Notes

Note for: Woden Augustus Speary, 14 MAY 1803 - 14 OCT 1829 Index

Burial:
     Place:   Town Hill Cemetery, Huntington Twp., Luzerne Co., Pa

Individual note:
Probably named for Miles' father - Wooding Sperry and his brother Augustus Wooding Sperry.

Notes

Note for: Emily Speary, ABT. 28 APR 1808 - 20 DEC 1835 Index

Burial:
     Place:   Cherry Grove Cemetery, Nordmont, Sullivan County, Pa

Individual note:

Tombstone to the left of Miles reads:
Emily R. Sparry
Died Dec 20 1835
Aged 27 years, 7 months, 22 days

Another person researching the Speary family has suggested to me that Emelia & Emily may in fact be the same person. Why?
1. Emily is not listed in the family Bible.
2. The date of death given for Emelia in the family bible is exactly 1 year off from what is on Emily's head stone.
3. The date of birth given in the Bible & figured by subtracting her age at death on her head stone would be the same IF
either the person writing the information in the bible made an error in the year or the stone carver did.
It's certainly possible & would explain why Emily is not listed with the other children of Miles & Sophia in the family Bible.

It is not very likely to have two daughters born exactly 1 year apart & then die exactly 1 year apart.

Additionally, if you look at the birth dates for Sophia's other children, you will notice that she would have had to be expecting Emily about 5 minutes after giving birth to twins Emelia & Permelia in order to have also had Jamesin early 1809. There is LESS than 2 years between the twins & James - barely time for 2 pregnancies.

Notes

Note for: Anna Speary, 17 SEP 1801 - Index

Probably named for Miles' mother Anna Lawrence Sperry Rice.

Anna Speary was the first school teacher in the Elk Lick area of Sullivan County. Class were held in her fathers home. A good idea when you have so many children.

Anna Speary was also the first school teacher at the Hiddleson School - later named the Elk Lick School. Hiddleson School was named after John & Mary Hiddleson who deeded the land where the school was built around 1837.

Elk Lick School was also used as a church before Cherry Grove Church was built.

In 1929 the school building was sold to Julius Sick - husband of Eudora Speary Sick, daughter of Dorson Speary.

Notes

Note for: Lucy Speary, 28 FEB 1805 - 7 NOV 1864 Index

Probably named for Miles' half sister Lucy Rice.

Notes

Note for: Emelia Speary, 28 MAR 1807 - 21 DEC 1834 Index

Burial:
     Place:   possibly Hilton Cemetery, Troy Township, Bradford County, PA

Individual note:
Also spelled Amelia she is twin sister to Permelia.

A small tombstone near Susan Speary Beach in Hilton Cemetery, Troy Township, Bradford County, PA is marked Permelia. Another in the same location is marked Emelia. There are no last names & no dates. Need to check cemetery records for last names of those buried there.

Interestingly enough these small tombstones are directly on top of Susan's grave - not one inch in front of her own head stone. This led me to believe the graves could be for daughters of Susan Speary & Benjamin Beach - namesakes for Susan's twin sisters. However, I find only 1 child - a son named Charles, age 1, in the 1850 census. Susan died in 1853. Unless she & both of these girls all died within a relatively short period of time, I see nothing to show them as daughters.

They may also be Susan's sisters. Directly in front of Susan is a large family monument for the name Piatt or Platt. It shows two men married to women named Emelia & Permelia

The family Bible lists only 1 death after Emilia & Permelia & does not specific which one of them it is for. It is assumed it is Emelia as Permelia shows up in a 1850 census in Columbia county, Pa.

Another person researching the Speary family has suggested to me that Emelia & Emily may in fact be the same person. Why?
1. Emily is not listed in the family Bible.
2. The date of death given for Emelia in the family bible is exactly 1 year off from what is on Emily's head stone.
3. Both the date of birth given in the Bible & figured by subtracting her age at death on her head stone would be the same IF
either the person writing the information in the bible made an error in the year or the stone carver did.
It's certainly possible & would explain why Emily is not listed with the other children of Miles & Sophia in the family Bible.

It is not very likely to have two daughters born exactly 1 year apart & then die exactly 1 year apart.

"The History of Sullivan County" states Emelia married a man by the surname of Tovis. I asked myself why - if Emelia & Emily are the same person - would her headstone not say Emily Tovis or at least wife of "Somebody Tovis". Quite frankly, there is no proven record of this marriage - not yet anyway. In fact, I find no mention of a family named Tovis in Sullivan County or any surrounding county census. "The History of Sullivan County" is not known for complete accuracy & was not written to be a study in genealogy.
For now, Emelia & Emily will remain two separate people here.