I’m still on a Dulworth tear, so today there is a family sketch of William Spear and Hannah Dulworth, daughter of John Dulworth and Mary (MNU) Broadway.

William Spear was born c1810, Kentucky, and Hannah Dulworth was born c1815, probably in Knox County, Tennessee, the only known place where her parents lived. Cumberland County early marriage records are gone, but they likely married c1831, when William would have been just about 21; their first child was born in 1832.

First, I need to clear up a misconception. Descendants of William and Hannah (Dulworth) Spear have erected a modern gravestone for them, claiming death dates in the 1880s for both. There is just one problem. There is a death certificate for W. Spear, born c1810, in Cumberland County, Kentucky, noting that he died in July 1875, no day recorded. The certificate says he was married at the time he died, so Hannah survived him, but she is not found anywhere on the 1880 census. Therefore, if William was married when he died, Hannah’s date of death was between July 1875 and the 1880 census. Neither is found anywhere in 1880 – and definitely not living with any of their children.

According to the 1875 tax list, William Spear owned no land in 1875 and no probate has been found for him.

William and Hannah were the parents of 9 children, all born in Cumberland County, Kentucky:

1. Isaac, born 23 August 1832; died 5 August 1924, Barren County, Kentucky; married (1) Mary Long, 20 October 1858 (2) Sally Willis, 29 September 1898, both in Cumberland County, Kentucky.
2. Elizabeth, born c1837; died after 1860; married John Dutchman Long, after 1860. This couple is difficult to untangle, as John “Dutch” Long (there was a second John Long living in Kettle Creek, Cumberland County, who married two, and possibly three, Elizabeths, including Elizabeth Dulworth, daughter of John and Hyla (Willis) Dulworth. They have been conflated into one person in many online trees. However, this Elizabeth was unmarried and living at home in 1860. More on this couple when we look at the Spear grandchildren.
3. James, born 1 April 1839; died 3 January 1927, Cumberland County, Kentucky; married (1) Almira Long, 26 September 1858, Cumberland County, Kentucky (2) Rachel Willis, 27 March 1894, both in Cumberland County, Kentucky.
4. John, born 12 April 1843; died 30 March 1928, probably Cumberland County, Kentucky; married (1) Catherine Elam, c1864 (2) Mary E. Poindexter.
5. Nancy Jane, born c1846; died 15 February 1922, Cumberland County, Kentucky; married James R. Elam, 16 May 1871, Clay County, Tennessee.
6. Sarah, born c1848; died between 1912-1920; married Olander Hughes, 19 September 1878, Cumberland County, Kentucky.
7. William Taylor, born 29 September 1849; died 15 March 1930, probably Cumberland County, Kentucky; married Arva Tennessee Elam, c1871.
8. Henry, stillborn, 12 September 1852, Cumberland County, Kentucky.
9. Joseph Bledsoe, born 10 June 1857; died 22 August 1916, Cumberland County, Kentucky; married Martha Elizabeth Long, 18 January 1880, Clay County, Tennessee.

Since I have done family sketches covering the grandchildren of John and Hyla (Willis) Dulworth, it is only fair that I do the same for William and Hannah (Dulworth) Spear.