Massy Wadlington Sparks Millard was the third child of nine of Jesse Wadlington and Mary Henderson Wadlington. Born in South Carolina, the family moved westward to Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and finally to Texas. Massy married James H. Sparks in 1834 in Lawrence, Mississippi. By 1835, they were in Nacogdoches, where they had two boys, Jesse and William. James Sparks is said to have died in 1838 from an arrow wound in a battle with the Indians and is said to have been buried in a field northeast of the North Church Cemetery in the "Sparks Settlement" land grant area.
On 7 Dec 1843, Massy married Robert F. Millard of Washington, D.C. who had come to Texas in 1835 with a wife and a daughter and had one more male child who died early. Massy and Robert were married by Adolphus Sterne, Justice of the Peace, who made note of it in his journal. Massy and Robert had two children, John Joshua and Mary Josephine before Robert died 28 Oct 1847. The exact place of burial is not known to descendants in Nacogdoches, but I would think Massy buried RFM in the same field that she is reported to have buried her first husband, James Sparks.
In the mid 1830's, Indian raids were still occurring in East Texas. Massy is said to have gathered the local women togather and hid in the thickets until the raids were over. In "The History of Texas Baptists", she is termed "among the greatest of great pioneer women." Eventually, Old North Church came to be established where these early prayer meeting were held. In 1837, Massy's brother in law, Richard Sparks, had permitted the church to build on his land. In 1893, Dr. John M. Sparks, a son of Richard, gave ten acres of land to the Old North Church for a church, school and a burying ground. He did this to carry out his father's wishes to have this done.
Following the death of Robert F. Millard, Massy lived in the house he had built in downtown Nacogdoches using it as a boarding house. The 1850 U. S. census of Nacogdoches shows: Masa Millard, 27, F, born SC; living with her were her children from Robert F. Millard: John, age 5, M, born TX; Mary, age 2, F, TX; children from marriage with Sparks; Jesse, age 12, M, born MS; William, age 11, M, TX. There are three other persons shown in this census, who were probably boarders. She eventually moved back to to the "Sparks Settlement"/Old North Church community to make her home with her son Josh and his wife, Sela Burrows Millard.
Massy died in October 1878 and is buried in the Old North Church Cemetery and had a marker that read, "Massie Millard, died October 1878. In Memory of her great faith when she knelt at the foot of this old hill."
On 7 Dec 1843, Massy married Robert F. Millard of Washington, D.C. who had come to Texas in 1835 with a wife and a daughter and had one more male child who died early. Massy and Robert were married by Adolphus Sterne, Justice of the Peace, who made note of it in his journal. Massy and Robert had two children, John Joshua and Mary Josephine before Robert died 28 Oct 1847. The exact place of burial is not known to descendants in Nacogdoches, but I would think Massy buried RFM in the same field that she is reported to have buried her first husband, James Sparks.
In the mid 1830's, Indian raids were still occurring in East Texas. Massy is said to have gathered the local women togather and hid in the thickets until the raids were over. In "The History of Texas Baptists", she is termed "among the greatest of great pioneer women." Eventually, Old North Church came to be established where these early prayer meeting were held. In 1837, Massy's brother in law, Richard Sparks, had permitted the church to build on his land. In 1893, Dr. John M. Sparks, a son of Richard, gave ten acres of land to the Old North Church for a church, school and a burying ground. He did this to carry out his father's wishes to have this done.
Following the death of Robert F. Millard, Massy lived in the house he had built in downtown Nacogdoches using it as a boarding house. The 1850 U. S. census of Nacogdoches shows: Masa Millard, 27, F, born SC; living with her were her children from Robert F. Millard: John, age 5, M, born TX; Mary, age 2, F, TX; children from marriage with Sparks; Jesse, age 12, M, born MS; William, age 11, M, TX. There are three other persons shown in this census, who were probably boarders. She eventually moved back to to the "Sparks Settlement"/Old North Church community to make her home with her son Josh and his wife, Sela Burrows Millard.
Massy died in October 1878 and is buried in the Old North Church Cemetery and had a marker that read, "Massie Millard, died October 1878. In Memory of her great faith when she knelt at the foot of this old hill."
Massy Wadlington Sparks Millard was the third child of nine of Jesse Wadlington and Mary Henderson Wadlington. Born in South Carolina, the family moved westward to Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and finally to Texas. Massy married James H. Sparks in 1834 in Lawrence, Mississippi. By 1835, they were in Nacogdoches, where they had two boys, Jesse and William. James Sparks is said to have died in 1838 from an arrow wound in a battle with the Indians and is said to have been buried in a field northeast of the North Church Cemetery in the "Sparks Settlement" land grant area.
On 7 Dec 1843, Massy married Robert F. Millard of Washington, D.C. who had come to Texas in 1835 with a wife and a daughter and had one more male child who died early. Massy and Robert were married by Adolphus Sterne, Justice of the Peace, who made note of it in his journal. Massy and Robert had two children, John Joshua and Mary Josephine before Robert died 28 Oct 1847. The exact place of burial is not known to descendants in Nacogdoches, but I would think Massy buried RFM in the same field that she is reported to have buried her first husband, James Sparks.
In the mid 1830's, Indian raids were still occurring in East Texas. Massy is said to have gathered the local women togather and hid in the thickets until the raids were over. In "The History of Texas Baptists", she is termed "among the greatest of great pioneer women." Eventually, Old North Church came to be established where these early prayer meeting were held. In 1837, Massy's brother in law, Richard Sparks, had permitted the church to build on his land. In 1893, Dr. John M. Sparks, a son of Richard, gave ten acres of land to the Old North Church for a church, school and a burying ground. He did this to carry out his father's wishes to have this done.
Following the death of Robert F. Millard, Massy lived in the house he had built in downtown Nacogdoches using it as a boarding house. The 1850 U. S. census of Nacogdoches shows: Masa Millard, 27, F, born SC; living with her were her children from Robert F. Millard: John, age 5, M, born TX; Mary, age 2, F, TX; children from marriage with Sparks; Jesse, age 12, M, born MS; William, age 11, M, TX. There are three other persons shown in this census, who were probably boarders. She eventually moved back to to the "Sparks Settlement"/Old North Church community to make her home with her son Josh and his wife, Sela Burrows Millard.
Massy died in October 1878 and is buried in the Old North Church Cemetery and had a marker that read, "Massie Millard, died October 1878. In Memory of her great faith when she knelt at the foot of this old hill."
On 7 Dec 1843, Massy married Robert F. Millard of Washington, D.C. who had come to Texas in 1835 with a wife and a daughter and had one more male child who died early. Massy and Robert were married by Adolphus Sterne, Justice of the Peace, who made note of it in his journal. Massy and Robert had two children, John Joshua and Mary Josephine before Robert died 28 Oct 1847. The exact place of burial is not known to descendants in Nacogdoches, but I would think Massy buried RFM in the same field that she is reported to have buried her first husband, James Sparks.
In the mid 1830's, Indian raids were still occurring in East Texas. Massy is said to have gathered the local women togather and hid in the thickets until the raids were over. In "The History of Texas Baptists", she is termed "among the greatest of great pioneer women." Eventually, Old North Church came to be established where these early prayer meeting were held. In 1837, Massy's brother in law, Richard Sparks, had permitted the church to build on his land. In 1893, Dr. John M. Sparks, a son of Richard, gave ten acres of land to the Old North Church for a church, school and a burying ground. He did this to carry out his father's wishes to have this done.
Following the death of Robert F. Millard, Massy lived in the house he had built in downtown Nacogdoches using it as a boarding house. The 1850 U. S. census of Nacogdoches shows: Masa Millard, 27, F, born SC; living with her were her children from Robert F. Millard: John, age 5, M, born TX; Mary, age 2, F, TX; children from marriage with Sparks; Jesse, age 12, M, born MS; William, age 11, M, TX. There are three other persons shown in this census, who were probably boarders. She eventually moved back to to the "Sparks Settlement"/Old North Church community to make her home with her son Josh and his wife, Sela Burrows Millard.
Massy died in October 1878 and is buried in the Old North Church Cemetery and had a marker that read, "Massie Millard, died October 1878. In Memory of her great faith when she knelt at the foot of this old hill."
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See more Millard or Wadlington memorials in:
- Old North Church Cemetery Millard or Wadlington
- Nacogdoches Millard or Wadlington
- Nacogdoches County Millard or Wadlington
- Texas Millard or Wadlington
- USA Millard or Wadlington
- Find a Grave Millard or Wadlington
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