsy Barnes
- Archibald Spears m. Elizabeth Remillicent Sapp
- Archibald Spears m. Sarah _____
Published Genealogies and Other Sources
None known.
Spears Resources on the Internet
Sources
- [1] Terrill, Helen Eliza," History of Stewart County"
- [2]Carswlll, Kathleen Jones, "Collections of Twiggs Countians Here and There"
- [3] 1850 Census, Jones Co., Mississippi
- [4] Jones County Land Records, Ellisville, Mississippi
- [5] 1860 Census, Angelina Co., Texas
- [6] 1870 Census, Angelina Co., Texas
- [7] 1880 Census, Angelina Co., Texas
- [8] Mancil Spears, grandson of Amos Spears, personal interview.
- [9] Talitha Spears Thornton, grandaughter of Amos Spears, personal interview
- [10] Willar Spears Beasley, granddaughter of Amos Spears, personal interview
- [11] Delia Largert Hunt, granddaughter of Amos Spears, personal interview
- [12] Amos Spears Family Bible, last in psession of Willar Spears Beasley, Lufkin, Texas
Updates and Corrections
The above information is based on the best s*ources currently available to the author and is subject to correction. If you have information that is different or additional to that shown above, I would like to receive it. Please contact me by e-mail and mention this web page in your message.