©2001, 2002 Nicole Carr
Welcome to my new page on the Spire family! Due to some recent intense research, I have kicked down one of my most challenging brick walls!
William Spire was born in 1776 in England, and was baptised at Buckland and Laverton parish in Gloucestershire. He was the son of Isaac and Mary Spire who married there on July 8, 1774. William married Elizabeth Hale on September 15, 1794. They had 11 children, including William and Jeremiah. William was a minister in the early baptist church. Jeremiah married Ann Hardin, and had at least seven children, all born in the Gloucestershire area.
Christopher Spire came to Tama County as a very young man in 1848. Details about his life are somewhat sketchy, he married a Susan, and had 3 children. Richard, Amy, and Ann. He died in 1904. Amy was born in 1857, and married George Malin, having 5 children: Ellis, Richard, Thomas, Rachel, and Mabel. In Martin's obituary, Chris is mentioned as being at his bedside, visiting from Tama. He and his family do appear in the 1860 Tama County Census.
James Spire married Elizabeth Holmes in 1859, then immigrated to America in 1875, borrowing money from Christopher to pay their passage. They had 5 children, Ruth, Lizzie, Benjamin, William, and Kate. Benjamin married Rachel Malin in 1892, and had 4 children of their own, Walter, Clarence, Francis, and Amy, and adopted a daughter, Edith.
Martin came to the United States in 1855,
settling in Iowa. On April 6, 1860, he married Rachel Mahoney in
Harrison County, Iowa. Rachel was born April 23, 1832 in
Maryland, and was the oldest of eleven children born to Stephen
and Margaret Mahoney. In 1862, he enlisted or was drafted into
the Union Army during the Civil War. He served as a private in
Company C of the 29th Iowa Infantry. On July 4, 1863, he was
wounded during the fighting in the Battle of Helena, Arkansas,
part of a diversion by General Grant the last day of the siege at
Vicksburg. He was discharged in December of 1863. The previous
August, Rachel was killed, family rumor says she was struck by
lightning. A nearby neighbor, Susanna Yaple, a widow who herself
lost a son in the war, took Martin and Rachel's daughter in,
Mariah Lillian, called Lillie. When Martin returned from the war,
he married Susanna February 7, 1864 also in Harrison County. The
couple had another daughter, Mary Alwilda. In about 1877, Martin,
Susanna, and the family moved out to Gage County, Nebraska,
buying some land near Holmesville. Martin died August 28, 1899,
and is buried in Holmesville Bretheren Cemetery. Susanna died
January 22, 1919, and is buried beside her husband. There is a
picture of Martin and Susanna on the 2nd page of my Photo Album.
I believe Thomas, William, and Benjamin may have also immigrated to the United States, and Elizabeth remained in England. Any thoughts from other researchers on this subject are welcome.
Mariah Lillian was born June 20, 1861 in Magnolia, in Harrison County Iowa. She married William John Brown October 21, 1882 in Tama. John and Lillie had seven children, whose information can be found on the Brown Page. More about the Spires is also in my WorldConnect database. Those wanting to connect with other Spire researchers can join the Spire-l or Spire-d mailing lists, or the Spire message board, all sponsored by RootsWeb.
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