John Sprowls

b. 1749 (Ireland) - d. Sept. 6, 1845 (Washington Co., PA)

Sprowls Cemetery (East Finley Twp. Washington Co., PA)

Text taken from page 653 of Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

John Sprowls was the first pioneer of his name to locate in East Finley township, Washington Co., Penn. He was a native of Enniskillen, Ireland, and in 1784 was there married to Elizabeth Love (also of Irish birth), who bore him the following children: Arthur, Jane, Edward, John, Henry, James, Elizabeth, Nancy, William and Mary, the latter two being born after their arrival in America. In 1793 the family emigrated from Ireland, and landing at Philadelphia, pushed westward to Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Penn., where they remained some time, thence removing, in about 1795, to Washington county, Penn. Mr. Sprowls located near California, West Pike Run township, and soon afterward went to Allen township, but finally settled in East Finley township, where, in the midst of an unbroken wilderness, he erected a log cabin, about three quarters of a mile southeast of the present postoffice of Good Intent. In this humble little home John and Elizabeth Sprowls passed the remainder of their lives; and having well begun the herculean task of establishing a home in the desert wilds for his descendants, the courageous pioneer left the completion of his work to his children; he died September 6, 1845, and was laid to rest in the land of his adoption. Mrs. Sprowls died August 10, 1818. The two daughters, Elizabeth and Nancy, never married, and passed their lives on their father’s farm.

From the book "History of the City of Washington and Wash. Co. PA" page 928:

The founder of the family to which Mr. Sprowls belongs, was John Sprowls, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to American and settled in what is now East Finley Township. He was succeeded on his estates by his son, James Sprowls, who led a purely agricultural life and in turn was succeeded by his son, Simeon Sprowls, who also spent his life in East Finley Township.

Children:

• Arthur Sprowls
  b.1777 (Ireland) - d.1842 (PA)
  Married Catherine Wallace in 1810 / Children: Silas Sprowls (b. 1824)
  -----------------------------Silas Sprowls b. 1824 - d. 1871 (PA) / Married Christina Ealy (b. 1824 PA - d. 1911 PA)
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• Jane (Sprowls) Carr
  b. 1778 (Ireland) - d.1835 (PA)
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• Nancy Sprowls
  b. 1780 (Ireland) - d. 1853
  Sprowls Cemetery (East Finley Twp. Washington Co., PA)
  Never Married
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• John Sprowls
  b. 1781 (Ireland) - d. May 15, 1833 (Washington Co., PA)
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• Edward Sprowls
  b. 1783 (Ireland) - d.1870 (Wash. Co., PA)
  Married Sarah Brown (b. abt. 1794 PA) in 1816 / Children: Elizabeth Sprowls (b. ? - d. 1891), Isaiah Sprowls (b. ? - d. 1902), Jane Sprowls (b. ? - d. 1897), William Sprowls (b. abt. 1820 - d. 1897), Elmira Sprowls - Robison (b. ? - d.? / Married Phillip Robison), Jefferson Sprowls (b.? - d.1853), Washington Sprowls (b. ? - d. 1899), Julia Ann Sprowls (b. ?), Edward Sprowls (b. ?), Obadiah Sprowls (b. ? ) and Sarah Sprowls-Town (b. abt. 1836) / Of all the children, only William, Elmira, Obadiah and Sarah were ever married. / From the book "History of the City of Washington and Wash. Co. PA" page 887: Edward accompanied his father from Ireland to Washington County, where he subsequently married Sarah Brown and they lived in Finley Township until 1840, when they retired to Bentleyville and both died there.
  --------------------------Obadiah Sprowls b.? / Married Damarias Mitchell and Herrietta Luker
  --------------------------Sarah Ann (Sprowls) Town b. abt. 1836 / Married Nelson Town (b. abt. 1829) / Children: Caroline Towne (b. ?)/ Joseph Jennings Smith was living with Sarah and Nelson when the 1860 Census was taken (There is also a Martha Town b. abt. 1834 living with them during this census). From the book "History of the City of Washington and Wash. Co. PA" page 887: Sarah Ann, who is the widow of Nelson Town, resides in eastern Ohio.
  -------------------------William Sprowls b. abt. 1820 - d. 1897 / Married Margaret Mitchell / From the book "History of the City of Washington and Wash. Co. PA" page 887: William Sprowls, father of Dr. Sprowls was born in Finley Township, lived there and in Chartiers Township and at Bentleyville and died in Somerset Township in 1897, aged seventy-seven years. He was one of a family of twelve children.
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• Elizabeth Sprowls
  b.1791 (Ireland) - d.1865 (PA)
  Sprowls Cemetery (East Finley Twp. Washington Co., PA)
  Never Married
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• James Sprowls
  b. 1787 (Ireland) - d. 1825 (PA)
  Sprowls Cemetery (East Finley Twp. Washington Co., PA)
  Married Eleanor Enlow (b. ? - d. 1865) in 1811 / Children: Belinda Sprowls-Martin (b. ? / Married Joseph Martin), Cyrus Sprowls (b.?) Jesse Sprowls (b. ?), John Sprowls (b. ?), Simeon Sprowls (b. ? / Married Mary Montgomery), James Sprowls (b. ?).
  -------------------------Cyrus Sprowls b.? - d. ? / Married Phobe Post (b. ?), Belinda Elliot (b. ?), and Mary Ann Ashbrook (b. ?) / Children: Jessie M. Sprowls (b. abt. 1839).
  ---------------------------------------------------------Jessie M. Sprowls Civil War b. abt 1839 - d. July 2, 1863 (Gettysburg) / Stony Point Methodist Church Cemetery / Jesse M. Sprowls, Company K, One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863.
  -------------------------John Sprowls b. ? - d. ? / married Hannah Reed (b. ?) / "Crumrine's History of Washington County" John Sprowls, another son of James and brother of Cyrus Sprowls, married Miss Hannah Reed, and spent most of his life in East and West Finley townships. His trade was that of a tinner, at which he worked for a time in Claysville and Washington. Abandoning it he bought a small farm in East Finley, but eventually sold it and purchased a larger one in West Finley township, upon which he died. His seven children were James, Luther, Winfield, Alfred, Jesse, John, and Elizabeth Sprowls. All of these except James and Luther are single, and still living with their mother upon the home farm. James married Jane Lively, who, with their two children; reside on a part of the homestead. Luther married Armice Fields, and lives in West Finley. Simeon, a third son of James and brother of Cyrus and John Sprowls, married Mary Montgomery, and seven of their eight children are still living. Oliver M., one of the sons, married Charity Cooper, and they with their three children are living on one of his father's farms in East Finley township. Albert S., another son, is an attorney of the Washington County bar, to which he was admitted Sept. 15, 1879. The other children live with their mother on the home farm, which is the old McCreary tract.
  -----------------------James Sprowls, Jr. b. ? - d. ? / "Crumrine's History of Washington County" James Sprowls Jr. the fourth son of James and grandson of John Sprowls, married Mary A. Sampson, by whom he had four children, three of whom are living. He is a farmer, and resides in West Finley township.
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• Henry Sprowls
  b. 1789 (Ireland) - d.1848 (PA)
  Married Elizabeth Newland in 1815
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• William Sprowls
  b. Oct. 5, 1794 (Ireland) - d.Dec. 27, 1868 (Washington Co., PA)
  Sprowls Cemetery (East Finley Twp. Washington Co., PA)
  Married Dorcas Towne (b. 1797 - d. Jan. 30, 1870 / Sprowls Cemetery) in 1823 / Children: Eli Sprowls (b. 1824 - d. Oct. 2, 1888/ Sprowls Cemetery), James T. Sprowls (b. 1825 - d. Nov. 26, 1850/ died at age 24 / Sprowls Cemetery), John Sprowls (b.?), Cyrus Sprowls (b. ?), Isaac Sprowls (b.?/died in youth), Ezra Sprowls (b.? - d. Feb. 14, 1835/ Died in Youth / Sprowls Cemetery). / "Crumrine's History of Washington County" William Sprowls, one of the five brothers who came to this county, married Dorcas Towne, and they had five sons and two daughters. The daughters both reside in Washington. The son Eli, unmarried, resides upon the farm of his father. William W. Sprowls, another son, married Miss Stockdale, and they with their large family live upon the original Sprowls tract. Henry married Miss McClellan, and is a farmer in West Finley township, where he has reared a large family. Cyrus entered the Union army in the beginning of the Rebellion, and died in the service. John, who married Miss McCrary, was also a soldier, entering the army from Illinois, where he removed soon after his marriage.
  -----------------------John Sprowls b. ? - d. ? / Married ? McCreary / moved to Illinois and enlisted during the Civil War in an Illinois Regiment. John died from disease contracted in the service
  -----------------------Cyrus Sprowls b. ? - d. ? / enlisted in the Civil War, in Company E, Eighty-fifth Regiment P. W. I., and died in the service.
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• Mary (Sprowls) Kimmons-Wilson
  b.1796 (PA) - d.?
  Married Andrew Kimmous / Married William Wilson