Lucey (Hanks) Sparrow (abt. 1766 - abt. 1825)

Born about 1766 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Wife of Henry Sparrow — married 30 Apr 1790 in Mercer County, Kentucky, USA

Descendants

Died about 1825 at about age 59 in Mercer County, Kentucky, USA [uncertain]

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This person is an ancestor of President Abraham Lincoln. 16th US President

Biography

Lucey (Hanks) Sparrow lived in Virginia.

Lucey (Hanks) Sparrow was a Kentuckian.

Lucey Hanks was born around 1765 to 1767^[1] to Joseph Hanks and Ann Lee in North Farham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia. Lucey's parents were tenant farmers, and Lucey's father and maternal grandfather worked as plantation overseers.^[2] See Evidence Summary below.

Lucey's first child, Nancy Hanks, was probably conceived between 1782 and 1783. "Nancy Hanks was born [illegitimate]," ^[3] conceived out-of-wedlock. There are numerous theories as to who might have been Nancy's father. Some believe it was this circumstance which led Joseph Hanks to take his family from North Farnham Parish to Hampshire County and then to Kentucky, though of course theirs was not the only family moving into these parts at the time.^[4] Lucey would have been between about 15 and 18 years old at the time.

At around the same time as her pregnancy, Lucey's family migrated from Richmond County up to the Patterson's Creek area of Hampshire County, today in Mineral County, West Virginia. Specifics of where and when each family member moved are not entirely clear, but it is probable that Lucey was living in Hampshire County by the time Nancy was born, possibly in February 1784 but maybe earlier.

Some have wondered whether the Hanks' departure from Richmond County was related to Lucey's pregnancy. However, to the same area in that same time came some of Lucey's Lee uncles (with their families? more needed here), and their move is consistent with the times for people who were looking for land of their own.

Their time in Patterson's Creek was brief. As of 1785, the Lees who had been in Hampshire County begin to appear in Nelson County (then Virginia, later Kentucky) records, and by 1788 there is evidence of Joseph paying taxes.^[5]

It is believed that daughter Nancy was living with her grandparents Joseph and Ann during this time, but Lucey, it seems, was in nearby Mercer County.

Around 1787, it seems Lucey gave birth to a second daughter, Sarah Hanks, whose own conception is assumed to have taken place in Kentucky.^[6] As Sarah was conceived and born out-of-wedlock in Kentucky, if Joseph Hanks was at all troubled by Lucey's prior unwed pregnancy, it is possible that this was a final straw of sorts in their relationship, and may explain why he made no mention of her in his will.

Baby Sarah's birth out of wedlock would have been the cause of Lucey's indictment by a grand jury in Mercer County, on 24 November 1789 for "fornication." ^[7]

The charge was more or less dropped when Lucey and Henry Sparrow entered into a bond to marry about five months later, she stating,

I do Sertify that I am of age and give my apprebation freely for henry Sparrow to git out Lisons this or eny other day given under my hand this day April 26th 1790.^[8]

Lucey Hanks and Henry Sparrow were then married 30 April 1790.^[9][10]

The court discontinued Lucey's fornication case less than a month later on 25 May 1790,^[7] the final restoration of Lucey's legal standing as a married woman.

Sarah probably remained with her mother and Henry after their marriage, and they may also have tried keeping Nancy in their home at this point, but we know Nancy was taken in by her aunt and uncle, Lucey's childless sister, Elizabeth Hanks, and her husband, Thomas Sparrow, Henry's brother.

Lucey and Henry Sparrow had eight children together from about 1790 through 1809, and lived in Mercer County until her death some time before 1830.^[1][11][12]

Lucey died between 1820 and 1830.

Children

Dennis Hanks was a grandson of Joseph Hanks, son of Lucey's sister Nancy (Hanks) Friend, and was raised in the home of Elizabeth (Hanks) Sparrow's family. He named the Sparrow children to William Herndon as "4 Suns and 4 Daughters James Thomas Henry George girls Sally Ellizabeth Nancy Lucey all Born in Murcer County Kentucky".^[13] The generally accepted list is:

• Nancy Hanks, b. b/t 1782-1784
• Sarah Hanks, b. abt. 1787
• Mary Ann "Polly" Sparrow, b. abt. 1790
• James Sparrow, b. b/t 1790-1800
• Elizabeth "Betsy" Sparrow, b. abt. 1796
• Margaret "Peggy" Sparrow, b. abt. 1797
• Thomas Sparrow, b. b/t 1790-1800
• Henry Sparrow Jr., b. 1802
• George Sparrow, b. abt. 1805
• Lucinda "Lucindy" Sparrow, b. abt 1809

Evidence Summary

Documentary Evidence

No official records survive of Lucey Hanks prior to her relationship with the Mercer County Court and Henry Sparrow, and her life has been nothing but controversy, it seems, since she was a teenager.

Some of the most "primary" evidence we have concerning Lucey's origins comes from William Herndon's investigations, in which he interviewed and corresponded with many people about President Abraham Lincoln, a man he had himself known as a partner at law. In this effort he was joined by Jesse W. Weik.

Dennis Hanks explained his relationship to Lucey:

... I am a Base Born Child My Mother was Nancy Hanks the ant of A Lincoln Mother My first ant Lucy Sparow Next polly Friend Next Elizabeth Sparrow These is on My Mothers Side...^[14]

or said a different way,

Febuary the 28th 66

Friend William

those questions is mity Easy to answer

1st who was the Mother of Nancy Sparrow Now this is Abes Mothers you asking a Bout it Was Lucy Hanks first and Next Lucy Sparrow—My ant

2d what was Miss Nancy Sparrows farthers Name it Was Henry Sparrow Lucy Hanks was his wife the Mother of Abes Mother and My ant

Did Mister Sparrow and his wife have any Childern Except Nancy Sparrow answer yes they Had 8 Childern 4 Suns and 4 Daughters James Thomas Henry George girls Sally Ellizabeth Nancy Lucy all Born in Murcer County Kentucky

3d Who Did Jesse friend Mary he Married My ant polly Hanks Abes Mothers ant Thomas Sparow Maried Elizabeth Hanks A Lincolns ant Sister to Henry Sparrows wife Lucy Hanks This is their first Name who Did Levi Hall Mary he Maried My Mother Nancy Hanks which was Lucy Hanks Sister Henry Sparows wife Abes grand Mother I Dont Recollect their farthers Name My grand farther and ther farther I think old John Hanks Can tell who was his grand farther all a Bout it write to him if it is Importent 4 was you Raised By Charles friend or Thomas Sparrow I was Raised By Thom Sparrow on the Little South fork of Nolin Ky was Thomas Sparrow Mr Lincoln Mothers farther I answer No No Kin at all

Yours truly
D. F. Hanks^[13]

This was not even the most confusing statement Dennis Hanks made. He occasionally relaxes the definition of parent to include people we today would consider step-parents, for instance, and he does confuse the names of his Sparrow cousins. But if we ignore that his communication comes across as from a man with little formal education, his story stays pretty much the same through his statements with respect to the relationship between Lucey, her sisters, and Nancy, regardless of which last names he uses for them in a given moment. Nonetheless, some genealogists found alternative explanations which contradict the shape of the family that arises from Dennis Hanks' statements. See Other Theories below.

A letter to William Herndon from John L. Scripps, reads,

Mr. Lincoln communicated some facts to me concerning his ancestry which he did not wish to have published, and which I have never spoken of or alluded to before. I do not think, however, that Dennis Hanks, if he knows anything about these matters, would be very likely to say anything about them.^[15]

Some who followed Herndon would characterize him as having an axe to grind with the family, or as seeking fame and fortune with his "tell all" genealogy. One critical of Herndon was William E. Barton, though even in making his case, he lets slip notes from Herndon which let us know that it was not accidental for Dennis Hanks to be communicating in a way so as to avoid making plain the circumstances of Nancy's birth. The following he ascribed to Herndon, saying he "prepared this little tract between 1866 and 1871:"

Dennis Hanks and all the other Hankses, their cousins and relatives, call Nancy Hanks, Nancy Sparrow. Lucy Hanks was her mother. Lucy, the mother of Nancy, married Henry Sparrow. Nancy Hanks was taken and raised by Thomas and Betsy Sparrow. Why did not her mother, Lucy Sparrow, keep and raise her own daughter? Did Henry Sparrow object to the mother, his wife, keeping and raising her own daughter?

Dennis Hanks says to me this, substantially, (to be quoted word for word) in a letter written by him to me dated Feb. 1866:

'Don't call her Nancy Hanks, because that would make her base-born.'^[16]

DNA Evidence

Y-chromosome DNA analysis of descendants of males in this this Kentucky Hanks family, and of descendants of others from North Farnham Parish, Virginia, has confirmed that the males of this family, including Joseph Hanks, Polly's father, shared a common ancestor with other branches of the Hanks family who lived in North Farnham Parish, Virginia: that is to say, yDNA has allowed us to confirm that the Hanks men of our proband's family descend from the same common recent common ancestor as the North Farnham Parish Hankses, but has not been sufficient to confirm the question of by whom specifically they descended.

In October 2015, the results mitochondrial DNA analysis performed by the Hanks Surname DNA Project were announced. See the full announcement here. Kits 428385, 429517 and 4310990 came from people with a claim to the maternal line of Lucey (Hanks) Sparrow.

The study finds that these kits kit, along with two others, all found to be of the rare X1c mtDNA group and share three more specific mutations in addition, confirm that the Hanks sisters Lucey (Hanks) Sparrow, Mary "Polly" (Hanks) Friend and Nancy (Hanks) Hall descend from a single mother.^[17] More work and more information are required and anticipated soon regarding this exciting development. At this time, it would be reasonable to say that the surname project has announced that has confirmed that Mary Hanks was the sister of Lucy Hanks and Nancy Hanks.

Documented matrilineal descendants of two Shipley sisters -- Naomi Shipley who married Robert Mitchell and Rachel Shipley who married Richard Berry, Sr. were also tested and found to be in haplogroup H, thus not of the same mother as the Hanks sisters.

These findings confirm that the woman Lucey Sparrow was the daughter of Ann Lee and was not related to the Shipleys, as had been supposed by some genealogists.

More work and more information are required and anticipated soon regarding this exciting development. At this time, it would be reasonable to say that the surname project has announced that has confirmed that Mary Hanks was the sister of Lucy Hanks and Nancy Hanks.

Other Theories

There are many theories which had been published as alternative identities of the woman we now know is Lucey Hanks, and even some theories which don't include anyone named Lucey. For a brief review of several, please see the Nancy Hanks Lincoln heritage wikipedia page.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25141-16696-78?cc=1803765 : accessed 8 August 2015), Kentucky > Mercer > Not Stated > image 22 of 36; citing NARA microfilm publication M252, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Henry Sparrow household has female under 45 in 1810, so Lucey could not have been born prior to about 1765, and she must have been of childbearing age in 1784 when Nancy was born.
2. ↑ This is covered by Paul H. Verduin, but I have never had access to an original for purposes of citing him.-- Maddox-1056^{[citation needed]}
3. ↑ Abraham Lincoln, John D. Johnston, "Family Record Written by Abraham Lincoln," Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (University of Michigan Digital Library Text Collections),( http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln2/1:146?rgn=div1;view=fulltext : accessed 9 August 2015). However, see Verduin's date argument as well.
4. ↑ The subject of when the various family members, and Lucey in particular, moved to Hampshire County is interesting, as of course is the subject of Nancy's birth, for Lucey's biography. Evidence and analysis of these issues must be addressed in their corresponding profiles, after which we can be more precise here. --Maddox-1056
5. ↑ Joseph, Charlie and William Hanks, 1788, in Nelson County, Kentucky Court List of Tithables, 1785-1823, Family History Library Catalog #6929.

   When this part of Joseph's profile is documented, note that at least Peter Lee was in the county as soon as 1785, and so that Hanks family may have been, too. --Maddox-1056

6. ↑ Paul H. Verduin to Mark E. Neely, 30 October 1989. and Lincoln Financial Foundation, compilers, "Hanks family. Nancy Hanks," Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/hanksfamilynancyverd#page/n21/mode/2up : accessed 9 August 2015), citing Paul H. Verduin and Lincoln Financial Foundation, "Hanks family. Nancy Hanks." Loose papers, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1915-1992. More evidence for Sarah will need to be produced in her profile. For now, Verduin's letter summarizes his findings regarding Sarah. Verduin's published work should be reviewed in order to improve and extend Lucey's profile as well. -- Maddox-1056.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} A Petition To Clear The Name of Lucey Hanks, filed 6 October 1976, James A. Peterson, petitioner, Mercer County Quarterly Court, Commonwealth of Kentucky, 8 pages; within "Cognate families of Lincoln", Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/cognatefamiliesolinc_20#page/n35/mode/2up : accessed 8 August 2015); citing Lincoln Financial Foundation, "Cognate families of Lincoln. Sparrow Family." Loose papers, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1932-1978.
8. ↑ Lucey Hanks, affirmation of intent to marry Henry Sparrow, 26 Apr 1790; image reproduced in Louis A. Warren, "The Unknown Hanks Ancestry: Kinsmen of Nancy Hanks Lincoln Unidentified," The Lincoln Kinsman No. 2 (August 1938): 4-5; image copy, Internet Archive. (https://archive.org/stream/lincolnkinsman02warr#page/4/mode/2up : accessed 9 August 2015). Witnesses were "Robert michel" and "John berr. Next to Lucey's signature, which seems to read "Lucey Hank," Louis Warren sees the letters which may be "doy" and considers them as an indication that she may have considered herself or have been considered to be a widow. Or more likely, she may have just called herself that for appearances.
9. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V653-XXL : accessed 8 August 2015), Henry Sparrow and Lucey Hanks, 1791; citing p. 16, Mercer, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 192,267.
10. ↑ https://archive.org/details/lincolnkinsman11warr says minister's return certifies married on this date. Unfortunately Warren doesn't cite a source. --TODO fix this citation.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25122-1626-50?cc=1803955 : accessed 8 August 2015), Kentucky > Mercer > Not Stated > image 24 of 30; citing NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPZ-9F4 : accessed 9 August 2015), Henry Sparrow, Not Stated, Washington, Kentucky; citing p. 174, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 42; FHL microfilm 7,821. There is a woman born in the 1780s in the household, but no one of Lucey's age.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Wilson, et al, eds., Hanks, Dennis F, "Dennis F. Hanks to William H. Herndon", Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln (http://lincoln-live.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/niu-lincoln%3A36588 : accessed 9 August 2015).
14. ↑ Wilson, Douglas L., ed., Davis, Rodney O., ed., Hanks, Dennis F, "160. Dennis F. Hanks to William H. Herndon", Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln, University of Illinois Press (http://lincoln-live.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/niu-lincoln%3A36639 : accessed 9 August 2015).
15. ↑ Wilson, et al, eds., John L. Scripps, "39. John L. Scripps to William H. Herndon," Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln (http://lincoln-live.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/niu-lincoln%3A38294 : accessed 9 August 2015).
16. ↑ Attributed to William Herndon by William Barton in "The Paternity of Abraham Lincoln: Was He the Son of Thomas Lincoln? an Essay on the Chastity of Nancy Hanks," Internet Archive (https://archive.org/stream/paternityofabrah00inbart#page/52/mode/2up : accessed 9 August 2015); citing Barton, William E. The Paternity of Abraham Lincoln: Was He the Son of Thomas Lincoln? an Essay on the Chastity of Nancy Hanks, New York: George H. Doran Company, 1920, 52-53.
17. ↑ Suzanne W. Hallstrom, Nancy C. Royce, Stephan A. Whitlock, Richard G. Hileman, M.A., J.D., Gerald M. Haslam, "RESULTS ARE IN! ~ NANCY HANKS LINCOLN mtDNA STUDY," Hanks DNA Project, Family Tree DNA - Gene By Gene, Ltd., Houston, Texas, 21 October 2015. https://www.familytreedna.com/public/HanksDNAProject/default.aspx?section=news.