Obed Thomas Spargo 1874-1916

Husband to Nellie, father to Tommy and Lionel snr

Obed was born on the 31st March 1874 in Paul. He was registered as Obed Charles., but his parents must have had second thoughts and he was baptised as Obed Thomas on the 5th July.. he was the third child of nine.

The Spargo household must have been quite crowded and here in the 1881 Census we find Obed and his sister Elizabeth either having a sleepover or living with the maternal grandparents.

Three of the four sons followed their father into becoming stonemasons and spent time in South Africa.

He married in Nellie Tippet on the 8th October 1900 and sailed on the 3rd December on the Avondale Castle, from South Africa to East London in South Africa.

The Cornish Telegraph 5.10.1899

OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA CRUISE IN “CASTLE’’BOAT. [By The Bystander.] It is scarcely necessary to do more than mention the name of Castle boat enlist the attention of a Cornishman. For so many years have we been roving people that while we have got to regard a trip to the Cape, or anywhere else for’the matter of that with indifference, and as a detail without which a Cornishman s life would be incomplete, we have been the more satisfied at recognising and appreciating the unceasing efforts which have been made accelerate the means of transport, and enhance the comfort of those who seek their fortunes beyond the seas. a miner who knew what travelling was like twenty years ago. the present-day accommodation must appear the fulfilment of one of those dreams of luxury and comfort which were then the sole occupations for his month’s voyage. 

It is highly likely that Obed had made earlier trips to South Africa. We do not have the evidence as not all passenger lists have survived. However, two of his siblings, William John and Richard Vivian went to South Africa in the 1890s. William died of dysentery in Johannesburg in 1899. Richard Vivian also caught dysentery at the same time, but survived and returned to Paul in the early 1900s.

Cornishman 22.6.1899

When we think about Cornish emigration we tend to think of Cornish miners, but many others also migrated, stonemasons, farm labourers, indeed it was almost a right of passage to spend some time abroad, particularly for young single men. Some emigrated for good, many returned, sometimes as planned, other times because the riches promised were not forthcoming. To read a study on emigration from Paul in the late 1800s, written by me Carol as part of a dissertation in 2019.

Tommy was born in the following August.

Obed would appear to have been lived in Queenstown during his time in South Africa. This was on the railway line to Kimberley and Johannesburg where we know that his brother’s worked. Did he make trips from there into the diamond mining areas? Or as has been suggested by Mike Kiernan who has compiled a migration project database in Redruth, he may has been employed as a stonemason constructing buildings in the town.

To find out more about Queenstown click here

What we do know is that he became a Master Mason of the St Andrew Lodge, attached to the Grand Lodge of Scotland on June 1902.

His progression to this is detailed in this letter from the Lodge in 1998.

To find out more about the Grand Lodge of Scotland click here

He returned for a visit in 1905/6, departing on the 16th February 1907. To find out more about this visit read Tommy’s story here

We don’t know when or where these two photos were taken. Who was the little girl?

He had planned to return to Cornwall permanently, having made his money, around 1914. Passenger shipping was disrupted by the First World War and so he stayed in South Africa. Something happened ( see Tommy’s story above for some theories) and he died by suicide in 1916.

Obed’s estate in South Africa was wound up in 1924 and his sons received the modest proceeds. It is unclear if Nellie received anything. Lionel’s share was £38 18s 6d (£1598 at 2017 value), paid when he was 21 and he bought himself a motorbike.