Spear, David

Born: 1809-XX-XX Ireland, United Kingdom

Died: 1863-04-28 Springfield, Illinois

Flourished: 1833 to 1863 Springfield, Illinois

David Spear was a merchant and businessman in Springfield, Illinois. Spear immigrated from his native Ireland to the United States with his family in 1823, and after living some years in Kentucky, he settled in Springfield, Illinois, where in October 1833, he opened a dry goods store in partnership with Isaac P. Spear, creating the firm of D. & I. P. Spear. The partners closed their store in the late 1830s or early 1840s, but in September 1845, they reopened the store. In 1850, Spear made his living as a merchant and owned real estate worth $18,000. In August 1851, David and Isaac Spear dissolved their partnership, David purchasing Isaac’s interest and pursuing the business on his own. In this and in other legal matters related to his business, Spear encountered Abraham Lincoln in court frequently. In 1852, David was a stockholder in the Mechanics and Farmers Bank in Springfield, Illinois. By 1860, David Spear owned real estate worth $80,000 and personal property worth $10,000. Spear married and had several children.

History of Sangamon County, Illinois (Chicago: Inter-State, 1881), 718; New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Passenger Lists, 1813-1963 (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2006); Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 19 October 1833, 3:4; 25 September 1845, 2:5; Illinois Daily Journal (Springfield), 1 August 1851, 3:2; 30 October 1852, 3:2; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Springfield, Sangamon County, IL, 100; For cases involving Lincoln, search Participant, “Spear, David,” Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), Springfield, Sangamon County, IL, 145; Illinois Daily State Journal (Springfield), 30 April 1863, 2:4; Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 8 June 1888, 4:3; Gravestone, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL.