SQ 2783:

"Asa Clarence Sparks was born on October 4, 1888. He was married toSarah Annie Merritt on September 16, 1909. Annie (as she was called)was born on December 4, 1885. Asa died on November 8, 1926 , andAnnie died on January 8, 1968. They were buried at Gholson. Theywere members of the Caledonia Baptist Church. They had four children:Ruth, Bryant, Doris, and Blanche."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for June 1989, Whole No. 146, p. 3424 for thefollowing:

ASA HILL SPARKS DIES

"We regret to report the death of Asa Hill Sparks who passed away onFebruary 3, 1989, at his home in
Nashville, Tennessee. He was a prominent minister of the Church of theNazarene and had pastored churches in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia,Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

"Asa Hill Sparks was born in 1913 and was a son of Asa Garfield andMotie May (Applegate) Sparks. His branch of the Sparks family washeaded by Thomas Sparks (1766-1837) who came from Surry County, NorthCarolina, to Lawrence County, Kentucky, about 1820. Thomas Sparks wasa son of William and Ann Sparks who came to North Carolina fromFrederick County, Maryland, about 1765.

"Brother Sparks (as he was called by many who knew him) is survived byhis wife, the former Pansy V. Cooper; two sons, Dr. Asa Howard Sparksand Dr. Jonathan D. Sparks; and a daughter, Mrs. Martha M. Trau. Weextend our smypathy to them and their families."

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3189: "Asa Virgil Sparks was born on February 26, 1878. He married
Maude E. -----. De died in 1973."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1996, Whole No. 16, pp 4744-45:

(See the family photograph of the Ashby Fairchild Sparks family takenabout 1910 on p. 4744.)

"Ashby Fairchild Sparks, son of Levi and Nancy Jane (Lawson) Sparks,was born on April 19, 1866. He was a farmer. He also taught "singingschools." (A singing school was made up of adults who subscribed totake a series of singing lessons, usually in a group in the evening ata local church or school.) Ashby F. Sparks was married to Amanda["Mandy"] Ann Mauk on February 4, 1892. She had been born on July 26,1870, and was a daughter of William and Mary America ["Meck"] (Harper)Mauk. Ashby and Mandy lived near Stark, Kentucky, and their childrenattended the Bunker Hill School located on Beech Branch of LittleCaney Creek.

"In 1916, Ashby and Mandy sold their farm in Elliott County and boughta farm in Carter County, Kentucky, located between the villages ofAden and Gregoryville. There they raised tobacco and cattle. Mandybecame a licensed midwife. They attended the Regular Baptist Churchat Grahn, Kentucky.

"In 1918, the Spanish flu struck the area, and Ella May, daughter ofAshby and Mandy, died from It on October 20, 1918. Six days later, onOctober 26, 1918, Ora Lee Sparks, 13-year-old son of Ashby and Mandy,also died from the dreaded disease.

"Mandy (Mauk) Sparks died on August 18, 1937. Ashby died on April 3,1947. They were buried in the Newall Cemetery at Grahn, Kentucky.They were the parents of nine children."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4469: They had three children: Van, Tol, and Sam Alexander.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 2000, Whole No. 190, p. 5371:

Athanasious Sparks, son of Matthew and Sarah (Elmore) Sparks, was bornca. 1810 in Surry County, North Carolina. He was doubtless named forhis maternal grandfather, but, like him, he was usually called "Atha."There is a marriage bond recorded in Surry County dated April 12,1836, for him to be married to Sarah ["Sally"] Brinigan. (The spellingof this name was usually Brinegar; a Paul Brinegar was a landowner inSurry County as early as 1809; he was 76 years old in 1850 accordingto the census of that year.) Moses Austill served as bondsman for thismarriage bond. Moses Austill had been married in 1831 to ElizabethElmore (bond dated December 1, 1831). Elizabeth ["Betsey"] Elmore wasa daughter of Athanasious Elmore; she was thus a sister of Sarah(Elmore) Sparks, mother of Athanasious Sparks.

The relationship of Agatha (Augatha) Sparks to this family isspeculation. See SQ p. 5399.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3398: She married a man named Collins. they lived at Sout hWebster, Ohio.

SQ 3272:

"Austin Sparks, son of Timothy and Jane (Lyon) Sparks, was born about1849 in North Carolina. He was married four times according to adescendant. His first marriage was to Mary Mitchell on July 29, 1868, in Tazewell County, Virginia. She was born about 1847. Sheapparently died about 1871, probably at the time their second childwas born prematurely. Austin married (2nd) Hester Hankins on May 26,1873. She was a daughter of
William and Polly (Mitchell) Hankins. She and Austin had fourchildren before her death about 1878. Austin married (3rd) Sarah ---,and they had one child when the 1880 census was taken of TazewellCounty. We have not learned the name of the fourth wife of AustinSparks. He had at least six children:

(1) Joseph Sparks b. Apr 10, 1870
(2) Rebecca Jane Sparks b. Dec 17, 1871
(3) Annie Sparks b. ca. 1874
(4) Mary Sparks b. ca. 1875
(5) James William Sparks b. ca. 1876. He m. Cosby Jane Althizer.
(6) Minnie Sparks was b. ca. 1880."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1978, Whole No. 101, p. 1987:

QUERY - BAILEY SPARKS, born 1760-70

Mrs. Lemuel M. Rathbone, 16413 Fitzhugh Rd., Austin, Texas (78736) isseeking vital statistics and marriage data for Mary H., wife ofMichael F. Fields. She was born about 1813 -1815 and is believed tohave been a daughter of Bailey Sparks of Carroll County, Tennessee.

Bailey Sparks, born between 1760 and 1770, who is believed to havebeen the father of Mary H. Sparks, was a son of Matthew and SarahSparks who moved from Frederick County, Maryland, to the Surry-WilkesCounty area of North Carolina about 1758. (A sketch of the life ofMatthew Sparks appeared in the QUARTERLY of June 1961, Vol. IX, No. 2,Whole No. 34, pp. 556-566.) Bailey Sparks accompanied his parents toGeorgia following the American Revolution. By 1820 he had married andwas living with his family (wife, four females, probably daughters,under 10 years of age and one male also under 10, probably a son) inHumphries County, Tennessee. He was living near his brother, IsaacSparks. By
1830 he had moved to Carroll County, Tennessee, and on the census ofthat year was called "Baily Sparks Sr." From this census record, itwould appear that he had married a second wife by 1830 some 20 yearshis junior. Five males (probably sons) and six females (probablydaughters) were enumerated in his household in 1830. He was probablythe Bailey Sparks who obtained a land grant in Carroll County in 1846.A Bailey Sparks, perhaps a grandson, served in the Confederate Armyduring the Civil War, enlisting in Marlin Falls, Texas, in 1862 at theage of 17.

Michael F. and Mary H. (Sparks ?) Fields had the following children:(1) Bailey S. Fields, born ca.1830; (2) Sarah A. Fields, born ca.1832;(3) James A. Fields, born ca.1834; (4) Martha E. Fields, born ca.1836; (5) Mary Fields, born ca. 1838; (6) Sidney Fields, born ca. 1840and married William R. Griffin; (7) Susan Isabel Fields, born 11 Oct.1845 or 1843, married Andrew Jackson Caraway; (8) Malissa D. Fields,born 9 Sept. 1846 and married John Wellington Cleveland; and (9)Daniel R. B. Fields, born ca. 1849.
In 1830 Michael Fields and wife were in Carroll County, Tennessee, butby 1840 the family had moved to Carroll County, Mississippi. In 1850they were in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, and by the mid-1850's mostof their children were in Gonzales County, Texas, but no record of thedeath of the parents has been found. Michael Field's brother, JamesFields, married Matilda Sparks in Carroll County, Mississippi, on June9, 1838. James Fields was in Carroll County, Mississippi, when the1840 census was taken, then they lived briefly in Yalobusha County,andby 1850 they were in Choctaw County, Mississippi. The children ofJames and Matilda (Sparks) Fields listed on the 1850 census werenamed: (1) William B. Fields; (2) James A. Fields; (3) Daniel G.Fields; (4) Winney A. Fields; (5) Mary E. Fields; and (6)
Martha Fields. Was Miltilda Sparks who married James Fields also adaughter of Bailey Sparks?

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 2001, Whole No. 196, pp 5605-5630,p. 5610:

"Bailey Sparks, son of Matthew and Sarah Sparks, was born on May 3,1778, in what is now Ashe County, North Carolina, but at the time ofhis birth it was part of Wilkes County. He died sometime after 1832 inCarroll County, Tennessee. He was married about 1809 to Martha Noland(also spelled Knowland and Knowling) who was a daughter of JamesNoland, and a sister of Wilmoth Noland, the second wife of Bailey'sbrother, Isaac Sparks. Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks were theparents of eleven children according to census records, of whom wehave been able to identify seven. See the present issue of theQUARTERLY, beginning on page 5611, for an article about Bailey Sparksand his family ."

and beginning on page 5611, the following:

Bailey Sparks (born 1778, died after 1832)

Son of Matthew and Sarah Sparks

"Bailey Sparks, the tenth child and eighth son of Matthew and SarahSparks , was born on May 3, 1778, near the present-day village ofJefferson on the New River in what, since 1799, has been Ashe County,North Carolina. At the time of his birth, however, the land on whichhis parents and nine siblings were living was in Wilkes County, Wilkeshaving been formed in 1778 from Surry County. It was not until theclose of the 18th Century, long after the Sparks family had moved toGeorgia, that the part "of the County of Wilkes, lying west of theextreme height of the Appalachian mountains . . . is hereby erectedinto a separate and distinct county by the name of Ashe."

Matthew Sparks, Bailey's father, who seems always to have been anadventurer, had moved to this New River site in 1775 from the Forks ofthe Yadkin in what is now Davie County, North Carolina. At the time ofBailey's birth, his father was still "squatting" on a 400-acre tractthat he planned to purchase from the state of North Carolina when itshould become available. Such "squatting" was a common and respectedcustom among pioneers on the frontier at that time. Happily forMatthew and his family, he succeeded in obtaining from the RaleighLand Office Warrant No. 163, for this tract in the fall of the sameyear that Bailey was born:

Wilkes County, North Carolina. File No. 22, Warrant No. 163:
To Matthew Sparkes 400 acres on the North Side of New River
Beginning on Little Naked Creek , Running Down , Including his
Impt. 5 Nov. 1778."

The abbreviation "Impt . " was the commonly used word "Improvements ," that is, whatever Matthew and his sons had built on the tract whilethey had been "squatting" on it, a log cabin and stable, no doubt ,along with some rail fencing around a portion that they had clearedand begun cultivating .

Upon obtaining his warrant , a settler would then have his tractsurveyed to establish the boundaries to enclose the number of acresauthorized in the warrant . Using a compass and a measuring chain 5.5yards long , also cailed a pole or rod , the surveyor would begin atthe point designated in the warrant , which usually also included thedirection that he should proceed , mapping the distances betweenlandmarks . A landmark might be the boundary of a tract alreadysurveyed, a road or path, a tree on the bank of a stream , or even astake that the surveyor drove into the ground. The surveyor wasusually aided by two "chain carriers," often being young men of theneighborhood. In measuring Matthew Sparks's tract , Surveyor JosephHerndon engaged 19-year-old Matthew Sparks, Jr., along with a JamesVaningle, probably a neighbor , as his chain-carriers. The surveyprepared by Herndon for Matthew Sparks's tract was published in fullin the QUARTERLY of June 1961, Whole No. 34, in the article entitled"Matthew Sparks (died 1793) of North Carolina & Georgia, aBiographical Sketch."

The three oldest brothers of Bailey Sparks served in the AmericanRevolution: John (born 1755), Matthew, Jr. (born 1759), and William(born 1761). In 1832, Congress passed an Act authorizing pensions forall veterans of the Revolutionary War who had served for at least sixmonths. Applicants did not have to prove financial need nor a healthproblem, but they were required to describe the nature of theirservice, the period of time, and written proof of some sort, oftenconsisting of affidavits of citizens who had personal knowledge of it.Although John Sparks did not apply, the other two brothers of Baileydid so. In their applications, both Matthew, Jr. and William statedthey had been living with their parents in Wilkes County, NorthCarolina, when they had been drafted or they had enlisted in 1778.

It is in the pension applications of Matthew, Jr. and William Sparksthat we learn of Matthew Sparks's last venture into a new frontier.In applying for a pension under the 1832 Act , a veteran was requiredto state where he had lived following the war. Both Matthew, Jr. andWilliam stated that initially they had returned to their parents' homeon New River in Wilkes County.

Sarah Sparks gave birth to her eleventh child, a son named Isaac, onJuly 15, 1780. Less than three years later, she bore her last child,Hardy Sparks, on May 23, 1783. It was in 1783, when Bailey Sparks wasfive years old, that his father again felt the urge to venture to anew frontier as word spread that the state of Georgia would open forsettlement the Creek Indian lands east of the Oconee River in 1784. Wemay wonder what Sarah's feelings were as her husband talked of theopportunity this might provide for their older sons, as well ashimself, to buy new land.

William Sparks stated in his application for a pension that , with the"close of the Revolutionary ..... . he removed with his father to whatwas then Franklin, afterwards Jackson , and now [1832] Clarke Countyin the State of Georgia and settled about four miles from Athens inthat state." Matthew Sparks, Jr. stated in his pension applicationthat he had remained in Wilkes County "until three or four years afterthe close of the Revolutionary War" before leaving with his father forGeorgia. (After half a century , veterans differed in their recallingthe date that the conflict had actually ended; the surrender ofCornwallis had occurred on October 19, 1781, but the peace treaty withGreat Britain definitively ending the war did not take place untilSeptember 3, 1783.)

Matthew Sparks last paid taxes in Wilkes County in 1782. We believethat it was a few months after the birth of Hardy Sparks in May 1783,that the family , with the exception of sons John and James , startedfor Georgia , again to find choice land on which to "squat" until apurchase of it could be made .

We will not repeat here the story of the Oconee War, during which, in1793, the elder Matthew Sparks was killed by the Indians. BaileySparks was then fifteen years old.

We have only two records from Georgia pertaining to Bailey Sparks. Itappears that he purchased land in
Jackson County on August 20, 1798, from a man named William M. Stokes.(Deed Book A & B, page 128.)
Jackson County had been formed from Franklin County in 1796 andincluded the land on which the Sparks family had settled in 1783-1784. In 1805, Clarke County was created in part from Franklin and includedthe Sparks settlement. Unfortunately, no census record from Georgiahas survived prior to the one for 1820 to assist us in tracing BaileySparks, but we know that he was there on February 22, 1810, when hesold land in Clarke County connected copies of these two Georgiadeeds.

From later records, we believe that Bailey and Isaac Sparks, with onlytwo years difference in their ages , were close friends as well asbrothers . Another reason promoting their closeness was the fact thattheir wives were sisters. Isaac's first wife , Sarah Nutt , had died,we believe, after only a few years of marriage, and in about 1808,Isaac was married, second, to Wilmoth Noland, daughter of JamesNoland. Bailey Sparks was married at about the same time to Wilmoth'ssister, Martha Noland. It also seems probable that these two couplesmoved together to Tennessee prior to 1810, as had three brothers ofBailey and Isaac before them, Matthew, Jr., Jesse, and Hardy Sparks.

A militia muster roll has been preserved showing that on January 12,1812, a company was formed
commanded by a Captain William Teas and comprised of settlers in thecounties of Hickman and Humphreys, Tennessee, which adjoined , "forthe pro tection of the frontier of West Tennessee." Both Bailey andIsaac Sparks were included in this roster.

From later records , it seems certain that Baiiey and Isaac hadsettled initially in Humphreys County. On the census of 1820, Baileywas shown as head of a household there, as was Isaac. Now 42 yearsold, Bailey was shown as heading a household that included his wife,enumerated in the 26 to 45 age category, as was Bailey himself. Withthem were five children , one male and four females , all under theage of ten. A female was also enumerated with Bailey's family in the"45 and up" category; this may have been Bailey's widowed mother,Sarah Sparks, who would then have been eighty-one, assuming thatNathan Sparks was correct regarding her age when she died in 1831, asrecorded in his family Bible.

Sometime during the mid-1820s, both Bailey and Isaac Sparks moved westto Carroll County, Tennessee. Carroll County had been created in 1821from what until then had been what was called the Western District ofTennessee. Until Benton County was created in 1835 from Humphreys andHenry Counties, Carroll adjoined Humphreys County. A researcher whohas examined the land records in Carroll County has found no record ofBailey acquiring land there, although, as a resident of Carroll Countyin 1826, he sold land that he still owned in Humphreys County, asshown in the following abstract of this deed (Carroll County Book D,p.111).

This Indenture made this the Twenty fourth July in the year of ourLord Eighteen hundred and Twenty
six between Baily Sparks of the State of Tennessee and Carroll Countyof the one part and William
Blair of the County of Humphreys in consideration of the sum of onehundred and fifty dollars to him
in hand paid by the said Blair , the receipt thereof is acknowledged,hath given, bargained, granted,
sold, aliened, conveyed and confirmed unto the said Blair, his heirsand assigns forever, a certain
tract or parcel of land situated, lying and being in the County ofHumphreys and State afforesaid , on
Hurricane Creek of Duck River bounded as follows, to wit: Beginningat an elm the South West
corner of Isaiah Hammilton's occupant claim on the North bank of saidcreek. Thence North two
hundred and two poles to a small white oak and double ash . ThenceWest twenty eight and a half
poles to a black gum and red bud . Thence South one hundred and twoand a half poles to a stake
on a hill. Thence East seventy eight and a half poles to theBeginning, containing fifty acres. . . In
testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal theday and date above written.. . .

Witnesses:
Henry Epperson
Benjamin Nolan
[signed] Baily Sparks

Bailey Sparks often omitted the "e" in signing his name. (A pole is,like a rod, 16 1/2 feet in length.) This deed was also registered inHumphreys County in Book D.

As early as 1802 members of the Sparks family began appealing to boththe state of Georgia and to the
Federal government for reparations for their losses to the CreekIndians. It was not until the 1820's, however, that the FederalGovernment began giving serious consideration to these claims . In afile entitled "Indian Depredations" at the Georgia Department ofArchives and History in Atlanta, a number of documents pertaining tothe Sparks claims are preserved. We published several of these in thearticle devoted to Matthew and Sarah Sparks in the QUARTERLY of June1961, Whole No . 34. Included is an inventory of the losses sufferedby Matthew from 1786 until his death in 1793. His older sons madesimilar, but smaller, claims.

Many years ago, the present writer corresponded with a great-grandsonof Jesse Sparks (1773-1858), the
eighth child of Matthew and Sarah Sparks. This great-grandson was J.Kent Sparks of Pope, Tennessee, who died in 1966. Jesse Sparks wasliving in Hickman County, Tennessee, in the late 1820s when theFederal Government agreed to receive reimbursement claims from thevictims of the Creek Indian attacks. A number of documents in thisconnection had been inherited by J. Kent Sparks , who kindly loanedthem to this writer to copy . Unfortunately , this was before theinvention of photocopying .

Jesse Sparks, himself, claimed that a mare he had owned, worth $70.00,had been stolen. One of the
documents in J. Kent Sparks's possession was Jesse's application forletters of administration for his father's estate, which was approvedon September 14, 1829. This gave Jesse the power to collect thereparations for his father on behalf of all the heirs . A commissionhad been appointed to determine the amount to which each victim, orhis heirs, was entitled. In anticipation of a payment to Matthew'sheirs, Jesse Sparks and his brother, Nathan, had obtainedauthorization to travel to Milledgeville, "the Executive Department ofGeorgia," to collect and divide this payment among the heirs. Amongthe documents in Jesse Sparks's collection is an agreement datedSeptember 11, 1828, signed by Sarah, widow of Matthew, and sons Isaac,Hardy, and Bailey Sparks, authorizing Jesse and Nathan to serve as:

. .our true and lawfull Attornies in fact for us and in our names andfor our use and benefit, to demand
and receive any sum or sums of money which may be due or coming to usor either of us . . . in
consequence of the destruction or loss of the property of MathewSparks by the Creek Nation of
Indians. . .

Sarah Sparks signed this document by mark as "Sary Sparks." Her threesons signed their names . Isaac and Bailey Sparks also witnessed theirmother make her mark.

A letter to Jesse Sparks from R. A. Green, Secretary for GeorgiaGovernor, William Schley, dated November 20, 1835, is among the papersowned by J. Kent Sparks in the 1960s. This letter informed Jesse that,at long last, the reparation funds due himself and the heirs ofMatthew Sparks were available : " . . . Jesse Sparks is entitled to$70.00 principal and $17.25 interest making $87.25, and Matthew Sparksis entitled to $1112.00 principal and $316.00 interest, making$1,428,10..." By this time, Sarah, widow of Matthew, had died.

When the 1830 census of Carroll County, Tennessee, was taken, BaileySparks was shown as head of his family there, as were, also, hisbrothers, Isaac and Hardy. Bailey's age was marked in the 40 to 50category; his wife in the 30 to40 range. The children in their familynow numbered nine , as follows :

1 male 15 to 20
1 " 5 to 10
1 female 10 to 15
2 females 5 to 10
4 females under 5

Sometime prior to September 1832, James Noland, father of MarthaSparks and Wilmoth Sparks, died in
Humphreys County, Tennessee. On September 10, 1832, Jesse Noland,who was probably a son of James, purchased the rights of inheritanceto tile land of James Noland in Humphreys County held by Martha andWilmoth Sparks , as well as that of another daughter, ElizabethEpperson. The text of this deed follows:

[From Carroll County, Tennessee, Will Book E, p.200.]

This indenture made this 10th day of Sept. A.D. 1832 between BaileySparks and Martha, his wife,
Isaac Sparks and Wilmoth, his wife, and Henry Epperson and Elizabeth,his wife, all of the County of
Carroll, heirs at law of James Noland, late of Humphreys County, dec'dof the one part and Jesse
Noland of said County and State of Tennessee of the other part.Witnesseth that. . for and in
consideration of the sum of one hundred and seventy dollars to them inhand paid by the said Jesse
Noland. . have given, granted, bargained and sold. . . unto the saidJesse Noland a certain tract or
parcel of land containing one hundred and twenty two acres be the samemore or less, situated,
lying and being in Humphreys County, aforesaid, on Hurricane Creek andadjoining the lands of
James Teas, Esquire, and others and which said lands came to them bydescent as heirs of the
aforesaid James Noland, dec'd.. .

In testimony whereof the said parties have hereunto set their handsand affixed their seals.

Isaac Sparks (seal)
Baily Sparks (seal)
Henry Epperson (seal) her
Martha X Sparks (seal) mark
Wilmoth Sparks (seal)
Elizabeth Epperson (seal)

State of Tennessee )
Carroll County Court )
September Term 1832

. . . The said Martha Sparks , Wilmoth Sparks and Elizabeth Eppersonthey being privately
examined as the law directs, separately and apart from their husbandsand having voluntarily
relinquished their right of dower to the estate conveyed withoutcompulsion or coertion from their
said husbands by the said Indenture to be their act and deed andordered to be certified to
Humphreys County for registration and the State tax paid to me. A copyTest.

Edward Quin, Clerk.

From the above document , it is evident that Bailey Sparks was alivein September 1832, but this is the last record that we have found ofhim. A researcher named Mrs. C. F. Delap of Springfield, Tennessee,who examined the court records of Carroll County, Tennessee, a numberof years ago, reported that Bailey Sparks had been a member of theCarroll County Court prior to September 1832, when it was noted thathe had resigned his post. We may ponder whether he may have resignedfor reasons of health or whether he was about to move from CarrollCounty. In no extant census for 1840 has a household headed by BaileySparks been found.

There is some reason for us to wonder whether he and Martha, in 1832or 1833, moved to Mississippi, possibly with at least the youngermembers of their family, settling in the Carroll , Lafayette . andYalobusha Counties area. These and other Mississippi Counties werepart of the "Choctaw Indian Cession" of 1830. As noted below , itappears that some of Bailey's children are found in the records there.

Based on the census records of 1820 and 1830 where Bailey Sparks wasshown as head of a household in Tennessee, it appears that he and hiswife, Martha (Noland) Sparks, may have been the parents of as many aseleven children, but for a number of these we can only speculateregarding their identification .

[JS Note: For information relating to these children, see theirindividual sheets. The following note appears on page 5620 at the endof the above article:]

(As noted above, a number of the children of Bailey and Martha(Noland) Sparks moved to Mississippi in their youth and were marriedthere. In the same "Marriage Book A" that is preserved in CarrollCounty, Mississippi, in which the marriage of Matilda Sparks and JamesFields was recorded (page 140) on June 9, 1838, there is, on thefollowing page , the record of a William M. Sparks who served as thebondsman for the marriage of James J. Brown and Sarah V. Elles. Wewonder whether this William M. Sparks might be one of the unidentifiedsons of Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks. Can any reader furtheridentify this William M. Sparks?)

SPARKS QUARTERLY, pg 3471: Bailey Milton Sparks, son of Willoughbyand Polly Sparks, was born in Tennessee in January 1847. He wasprobaby named for his great-uncle, Bailey Sparks, son of Matthew andSarah (Thompson) Sparks. He served in Company B, Waller's Regiment,Green's Brigade of Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army during theCivil War and received a pension in later years from the state ofTexas for his service. When the 1880 census was taken of EastlandCounty , Texas, he was living in the household of his brother, TillmanSparks. (The abstract of his military records is below.)
Bailey Sparks married Julia Antley, probably about 1882, and they hadthree children before her death on April 11, 1887, shortly after theirthird child was born. Bailey married (2nd) Amanda ---, probably about1895. She apparently had a large family by a previous marriage.Bailey died on January 27, 1931, in Wise County, Texas.

MILITARY:
SQ pg 1281: Bailey Sparks enlisted in Capt. Thos. P. Hightower' sCompany, Waller's Battalion, Texas Cavalry, on April 14, 1862, atMarlin, Falls County, Texas, by Thomas P. Hightower. His age wasgiven as 17. He was mustered into the service on April 23, 1862, atHempstead by E. Waller, Jr. A note on one of the records indicatesthat he was a substitute for a man named Cornelison. The last recordof his being paid was dated September 1, 1863. HIs name appeared onthe muster roll for Company B of this battalion for January andFebruary 1864 with the note "Absent, In Arrest." Following is asummary of the history of this unit:
Waller's Regiment Texas Cavalry was first organized as the 13th, orWaller's Battalion Texas Cavalry with five companies, A to E. CompanyF was enlisted in Louisiana August 27, 1862. An unidentified comany,Captain Menard's, Captain Goode's and Captain Dunn's Companies TexasCavalry were added from time to time to complete the regiment.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 2001, Whole No. 196, p.5627:

"Bailey N. Sparks, son of Isaac and Wilmoth (Noland) Sparks, was bornabout 1817. He was still living with his parents in Carroll County,Tennessee, when both the 1850 and the 1860 censuses were taken. Heappears never to have married. At some point, Bailey acquired 87 acresof land. Like the approximate date (1867) of his father's death, so,also, our knowledge of the approxim ate date of Bailey' 5 death (also1867) is found in a deed dated July 31, 1867. By this deed, Bailey'sbrother, Jesse P. Sparks, sold his own share of inheritance(one-eighth part) not only of Isaac Sparks's land, but also of the 87acres "owned by Bailey N. Sparks at his death." Since Bailey N .Sparks had not married and had no direct heirs at his death , sometimeprior to July 1867, his estate was inherited by his eight livingsiblings. In the Carroll County deed of July 31, 1867, Jesse P. Sparkssold to J. L. Seawright his anticipated inheritance , an undividedeighth part of these two tracts of land."

Copied from the June 1979 issue of the SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No .106, at page 2111, is the abstract of his pension file at the NationalArchives:

BALIS E. SPARKS, son of Isiah H. and Sarah (Clayborn) Sparks, was bornon October 27, 1832, in Hickman County Tenn. He married Sarah JaneJones on February 27, 1862. He served in Co. C, 1st Regt. Ark .Infantry. File designation: Inv. Cert. No. 693220.

"Balis E. Sparks, a resident of Newton County, Arkansas, applied foran invalid pension on or about October 3, 1890, for disabilities hehad incurred as a private in Company C, 1st Regiment ArkansasInfantry. He claimed that he suffered from rheumatism which was aresult of hard service during the winter of 1864. The War Departmentconfirmed his military service. He was enrolled on February 12, 1863,at Fayetteville, Arkansas, and served until he was mustered out atFort Smith, Arkansas, on August 10, 1865. When he was discharged hewas 32 years of age; he was 5 feet, 9 inches tall; he had a darkcomplexion, black eyes and dark hair; and he was a farmer. He wasissued a pension under Invalid Certificate No. 693,220 at the rate of$6.00 per month.

"On May 18, 1896, Sparks made a request for increased pensionbenefits, claiming that he was almost totally disabled from a diseaseof the kidneys brought on by military service while at Fort Smith,Arkansas, in the fall of 1864. He appointed J. B. Cralle & Co.,Washington, D.C., as his attorneys. Mollie Jones and L. R. Sparks,both residents of Chancel, Arkansas, witnessed his signature and theapplication was sworn to before J. B. Sparks, a justice of the peacein Newton County.

"On June 29, 1896, George W. Sparks, age 60, a resident of Chancel ,Arkansas, made a comrade's affidavit to support the claim of Balis E.Sparks. George said that he was also a member of Company C, 1st Regt.Arkansas Infantry and knew that Balis Sparks had been confined to hisbarracks and exempt from duty in September 1864 because of illness.The affidavit was sworn to before J. B. Sparks, a justice of thepeace.

"Annie Jones, age 74, a resident of Snow, Arkansas, testified inbehalf of sparks on October 1, 1896. She said that she had knownSparks since 1860 and since that time had seen him about once eachweek. When he returned from the service, he complained about troublewith his kidneys and was suffering from fatigue and worry. She saidshe had waited upon him and had given him medicine while he wasconfined to his home because of the kidney disorder. W. B. Hefleywitnesses her make her mark. The pension of Balis E. Sparks wasincreased from $6.00 to $12.00 per month on November 25, 1896.

"On September 28, 1897, Sparks responded to a questionnaire from theBureau of Pensions. He said he was married to Sarah Jane Jones onFebruary 27, 1862, by the Rev. Aron Owens. He had eight livingchildren. (For children, see their files.)

"On April 13, 1908, Sparks, now a resident of Checotah, McIntoshCounty, Oklahoma, asked for additional benefits under the 1907 Act ofCongress. He said he was born on October 27, 1832, in Hickman County,Tennessee, and was now 75 years of age. He had lived in NewtonCounty, Arkansas, until September, 1907 when he had moved to Checotah. Claude Niles, R. P. Rutherford, A. J. Millsaps, and J. V. Millsapsattested to his application. When Balis Sparks died on September 23,1910, he was receiving a pension of $20.00 per month.

"On November 30, 1910, Lemuel R. Sparks, son of Balis E. Sparks, askedfor reimbursement for expenses incurred in his father's last illnessand burial. He said that his father was married only one time andthat was to Sarah Jane Jones. She had died on March 9, 1909. Lemuelsaid that his father's final expenses amounted to $239.51 whichincluded the doctor's fees and undertaker's bills. He said that hisfather died at his (Lemuel's) home and that he was buried in Mt. NeboCemetery eleven miles east of Checotah.

"Dr. B. J. Vance testified that when Balis E. Sparks took sick on July24, 1910, he had been visiting in Muscogee, Oklahoma, but that he (Dr.Vance) had recommended that Sparks be moved to the home of his son,Lemuel R. Sparks, which was eight miles east of Checotah. Otherattending physicians were Dr. C. T. Rogers and Dr. J. O. Callahan.There was nothing sent from the pension file of Balis E. Sparks toindicate what action was taken on this request."

(Editor's note: For further details about the family of hisgrandparents, Matthew and Sarah (Thompson) Sparks, see the December,1956 issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No. 16, and the June 1961issue, Whole No. 34.

SQ pg 2922 states: "Barbara Sparks, daughter of Joseph and ElizabethSparks,
was born probably about 1791. She apparently was crippled and nevermarried.
Her father made provision for her care and livelihood in his will in1827. She
survived him several years, dying on May 30, 1838. She was buriedbeside her
parents at the Indian Springs Cemetary at Everett, PA.

SQ pg 2600:

"Barbara Ellen Sparks married George Bungard. Her husband was buriedbeside her as was a son, born March 20, 1881, who died at birth."

SQ pp. 2680-81:

"Barton Sparks, son of James and Elizabeth (Gilman) Sparks, was bornabout 1826 in Lewis County, Kentucky. He was married to ChristianaMichael on November 21, 1866, in Putnam County, Indiana. She was bornon June 30, 1827, in Augusta County, Virginia, and was a daughter ofJacob Michael, a native of Pennsylvania. The first two children ofBarton and Christiana were born in Indiana, but when the 1850 censuswas taken of Marquette County, Wisconsin, Barton and Christiana wereliving in the village of Pleasant Valley. By 1860, they were in ParkeCounty, Indiana. According to a descendant, Mrs.
Mildred Haynie, Barton died in Pratt County, Kansas. After his death,Christiana married Joseph Barker on March 25, 1896. He was the fatherof Elizabeth Barker who married William F. Sparks. (See (a) below).Joseph Barker was also the father of Amanda E. Barker who marriedBenjamin Ami Sparks. (See (f) below.) Christiana died on January 13,1910, in Miller County, Missouri. She and Barton had nine children."

SQ pg 4468: Abbott Sparks (as he is called) has shown a remarkableinterest in his Sparks lineage. A book which he co-authored, entitledCattle in the Cold Desert, contains an excellent insight into thecattle industry and, in particular, the activities of his great-uncle,John Sparks (RIN 5854) [former Governor of Nevada].

!NOTES:
SQ 1358: "Ben F. Sparks, born Aug. 28, 1881; married Louie Bell Holder, born
June 7, 1885, daughter of John L. and Mary (Anderson) Holder. They had three
children: (1) John E. Sparks, born May 23, 19O5, married Grace Fult sand had
Edgar C., born 1931, and Kenneth C., born 1932; (2) Emily Sparks; an d(3) Mary
Sparks."

SQ 3230 Married Mary Bailey on 18 May 1738. Names of children: MaryAnn, Jonas Hinson Wright, William, Benjamin, Vinson, Elizabeth andBarsheba.

See MARYLAND MARRIAGES 1634-1777, Compiled by Robert Barnes, Baltimore1987, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. p. 168.

"Sparks, Benjamin, 18 May, 1738, Mary Baley (sic) 1 QA-44." The citerefers to page 44 of the Records of St. Luke's Parish, Queen AnnesCounty. Copy made in 1904/5 at the Maryland Historical Society. Seealso IGI for Maryland as of March 1992, 7230711/51 on page 12,451.Also, according to that reference Benjamin was christened on April 22,1738 at St. Lukes Protestant Episcopal Parish, Church Hill, QueenAnnes County, MD.

SQ 3797: Benjamin Sparks, son of William and Ann Sparks, was born inwhat is now Davie County, North Carolina, about 1769/70. He wasmarried to Elizabeth Hicks in 1797 in Surry County, North Carolina.In either 1820 or 1821, he moved to Burke County, North Carolina,settling in what became Caldwell County in 1841. He died therebetween June 1, 1849 and June 1, 1850. Elizabeth was still living in1860. From census and family records, we believe that Benjamin andElizabeth (Hicks) Sparks were the parents of the following:

(1) Son, born ca.1798. We believe that this was Allen Sparks who wasmarried to Beersheba ----. He died in 1849.
(2) Daughter, born ca.1799/1800.
(3) James S. Sparks, born ca.1802. He was married to Nancy Largent in1838.
(4) Son, born ca.1804.
(5) Daughter, born ca.1806.
(6) Son, born ca.1808. His name may have been George Sparks.
(7) Elizabeth Sparks, born October 4, 1812; died December 10, 1881 .She was married in Burke County, North Carolina, ca.1833 to HenryCraig.

See SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1967, Whole No. 59;

DESCENDANTS OFSOLOMON (356) AND SARAH SPARKS, OF MARYLAND AND NORTHCAROLINA THROUGH HEIR SON, REUBEN SPARKS (ca. 1755-1840) at p.1084:

"Benjamin Sparks, son of Reuben and Cassie (Buttery) Sparks was bornabout 1784 in either Wilkes or Surry County, North Carolina; he livedin that part of Surry County which was cut off to form Yadkin Countyin 1850 and died there in 1876. He married Sarah Jeffreys, daughterof William and "Patsey" Jeffrey (Jeffreys, Jeffries) about 1802. Shewas born in 1785 and died in 1870. His will, dated May 8, 1872, is onfile in Yadkin County (Book 2. p.81). From his will and recordssupplied by is descendants, we know that Benjamin and Sarah (Jeffreys)Sparks had the following children (here follows information on thosechildren)."

See also SQ p3265:

"Benjamin Sparks, son of Reuben and Cassie (Buttery) Sparks, was bornabout 1785 in either Wilkes or Surry County, North Carolina. (His agewas given as 63 on the 1850 census of Surry County and as 74 on the1860 census of Yadkin County, North Carolina.) He married SarahJeffreys , probably about 1810. She was born about 1789 in NorthCarolina and was a daughter of William and Martha ["Patsey"] (---)Jeffreys. (Her age was given as 60 on the 1850 census and as 71 onthe 1860 census.) She was named as a daughter in the will of WilliamJeffreys, which was proven at the November 1831 term of the SurryCounty Court. She died in 1870 in Yadkin County. Benjamin died therein 1876. They had twelve children, in cluding an unnamed daughter whoapparently died at birth.

See SPARKS QUARTERLY Dec 1990, Whole No. 152, pp 3669-3673 titled "DR.SALMONS' FAMILY RECORD" which mentions Benjamin and his wife SallyJeffries Sparks and their several children. The article focuses onone of the children, Joseph Sparks born 6/12/1817, died 5/8/1902 andhis wife Martha Elvira Dimmitte and their 8 children."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1982, Whole No. 119, p. 2444:

"Benjamin Sparks, son of Absalom and Lydia (Elsberry) Sparks, wasprobably born about 1793 in Georgia. According to the IllinoisAdjutant-General records, he served in the Illinois TerritorialMilitia during the War of 1812. On January 27, 1814, he was marriedto Dicey Tidwell in Gallatin County, Illinois, by the Rev. ReevesCarmack, a Methodist Minister. The license was issued on January 15,1814, by Clerk, J.M.S.

"Benjamin Sparks apparently accompanied his parents to Miller County,Arkansas, and it was there that he, along with his father andbrothers, signed a petition to the President and Congress in 1821. Heentered land in Pulaski County, Arkansas, in 1836. This is the lastrecord we have found of him. We do not know whether he and Dicey hadany children."

.
!NOTES:
SQ 2591: Benjamin Sparks never married.

See SQ p. 232 for birth information.

See SQ p. 817 for marriage information.

SQ pg 3945: In the 1900 census of Johnson County, Kentucky, Nancy wasshown as a widow with six children (included in the family sheet) andthat she had four other children who were now dead.

SQ p. 2681:

"Benjamin Ami Sparks was born on September 5, 1857. He went by thename of "Am." On March 19, 1876, he was married to Amanda EmilineBarker in Carroll County, Missouri. He died on November 25, 1935, inWakenda, Missouri. He and Amanda had six children: Emma Ellen Sparks,William Edward Sparks, John Jacob Sparks, Ida Bell Sparks, BartonSparks, and Golda Mae Sparks. The last named was the mother of Mrs.Mildred Haynie who has been most helpful in providing informationabout this branch of the Sparks family."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3944: They had three children: Roscoe, William and Enoch Sparks.

THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1998, Whole No. 143, p.3267:

DESCENDANTS OF REUBEN & CASSIE (BUTTERY) SPARKS

"Benjamin Franklin Sparks, son of Benjamin and Sarah (Jeffreys)Sparks, was born on October 9, 1833. Apparently he was married twice.He was probably the Benjamin Sparks who married Elmira Matilda Feltsin 1854 in Yadkin County. (The marriage bond was issued on May 27,1854, with Elisha M. Felts as the bondsman.) When the 1860 census wastaken of Yadkin County, Benjamin, aged 27, and Mira, aged 22, wereliving in the household of Benjamin and Sarah Sparks. ApparentlyElmira died shortly thereafter, for on February 23, 1864, a marriagebond was issued for Benjamin Sparks to marry Amanda Jane Sale. MandySale was born on January 13, 1846, and was a daughter of James andAmelia (Gray) Sale.

"Benjamin F. Sparks was a successful man and acquired nearly 1,000acres of land in Yadkin and Wilkes Counties, including four tractswhich he purchased from his father in 1872. On November 12, 1899, hemade a will (Will Book 2, page 81) by which he left all of hisproperty to his wife, M. J. Sparks. He died a few months later, onMay 13, 1900. Mandy Jane survived him by several years, dying onDecember 19, 1907. She had made a will (Will Book 3 , page 70) a fewdays earlier in which she named eight sons and four of her fivedaughters. Her daughter, Ellen Dinah, had died in 1904. (Followingis a record of the children and descendants of Benjamin F. and AmandaJane (Sale ) Sparks.)

a. Ellen Diane "Dinah" Sparks was born in 1865 in Yadkin County , NC. She was married to John Armstrong on February 20, 1886, in WilkesCounty. He had been born on May 12, 1863, in Yadkin County. Dinahdied on April 23, 1904, at Logansport, Indiana. John died atBluffton, Indiana, on May 26, 1916. They had five children.

(1) Bessie Pearl Armstrong (see p. 3267)
(2) Joyce Armstrong (")
(3) Frieda Armstrong (")
(4) Mary Jane Armstrong (")
(5) Everett C. Armstrong (")

b. Carrie Sparks was born probably about 1867. she married Virgil M.Swaim, a minister of the Gospel.

c. Mary Sparks was born probably about 1869. She never married . Shedied in 1916.

d. Benjamin F. Sparks, Jr. was born probably about 1871.

e. James Leo Sparks was born on February 21, 1874. He married Mary"Mollie" Savannah Rose. She was born on May 4, 1880. James died onDecember 2, 1946. Millie died on January 8, 1978. They had ninechildren: Nina Virginia, Elmo Savis, Guy DeWitt, Coy Watson, Imogene,Nancy Jane, Vera Louise, Minnie Carolyn, and Mary Rose.

f. Lilly Louella Sparks was born on August 12, 1879. She marriedThomas A. Armstrong. She died on April 9, 1931.

g. Minnie Faye Sparks was born probably about 1880. She marriedCaldwell Dobbins.

h. Everett Clarence Sparks was born on February 5, 1881, nearJonesville, North Carolina. He married Nancy Ann Dobbins probablyabout 1902. She was born on January 9, 1882, at Cycle, NorthCarolina. Everett died on April 2, 1966. They had seven children.

(1) Glade Zeno Sparks was born on September 4, 1903. He married Dinalee Martin on November 11, 1925, and they had five children: VernonZeno, Kenneth, Roland, and Shirley Ann.

(2) Elzie Sparks

(3) Jane Sparks

(4) Roy Sparks

(5) Hubert Sparks

(6) Milas Clarence Sparks was born on June 24, 1918. He died onSeptember 19, 1980.

(7) Ruth Sparks.

i. Marvin Worth Sparks was born on March 9, 1884. He married CoraPinnix. He died on June 29, 1933.

j. Leland Carl Sparks was born on April 3, 1886. He married Etta C.Dobbins. He died on February 10, 1965.

k. Paul Sparks was born probably about 1888. He married BerthaBeherns.

l. William G. Sparks was born probably about 1890. He died in 1917.He
never married.

m. Robert Glenn Sparks was born probably about 1892. He marriedMattie Jones.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4458: He was married to Effie Best in Grimes County, Texas .Apparently they had no children.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 2781: "Benjamin Jackson Sparks, son of Andrew and Mary (Allen)
Sparks, was born on April 26, 1857. He was married to Mary Winnie ---,
probably about 1878, and when the 1880 census was taken of Robertson
County, Texas, they had one child, Cynthia D., born in the spring of
1880. In all probablilty, this couple had other children born to them."

.

!NOTES:
See SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1988, Whole No. 143, pg. 3266:
"Benjamin Sparks was born about 1860. He married Jane Dobbins an dthey
had four children according to a descendant.
(1) Solomon Sparks married to Ida Wells.
(2) Winfield Sparks married Florence Swan (should be Swaim; see below)
(3) Elizabeth Sparks married Hubert Roberts
(4) Lavina Sparks married T. F. Pardue.
Also, Barbara (Sparks) Pinnix advised me (see below) that she ha duncles and
aunts named Hugh Sparks, Winnie S. Pardue, Sudie S. Harrison, Annie S. Gray,
Lucy S. Osborne, and Sedelma S. Pardue. I do not know if these wer eadditional
children of Benjamin, cousins, or in-laws.

!NOTES:
See SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1988, Whole No. 143, pg. 3266:
"Benjamin Sparks was born about 1860. He married Jane Dobbins an dthey
had four children according to a descendant.
(1) Solomon Sparks married to Ida Wells.
(2) Winfield Sparks married Florence Swan (Swaim)
(3) Elizabeth Sparks married Hubert Roberts
(4) Lavina Sparks married T. F. Pardue.

!COINCIDENCES:
Between March 16, 1995 and March 31, 1995, Ellen and I flew to Baltimore,
Maryland for a family history vacation. We travelled through Maryland to
Queen Anne's County, St. Mary's County, Charles County, and Frederic kCounty to
visit the various areas in which my ancestors had lived. We followe dthe maps
provided by the Sparks Family Association and were able to find SPARKS MILL
ROAD in Queen Anne's County MD., and visit the site of the farm of William
Sparks (d. 1801/1802).
We drove to North Carolina and visited the Forks of the Yadkin an dtried to
locate the last homesites of Joseph's son Solomon, William Sample an dhis son
William and others near the town of Cycle. In spite of the detaile dmap which
was provided on the cover of the Quarterly, Whole No. 154, we could not find
any such town. We pulled into a small grocery store on Highway 421 and asked
for help. The proprietor and a young male customer had not heard o fCycle
although they had a road map showing the place nearby! They suggested that we
drive 1/2 mile south to the county line and turn east for a few hundred yards
where we would come to Old Highway 421 and a few houses.
We drove as instructed and came to another small grocery store alo nenear
the intersection with some houses in the surrounding area. I went i nand asked
for help finding Cycle. The lady said that "this" used to be Cycle but that it
had been assimilated by Hamptonville, North Carolina, 27020. I sai dI was
researching my family history and she asked me my name. When I tol dher she
said "I'm a Sparks." I was quite amazed and, frankly, a little thrilled. She
also became quite interested as her son and grandson showed up. The ytook us
in the back where their home was located and I hooked up my laptop computer
trying to find her oldest known relative, her great-grandfather, Benjamin M.
Sparks.
Unfortunately, I did not have this Benjamin listed. I had input i ntomy
computer long ago, his father Solomon (RIN 2185) and had simply listed
Solomon's four children in his notes. Thus Benjamin did not respon dto a
search. I asked the lady, Barbara (Sparks) Pinnix, to write down th enames
of her relatives and I promised to look them up when I got home. I spent about
an hour without success. One week after we returned home, I tried again and
found this family. I entered this Benjamin, and his four children listed in
page 3266 of the quarterly, and listed by Barbara Pinnix, including her
grandfather, Marcus Winfield Sparks, married to Florence Swaim. The yare shown
in the quarterly as Winfield Sparks, married to Florence Swan.
The son of Barbara, whose name I failed to note, guided us to a nearby
cemetary where we were able to get pictures of the gravestones of "M .W.
Sparks, 1/2/1889 - 8/28/40 and D. F. (Swaim) Sparks, 11/15/1888 - 1/24/1980."
I quickly wrote Barbara Pinnix the news and ordered for her a cop y ofThe
Sparks Quarterly for September 1988.

.

!NOTES:
See notes for her grandfather Benjamin Sparks regarding personal meeting
with this lady!

SQ p. 4559:

"Benjamin W. ("Benny") Sparks, son of Martin and Rachel (Marrs)Sparks, was born about 1837 in Illinois. He was married to SophroniaSmith on February 13, 1862, in Hempstead County, Arkansas. Two weekslater, on February 13, 1862, he was enrolled at Centerville, Arkansas,by Thomas Rector to serve in Company G, King's Regiment ArkansasInfantry, Confederate States Army, for twelve months. In May 1862,King's Regiment was reorganized into the 20th Regiment ArkansasInfantry. Benny Sparks was promoted to the rank of corporal on Jun20, 1862. He was present for duty on the muster rool and was listedas a teamster. On the muster roll for January-February 1863, he wasreported as "absent- sick" at Carrollton, Mississippi. He apparentlydied shortly thereafter. His widow, Sophronia (Smith) Sparks, wasmarried (second) to Francis M. Wallace on September 20, 1865, inHempstead County, Arkansas."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1997, Whole No. 179, p 4865:
"Bennett Franklin "Frank" Sparks was born on March 4, 1869. He wasmarried twice. His first marriage was to Matilda Jane Sparks about1889. She had been born on October 9, 1871, and was a daughter ofLevi J. and Mary (Gambill) Sparks. She and Frank lived in LawrenceCounty, probably near her parents, and they had seven children beforeshe died about 1901 from tuberculosis. (Names children). (See page4640 of the June 1996 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 174, for anarticle about this couple.)
"After the untimely death of Matilda Jane, Frank Sparks was married(second) to Sarah (Rowe/Roe) Marshall on August 9, 1902, in ElliottCounty. She was a daughter of Lorenzo Rowe/Roe and had been marriedto a man named Marshall by whom she had had two children, AmandaMarshall and Nancy Marshall. Frank and Sarah lived on White Creek fora while, but eventually they moved to Greenup County, Kentucky, wherethey lived near the village of South Portsmouth. They had fourchildren. (here names). Frank Sparks died on February 25, 1963, andSarah Sparks died on February 11, 1965."

SQ pg 2630: She was reared by her aunt Mary Ann (Sparks) Hanes . Shemarried William Stonebreaker. Their photograph is on page 2629.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriageinformation from Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
Bethena Sparks & David Curnutte, September 27, 1855. (Book II, p. 96)

SQ p. 4642:
"Bethany Sparks, daughter of Garrett and Betsy (Boggs) Sparks, wasborn about 1836. She was married to David Curnutte on September 27,1853, in Lawrence County. He had been born about 1834 and was a sonof Reuben ["Bobby"] and Zilpha (Holbrook) Curnutte. When the 1860census was taken of Lawrence County, David and Bethany were shown withtwo children; there may have been others born to them later. We haveno further information about this family."

.
!NOTES:
SQ 4068: She was married to Robert T. Hudson on June 23 1955, an dthey had two children, Richard and Randy.

.

!NOTES:
SPARKS QUARTERLY June 1985, Whole No. 130, DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM
SPARKS (1761-1848), pg 2749:

"Beverly Edgar ("Bedd") Sparks, son of James Hawkins and Elizabeth(McKnight) Sparks, was born on April 25, 1858, near Waco. He wasreared and educated in Texas and spent seven years at TrinityUniversity in Limestone County which at that time was located atTehuacana. It was probably there that he met annie Lelia Jones, andthey were married in Limestone County on June 22, 1880. She was bornon December 24, 1860, at Kosse, Texas, and was a daughter of S. M.Jones, a native of Alabama.

"Following his marriage, Bedd Sparks returned to his boyhood home inMcLennan County where he managed his parents' farm until about 1891 .In 1892, he was elected clerk of Texas District No. 19, and, in 1893,he was elected clerk of Texas District No. 54. He held thesepositions for four years. Subsequently he was engaged in the cottonbusiness in Waco until 1901 when he sold his farms in McLennan Countyand moved to Stamford , Texas. There he entered into a law partnershipwith Judge L. M. Buie and formed one of the strongest land agencies inJones County.

"Annie (Jones) Sparks died on March 27, 1912, at Stamford. BeddSparks survived her many years, dying on May 21, 1938. They were theparents of seven children.

(1) Edgar Milton Sparks was born on April 14, 1881. He died in 1884;
(2) James Albert Sparks was born on March 19, 1883. He married EthelFanning;
(3) Erin Franlin Sparks wasa born on March 21, 1885;
(4) Anna Lelia Sparks was born on December 16, 1889;
(5) Rupert Trevlyn Sparks was born on December 16, 1889;
(6) Leslie Steinbeck Sparks was born on April 25, 1892;
(7) Perry Hawkins Sparks was born on August 10, 1898. He marriedFrieda Chastain on October 11, 1936."

!NOTES:
SQ 2524: "Birdie Ellen Sparks, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Morgan)
Sparks, was born on February 21, 1880, in Texas. She married Herber tReynolds
and they had a daughter, Birdie Reynolds, who married Thurman Wilde r(the son
of Birdie Ellen's sister Alice Irene Sparks (756), Thurman being Birdie
Reynolds' first cousin. Thurman and Birdie had one child, T. C. Wilder."
A wedding picture of Thurman and Birdie Ellen (Sparks) Wilder appe arson
page 3313 of the QUARTERLY.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3403: They had four children: Harold, John, Emojean, and Dorothy Skaggs.