Mary (Sparks) Sanders (1855 - 1939)

Born 1855 in Exeter St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom

Wife of John Sanders — married 10 Oct 1874 in Tiverton, Devon

Died 27 Oct 1939 at about age 84 in Tiverton, Devon

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carol Collins [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Sparks) Sanders was born in Devon, England.

Mary Sparks was born in the March Quarter of 1855 in St. Thomas, a small hamlet just outside the city of Exeter, Devon. ^[1]

She was the daughter of Richard Tout Sparks and Mary Hayward Pratt. She was the sister of Richard Sparks, John Sparks, Charles Sparks, Susannah Sparks and Elizabeth Sparks.

Unfortunately, her father, Richard Tout Sparks, died in 1859 when she was four years old.^[2]

In 1861, she was living with her widowed mother in the Parish of St. Thomas, where her mother was a housekeeper, and going to school there.

By 1871, she was a servant in the household of George Robbins and his wife Elizabeth who were living in the Exeter suburb of St. Sidwell. ^[3]

She married John Sanders in the December quarter of 1874 in Tiverton, Devon.

In 1881, she and John were still living in Tiverton. By this time, they had three children: Richard, age 5, Nelly, age 3, and Charles, age 2.

By 1891, she and John had three more children: Susie, age 7, Alfred V, age 4, and Robert S., who was a year old.

By 1901, only the youngest three children were living with John and Mary – Susie, now age 17, Alfred V, now age 14, and Robert S, now age 11.

Mary became a Widow when her husband, John died in 1904. ^[4]

By 1911, she was living with her granddaughter, Lily Have Sanders, and had become a builder.

Mary Sanders died on October 26, 1939, according to her Will.

In her Will, she listed her beneficiaries as Richard and Charles Sanders, probably her sons.

Research Note

Family Search references Find My Past about Mary's marriage. In the microfilm image of the marriage record, his name was written in the marriage record as "John Saunders", but he signed it as John SANDERS. Also, Mary's age was given as "underage".

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/stthomas.php
2. ↑ FreeBMD (Genealogy), online database (https://www.freebmd.org.uk/: viewed April 26, 2019) Deaths March Quarter 1859 Sparks, Richard Tout District: St. Thomas Volume 5b Page 57.
3. ↑ http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_streets/sidwellstreet.php
4. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Death (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content: accessed 24 June 2019), database entry for Sanders, John Age at Death (in years): 53 GRO Reference: 1904 J Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 261.

England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content: accessed 24 October 2019), database entry for Sparks, Mary (Mother's maiden surname: Pratt), GRO Reference: 1855 M Quarter in ST THOMAS Volume 05B Page 63.

"England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M75H-118: 24 October 2019), Mary Sparkes in the household of Mary Sparkes, St Thomas, Devon, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5TV-BLR: 28 September 2019), Mary Sparks in the entry for George Robins, 1871.

"England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DGV-MTX : 13 December 2014), Mary Sparks, 1874; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1874, quarter 4, vol. 5B, p. 801, Tiverton, Devon, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

"England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27X-CFJ1: 13 December 2017), Mary Sanders in the household of John Sanders, Tiverton, Devon, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: n.d.); citing p. 8, Piece/Folio 2235/116, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,785.

"England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WC4H-LPZ: 4 May 2019), Mary Sanders in the household of John Sanders, Tiverton, Devon, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Devon county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSW8-PKD: 21 May 2019), Mary Sanders in the household of John Sanders, Tiverton, Devon, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: n.d.); citing Tiverton subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW9L-RFD : 3 July 2019), Mary Sanders, Tiverton, Devon, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com: n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Death (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content: accessed 24 June 2019), database entry for Sanders, Mary Age at Death (in years): 84 GRO Reference: 1939 D Quarter in TIVERTON Volume 05B Page 967

"England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W737-S2T2: 24 June 2019), Mary Sanders, 5 Jan 1945; citing Probate, Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.; FHL microfilm.

Acknowledgements

• This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project's Orphan Trail