Bios: John Sprowls and Elizabeth Love: East Finley Twp, Fayette Co 

Copyright © 1997 by ginseng. This copy contributed for use in 
the USGenWeb Archives.  ginseng@SSSNET.COM

USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals
               and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices
               and submitter information is included. Any other use,
               including copying files to other sites requires
               permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to
               any other sites. We encourage links to the state and
               county table of contents.

_________________________________________________________________

John Sprowls and Elizabeth Love

1) History of Washington Co, Pa

   The Sprowls family of five brothers came from England to Pa, remaining
for a time near Shippensburg. Eventually two or three of the brothers came
to Washington Co, and John Sprowls settled in what is now East Finley Twp.
The brothers must have located in this county early, as an account of Hugh
Sprowls, dated Apr 19, 1786 is found in the controller-general's report for
a horse lost in the Sandusky expedition of 1782.
   The children of John Sprowls were 5 sons, 4 dau. One of the daughters
married Mr Kerr and emigrated to Ohio. 

The rest of the article is about John's son James and his descendants.

2) September 26, 1902 newspaper clipping:

  The Sprowls Family Holds a Big Reunion
  Nearly 1000 of the descendants of John Sprowls assembled Thursday in
Stout's Grove, West Finley Twp, a Permanent Organization was affected and
the meeting will be an annual event.
  A reunion of the descendants of John Sprowls was held yesterday in
Stout's grove in West Finley Twp, and despite the unfavorable weather
conditions there were nearly 1,000 in attendance. The Sprowls family is one
of the oldest and most prominent in the county. John Sprowls from whom they
are descended, settled in Washington Co in 1796.
  A history of the Sprowls, compiled by a committee appointed for  the
purpose was read. The history follows:
  In the year 1794 John Sprowls, of near Enniskillen, Ireland, Feeling that
he could better his condition and at the same time be free from the
political and religious questions which were then disturbing that
unfortunate country determined to emigrate to America. He at the time
resided on a farm. He, together with his wife and family, then consisting
of 8 children, sailed from Londonderry in 1794. After a voyage of about 3
months they arrived at Philadelphia. From that place they all went to
Carlisle, Pa where they remained about 2 years.
   It was then concluded to go farther west and as steam and electricity
were unknown as a means of transportation they were compelled to use horses
in transporthing themselves and such things as they actually needed.
Finally they landed in this county near what is now known as the town of
California where they remained a short time, moving therefrom to Allen Twp
where they remained until 1810 when they removed to Finley Twp. All the
members of the family of John Sprowls went with him to the last named
place. In this township John Sprowls became the owner of a farm located
about one and one half miles south of what now is known as the village of
Good Intent.
  The christian name of the wife of John Sprowls was Elizabeth, but her
maiden name has not been established to the satifaction of the committee.
As far as we know there is no family record in this country and her maiden
name has been handed down in the different branches of the family as Love,
Loney and Lunney. Her real maiden name can only perhaps be ascertained from
the records which were doubtless kept in Ireland as it is known that when
John Sprowls left Ireland his mother and several sisters were living and
that he kept up a correspondence with them for a number of years.
  (deleted part) 
   He died on the farm in 1845, about 96 years of age, his good wife 
having preceded him to the grave Aug 10, 1818, aged 57. They are both 
buried on the farm which they conquered from the wilderness in
what is known as the Sprowls graveyard on land recently owned by W W
Sprowls in East Finley Twp.
  The children born to John and Elizabeth Sprowls are as follows: Arthur,
Jane, Nancy, John, Edward, James, Elizabeth, Henry, William and Mary, the
first 8 of whom were born in Ireland and the last two in America, one in
Carlisle and the other in Finley Twp.
  Jane Sprowls, daughter of John and Elizabeth Sprowls, married William
Carr and moved to Ohio; (we have no knowledge of their descendants).

3) From the Holmes Co OH history book, article on James Kerr family, by
William and Mary Kerr.

 James' grandparents, Robert Kerr/Jemima Morton and
John Sprowls/Elizabeth Love, had emigrated from Scotland and Ireland in the
1770's. John Sprowls served in the War of Independence as a sergeant in
Capt. Finney's Co, Jan 23, 1777 until April 6, 1780.

4) From the Wayne Co OH History book, article on William and Jane Sprowls Kerr
by Jonathan Kerr (mentions the article on James)

 On June 27, 1805 William
married Jane Sprowls (Sproul), a native of Ireland (1778), and a daughter
of John Sprowls, a farmer in East Finley Twp. William served as a Sgt in
the US Army in the War of 1812 enlisting on Aug 22, 1812. His Company
Commander was Captain William Blackburn. He was discharged Nov 30, 1812.
   Jane Sprowls Kerr died at age 57 on Feb 12, 1835. She is buried in Maple
Grove Cem at the east edge of Marshallville.
   After settling in West Pike Run Twp, Robert helped to found St Thomas
Episcopal Church near present day Charleroi. The headstone of another son
James (Robt's son), stands in the old churchyard. Probably Robt and Jemima
are there, but many graves are unmarked.