.

!NOTES:
Married Richard Gray 27 Dec 1813.

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S.A. p g 40:
"Mary, born February 1, 1773; married Henry Hudson Wathen about 1798, as
his second wife."
See THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA by Hughes
Spalding, FHL 929.273Sp18sg at page 23:
"(2) Mary Spalding Wathen--(1773-1847)
"She was the second child of her parents, born February 1, 1773, a nd
died January 24, 1847. She married Henry Hudson Wathen April 14, 179 8.
Both were born in St. Mary's County, Maryland. They lived near Calva ry,
Kentucky, and both are buried in the Calvary Cemetary. Henry Hudson
Wathen was a farmer and a distiller. They had eight children."

.

!NOTES:
Children presented the last will of Mary's father Basil Spalding t ocourt
which will was probated on November 15, 1828 including a Mary Clement swhich
may have been this Mary's married name.

.

!NOTES:
From THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . at
page 16:
"Mary Ann, b. ca. 1740; m. Abell McGill; d. ca. 1767. They ha d a son,
Thomas, untraced. A Thomas McGill was one of the Catholic pioneers of
KY (Webb)."

.

!NOTES:
From THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . at
page 39: "Married [her uncle] Henry Spalding q.v." (See Rin 1201 fo rfull notes)

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S.A .pg 61:
"MARY ELIZABETH SPALDING born Sep 18, 1819; died Feb 29, 1848; a Visitation
nun at the Convent of the Visitation, Baltimore. Mary Elizabeth wa sknown
as Sister Mary Agnes Spalding, recieved habit on Jul 2, 1840, aged 1 7yrs,
5 mos.; professed on Aug 16, 1841.

.
!NOTES:
According to a comment in THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCK YAND
GEORGIA (see note under Richard Spalding) Richard had five children b yhis
marriage to Henrietta Thompson and three by his subsequent marriage to
Mary (Charlton) Adams Spalding. Thus it is possible that this Mary J ane
Spalding may be the daughter of Mary Spalding rather than Henrietta Thomp-
son.

.
!WILL:
See INDEX OF WILLS ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD., FHL 975.241s2H:
"Oct 2, 1803 SPALDING MICHAEL Liber JJ, No. 3, Pg 29
Wife Susanna, Child Thomas Spalding, Fr., also names William Spald ing,
son of John Spalding, "of James"." FHL 014426(3).
There is no further information indicating that the above will wa sthat of
Michael Spalding (1185) son of John (1173). John did have a brothe rJames
(1175) and a brother William (1178). It is not known what was mean t bythe
expression "of James" in this context.

.
!NOTES:
THOMAS JENKINS, pg 117: "Nancy Spalding - married Carlos de Garmen dia;
Children:
1. John Basil Spalding m. Mary Jeness;
2. Anetta Theresa Spalding;
3. Carlos M. Spalding m. Eva Grace Myers;
4. Miriah Josephina Spalding;
5. Martin John Spalding;
6. Prospero Spalding;
7. Maria de la Caridad;
8. Thomas Meredith Spalding;
9. Marie Rose Spalding;
10. America Theresa Spalding;
11. Bridget Spalding.

.
!NOTES:
Norma Spalding is shown as a child of George and Margaret Spaldin g on
a family history in a file on FHL 985191.

.

NOTES:
A note summarizing the account of Peter Spalding was found in a
genealogy file submitted to the Family History Library in Salt Lake
by Charles Wimsatt (FHL 985191):
Peter Spalding's Account by Elizabeth Spalding, Administrator:
July 21, 1741 L205-0-0
1/3 to widow
Orphans:
Thomas Spalding
Peter Spalding
James Spalding
Michael Spalding
Edmund Spalding
Catherine Spalding
Catherine Anderson
Mary Spalding
Elizabeth Spalding
Surities: Samuel Belwood and William Spalding, Son of John of St. Mar y'sCo.
Account 1741 St. Mary's, Liber 18, folio 277, Annapolis, MD.
A note regarding the possible descendant of Peter Spalding was fou nd
in the INDEX OF WILLS ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD.; FHL 975.241s2H:
"Nov 1, 1829 SPALDING HENRY of Peter, Folio EIM, No. 1, pg 135.
Leaves all to niece Jane Heard, then her daughter, Jane Margaret Hear d."

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S.A. a t pg64:
"RICHARD SPALDING: Born April 16, 1777; married (1) Henrietta Hamilt on,
born May 13, 1781; died December 15, 1815; married (2) Henrietta Thompson;
married (3) Mary (Charlton) Adams. Richard had about twenty-two chil d-
ren altogether, so there must have been about six more (than those li sted
here) who probably died in infancy. One of his sons was the Archbish op
of Baltimore, one was a priest, one was a father of the bishop of Peo ria,
and several were members of the Kentucky State Legislature."
See THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA by Hughes
Spalding, FHL 929.271Sp18sg at page 51:
"Richard Spalding was the oldest son of Alethaire and Benedict Spalding,
Jr. He was born in St. Mary's County, Maryland, April 16, 1777, an d died
September 7, 1850, at his home on the Rolling Fork River near Lebanon,
(Marion County) Kentucky.
He was married three times, and according to my records of the family,
had 16 children. However, his grandson, Bishop John Lancaster Spaldi ng,
in his life of his uncle, Archbishop Martin John Spalding, states that
Richard Spalding had 21 children. HIs first wife was Henrietta Hamil ton
(1780-1815), a daughter of Leonard and Nancy (McAtee) Hamilton, who m he
married July 25, 1801. She died December 13, 1815, in her 35th year . She
and Richard had eight children, all of whom lived to maturity excep t the
first child John, who died at the age of one year.
Richard Spalding is said to have been the wealthiest, the most di s-
tinguished, the smartest and the handsomest son of Benedict and Alethaire.
He was exceedingly industrious, very strong in mind and body, and was
generally a great success. He was a farmer, an auctioneer, sheriff,
public administrator and guardian, a merchant and a banker.
He was a faithful member of the Catholic Church, and was a grea t be-
liever in education. He send his children to the best and most expensiveschools, both at home and abroad, and was a very rich man for hi stime.
After his death, each of his children is said to have received $10,00 0 in
money and property from his estate. This was "big" money in those da ys.
When Henrietta died, her oldest living child Ann was 12 years o f age,
her son Martin John was five, and Clement, the youngest, was one. Th ere
were seven surviving children, ranging in ages from 12 to one.
They were fortunate in having their paternal grandmother, AlethaireAbel Spalding, wife of Benedict Spalding, Jr., the Kentucky pionee r of
the family, living on an adjoining plantation. She was well educated,
very devout, and was a woman of much energy and determination.
She took these seven children in hand, and as long as she lived , with
the help of their father and step-mother, undertook their secular and
religious training. All were faithful to their religion. The two gi rls,
Ann and Julia, became nuns of Loretto. Two of the five sons, Marti n John
and Benedict Joseph, became priests. Two sons married sisters. Leon ard
married Catherine Lancaster; Richard married Mary Jane Lancaster, who
became the mother of Bishop John Lancaster Spalding. The other son,
Clement went to New Orleans, Louisiana, to study law. He died there,
unmarried, at the age of 23."
op.cit. pg 72, "This common ancestor was Benedict Spalding, Jr. , the
Kentucky pioneer of our family who, with his family, emigrated to the
Rolling Fork settlement in 1791. Benedict had six sons, the oldest
five born in Maryland, the youngest born in Kentucky as follows:
I. Richard Spalding (April 16- 1777--September 7, 1850). He wa s the
father of Archbishop Martin John Spalding and the grandfather of Arch-
bishop John Lancaster Spalding.
See THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA from 1658
to 1965, FHL 929.273 Sp18sg V.1.2 pg 23:
"He was married three times. His first wife was Henrietta Hamilto n.
Richard and Henrietta had eight children. His second wife was Henrie tta
Thompson. They had five children. His third wife was Mrs. Mary Adam s,
whose maiden name was Mary Charlton. They had three children. (Acco rd-
ing to records which the author has, Richard Spalding had sixteen children,
although his grandson Bishop John Lancaster Spalding, states in his l ife
of Archbishop Spalding, that Richard had twenty-one children."

.

!NOTES:
See THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA by Hughes
Spalding, FHL 929.273Sp18sg, page 63:
"Richard Marcus Spalding was the fifth child of Richard and Henrie tta
Hamilton Spalding, born June 7, 1808, at the family home near Lebanon,
Kentucky. He was an older brother of Bishop Martin John Spalding and,
like him, attended the Catholic Colleges at Lebanon and Bardstown. On
July 22, 1839, he married that talented young lady, Mary Jane Lancast er,
daughter of John and Catherine Miles Lancaster. The Lancaster family
was a noted one, and short accounts of a number of them will be given
in these sketches.
Richard was ambitious and diligent, and was prominent in busines s and
political affairs in Marion County. He served with distinction, both
in the House of Representatives and in the State Senate. He died
September 24, 1883.
Mary Jane, his wife, was born May 25, 1816, near Loretto, Kentucky,
and died August 11, 1895. She was beloved by all and brought great
credit to her family and to her Church.
Richard and Mary Jane had nine children. Both are interred in the
Catholic Cemetary in Lebanon, which was presented to the Church by
Richard's uncle, Benedict Spalding III."

.

!CENSUS:
US Census, 1870, Union County, KY.
SPALDING, Robert A., 38 (probably 48), farmer, assets, real prop:
$16,000; personal prop: $3,800; born KY; Wife Ellen M., 36 (probably
46); born KY; Mary A., 21, born KY; Annie, 19, born KY; Jane T., 17,
born KY; Ellen, 15, KY; Susan, 13, born KY; Kate, 7, born KY; Robert
A. 4, born KY.

!NOTES:
See HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY, KY. Published in 1886 FHL 976.9885H2h,
pps 475-477: "ROBERT ABELL SPALDING. The gentleman whose name heads
this article was born in a room of a building now occupied by Mr. Jam es
W. Walker known as the leading hotel in Morganfield, on the 6th day
of January, 1822. He is one of those reserved, modest, good men of
whom it is hard to write, from the fact of a latent diffidence on his
part to give any history or sketch of himself. He is one of those pl ain,
unassuming, honest men, fashioned after the earlier people, of whom it
can be said, they were brave, and honest and true, both to their own
kith and kin and to their friends. This much by way of introduction.
The following sketch will begin by saying he was a son of Ignatius A.
Spalding and Jane Pottenger, both of whom came to Union County from
Nelson County, at an early date. Both father and mother were natives
of Maryland. His father, I. A. Spalding, was born May 5, 1790, and
in the fall of the same year was brought by his father (Benedict J.
Spalding-1141) from Maryland to Kentucky, and located in (what is now)
Washington County. For a number of years the grandfather of our subj ect
served as Deputy Sheriff of his county, and upon several occasions
flat-boated it to New Orleans, and after disposing of his produce and
merchandise, would and did, return overland through the Indian Nation
on foot.
Richard Spalding, a brother of the grandfather of our subject was
a Revolutionary soldier, and was wounded at and died after the battle
of Yorktown. Another brother, George, came to Union County, after
having fought in the Revolutionary War. His grandfather, Samuel Pott-
enger, on his mother's side, came to Kentucky in 1778, a boy, and
settled in Nelson County, on a Creek, which was ever afterwards known
as Pottenger's Creek. The families were largely connected, both in
their native state and in this state. Lieut. Governor Caldwell of
Kentucky, was a near relative, as well as other distinguished people.
Our subject first attended the common schools of his county, and at
the age of fourteen was sent to St. Mary's College where he remained
six months, at the end of which time he entered St. Joseph's College,
Bardstown, Kentucky, where he recieved a collegiate education, includ-
ing a classical course, after a period of four and one-half years
study. Governor Lazarus W. Powell and George Alfred Caldwell, two
distinguished Kentuckians, graduated at this school, and a few year
before Mr. Spalding. Judge Ben P. Cissell and Hon. John C. Atkenson
of Henderson, were classmates of his in 1841. Having completed his
education, the young graduate took the world easy for a time, studying
law (!!?). The law had no charms for him, so in 1845 he settled in
Henderson, Ky., and during that year and the next, lived there.
During his residence in Henderson, he married Miss Ellen Lancaster,
of Marion County, Ky. Shortly after marriage he returned to Union
and sold goods for a time in Morganfield--say three years-- and then
directed his attention to farming. (For further history of his
business life, and that of his ancestry, see the history of Samuel
P. Spalding, pg 478)
By his marriage, our subject became the father of eight children--
Mary A., Annie, Jane T., Ellen, Susan, Elizabeth, Kate and Robert A.
Two of this number are now dead, to wit: Susan and Elizabeth. Two
years ago Mr. Spalding sold his magnificant farm of five hundred and
ten acres of land lying on the Henderson Road, and on the first day
of January, 1884, gave possession and moved into the town of Morgan-
field. His wife had died and life was a dreary thing to him, so far
out from friends and acquaintances. Since her death he has busied
himself more in shaping his affairs, than in carrying on business.
He is now the owner of seven hundred acres of river bottom land, and
three hundred acres of hill land. At the solicitation of many friends
in the county, he permitted himself to become a candidate to repre-
sent Union in the Legislature of the State, and after a spirited
canvass, was elected over his competitor, Willis Gardener. The quest-
ion at issue between the two, was one at the time, embarassing to
most Kentuckians. The election was held in 1861, and at that time
Kentucky took the position of avowed neutrality--a most foolish
stand. Mr. Gardiner favored this proposition, while Mr. Spalding
favored the State Rights doctrine, or Democratic doctrine of letting
the people do as they pleased in matters so momentous. His consti-
tuency decided in his favor--they sustained him and he served them
faithfully in the Legislature of 1861-62. He has never held an office
since nor before, and has no aspirations to hold another. He was
born and baptised a Catholic, and has, during life, remained a stead-
fast member. No man in the county enjoys to a greater extent the
confidence of the people."
See also COLONIAL FAMILIES OF THE UNITED STATES, MacKenzie; Vol. 1 , pg599

CENSUS:
US CENSUS, 1870, Morganfield, Union Co., KY.
SPALDING, Samuel P., 44, male, white, farmer; assets: real property$10,000, personal property $4,000, born KY; wife Annie, 38, white,female, born SC; Alathaire, 19, born KY; John H., 18, farmhand, born KY;Margaret, 16, born KY; William, 11, born KY; Samuel, 7, born KY; Kate, 4,born KY; Emma, 1, born KY.

NOTES:
See HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY, KY. published in 1886, FHL 976.9885H2h Pg478-482: "SAMUEL P. SPALDING was born in the town of Morganfield, UnionCounty, Ky., on the 28th day of September, 1825, in a room of the hotelnow occupied by James Walker. His father was a merchant, and at thattime sold goods in the front room, while the rear room was used as aresidence. Mr. Spalding was mostly educated in schools of his nativecounty, but spent eight months of study during a portion of 1836-37, atSt. Joseph's College, and five months at Mount Mareno. While hiseducation was not a classical one, yet by hard study, close application,and a strict regard for the rules and discipline of his teachers andpreceptors, he gained a good education. His insight into all athat wasnecessary to carry him through the world, was sufficient for the times,and today he is one of the most intelligent men in the state.
In October, 1847, Mr. Spalding went to Henderson, Ky., and enteredinto a partnership with David H. Cowan and his (Samuel's) brother RobertA. Spalding, under the firm name of Cowan, Spalding & Co. This firm, fora number of years, did a large dry goods business. On the 6th day ofJanuary, 1850, Mr. Spalding married Miss Margaret Hanly, of JessaminCounty, Ky., unto whom three children were born,
namely: John Hanly, Allie Thaire and Margaret--all are now living andmarried. In 1855, in the City of Henderson, Ky., Mrs. Spalding died. Onthe 5th day of april, 1855, Mr. Spalding again married, this time to MissAnnie Barry, of Cincinnati, a most lovable lady, and a native ofColumbia, South Carolina. By this marriage he be-
came the father of five children, all living and named as follows:William, Samuel, Ignatius, Emma and Benedict. In February, 1853, Mr.Spalding returned to Union County from Henderson, and after remaining ayear, went back to Henderson, and re-entry into commercial circles, heentered into a partnership with D. H. Unsett and Thomas Chapman, underthe firm name of Spalding, Unsett & Co. for the pur-
pose of carrying on a large grocery trade. After the organization of thefirm, a large store room was rented, a large stock of goods purchased,and for several years a magnificant business carried on.
During the years 1850, ཯ and ཰, Mr. Spalding was associated witha large New Orleans commission house under the firm name of Cowan, Dykers& Spalding, his brother Robert Spalding, being one of the firm. Thesubject of this sketch gave but little attention to the affairs of thefirm; in fact he was in New Orleans but once
during the whole time it did business there. During Mr. Spalding'sresidence in Henderson, he took an active interest in the growth of theplace, aiding by his personal influence and pecuniary competency, everyenterprise calculated in any way to benefit the town. He tooka n activeinterest in the building of the Henderson & Nashville RR, and in buildingthe Gas Works. His work, with that of others
associated with him, has culminated in a blessing to the City ofHenderson, and in the completion of both enterprises, and that cityrecognizes the good done in the days long gone by, when the subject ofthis sketch was one of the most active participants in the advancement ofits welfare. In addition to this, he with other capitalists, believingin the ultimate building of the Henderson and Nashville RR purchased anemmense body of coal lands in Hopkins County along side of the surveyedline of the railroad. An organization was formed under the name of theHopkins Mastodon Coal Company, and a large amount of stock given to eachmember. A short time before
the completion of the road, a company of Eastern Kentucky and Tennesseecapitalists purchased a majority of the stock of the Mastodon Company,chartered it under the name of the "St. Bernard Coal and Mining Company."This is now one of the largest mining corporations in the United States.Mr. Spalding remained a member of the new organization up to two yearsago, when he sold his stock and dissolved his conneciton with it.
About fourteen years ago, he became a member of the firm of J. M.Lancaster & Co. and for three years operated the large distillery nearUniontown, Ky. The capacity of this house was twenty barrels offorty-five gallons per day and, under the personal supervision of Mr.Spalding, made money. He applied his whole time to the business, leavinghis home and family on Monday morning early, to return again Saturdaynight. His life during this time was much after the fashion of males inold slave times: going to his wife's house on Saturday night; and yet henever grumbled, but with the consciousness of a duty imposed, worked withunremitting zeal for the interest of himself and co-partners.
Politically speaking, our subject has never had any aspirations. Forseven or eight years he served his county as Magistrate, and once he wascalled to accept the Senatorship of his Senatorial District, butrefused. He has all of his life been a steadfast, unflinching Democrat,and has gone through many heated political cam-
paigns, but a desire for office has never been one of hischaracteristics. In his infancy he was baptized a Catholic, and hasremained a steadfast member of that church to this day. (Here is familyhistory that is included under his father's notes.)
The subject of this sketch is of fine physique, a magnifficentgentleman, and is happy in the bosom of his splendid family. He is theowner of 280 acres of very fine land, all of which, except twenty acres,are in a high state of cultivation. He is a large
grower of wheat, corn and tobacco, having garnered this year (1884) 1,700bushels of the former; is a large raiser of cattle and hogs, which nethim a fine profit. He is a fine farmer, a man of enlarged experience,and one held high in esteem wherever he is known. His farm lies fivemiles from Morganfield on the Waverly Road."

See also COLONIAL FAMILIES OF THE UNITED STATES,(1607-1920), Mackenzie,George Norbury, Vol 2, , Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. 1907, pg599. This article states that he served one term in the KentuckyLegislature.

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . pg62:
"SAMUEL S. SPALDING born 1805; married February 8, 1831; Eliza E. Abe ll,
born about 1811; died July 15, 1866. (Citing Spalding Memorial, p. 99 1)
Children:
i. Felix French, born 1832; died May 18, 1881; married January 25,
1859; Regina Harriett Simms, born Mar 1828; died Nov. 12, 1919, buried
Mt. Olivet, D.C.
ii. John Thomas, (to page 96) born March 30, 1843; near Leonardstow n;
died July 24, 1892, of typhoid fever at Leonardstown; married Januar y 241871;
Emma Johnson Heard, born July 29, 1853; she was the daughter of Jame s M.
Heard and Sarah Ann Spalding, (daughter of Thomas (1275) Emma was Joh n's
first coursin, once removed). He graduated from the Maryland Univers ity
Medicine, at Baltimore in 1865, and became one of the most successful
physicians in Southern Maryland (citing Spalding Memorial, pg 922).
Here lists their children Mary Emma, R. Lila, E. Bernadette, T.
Foley, J. Tiffany, A. Louise, M. Kathleen and John Thomas Spalding."
iii. Samuel E. born 1836; died 1899; married Caroline Simms, born 1 838;
died 1923.
iv. Daniel, born 1841; died May 21, 1899; in D.C.; married Decembe r 10,
1867, Elizabeth Olivia Cryer.
v. Elizabeth, died young."

.

!NOTES:
From THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S. A.at page
38: "B. ca. 1736; d. ca. 1776; m. ca. 1760; Edward Abel of St. Mary' sCounty,
d. ca. 1807. Clements says she m. Samuel Abell the Fourth but this i snot
true. The Abels were originally a Protestant family from St. Mary' sCounty
and most of their births are recorded in the register of St. Andrew' sEpisco-
pal Church there. Through intermarriage with Catholic families, man ybranches
of the Abell family have become Catholic. Edward and Susannah (Spald ing)
Abell had six children whose births were all registered at St. Andrew 's
Church. This does not mean or indicate that they were Protestants, b utonly
that they conformed to the law requiring registration of all births i nthe
local Anglican parish church. Many Catholics did this to avoid troub le.
Many other Catholics refused to do it, and their records are conseque ntly
very incomplete.
Mrs. Susannah (Spalding) Abell d. young. On November 7, 1778, Edw ard
Abell m. Statia (Anastasia) Taylor and had three more children. Tw o ofthem
married back into the Spalding family."

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A .pg. 62:
"SYLVESTER SPALDING born about 1810, died January 6, 1852; married (1 )Feb.
17, 1835; Mary Ann Tennison; married (2) January 14, 1845; Ellen Davis
born about 1826. Children (1) i. John Oscar born 1836; died Oct 27, 1 858;
ii. Jane Pam, born 1837, died young; (2) iii Cornelius Briscoe born 1 845,
iv. Elizabeth Rebecca, born 1847; died 1869; married Sep 24, 1867, Ed win
I. Thompson."

.

!NOTES:
Taken from "THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA " byHughes Spalding. FHL US/CAN 929.273 Sp18sg; pps 11-12:
"There is no record of any person by the name of Spalding in Maryl and
prior to June 21, 1659. On that date John Shercliffe demanded one hundred
acres of land for having brought Thomas Spalding into the province .(Early
Settlers, Liber 4 folio 29 Land Office.) This Thomas Spalding is the
founder of the Maryland Spaldings. He was born in England about 164 0 and
came to Maryland about 1658. He was undoubtedly closely related to S her-
cliffe or to his wife; for when Shercliffe made his will December 2 ,1661, he
gave his relative, Thomas Spalding, fifty acres of land. (Baldwin wi lls
Volume 1, page 24.) After Shercliffe's death in 1663, Thomas seems t ohave
continued to reside with his (Shercliffe's) widow, Ann, until 1667, w henon
March 22nd of that year one hundred and sixteen acres of land was surveyed
for Thomas Spalding. He called this tract of land "St. Giles." He married
Catherine Hall before July 27, 1674, as Catherine, wife of Thomas Spalding,
proved on that date her right to fifty acres of land for her servic e inthis
province under John Jarboe. So, it would seem that Thomas and Cather ine
were married about 1673. We know her name was Hall for on January 14,
1668 Jarboe had her age judged in the Provincial Court as per the following:
"The age of Catherine Hall, servant to Lt. Col. John Jarboe, was judg edthat
she served the said Jarboe or his assigns until she arrive at the ag e of
22 years. (Md. Arch. No 57, page 232, Provencial Court Proceedings
1667/68)."
Thomas and Catherine prospered in their new home. Thomas alread y had
obtained two hundred and fifty acres of land before he received the f ifty
acres that was awarded to Catherine. In addition to the one hundred
and sixteen acres called "St. Giles," Thomas in 1688 acquired one hundred and
nine additional acres called "Williams Hermitage."
There is no record when he or Catherine died. He witnessed the wi llof
John Davis February 2, 1690. On July 28, 1698, he appeared in Court
to prove the will of Davis. In March, 1710, he sold forty-two acres
of "Spalding Addition" to his son William, no wife signing the deed . So
Catherine must had died before this date. This is the last record of
Thomas. He probably died about 1713. Since he died intestate, it is
difficult to say how many children he had. However, we know he had at
least five sons, namely, John, William, Thomas, Peter and Charles."
(Note below that the fifth son is not Charles but Edward)
See also at page 249 (op.cit.): "Thomas Spalding, born c. 1640, ca meto
the Catholic Colony in Maryland bout 1658. John Shercliffe, a relative,most likely by marriage, paid his expenses to the colony and, as w asthe
custom, Thomas became his apprentice or bondservant and worked for him
and his wife for the allotted time, probably six years. Shercliffe
accumulated an estate in land and at his death in 1663 left a tract of
land to Thomas and he, Thomas, continued to reside with Shercliffe's
widow, who was, we believe, closely related to him.
"About 1674 Thomas married Catherine Hall, who had been in the ser-
vice of John Jarboe. Thomas worked hard and prospered.
"In those early colonial days, and for a long time thereafter,
wealth was represented chiefly by the ownership of land. Both Thomas
and his wife were alloted tracts of land for services rendered in the
colony. Thomas named one of his farms "St. Giles," and another which
he purchased was called "William's Hermitage." And still another tra ct
was named "Spalding's Addition." He was known to be alive in 1710 wh en
he sold part of Spalding's Addition to his son William. It is presum ed
that his wife Catherine was dead at that time because she did not join
in the deed. Thomas died about 1713 and unfortunately did not leave a
will. On this account, it is difficult to say how many children he h ad.
It is definitely known, however, that he and Catherine had at least f ive
sons. There also may have been daughters, but there is no way to tra ce
them. The names of the sons were John, William, Thomas, Peter and Ed-
ward."
The Patent (Deed) to the 42 acre plot called "Spalding Addition" is
found in Liber 15, Folio 260, Land Office, Annapolis, MD, and is dated
August 4, 1674. It reads:
"By virtue of a warrant granted out of his Lordship's Secretary's
Office unto Thomas Spalding bearing date 27 of July, these are in hum ble
manner to certify that I, Richard Edelen, deputy surveyor under Baker
Brooke Esq. surveyor general laid out for the said Spalding part of t he
land specified in the Warrant called Spaldings Addition lying in Saint
Maries County beginning at a bounded Chestnut oake the bount tree o f the
said Spaldings and Lewis Tapper standing South South East two hundred
and fifty perches to a bound red oake North East six perches to a bou nd
white oake of the said Tapper thence binding upon Tapper land to the
first containing forty two acres more or less. To be held in the Man nour
of West St. Maries. S/ Richard Edelen, Deputy Surveyor."
From THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S .A,
at page 5 we find "Ann Jenkins married William Spalding, born 1678; d ied
1740; a son of Thomas and Katherine Spalding, also of Charles County."
At page 317, "SPALDING - The name of Spalding appears in Englis hhistory
as early as the reign of King Ethelbald (A.D. 716-757). In a royal charter
which established the monastery of Crowland (Croyland) in Lincolnshir e,the
monastery lands are described as extending in one direction "usque a daedificio
Spalding". According to the 14th edition of the Encyclopedia Britann ica,
there are no traces of a settlement called Spaulding in Lincolnshir euntil
late Saxon times. It seems likely, however, that the present-day tow n of
Spalding was preceded by a Saxon village of that name which was in ex ist-
ence prior to the establishment of the Prior of Spalding in 1051 by Thorold
the Sheriff. In Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, the village or manor
Spalding is listed as belonging to one Ivo de Taillebois.
"As a partonymic, the name of Spalding has been in use since the 1 3th
century or earlier, as is evidenced by a sale of land in the year 126 7 to
John de Spalding, a burgess of Lenn (modern day King's Lynn) in Norfo lk-
shire. Thereafter, the name of Spalding is encountered repeatedly i nNOr-
folkshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk and Scotland. It is not clear, howe ver,
whether all these Spaldings were descended from the same person. Th eScot-
tish Spaldings, in particular, may have had their ancestral roots in a
place other than Lincolnshire.
"The first major effort to trace the genealogies of Spalding famil ies
in the United States was undertaken by the Rev. Samuel J. Spalding o fNew-
buryport, Massachusetts. In 1872 he published a book of 1,275 page sunder
the title of THE SPALDING MEMORIAL. A revision of this book was undertaken
by Charles Warren Spalding, a resident of Chicago, and published in 1 897.
The two authors trace the origins of many Spaldings in America to Edw ard
and Edmund Spalding, who are presumed to have been brothers and who c ameto
Virginia about 1619 and were living there in 1623. Sometime prior t o1640,
Edward Spalding, his wife and two children went to Massachusetts wher ethey
became progenitors of a very large Protestant Spalding lineage. Wha tbecame
of Edmund Spalding is unknown. (The revised edition of The Spaldin gMemorial
suggests incorrectly that he moved to Maryland and became the ancesto rsof
the Maryland Spaldings.)
"Mr. J. W. S. Clements, a prominent lawyer in Kentucky and great-great-
grandson of Benedict Joseph Spalding, who migrated from Maryland to Kentucky
in 1790, was the first person to undertake a major study of the Maryl and
Spaldings. After retiring from the active profession of the law in 1 919,
he devoted the rest of his long life to travel and to genealogical research.
His book, THE ORIGIN OF THE CLEMENTS, SPALDINGS AND ALLIED FAMILIES O FMARY-
LAND AND KENTUCKY, was published in 1928 and later expanded. Mr. Clements
showed that the Maryland Spaldings are descended from Thomas Spaldin g who
came to Maryland in 1657 as an indentured servant to his cousin Joh nSher-
cliffe, (Shirtcliffe, Schircliffe, Shirecliffe) and later married Katherine
Hall.
"Other persons who have done extensive research on the Spaldings include
the late Hughes Spalding of Atlanta, Georgia, who published a two-vol ume
work in 1963-1965 entitled THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY , AND
GEORGIA from 1658 to 1965; Mr. Charles Fenwick of Leonardtown, Maryla nd,
and who was president of the St. Mary's County Historical Society fo r 17
years; and Spalding P. Lally (Mrs. J. M. Lalley) of Baltimore, Maryla nd."

!PROPERTY
Included in a genealogy file found in the Family History Library
(FHL 985191) contributed by Chas. S. Fenwick, Leonardtown, Maryland is
the following Patent issued in 1667 to "St. Giles" to Thomas Spalding:
Thomas Spalding Cert. 116 Acres
St. Giles
Charges to the Rent Roll
Vidi Patt: lib KK fol 206
To the humble Lieutenant General of Maryland
1667
By virtue of a warrant granted out of his Lordships Secretaryes Of fice
unto Thomas Spalding bearing date the tenth of this instance thes e are
in humble manner to Certifie that I Charles Boteler Deputy Surveyor
have laid out for the said Thomas Spalding a parcelle of Land call ed
St. Giles lying in St. Maryes County and beginning at a bounded oke
in a run called Winkapino near the land of Henry Spink and running
South and by West one hundred perches to a white oke bounded on the
West by a line drawn South and by East for the length of one hundr ed
and twenty perches to a marked white oke on a plane and from the s aid
white oke by a line drawn South East and by East one hundred eight yfour
four perches to a beech tree in a swamp caled the main fresh of
Brittons bay and from the said breech by a line drawn North Nort h West
to the first bounded tree in aforesaid Winkipisco Runn containin g and
now laid out for one hundred Sixteen acres more or less to be hel d of
the Mannour of West St. Maries.
C. Botelens Deputy Surveyor
Veinedanda approved by me Jerome White Surveyor General
Copied by Chas. S. Fenwick from Liber 10, folio 536, Patent Records,
Land Office, Annapolis, Maryland.
.
From a book titled Early Settlers, Annapolis (no further identificati on)
located by Chas. Fenwick, we read
Tho. Spalding right to 50 acres and warrant 100 acres May 10, 1667
Came Thomas Spalding and demanded fifty acres of land due to him by
bequest, John Sherclif, deceased) for transporting Elizabeth Abrahams,
Thomas Spalding demans land for his time of Service performed to Ann
Sherclif, proved in common form May the 10, MDC Savy
Philip Calvert
Warrent then issued in the name of Thomas Spalding for fifty acres o fland
due to him by bequest John Sherclife deceased for transporation Eliza beth
Abrahams and fifty acres more for his time of Service performed to Ann
Sherclife and according to his Lordships Instructions Returnable 10 August,
next. 1667.

! From Patricia Doster, Prodigy WKPF87A, "Thos. Spalding Sr. came fr om
Farnham All Saints, Lincolnshire, England."

RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. from the Surname Catalogue, #0211 FHL, Arden, NC
1. A GENEALOGICAL HISTORY OF EDWARD SPALDING OF VA. & MASS BAY CO LONY
& HIS DESCENDANTS, by Charles Warren Spalding, #1036392 item 3, Chica go,
Ill, American Publishers Assn. 1897.
2. ORIGINS OF CLEMENTS-SPALDING AND ALLIED FAMILIES OF MD & KY, by
J.W.S. Clements, Louisville, Standard Press, 1928, #0156896 item 11
3. MARYLAND SPALDINGS-1634-GENEALOGY OF RITTER/SPALDING FAMILY, by
Horace Cost. #0873458 item 6
4. THE MARYLAND SPALDINGS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Wm. Russell
Abell (See also ABELL INDEX FOR OTHER GEN) #1321126, item 10
5. THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MD., KY., & GA. by Hughes Spalding, 165 8-
1965 (see other genealogies by Hughes Spalding) #1036296 items 1 & 2.
6. CLEMENTS/SPALDING: FOUNDING FAMILY OF MD. & KY. by J.W.S. Clem ents
#0874432 item 17
7. HISTORY OF SPALDING FAMILY IN SCOTLAND, SWEDEN, & GERMANY DURI NG
LAST SIX CENTURIES. European Film Area #0282490
8. JOHNSTON & SPALDING FAMILIES OF EASTERN SCOTLAND David & Peter
Spalding (Murray Clan) British Film #0924442 item 2
9. EXCERPTS FROM SPALDING MEMORIAL by C. W. Spalding #1033723 ite m 7
(short version of above paragraph 1)

B. Books in LDS Library in Salt Lake City, UT:
1. Wolff E., THE SPALDINGS IN SCOTLAND 7 BRITISH ISLES (text in G er-
man) 1318-1918 Q Area:929:241 Sp18w
2. SPALDING FAMILY OF MD, KY & GA 1658-1965: A PIONEER CATHOLIC F AM-
ILY 929:273 Sp. 18sg
3. THOMAS HAULTON, 1745-1809, IN CHARLES CO, MD., by Mary Louise
Donnelly 929:273 It18d
4. MARYLAND SPALDINGS by Mary Louise Donnelly 929:273 El22d

C. Films in LDS Library on Census, Deeds:
1. First Census of KY., 1790 by C.B. Heineman #1036803
2. 1850 Census of KY., Campbell Co. #0007848
3. 1820 US Census of Campbell Co., KY #0186180
4. 1820 US Census of Woodford Co., KY #0186189
5. Index to court Records, Fayette Co., KY 1780-1870 #0192237
6. Will Records of Fayette Co., 1794-1818 #1320503
7. Woodford Co., KY., Gen Index to Wills 1789-1960 #0252305
8. Mixed Records of Woodford Co., KY., Vol. E-G 1815-1826, will of
William Spalding p. 250 Book F. #0252307
9. Gen Index to Land & Property, Woodford Co., KY Books 1 & 2, 17 89-
1870 #0252292
10. Tax Records of Washington County by Levi Todd #1320548
11. Wills of Washington Co. by Annie Bell #0855033 item 5 & 6
12. Virginia Research:
Caroline Co., VA., Committee of Safety in Rev. War #090819 0item 6
Virginia Spaldings, 1720-1758, Stafford Co. VA. Overwharton
Parish #0883672

D. Maryland Research
1. Maryland Records: Colonial, Rev., County & Church from Original
Sources by Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, Baltimore Md.
2. 1693 Maryland Records: Broad Creek/Piscataway Parish Records in
Maryland Archives
3. St. Mary's Co., MD, Marriage Licenses, 1777-1801
4. Census of 1776 of MD: see Brumbaugh: enumerates all souls, even
babies, giving ages and ages of all male members.
5. "GAZETTEER OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND: 7th US Census FHL 975:E5 f or
microfilm #896649, item 2
6. Maps: "On the Map, Chestertown, MD, by Russell Morrison, et.al.
Washington College, 1988 FHL 975.2:E7o
7. Cemetary Records: DAR Maryland, DAR Gen. Records Microfilm #908909 it 2
8. "THE HISTORY OF CHARLES COUNTY" by Klapthor & Brown P.D. Brow nPublic
Library, La Plata, MD. 20646 $5.
9. CHARLES COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Southern MD. Studies Center
PO Box 910, Mitchell Rd. La Plata, MD 20646-0910
Phone: 301 934-2551 Ext 610 Hours M/Th 8-10, Fr 8-4.
Documents room M-F 1-4, Sat 9-4.

E. Miscellaneous
1. RHW PHILLIMORE ATLAS & INDEX OF PARISH REGISTERS Edition by Ce cil
Humphrey-Smith 1984 $50 Gen Pub Co for consulting English PAR ISH
registers.
2. A HISTORY OF KY BAPTISTS FROM 1769-1885 by J. H. Spencer, 2 vo l.
Gallatin, TN. $42 per set + postage.
3. CHURCH HISTORY RESEARCH & ARCHIVES, 220 Graystone Drive, Galla tin,
TN., 37066.
4. THE FLOWERING OF THE MARYLAND PALATINATE by Harry Wright Newma n,
196- & 1984, $21.50 includes names of original 1634 expedition.
5. CATHOLIC FAMILIES OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND Records of Catholic Residents
of St. Mary's Co. in the 18th Century by Timothy J. O'Rourke , 1985
pp. 143, $17.50 from Gen. Pub. Co., Inc. 1001 Calvert St. Baltimore
MD., 21202-3897
6. TO MARYLAND FROM OVERSEAS by Harry Wright Newman, 1985, pp 19 0 $20
Gen. Pub. Co.
7. COLONIAL RESIDENTS OF VIRGINIA'S EASTERN SHORE by Wm. R. Houst on &
Jean Mihalyka, 1985, $17.50 (Accomack & Northhampton Co. 1632-1830)
8. MARRIAGES OF LOUDOUN CO. VA., 1757-1853, by Alice Wertz (Loudo nCo.
created fr Fairfax, 1757)
9. RESIDENTS OF NELSON COUNTY, KY (formerly VA) RECORDED IN TAX L ISTS
Vol II by Margaret Johnston Schroeder & Carl op cit 1898, pp 1 66
Index; $35 + $3 mailing from Mrs. Schroeder, P.O. Box 118, 119
Westview Drive, Bardstown, KY 40004.
10. NELSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL ROUND TABLE, INC. Box 409, Bardstow n,KY
11. 1785-1791 RESIDENTS OF NELSON CO. VA (KY) REC IN TITHABLE & TAX
LISTS Vol I by Margaret Johnston Schroeder, 1988, $30 + $3 P O Box
118, 119 Westview Drive. Bardstown, KY., 40004.
12. NELSON COUNTY KY 1810-1840 CENSUS by Rowene Lawson, pp 74, $10 .50
Bowie, MD. Heritage Books, Inc. 1985; order from Heritage Book s,
Inc., 3602 Maureen, Bowie, MD 20715 Note: Nelson from Jefferso n in
1785 began census in 1810
13. HISTORIC SITES OF HARRODSBURG & MERCER CO, Har-Mer Co. Landmar kAssn.
PO Box 362, Harrodsburg, KY 40330. A HISTORY OF MT. STERLING , KY
1792-1918, Carl B. Boyd, Jr., 1894, pp 303 $22.50 + $1.50 post age
from Mrs. Hazel Boyd, 123 everett Court., Mount Sterling, KY.
14. FAYETTE COUNTY, KY. RECORDS Vol I & II by Michael L. Cook & Be ttie
op.cit. Evansville, Ind. Cook Publications 1985 $28.50 Vol I I$31.50
order from Cook Pub., 3318 Wimberg Ave, Evansville, IN., 47712.

F. REFERENCE BOOKS ON GENEALOGY FOR HOME LIBRARY
Vendor: BOOKS ON DEMAND ORDER DEPT. UMI (University Microfilm ,Int'l)
Box 1467, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Tel 1(800) 521-0600
1. #718 SPALDING MEMORIAL: A GEN HIST OF EDWARD SPALDING OF MASS . BAY
by Samuel Jones Spalding, Boston: A. Midge & Sons, 1872, 676 p gs
(the first Spalding Genealogy) Book $180 7 microfilms $90.
2. HISTORY OF THE SPALDING FAMILY by Hughes Spalding of Atlanta , GA.
Excellent history of Roman Catholic Maryland Spalding, with so me
history of Benedict Spalding, Sr., founder of Rolling fork Set tle-
ment, KY. Excellent historical background material.
3. A GENERAL HISTORY OF EDWARD SPALDING & HIS DESCENDANTS revise d &
enlarged from original genealogy by Rev. S. J. Spalding of New-
buryport, Mass., by Charles Warren Spalding, American Pub. Ass n.
Chicago, Il, 1897.
4. #1454 Edward Spalding on pg 557, William Faircloth in State Records
of NC Army Accounts: Halifax & Warrenton Settlements, Vol XVII,
1781-1785.

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A .page
6. "The pioneer, Thomas Jenkins (97) had Ann (100) who married Willi am
Spalding, (1128), son of Thomas and Catherine (Hall) Spalding. Thoma shad
a son George (91) who married Susannah Cole (92), daughter of Edwar d Cole
(134) and Honora (135)." Susannah had a sister Honora Cole (1254) an don p.
6 we find: "Her (Susannah's) sister, Honora Cole, married Thomas Spal ding
(1132) whose brother William Spalding married Ann Jenkins, sister o fGeorge."

!EXPLANATION:
Edward Cole and his wife Honora had (at least) three daughters, Susannah
Honora and Elizabeth, and (at least) one son, Edward Cole Jr. Thoma sJenkins
and his wife Ann (Spalding) had (at least) Ann and George. Thomas Spalding
and his wife Catherine (Hall) had (at least) William and Thomas. Susannah
married George Jenkins; Honora married Thomas Spalding, Elizabeth mar ried
William Heard, and Ann married William Spalding. Edward Cole Jr. mar ried
Ann Neal.
Edward Cole(134) Thomas Jenkins(97) Thomas Spalding(1129)
m m m
Honora --- (135) Ann Spalding(98) Catherine Hal l(1130)
------------ ---------------- --------------
| Ann(100)--------m--------1 William(112 8)
1 Susannah Cole (91)----m----1 George Jenkins (91) |
2 Mary Cole (1255)-----m-----2 Edward Jenkins (102) |
3 Honora Cole (1254)--------------------m---------------2 Thomas Spalding(1129)

.

!WILL:
MARYLAND WILL BOOK 37, ABSTRACTS OF CHARLES & ST. MARYS COUNTIES
(FHL 844961) p. 245
"THOMAS SPALDING, Court House of St. Mary's County
Wife Catherine Spalding. One-third of my personal estate. Daughter
Jane Power, 2 shillings sterling. Daughter Mary Ann Spalding 2 shill ings
sterling. Dau Ann Mahoney 2 sh sterling. Dau Susanna Abell L10. Dau
Mary Ann McGill 500 lbs tobacco. Grandson Thomas McGill, a horse etc.
and he to have 1 year schooling which my son Thomas is to pay for ou t of
his part. My son Elexius Spalding tract plantation & improvements whereon
he now lives called Spaldings Adventure and at his decease to his son
Richard.
The meaning hereof is that if my son Elexius Spalding pay L20 curr ency
to my executor and make over his right of "Crackburns Purchase" to my
son Thomas Spalding, which if he refuse to do then said plantation and
improvements called "Spaldings Adventure" to become right of my son Thomas.
Son Thomas my Mannor Lease called St. Thomas's Hope and improvement s and
one other called Bennams March and part of another called The Exchange
and part of the Tract called Rich Neck and tract called Crackburns Purchase.
But in case he die without heirs, give said lands to my four grandson s,viz.
Enoch, Elias Spalding, son of Elexius Spalding & Barnard & Agustus He nry
Spalding, sons of Henry Spalding all lands which was bequeathed to m y son
Thomas.
To my three daughters, Mary, Catherine and Ann Penny, the rent of
"Crackburns Purchase" until they marry then to receive the rents, an dwhen
they do marry their part to become right of my son Thomas. To my daughter
Ann Penny Spalding one slave. Request that money due me from Joshua
Millard be paid on my debts, and balance if any to son Thomas. Granddaughter
Alusia Mahoney some cattle at age 16. Executors wife and son Thomas.
January 2, 1768.
Wit: Mary McFur? Smith, Ann Whitefield, and Wm. Russell.
Probated 24 Mar 1769."

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND, 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . at
page 16:
"B. ca. 1706; d. ca. 1769; m. 1722; Catherine Cooper, d. 1775; th eonly
child of Thomas and Theresa Cooper of St. Mary's County. That Thomas
Spalding was only 16 years of age when he m. is proven by the Lease sofHis Lordship's lands in Beaver Dam Manor that Thomas Spalding, o fWilliam,
was b. in 1706, (Maryland Records, Volume II, pg. 66, G. M. Brumbaugh ).
Thomas Cooper the First and his wife were the founders of Leonardtown.
(Judgments, L 106, F 220). Thomas Spalding called himself Court Hous e or
Leonard Town Spalding, to distinguish himself from his uncle, son, and
several cousins and nephews of the same name. In his will of Jan 2 ,1768,
probated in St. Mary's County, March 14, 1769 (Liber 37, Folio 245) , he
mentions his wife Catherine, daughters Jane Power, Mary Ann Spalding,
Ann Mahoney, Susannah Abell, and Mary Ann McGill, sons Thomas, Elexius
and Henry, daughters Mary, Catherine and Ann Panny, who were single;
grandsons Richard Enoch and Elias Spalding, sons of Elexius; Bernar d and
Augustus Spalding, sons of Henry; grandson Thomas McGill and grand-
daughter Alusia Mahoney. Mrs. Catherine (Cooper) Spalding in her will
of July 14, 1775, probated in St. Mary's County, Aug 21, 1775, (Liber 40,Folio 603) mentions daughters: Catherine Mattingly, Mary Ann McGi ll,
Mary Spalding, Jean Power, Mary Ann Spalding, Ann Mahoney, and "Susan nah
Abell's children", also sons Elexius and Thomas and daughter Ann Panny
Ford. These wills, while unusually complete, are somewhat confusing.
For one thing, Thomas and Catherine (Cooper) Spalding had no son Henr y.
Thomas in his will calls his brother Henry his son. Actually, he wa s his
son-in-law, since Henry m. his niece, Mary Ann Spalding, Thomas' daughter.
It also appears that they lacked imagination in naming their daughter s,
since besides having a Mary and an Ann they actually had two Mary Ann s.
Mary Ann Spalding, mentioned in the will of both of her parents, was
neither single, nor a daughter-in-law, but married to her uncle."
See also FHL 985186, GENEALOGYS OF ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD.; THOMAS
SPALDING, son of William and Ann (Jenkins) Spalding and brother of
Benedict Spalding: Born ca 1706 St. Mary's Co., MD., married 1729
Catherine Cooper, daughter of Thomas Cooper; died ca 1768 where he
was born. Catherine was born ca 1710 in Leonardtown, St. Mary's Co.,
MD., and died 1775 in the same place. They had the following ten
children: Jane 1730; Mary Ann 1732; Ann 1734; Susanna 1736; Elexius
1738; Mary Ann 1740; Mary 1742; Catherine 1744; Ann Panny 1746;
Thomas 1748-1819. Dates are approximate. Thomas married first
Elizabeth Mattingly and second, Rebecca Yates. Elexius died 1783,
Susanna died 1776, Jane died 1786.

.

!PROBATE:
INDEX OF WILLS ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MARYLAND, FHL 975.241s2H locate swill
dated June 11, 1814 of SPALDING THOMAS at Liber JJ No. 3 Folio 533:
Thomas names his wife Rebecca Yates Spalding (his first wife was
Elizabeth Mattingly who bore to him his first three children including
Catherine Spalding Payne, [3rd great-grandmother to James J. Sparks ] whom
he disinherited as he did all of his children by Elizabeth Mattingly).
He names his heirs as William, Zachariah, Thomas, George, Henry, Robe rt
Samuel S., Augustine, Sylvester, Mary, Mary Ann Walker, Benedict,
Alexander Joseph, Lucretia and Martha Rebecca Howard. He leaves $150
each to Zachariah and to "my daughter Catharine Payne." The will was
dated 11 June, 1814. By a codicil dated Nov 6, 1819, he revoked the
cash gifts above. He died before Nov 18, 1819. FHL 014426(3).
Liber JJ #3, folio 533, Leonardtown, MD. For copy see FHL 985191.
The Final Accounting of the Estate of Thomas Spalding Sr. was filed
on the 22 day of March, 1828, by Thomas Spalding, Jr. his Executor.
Value of the total inventory was $8,164.10
Distribution of the estate was made by the executor as follows:
To Benedict Spalding $400.00 )
To Alexander Spalding $400.00 ) sons of the deceased
To Thomas Spalding $800.00 )
To the widow Rebecca Spalding $2,526.16 3/4
Rest to four daughters equally:
To Mary Spalding }
To Mary Ann Wathen }
To Lucretia Thompson} $863.08 1/2 each.
To Rebecca Spalding }
Balance and distribution, 1828, St. Mary's Co. MD., Liber E.J. M.Accts 1826-29 Leonardtown, MD.

!NOTES:
See THE MATTINGLY FAMILY OF EARLY AMERICA by Herman E. Mattingly (1975)
at pg 57: "Elizabeth Mattingly, the last of his children named in hi sWill
by Luke Mattingly, married Thomas Spalding. Three children were bor n of
this union: William (b.c. 1770), Zachariah (b.c. 1772; d. 1/5/1845 ) who
m. 1st (1799) Eleanor Abell, and 2nd, Cicilia Riswick (1792-1870); and
Catherine (b.c. 1775) m. (5/22/1812) Richard Payne. Elizabeth Mattin gly
died before 1796, and Thomas Spalding married 2nd Rebecca Yates. O f this
Union were born twelve children (names them and provides dates)."

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S.A .,page
37: "B. 1750; d. ca. 1819; on "Spaldings Comfort"; m. twice and had fourteen
children, two (sic) by his first wife, and twelve by his second. Hi sfirst
wife was Elizabeth Mattingly, daughter of Luke and Priscilla Mattingl yof St.
Mary's County and sister of Anastasia Mattingly who m. Joseph Spalding
(citing Wills. Liber JJ #1, folio 245, St. Mary's County). Thomas' second
wife was Rebecca Yates. I am indebted for this information to Mrs. Spalding
Lally of Baltimore, a descendant of Thomas and Elizabeth (Mattingly )Spald-
ing, and to Mr. Charles Fenwick of Leonardtown, a descendant of Thoma sand
Rebecca (Yates) Spalding. In his will of June 10, 1814, Thomas menti ons
his widow, Rebecca, and fourteen children. To his son, William, he deeded
$500.00, provided he left the United States Army at once and came hom e.
The War of 1812 was then going on and the British were soon to invad eMD."

!NOTES:
See CLEMENTS-SPALDING AND ALLIED FAMILIES by --- (Clements) Rosemo nd,
FHL 929.273 A1 #405. This author seems quite inaccurate in much of her
information but it will be included with that caveat. In order to av oid
confusion, the Thomases referred to in this article will be designate d by
their Record Identification Number as follows:

Thomas Spalding born 1640 RIN 1129
|
William Spalding b 1678 RIN 1128---Thomas Spalding b 1688 RIN 1132
|
Thomas Spalding b 1706 RIN 1198--Benedict Spalding b 1720 RIN 1135
| |
Thos Spalding Jr b 1750 RIN 1206 Richard Spalding b 1777 RIN 1148
| |
Catherine Spalding Archbishop Martin J. Spalding b 1810 RIN 1239

In the following article, Ms. Rosemond, mistakenly believes that t heThomas RIN 1706 who was the son of William RIN 1128 was actually t heThomas RIN 1132 born in 1688, who was William's brother. The latt erThomas was the uncle of Benedict Spalding who was the grandfathe r ofArchbishop Martin J. Spalding on whose article Ms. Rosemond base s herconclusions. Also, see below where she says that Benedict's unc le Thomasdied in 1768 which would have been been at the age of 80.
Pg 56: "Thomas Spalding, the youngest son of the pioneer, seems t o have
a curious history. Archbishop Spalding (1239), in a letter publishe d in
the book "Spalding", dated 1859, insists that some fifty years before
that date or 1808, an uncle of his grandfather Benedict Spalding (113 5),
named Thomas, died at the age of 120 years. He got this knowledge fr om
his father and grandfather who, of course, knew the man. If he was
correct as to the fact, I have certainly found the man in this Thomas
Spalding, though he made a codicil to his will, dying in a few days
thereafter, and so then nearly 132 years old. (JS Note: Archbishop
Spalding was obviously referring to Thomas Spalding, (1132) who was b orn
in 1688 and would have been 120 in 1808. He correctly designated this
Thomas as his grandfather's uncle. However, he is not the Thomas Jr.
(1206) who was born in 1750, who died in 1819, and who left the will
and codicil to which Ms. Rosemond refers.)
"I could find no tradition of him in St. Mary's County, where he
lived and died, but the bishop would not have written this statment f or
a publisher without being sure of his facts. The only mistakes wer e in
having him die in 1808 when he lived to 1819 and in styling him uncle
when he was the great-uncle (JS Note: The Archbishop was referring to
Thomas Sr. born about 1706. Thomas Jr. and Benedict Jr. were broth-
ers. Benedict Jr. was the Archbishop's grandfather.) but in the old
days there was practically little information between Maryland and
Kentucky.
"He married Honour Cole, daughter of Edward Cole, before 1717, as
the will of the latter shows. Edward Cole, of Robert Cole, one of the
first settlers was founder of a prominent family.
"There were children by this marriage not mentioned in his will.
He admits to having been married twice in his will, but possibly
oftener. He lived so long he may have forgotten his own history. It
seems reasonably certain that he had by first marriage sons Edward,
John, Peter, Henry Sr., George, Clark and others. We find land grant-
ed to George in 1730, to Peter in 1739, to Henry 1741 and to Edward 1 742.
(JS Note: I believe she was referring to conveyances to the sons of
Basil Spalding who had sons Henry, George, John and Edward; Thomas Sr.
had no sons with those names and Thomas Jr. was born in 1750). He
seems to have been a prosperous farmer and to have left innumerable
descendants, but no memories. He was a fanatical Federalist and
hated the war of 1812, for on the 10th day of June, 1814, he made his
will, dismissing the children of a former marriage or marriages,
unnamed with the statement that he had done all he could for them,
except his son William who was then in the Army of the U. S., to
whom he left $500 on condition that he quit the Army and return
home. At that time English armies were invading Maryland, and in a
few short weeks, were to complete their vandalism by the burning of
Washington. Not helped by this on the 6th day of November, 1819, a
few days before he died, he added a codicil in which he revoked the
devise to William, who evidently was a better patriot than his father.
He devised lands called Rich Neck and Spalding's Comfort. Edward
Mattingly was one of the attesting witnesses. He left widow Rebecca,
children named William, Zachariah, Thomas, Robert, Samuel, Augustine,
Sylvester, Benedict, Alexander, CATHARINE PAYNE, Mary, Mary Ann,
Lucretia and Rebecca by his last marriage. He refers to Hy, Edley
and Elizabeth Attaway, probable grandchildren, and also to the min-
ority of some of his children. As girls married very young in those
days and he had four unmarried daughters, it follows that many of
these children were begotten after he had long passed 100 years.
If this story be too tall for physiology or general belief, the
good bishop is to blame (!!!). Benedict's Uncle Thomas died as
will appear in 1768, his great-uncle Thomas it was who survived
to a great age. (JS Note: Benedict was the third generation of
the Spalding family in the United States; he was the son of William,
son of Thomas and Catherine (Hall) Spalding. He could not have
had a great-uncle Thomas because his grandfather's name was Thomas--
unless his greatgrandfather named two sons Thomas!)
"I find from the records that as far back as 1730, his nephew
Thomas Spalding (RIN 1198) of William (RIN 1128), and Benedict's
uncle, (JS: No; Thomas and Benedict were both of William and were
brothers) was called Junior, in deference to this Uncle Thomas who
seems to have been born in 1688 (JS Note: Benedict's Uncle Thomas
RIN 1132, his father William's brother, was born in 1688). If
Benedict Spalding ever had a very old Uncle Thomas, as his grandson
said he claimed, this old Thomas was the man. Is it possible on
marrying a young wife, he so hid his age that his very children
did not know the truth? and so the tradition in the uncertainty
perished."
"He refers to children of an earlier marriage (JS: to Elizabeth
Mattingly) as though they had annoyed him and cost him money; the
truth being, I suspect, that he was a harsh father and his older
children were glad to leave and forget him, and the marriage in
his old age caused mutual recrimination and estrangement."

.

!NOTES:
See THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA by Hughes
Spalding, FHL 929.273Sp18sg, pg 24:
"(5) Thomas Spalding - (1778-1850). His first wife was Susanna Ab ell.
Thomas and Susanna had fourteen children. Upon the death of his first
wife, Thomas Spalding married Ann Shircliffe. They had no children.
Also at page 72 we find:
"Thomas Spalding (December 2, 1778-April 27, 1850). He was the grandfather
of Benedict Spalding Mattingly and the ancestor of Susan Mattingly Spalding; of
Benedict Spalding Mattingly, Jr., George Basil Mattingly; and of their
descendants. He was also the grandfather of Sister Anne Marie Matting ly."

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . pg
62: "THOMAS SPALDING born about 1803; died in St. Mary's County Jun e 23,1838;
married January 27, 1823; Ann Johnson, died about 1853. He lived an ddied
in Maryland. They had four children whose names are in the Spaldin gMemor-
ial, page 991:
i. Sarah (Sally) Ann
ii. Joseph H.; went South (Tradition)
iii. Johnson; went South
iv. Forrest; died in infancy."

.

!WILL:
WILLS OF ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD., Bk TA 1, pps 95-97. FHL 14425.
Will executed December 6, 1740 and proved January 19th (or 9th), 1740.
(Charles Fenwick says that the year is probably in error and should be
1741. [seems obvious in view of the will date])

!NOTES:
From "THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA" by Hu ghes
Spalding; Vol 1. FHL US/CAN 929.273 Sp18sg, ppg 12-13:
"William was the second son of Thomas and Catherine Spalding. The reis
no record of his birth, but he probably was born about 1678. He first
appears of record in Maryland when his father sold him "Spalding Addition"
containing forty-two acres on March 17, 1710. On December 10, 1714 h eand
his brother John obtained a patent on one hundred and sixty-five acre swhich
they called "Two Brothers." He continued to acquire land until he had
several hundred acres. He was undoubtedly a man of fine intellect, we ll
educated for his time, rapidly became wealthy and was prominent in the
business and social world of his day. He seems to have been a lawye r or
certainly a conveyancer, executing many deeds, wills and contracts fo rhis
neighbors.
He married Ann Jenkins, daughter of Thomas and Ann Jenkins of Char les
County, Maryland, around 1704. (Wills Liber 10 folio 251 Land Office,
Annapolis also a deposition of Henry Jenkins. Test Proc. Liber 38 fol io
417-432 Land Office Annapolis Maryland.)
The equal of any who bore the Spalding name, he died about the fir st
of January, 1741. His will made December 6, 1740, proven at Leonardstown,
January 9, 1741. He leaves to his wife Ann his dwelling plantation,
"St. Barberys" during life, at her death to be divided between his so ns,
Thomas, William and Henry. This land was in Beaver Dam Manor. To his
son Benedict he leaves "The Mill Land," but not his Water Mill, he al so
leaves him part of "Additiona" to "Hearts Delight" and "New Cassell. " He
gives to his son Thomas "Spalding Addition" and "St. Giles." To hi s son
William he leaves part of "Addition" and "Hearts Delight." To Henry
part of "St. Joseph" that joins land of Mr. Plowden and John Dent..."
"William Spalding's wife Ann lived a great number of years after h is
death. She made her will November 10, 1760. It was proven in Leonar d-
town February 7, 1761. She named three of her sons as Executors, amo ng
which was our ancestor, Benedict. The wills of William and Ann reveal
that they had eight children."
See FHL 985186, GENEALOGYS OF ST. MARY'S CO., MD.: WILLIAM SPALDING
born 1678 St. Mary's County, MD., died 1741, Charles County, MD. Son
of Thomas Spalding of England and Maryland, and Catherine ---. Marri ed
Ann Jenkins daughter of Thomas Jenkins and Ann Spalding. They had 10
10 children, all born in St. Mary's County, MD.:
Thomas born 1706 died 1769, married Catherine Cooper died 1769;
William born 1709 died 1779 married Mary Herbert; Ann born 1718, died
1741, married Clement Joseph; Jane born 1711, married Edmond Plowden;
Mary born 1721, married John Seale; Benedict born 1723 died 1767,
married Elizabeth Mattingly; Henry born 1726 died 1799 married Mary
Ann Spalding; John Baptist born 1728 died 1787 married Ann Jackson
July 23, 1767.
See CHRONICLES OF ST. MARY'S, VOL 5, pg 72, FHL 975.2B2s. This
contains an abstract of the Will of William Spalding dated 6 December,
1741 who names as his sons Thomas, William, Henry, John and Benedict , all
of St. Mary's County, Maryland.

.
!WILL:
Records in La Plata, Charles County, MD, Liber WDM #15 Folio 377,
provided Charles K. Fenwick with information which he used to prepar e a
summary of the last will of William Spalding as follows (copy in FH L985191):
Will of Wiliam Spalding of Charles County.
Weak in health, etc.
To my brother John Spalding and
To my brother Basil R. Spalding
all my estate, real and personal. They to pay the following bequests:
To my mother $1,000
To my nephew William Ffrench, son of Mr. D'Arcy FFrench and Mrs Ann
Ffrench, $1,000.
To my sister Elizabeth Spalding $1,000. If she should marry, etc.
To my nephew Francis Henry Clements, son of my sister Mrs. Mary Clements
of Prince Georges Co., $1,000.
To my cousin Mrs. Ellen Cripps, wife of William M. L. Cripps of Washington
City, $500.
To my cousin Mrs. Matilda Coyle of Washington City, $100.
Signed in Washington City, D.C. Aug 21, 1830.
Witness: Henry Ashton, George Sweeney, E. Dyer.
November 23, 1830, came John and Basil R. Spalding etc.

.

!NOTES:
From THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S. A.,on
page 17:
"Born before Dec 6, 1719, as he was of age when his father made hi swill;
died about 1779; married 1757; Mary Herbert, died 1789, daughter of Francisand Elizabeth Herbert of St. Mary's County (citing Adm. Account sof St.
Mary's County, MD., Liber 41, Folio 185). Mr. Charles Fenwick of Leonard-
town, St. Mary's County, provided most of the information on Willia mSpalding.
Mr. Fenwick says that this is the William Spalding who married Mary Herbert.
Mary Herbert's mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Ann Fenwick an dJohn
Sewall. William Spalding of William, died intestate in 1779 (citin gTest-
amentary Proc. St. Mary's County, 1777-1801). This record book was s aved
from the fire when St. Mary's County Court House burned March 8, 1831.
Although the book is in private hands, a copy is on film and can be s een
at the St. Mary's County Historical Society, Leonardstown. William's
widow, Mary Spalding, died testate in 1789. In her will she names the
following children (citing L.J.J. #1, Folio 464, Hall of Records, Ann ap-
olis:
Henry, Philip, Mary; a widow (so named in her mother's will of 178 9),
Jane, Mary Ann, Dorothy; married Samuel Benfield and they had a daugh-
ter, Mary Ann Benfield, baptized July 10, 1770, Rebecca m. William Ki ng.
The above children were all mentioned in the will of their mother . It
is possible that there were more. William Spalding and his wife Mar y(Her-
bert) Spalding probably lived in the lower part of St. Marys County,a nd,
therefore, were not involved in the court case of 1762 (citing 1792 Testa-
mentary Proc., St. Marys County 1777-1801). They were married durin g or
before 1757, probably not long before."

!WILL:
INDEX OF WILLS ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD. FHL 975.241s2H:
"Sep 10, 1788 SPALDING MARY Liber JJ, No. 1, Pg 464
"Children Henry, Philip, Mary, Martha, Mary Ann, Jane, Dorothy Ben-
field, Rebecca King. Died before 10 March, 1789."

NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins, O.S.A .at page 52 in an article on the life of Edward Jenkins, son of Michael,son of William, son of Thomas and Ann. Edward married Feb 15, 1803 AnnSpalding "eldest of the six children of William and Mary (Lilly) Spaldingof Baltimore. Ann (Spalding) Jenkins was born in Shepherdstown, Virginia(now West Virginia) May 28, 1786; and died in Baltimore, February 3,1871. Her father, William Spalding, who died in Baltimore, August 3,1803, at the age of 48, was the son of Basil and Catherine (Green)Spalding [JS: Father Jenkins agrees with Hughes Spalding, THE SPALDINGFAMILY OF AMERICA, that Basil's spouse was not Catherine Edelin] ofCharles County. Mrs. Mary (Lilly) Spalding was the daughter of Richardand Mary (Elder) Lilly of Frederick County. William Spalding, in hiswill of April 25, 1803, probated in Baltimore August 17, 1803 (citingBaltimore Federal Gazette, June 6, 1801) names his children, says Ann isthe only married daughter, and names Edward Jenkins, as his son-in-law.He makes Edward Jenkins, and Basil Spalding Elder, whom he calls hispartner, but who was also his nephew, the executors of his estate. Hemakes Basil Spalding Elder the sole guardian of his minor children (theywere all minors)."

See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . page
40: "William, born May 5, 1795; married Elizabeth Thompson."
We are able to identify William Francis Spalding as the father of
Jane Catherine (Spalding) Payne (1071) by the following language from
THE HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY, KY., published in 1868, FHL 976.9885H2 h at
pages 654-5, a biography of Jane's son John Spalding Payne:
"Our subject's maternal grandfather, William F. Spalding, a farmer
of Uniontown Precinct, was born in Marion County (formerly Nelson Co.)
in 1795; married a Miss Wathen there, and coming to Union at a very e arly
day, (1820) and died here in 1870."
Thus, Jane Catherine (Payne) Spalding a first cousin of Archbishop
Martin John Spalding.
See THE SPALDING FAMILY OF MARYLAND, KENTUCKY AND GEORGIA from 165 8 to
1965 by Hughes Spalding, FHL 929.273 Sp18sg, V.1.2 pg 25:
"(12) William Francis Spalding - (1795-1870). His first wife was
Elizabeth Thompson. There were three children by this marriage. Hi ssecond
wife was Behetheland (Hetty) Wathen. There were ten children by thi smarriage.
His third wife was Mrs. Polly Clements Hite, a widow. There were n ochildren
by this marriage."
(At present, we do not know whether Jane Catherine (Payne) Spalding
was a daughter of Elizabeth Thompson or of Behetheland Wathen.)

.

!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . pg
61: "ZACHARIAH SPALDING born in St. Mary's County, in 1778 and spen t his
whole live there. He died at his residence, "Valentine's Grove" Janu ary
5, 1845. (citing National Inteligencer, January 13, 1845). He married
(1) on December 28, 1799 Eleanor Abell, born March 10, 1782, daughte r of
Edward and Statia (Taylor) Abell. Mrs. Spalding Lally of Baltimore h as
informed me that if Zachariah had any children by his first wife, they
must have died in infancy. He married (2) on February 10, 1810, Cece lia
Reswick or Van Ryswick, both forms are used, daughter of Joseph and E liz-
abeth (Mattingly) Van Ryswick. Cecelia was born 1790 and died Novemb er
19, 1869, aged 80..."
A copy of his final account and distribution is found in a genealo gy
folder provided by Charles Fenwick (FHL 985191). The accounting is
dated 9 June 1845 and the distribution is dated 31 March, 1847. There
is no citation to the source of these documents in Leonardtown, Md.

.
!NOTES:
See THOMAS JENKINS OF MARYLAND 1670 by Edward Felix Jenkins O.S.A . pg96:
"ZACHARIAH A. (sic) SPALDING born march 10, 1828, in Oakville; died J un
30, 1892; married June 1, 1858, Mary Amanda Floyd, daughter of William
Floyd and Ellen Heard. He was a merchant. One child, Henry born abo ut
1863; lived in Baltimore.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3847 for mention of these two unidentified daughters of Millington and Mabel (Ruth) Sparks.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3680: "A son of Charles and Margaret Sparks was identified as a nheir
of Charles Sparks when his siblings, mother, and step-father signed t heBed-
ford County, Pennsylvania, deed dated November 23, 1786. Unfortunate lyhe
was referred to only as "the youngest Heire" not yet "of age." Thi smeans
that he was born after November, 1765. As was noted earlier [see not esof
his father], when the witness to this deed, Samuel Paxton, swore to i ts
validity on January 18, 1788, he recalled incorrectly that "Solomon Sparks"
had been one of the signers, and omitted Absolom Sparks, the oldest c hild
of Charles and Margaret. This may suggest the possibility that thi syoungest
son may have been named Solomon. We have no further information regarding
him."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3264: An unidentified daughter apparently was born to Reuben
and Cassie (Buttery) Sparks between 1785 and 1790.

!NOTES:
SQ 3796: "Daughter, born ca.1797. She may have been the daughte rknown to
have been married to Samuel Edwards and who died before her father."

!NOTES:
SQ 3797: A son whom we have been unable to identify was born betw een1815
and 1820.

.

!NOTES:
See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, which states : A
daughter whom we have been unable to identify was born about 1809.

(Here continues via notes for Jeremiah Sparks the lengthy article reWilliam Sparks IV (3752-98) at page 3776:]

It was on the eve of the American Revolution that William Sparks and hisrelatives moved to their new homes in Surry County, and one wonderswhether the anticipation of those hostilities may have been a factor intheir deciding to move to a less populated area. Another factor may wellhave been that called "the Regulators." During the 1760s, a large numberof settlers in western North Carolna had become convinced that theircounty sheriffs, justices, and other officials were corrupt. It wasclaimed that a number of sheriffs, who were the tax collectors, werepocketing a large portion of the taxes they collected, and that many ofthe fees these officials were charging for services were both excessiveand illegal. The Royal Governor of North Carolina, Governor Tryon, whilebelieving that these complaints were probably true, feared the people'sdetermination to "regulate" these officials would be more dangerous thanthe corruption. After a number of incidents of violence, he used force toput down the "uprising." Calling out the militia, mainly from the easterncounties, the Governor was responsible for what came to be called theBattle of Alamance on May 16, 1771, where a force of 2,000 Regulars wasdefeated with considerable bloodshed. We have no knowledge of where thesympathies of the Sparks brothers and cousins lay in this dispute, but itis quite possible that their decision to move to a more thinly populatedarea could have been related to the Regulator Movement.

Several records survive which suggest that the Sparkses of William'sgeneration were quite content for the American colonies to remain underBritish rule. There is ample evidence that a large number of men livingin the Forks of the Yadkin were Tories, or Loyalists. There is the storythat the militia of the area was so evenly divided among Tories and Whigsthat it was agreed that a fist fight between an officer of each partywould determine which side the men would take. Although the Tory leader,Samuel Bryan (one of the seven sons of Morgan Bryan), lost, he continuedas the principal leader of the Loyalists in Rowan County.

A call went out in the spring of 1774 to hold a Continental Congress inPhiladelphia. In North Carolina, a meeting was held on August 25, 1774,to elect delegates. Following this meeting, Committees of Safety wereestablished in each county which took over the local government. Asexplained by James S. Brawley, a North Carolina historian, thesecommittees "established prices, collected arms, embodied troops andformed sub-committees to influence the disaffected." The "disaffected"were those citizens who opposed taking up arms against the mothercountry. As noted, we believe that at least the older members of theSparks family were among the "disaffected."

In March 1775, Samuel Bryan, whose operation of the ferry across theNorth Yadkin has been mentioned, secured the signatures of 195 citizensof Rowan and Surry Counties to a pledge of allegiance to the BritishGovernor of North Carolina. Unfortunately, the names of these Loyalistshave not been preserved.

In 1778, soon after Jonas Sparks had returned from Kentucky, the new"state" of North Carolina demanded that all of its adult male citizenssign oaths of allegiance to the new state government. When the RowanCounty Court met on August 5, 1778, the justices took note of a long listof individuals who had "neglected or refused ... to take the Oath ofAllegiance." Among those listed was Jonas Sparks [Rowan Co. CourtMinutes, Vol. 4, p.159]. The punishment for refusing to take this oathwas the confiscation of one's estate, but this action seems not to havebeen taken against Jonas, perhaps because he repented his earlier neglector refusal to sign. Nevertheless, four years later, on November 9, 1782,following the surrender of General Cornwallis, Jonas Sparks was broughtbefore the same Court, with five other men, "to Shew Court Cause whytheir Estates should not be Confiscated." The Court record isdisappointingly brief regarding the action taken, but apparently Jonas,as well as the others, was able to explain their earlier opposition tothe Revolution, and all of them "were discharged." [Vol. 4, p. 333; thesetwo references are found in Mrs. Linn's abstracts of these court records,Vol. III, pp. 38 & 86.]

We know that Solomon Sparks, older brother of Jonas, and close neighborof William Sparks in Surry County, remained openly loyal to the BritishCrown. This is graphically revealed in an application for a RevolutionaryWar pension application by one George Parks, dated April 10, 1833.Congress had passed legislation in 1832 providing pensions for allsurviving Revolutionary War soldiers whether or not they were infinancial need, and Parks was one of those who applied. Like many of hisfellow veterans, however, Parks could find no documentary proof of hisservice, which was required by the War Department before a pension couldbe issued. What veterans with this problem often did, besides seekingaffidavits from others who remembered their service, was to try to recallin as much detail as possible the events during the war in which they hadbeen participants. This George Parks did in his application. He recalledthat at the time of the Revolution, he had lived in that part of SurryCounty, North Carolina, that was cut off to form Wilkes County in 1777and that in 1779, he thought "in the fall season," he had enlisted in a"Company of Minute Men" for a period of eighteen months. It was theprimary mission of this company, which was commanded by Captain WilliamLenore, to find men in their neighborhood who belonged to Tory militaryunits. Some they would hang when they captured them, while others werewhipped "nearly to death." They also punished civilians who were judgedto be Loyalists, but less severely.

One of the incidents recalled by Parks had involved "Old Solomon Sparks,"whom he described as "a celebrated Tory." He and several other men fromCaptain Lenore's Company were determined to punish Solomon for his Torysentiments, but they knew that he was aware of this danger and wasusually armed. In order to entice him out of his house unarmed, Parksrecalled how he and his comrades had "employed a Whig from a distantneighborhood and a stranger to said Old Tory, to decoy him out of hishouse without his gun, under the pretence of being a traveller &inquiring the Road." Parks stated that the stranger "succeeded admirably"and that Solomon had, indeed, stepped outside his house unarmed to pointthe way for the stranger. The soldiers, who had been hiding, then grabbedSolomon. "He fought bravely without arms," Parks admitted
with a certain degree of admiration, and in the fracas, Solomon had"considerably injured this applicant by kicking him." The soldiers hadsucceeded in overpowering Solomon Sparks, however, and "he was sent downthe Yadkin in a Canoe ... tied hand and foot, on his back." AlthoughSolomon's plight must have been quite precarious, Parks recalled that "herepeatedly hallowed 'hurra for King George'," as he floated helplesslydownstream. [See Parks's Revolutionary War Pension File, W27456; BLWt.53670-150-55 at the National Archives ]

Who finally rescued Solomon Sparks we do not know, but he did survive hisordeal for he was still living in 1788 when he sold to his brother,Jonas, the last of his land in the Forks of the Yadkin.

We have found no record contemporaneous with the life spans of WilliamSparks and his brother, Matthew, to reveal how their sentiments regardingthe American struggle for independence compared with those of theircousins, Solomon and Jonas, but we imagine that they were similar. As inmany families of that period, however, there was surely a "generationgap" on this issue among the Sparkses. We know that three of Matthew'ssons served in the American Army, and, furthermore, a son of SolomonSparks named John (born February 25, 1753) served the American cause forwhich he later received a pension. We can wonder what John's reaction wasto the punishment meted out to his father by George Parks and the otherMinute Men and how Solomon felt about his son's fighting against KingGeorge III. (See the December 1955 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 12,pp. 94 -104, for a transcript of this John Sparks's pension application -- he was a great-great-great-grandfather of our Association's president,Paul E. Sparks.) At least two of the sons of William Sparks are alsoknown to have served in the American Revolution, George and James.

No better example of family division over whether or not to go to warwith England can be found than that which existed in the Bryan family.While his brothers supported the Revolution, Samuel Bryan (the ferryoperator mentioned earlier) became the first American tried for hightreason in North Carolina. He had recruited hundreds of volunteers tofight on the Tory side throughout Rowan and Surry Counties. In 1780, hehad been placed on Cornwallis' payroll, and, with 810 Tories, he set outto join the British in South Carolina. His small army was defeated inbattles called Colson's Tavern and Hanging Rock, and Samuel Bryan,himself, was finally captured by the Patriots in 1782. It was then thathe was convicted of high treason. He escaped death, however, when he wastraded for a Virginia Patriot held by the British, and several yearslater Bryan quitely returned to the Forks of the Yadkin to live out hisyears.

There is even evidence that James Sparks, younger brother of William andMatthew, served in the American army. This is found in the pensionapplication of William Sparks (born April 3, 1761), son of Matthew, datedSeptember 14, 1846. He recalled that in 1778, while his company, underthe command of Capt. John Beverly, was camped on the French Broad River,the foot company from Wilkes County in which was my uncle James Sparks,and which marched behind us, built a station, and remained to guard thefrontier until our return from the Indian Country. Here I saw my uncle onmy return. (See the QUARTERLY of March and June 1954, Whole Nos. 5 & 6,pp. 29-30, 36-38, for a full transcript of this pension application.)

After the war ended, several members of the Sparks family made claims forlosses they had suffered because of "Sundries furnished the Militia ofNorth Carolina, Virginia & South Carolina." Most of the items "furnished"had actually been appropriated by the military without asking the consentof the owners, of course. In 1782, even Solomon Sparks asked forreimbursement from the new government "for 1 Beef, &c" as well as "1horse." [See Book A, pp. 199 & 232 of Revolutionary War Army Accounts]

We now return in our narrative to the eve of the American Revolution,when the Sparkses left the Forks of the Yadkin for Surry County.

As has been noted earlier, William and Matthew are believed to have setout for their new homes at about the same time in the spring of 1773, butMatthew settled some forty miles northwest of the sites chosen by Williamand their cousin, Solomon. Matthew lived in that part of Surry whichbecame Wilkes County in 1777 and then Ashe County in 1799, near theVirginia border. His land was on New River, near the present site ofJefferson. There was probably little communication between the familiesof Matthew and William during the period of the Revolution, and whatlittle there might have been ceased altogether in the early 1780s whenMatthew again moved his family to a new frontier. He went to Georgia,where he was killed during an Indian uprising in 1793.

As we have noted, William Sparks settled (squatted, actually) on vacantland near where his cousin, Solomon Sparks, had chosen to live two orthree years earlier. This was on land drained by what was called at thetime the North Fork of Hunting Creek. Today this creek is generallycalled Flat Rock Creek, although on some modern maps it is called theNorth Hunting Creek. Both it and Deep Creek, the watercourse mentionedfrequently in descriptions of the land where William's oldest son,William Sparks, Jr., settled, have sources quite near each other.

Solomon Sparks was not the first settler on the land he chose in SurryCounty. On September 5, 1778, John Cleveland entered a claim [#316] whenthe state of North Carolina began selling vacant land in what had beenthe Granville District. In describing the tract that he wanted, Clevelandreferred to it as lying "below improvement made by Moses Darnel and soldto Solomon Sparks." This doubtless means that a cabin had already beenbuilt there by Darnel into which Solomon could move his family. We shallreturn to this matter later in this article.

We cannot be certain of the exact date when William Sparks moved to SurryCounty. We know that he was still in Rowan County on January 27, 1773,for he signed a deed there on that date transferring his land in theForks of the Yadkin to William Frohock, as has been mentioned. Theearliest tax list for Surry County which survives is dated 1771, and onthis we find the name of Solomon Sparks with three polls (probablyhimself and his two oldest sons, John and Joseph). Also appearing on thislist is a William Sparks with one poll (himself). There can be littledoubt that this was the oldest son of the William of this article, i.e. ,William Sparks, Jr. He had been born about 1750 and seems to haveaccompanied Solomon Sparks to Surry County.

There are documents which suggest that William Sparks was living in SurryCounty as early as the spring of 1772, but we believe that they are inerror. These are found in the pension application file at the NationalArchives of William's daughter, Rachel, who applied for a pension in 1843based on the Revolutionary War service of her deceased husband, JohnRose. Rachel had no document proving that she and John Rose had beenmarried, but she thought the ceremony had taken place in 1772. There isgood reason to believe, however, that she was mistaken, and that it hadactually been in 1773. Nevertheless, she was able to find two people whoremembered the occasion and were willing to sign affidavits under oath tothis effect. One of those was Charles Johnson who had lived near Rachel'sparents both in Rowan County and then in Surry Couny and who latermarried into the Sparks family. In 1784, Susannah Sparks, daughter ofSolomon Sparks (she was born about 1763) became the wife of CharlesJohnson. (William Perry Johnson, one of the founders of the Sparks FamilyAssociation and until his death our historian-genealogist, was a4th-great-grandson of this couple.) While there can be no doubt thatCharles Johnson did, indeed, remember the occasion when Rachel and JohnRose had been married in Surry County, we suspect that his recalling thedate as "June 1772" was simply that this was the date Rachel claimed.

[Here appears a photocopy of a document, above which is the followingcaption:] AFFIDAVIT BY CHARLES JOHNSON, November 25, 1843

[View photocopy in scrapboo, item 6]

As seen in the reproduction of Charles Johnson's affidavit on page 3780,he recalled that Rachel Rose "before marriage was a Sparks, the daughterof William Sparks" and that, although he had not been a member of thewedding party which went to the home of a justice of the peace namedEdward Riggs for the ceremony, he had no doubt that they had been"married as they (and their company) said." He also noted that themarriage had been "by having the banns of Matrimony published." Thismeans that the planned marriage of John and Rachel Sparks had beenannounced at church during three successive Sundays, thus giving ampletime for anyone to protest who had reason to believe the marriage shouldnot take place. The alternative method of legalizing a marriage was forthe prospective groom to obtain a marriage bond, signed by a bondsman whowould be financially liable if it were later discovered there was a legalobstacle to the union. A marriage could be performed immediatelyfollowing the issuance of the marriage bond by the county court.

As will be noted at the end of Charles Johnson's affidavit, John Bryancertified that he was well acquainted with Johnson and knew him to be acredible witness. This John Bryan was a brother of the Tory, SamuelBryan, mentioned earlier.

A brother-in-law of Rachel (Sparks) Rose named Sterling Rose was stillliving in 1843, and he, also, signed an affidavit stating that heremembered the marriage of Rachel and his brother, John Rose, in June1772, although like Charles Johnson, he had not seen the actual ceremony.He, too, had "remained at her fathers" while the young couple "went withothers a few miles" to the home of Edward Riggs where, he was certain,they had been "married in a lawful manner."

Despite these statements, as we noted earlier, we are convinced that theyear of Rachel's and John's marriage was 1773, not 1772.

It is interesting to note that, while in John Rose's application for hispension dated August 6, 1832, he stated that he had volunteered "in thelatter part of the Sumer or first of Fall in the Year 1779, under Capt.Jarvis, Liet. William Gray, Col. Charles Gordon & Major Jesse Walter togo against the Indians on the head of the Yadkin..." he had not alwaysbeen a supporter of the Patriot cause. In the Minutes of the SalisburyDistrict Superior Court for March 5, 1777, it is revealed that John Rosehad been accused of "signing and encouraging sending a Petition to JosiasMartin [North Carolina's Royal Governor at the time] Injurious to theIndependence of the State & Other Misdemeanors." The record indicatesthat Rose, along with several others, then agreed to take the oath ofallegiance to the state of North Carolina and was "discharged."

A poll tax list for Surry County for the year 1774 has been preserved.Those subject to the tax were white males over 16 and under 60, plusslaves aged between 12 and 50. If there were more than one white poll ina household, those other than the head might or might not be named,depending upon the whim of the tax collector. In all, Surry County pollstotalled 1,528 in 1774, but it must be kept in mind that Surry thenincluded the present day counties of Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Surry,Yadkin, Stokes, and Forsyth. For taxing and militia organizationalpurposes, North Carolina counties in those days were divided intodistricts, of which there were seven in Surry County. The part of thecounty in which William and Solomon Sparks were living in 1774 was calledBenjamin Cleveland's District. (Cleveland's name figures prominently inthe area's history, particularly in military affairs during theRevolution.) William Sparks was named (he was called "Will Sparks") withhis second son, Matthew, who was now of age but still living at home.William's oldest son, William, Jr., was shown as heading his ownhousehold, as was James Sparks, the younger brother of William. SolomonSparks was listed with two of his sons, John and Joseph.

None of the Sparkses were shown as slave owners on the 1774 tax list. Infact, of the 310 heads of households appearing on Cleveland's list, only22 were credited with owning slaves in the age category to be taxed, andof these, only two owned as many as five, they being Ralph Hudspeth andHugh Montgomery.

Judging from the sequence of names of taxables recorded by Cleveland, itappears that William Sparks's closest neighbors in 1774 were John Rose,who had been married to Rachel Sparks the year before, and BenjaminJohnson, believed to have been the father of Charles Johnson whoseaffidavit was reproduced on page 3780. Besides Solomon Sparks, William'sother near neighbors were William Riseden, John Greer, Bartley Williams,and Boaman Cass.

An interesting description of life in Surry County at this point in timeappears in a letter written by one of the county's wealthiest citizens,General Willliam Lenoir, in 1824. He wrote in response to a query from aman named Ramsey who was writing a history of Tennessee. Lenoir hadsettled in March 1775 near the site that would become the town ofWilkesboro. General Lenoir wrote:

Surry was frontier country in 1775, including Wilkes, Ashe, andBurke and extending to the Mississippi River. It was thinly inhabited, being an entire wilderness. Then the Mulberry Fields Meeting Housewas the only place of worship in said county. It was built by theBaptists and very large congregations of different persuasions of peopleattended the meetings.

The gentlemen generally dressed in hunting shirts, short breeches,leggins and Moccasins; the ladies in linsy petticoats and bed gowns and often without shoes in summer. Some had bonnets and bed gownsmade of calico, but generally of linsy, and some of them had onmen's hats. Their hair was commonly clubbed [sic]. Men generally had longhair and wore it either in a cue or clubbed. Once at a largemeeting I noticed there were but two ladies that had on long gowns. Oneof them was laced genteely and the body of the other was open andthe tail thereof drawn up and tucked in her apron or coat string.

They appeared very orderly and devout at meetings, and going totheir homes you would find them living well and they would treat youwith great hospitality, giving you plenty of pork, beef, bear meat andvenison also milk, butter, cheese and honey. The buffaloes and elkwere then chiefly destroyed. When you left them, as there were no publicroads and few paths, the men would go with you to show you the way untilyou could thus be accommodated by some other person. You might travelhundreds of miles and not meet with any person who would receive pay.[Copied from the Bulletin of the Wilkes County Genealogical Society, Vol.10, No. 2, 1976.1

The Mulberry Fields Meeting House mentioned by Lenoir had been organizedby a group of Baptists and was located in what became the town ofWilkesboro, the county seat of Wilkes County. Little is known of thismeeting house, but historians of the area are convinced that it had beenbuilt before the Revolution. It seems highly probable that William Sparksand his family attended this church, at least on occasion. Unfortunately,none of its records seem to have been preserved.

As was noted earlier, while there was an abundance of vacant land inSurry County when William Sparks moved there in, we believe, 1773, therewas no way that any settler could obtain a legal title to any of thisunclaimed land. Granville's heirs had not been able to reopen the landoffice, and it was not until November 15, 1777, that the North CarolinaGeneral Assembly, meeting at

New Bern passed the Confiscation Act giving the state authority to sellGranville's land, along with land formerly owned by Loyalists which hadbeen confiscated. Land offices were to be opened for this purpose, andeach county's justices of the peace (who comprised the County Court) wereto meet to choose an official to serve as "Entry Taker." This individualwas to record applications or claims for tracts of land in an "EntryBook." The justices were also directed to chose surveyors who would thenmeasure each claim. Joseph Winston became the Entry Taker for SurryCounty and continued in that post until 1781. The first land entry forthe county under this new system was dated April 29, 1778. (Winston'sentry book has been preserved and was published in printed form in 1987by Agnes Wells, and others.)

During the fifteen years that no one could purchase vacant land, settlerslike William Sparks had simply "squatted" on tracts which they liked andwhich appeared not to have been claimed by any other settler. In someinstances, one would be able to purchase improvements that someone elsehad made on the land in question, as Solomon Sparks had done, but such anarrangement carried with it no title to the land itself. The squattercleared and cultivated "his" land, and built "improvements" with the hopethat at some future time he could obtain a legal title. So it was thatWilliam Sparks had chosen his tract on North Hunting Creek. His tract waslocated less that a mile south of what later became the site of the tinyvillage called Cycle. As has been noted previously, William's tract wasincluded in Yadkin County when it was cut off from Surry in 1850. Highway421 passes today very near the spot where William, with the help of hisson, Matthew, made his improvements. There is the possibility that, likeSolomon, William may have been able to buy the improvements, including ahouse, that someone else had built on the land. William's oldest son,William Sparks, Jr. , had chosen land for himself about three milesnortheast of his father.

With the capital that William Sparks had in hand following the sale ofhis land in the Forks of the Yadkin, he was able to do more than justbuild (or improve) a cabin for his family on North Hunting Creek; he alsoconstructed a grist mill for the benefit not only of himself but for hisneighbors as well. A grist mill was essential to every community in thosedays, providing a service for which others were glad to pay, althoughusually in kind. For many years, deeds for land (after 1778) nearWilliam's mill contained references to "Sparks Mill Tract."

In 1777, North Carolina's General Assembly passed legislation creatingthe county of Wilkes to become effective in the following February. Mostof the new county had been formerly part of Surry County. When thedividing line was drawn bebetween Wilkes and Surry, all of the landoccupied by William Sparks remained in Surry County, adjoining the newline on the east. Solomon Sparks's land just above William's, however,was divided, with 340 acres remaining in Surry and 150 acres now inWilkes. A description survives of the running of this dividing line inthe report of the commissioners who had been assigned the task. Becauseit contains specific mention of Solomon Sparks, we copy it here:

... Beginning on Rowan County line about half a mile below Daniel Rashesat White Oak Standing in the head of a Branch of Hunting Creek thencenorth Crossing the mulbery Field Road about haft a mile below Hamlins OldStore House thence through Solomon Spark's Plantation leaveing the sdSparks's House in Surry County thence Crossing the Brushey mountain atthe head of the nort fork of Swan Creek thence crossing the Yadkin Rivera little below Capt Parks's & through the Lower end of Carrols Plantationon the north side of sd River thence Crossing the Big Elkin at the longSholes thence Crossing the south fork of Mitchels River abot half a mileabove Riggs's Road, thence crossing Mitchels River a little below JohnScott's Crossing the Top of the Poiney nobb to the main Ridge ofmountains abt Two miles west of Fishes Peak, thence to the Virginia Line.The above line being Run Exactly Twenty six miles west of SurryCourthouse agreeable to act of Assembly By

Robt Lanier

Commissioners Henry Spier

Joseph Herndon
[Copied from pp. 276-77 of David Leroy Corbitt's The Formation of theNorth Carolina Counties, 1663-1943, Raleigh, 1950.

[This takes the lengthy article re William Sparks IV to pg 3784 and iscontinued in the notes for Jeremiah's eldest daughter, Nancy Sparks.]

.

!NOTES:
See SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, which, at page 42 70says:
A daughter whom we have been unable to identify was born about 181 6.

.

!NOTES:
Paul Sparks' report on James Sparks (190) lists children of Solo mon(173)
and states: "A daughter whom we have been unable to identify was bor n to
Solomon and Susan, probably about 1816."

.

!NOTES:
THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4273, states " An
unidentified daughter was born to Solomon and Susan probably about 18 19."

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3266: "An unnamed daughter was probably born to Benjamin and Sa rah
(Jeffreys) Sparks about 1825; she probably died when quite young."

See SQ p. 232 for birth information.

SQ 5617:
A son appears to have been born to Bailey and Martha Sparks about 1809.He was shown on the 1820 census as a male under the age of 10 years, andon the 1830 census as between 15 and 20.
We have not learned his name.

SQ 5365:

Based on census records, it appears that Joel Sparks and his first wifehad a daughter born about 1811. We have not been able to identify her.

SQ p. 5617:

A daughter was born to Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks about 1815.

SQ p. 5618:

"A son appears to have been born to Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparksabout 1821. He was enumerated on the 1830 census of Carroll County,Tennessee, as between 5 and 10 years of age. We have no furtherinformation."

SQ p. 5618:

"A daughter was born to Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks about 1822. Shemay have been the Elizabeth Sparks who was married to Charles Monneyin Yalobusha County, Mississippi. Their marriage
was recorded there, but with only the information that it had beenbetween 1833 and 1846; it probably was performed about 1842."

SQ p. 5618;

"A daughter was born to Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks about 1824. Shemay have been Susan A.
Sparks who was married on November 2, 1848, to James H. W. Callaway inYalobusha County,
Mississippi, by a justice of the peace named William M. Pollan. (Recordedin Marriage Book A.)

When the 1850 census was taken of Choctaw County, Western Division,Mississippi, J. H. W. Calaway
[sic] was shown as a farmer who had been born in Georgia and was then 22years old. His wife, Susan A.
Calaway, was recorded as 27 years of age and a native of Tennessee. Nochildren for them were
recorded. (Page 5, rev., taken October 25, 1850, family #70.) Also livingin their household was the family
of James M. Martin and his wife, Martha. (See below.) The family of Jamesand Matilda Fields, noted on
the preceding page under the possible child of Bailey and Martha Sparksnamed Matilda, appears on the
same 1850 census (page 5, rev., family #73) as that of H. W. Calaway andJames M. Martin (family #70)."

SQ p. 5618:

"A daughter was born to Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks about 1826. Shemay have been the
Martha Sparks who was married to James M. Martin on March 12, 1847, inYalobusha County,
Mississippi, by a justice of the peace named WIlliam M. Pollan. (Recordedin Marriage Book A.) (One
person who copied this, recorded the groom's surname as Marlin ratherthan Martin. From census
records, it appears that Martin is correct.) On the 1850 census ofChoctaw County, Mississippi, James M.
Martin was shown as 35 years old, a native of Alabama, and a farmer.Martha Martin was recorded as 24
years of age, a native of Tennessee . They were shown with one child, ason, named George L. Martin,
age 6, born In Mississippi. On this 1850 census, James M. and MarthaMartin, with their son, were
included as members of the household of J. H. W. Callaway and Susan A.Callaway. (See above.) There
can be little doubt that Martha (Sparks) Martin, Susan A. (Sparks)Callaway, and Matilda (Sparks) Fields
were sisters."

SQ p. 5620:

"A daughter was born to Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks about 1829. Shewas shown on the 1830 census as one of Bailey's children then under fiveyears of age . We have no further information."

BIRTH:
See UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY BIRTHS 1852-1878, FHL 976.9885 V28b, page46:
4 Nov, 1874, ---- Sparks, Male, Deceased, father William Sparks, motherMary (Sic) Markwell; white, father born in Bullitt County, mother born inUnion County, resides in Union County.

See SPARKS QUARTERLY p 392:
"AARON SPARKS, oldest son of George and Delila Sparks, was born about1809 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He married Huldah ---, who wasalso born in North Carolina, about 1834. Aaron Sparks was a farmer inRock Creek Township, Wells County, Indiana, and was the administrator ofhis father's estate. He died in Wells County in 1854. He did not leavea will; his wife Huldah was administratrix. She was probably the sameHulda Sparks who married Jacob Roush in Huntingtion County, Indiana, onOctober 18, 1862 . From the 1850 census of Wells County, it would appearthat Aaron and Huldah Sparks were the parents of the following children.
(1) Lydia Sparks, born in Indiana about 1835. She was probably theLydia Almeda Sparks who married Noah Redding in Wells County on November22, 1853.
(2) William R. Sparks, born in Indiana about 1837.
(3) Sarah Sparks, born in Indiana about 1843. She was probably theSarah Ann Sparks who married William Haflich in Wells County on March 1,1859.

See also SQ 3706

***************

See SQ p. 5288:

Aaron Sparks was born April 14, 1809. He was married to Huldah Johnson inWayne County, Indiana, on December 18, 1831.

Aaron became a farmer in Rock Creek Township in Wells County, Indiana,and he was the administrator of his father's estate. Aaron died in 1854without leaving a will. When the 1860 census was taken of Wells County,Aaron's widow, Huldah, age 46, was shown as head of her household in RockCreek Township, and living with her was Elizabeth Johnson, age 71, bornin Virginia, whom we believe was her mother. Living in the same dwelling,but numbered as a separate household, was William Sparks, age 23, withwife, Samantha, also age 23, and their month-old-daughter, Armina Sparks.William Sparks was surely the son of Aaron and Huldah Sparks who had beenmarried in Wells County to Samantha Brickley on June 14, 1859. Based onthe 1850 census, it appears that Aaron and Huldah were also the parentsof Lydia Sparks, born about 1835, and Sarah Sparks, born about 1843.There is a marriage record in Wells County for the marriage of LydiaAlmeda Sparks to Noah Redding on November 22, 1853, and that of Sarah AnnSparks to William Haflich on March 1, 1859. There is a marriage record inHuntington County, Indiana, for Huldah Sparks and Jacob Roush datedOctober 18, 1862.

***************

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December, 1958, Whole No. 24, p. 337-8:

(NOTE: The following article contains errors which were corrected in alater issue. See NOTE in the article and below for corrections.]

DEATH TAKES GEORGE WILLIAM WAGNER

GREAT-GRANDSON OF ABEL SPARKS

It is with deep regret that we report the death of George William Wagner,a devoted member of The Sparks Family Association since 1955. Mr. Wagnerdied of a heart attack at his home in Conrad, Montana, on August 31,1958. He was eighty-three years old at the time of his death.

Born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, on September 18, 1874, Mr. Wagner movedwith his parents to a farm near Blue Earth, Minnesota, where he attendedschool. They later farmed near Guckeen, Minnesota. He married MinnieGertrude Brownlee, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Gordon) Brownlee, inDecember, 1902, and he and his wife came to Montana in 1910, homesteadingtwenty-eight miles east of Conrad. He lived there until he retired in1942. Mrs. Wagner died in 1956. He is survived by four daughters: Mrs.George (Gertrude) Kovatch of Kellogg, Idaho; Mrs. Olive Harris of Conrad;Mrs. A. J. (Marian) Kovatch of Conrad; and Mrs. Mae Bales of Tillamook,Oregon.

Mr. Wagner was connected with the Sparks family through his paternalgrandmother, Mary (Sparks) Wagner, daughter of Abel and Sarah Sparks.Abel Sparks, Mr. Wagner’s great-grandfather, was the son of Solomon andSarah Sparks of Surry County, North Carolina. (See page 98 of theDecember, 1955, issue of The Sparks Quarterly.) [NOTE by scanner: Thisand much of the information below is erroneous. This Abel Sparks was thegrandson of Solomon and Sarah Sparks and the son of Joseph and RachelSparks. The issue is clarified in The Sparks Quarterly for June 1987,Whole No. 138 in an article titled Two Men Named Abel Sparks, pp.3061-3084.]

Mr. Wagner owned the family Bible in which was recorded the birth of AbelSparks, along with that of his wife and children. Following is atranscription of this record:

Abel Sparks was born Jan. 8th, 1767
Sarah Sparks was born May, 1767
Children:
Geo. Sparks, born Oct. 14th, 1800
Hannah Sparks, born May 9th, 1802
Frances Sparkes, born Oct. 27th, 1803
Elizabeth Sparkes, born April 13th, 1805
Ann Sparkes, born June 7th, 1808
Martha Sparkes, born April 1st, 1811
Soloman Sparkes, born Sept. 5th, 1812
John Sparkes, born March 25th, 1814
Mary Sparks, born October 25th, 1815
Sarah Sparks, born Sept. 13th, 1817
Abraham Sparks, born July 27th, 1821
Rebecca Sparkes, born Dec. 27th, 1825
Jane Sparks, born July 19th, 1827

Relatively little has been learned regarding the life of Abel Sparks. Hemay have been married twice, for on the 1800 census of Wilkes County,North Carolina, he was listed with five children, two boys and threegirls, all under ten years of age. Since the Bible record gives nochildren born before 1800, it would seem probable that they were childrenby an earlier wife. It is possible, of course, that these five childrenwere not his own and were merely living in his household when the 1800census was taken. Another problem exists regarding the birth date ofSarah, wife of Abel. If she was born in 1767, as the Bible recordindicates, she would have been thirty-three years of age when her firstchild, George, was born in 1800, and sixty years old when her daughter,Jane, was born in 1827. Although it is not impossible for a woman ofsixty to bear a child, it is very unusual -- so unusual that, if she wasthe mother of all the children named, she must have been born severalyears after 1767.

Several records have been found in Wilkes County, North Carolina,pertaining to Abel Sparks. The earliest of these is a tax record dated1800 on which he was taxed for 60 acres of land. A letter of attorneydated July 31, 1801, to Abel Sparks from his brothers and sisters is alsoon file in Wilkes County; this appears to have involved the settlement ofthe estate of Abel’s father. Although it is evident that Abel Sparksowned land in Wilkes County by 1800, the only deed pertaining to hispurchase of land is dated December 12, 1801. It records the purchase byAbel Sparks from Humphrey Cockerham, both of Wilkes County, for 100pounds, a tract of 150 acres described as follows: “a certain tract orparcel of land lying and being in the County of Wilkes beginning on theEast fork of Swan Creke on Timothy Sisks line, running with the sd lineSouth to a stake in James Foxes line, then East running with sd line to awhite oak on the County ithe, thence North with the County to the LongGlade Creek, thence running down sd crick with the various courses of thestream to the beginning. The witnesses to this deed were Mordecoi Samueland James Dowell; it was recorded in the Wilkes County courthouse inFebruary, 1805.

In 1805, Abel Sparks was taxed for 100 acres of land in Wilkes County.The last record pertaining to him in the county states that he was chosento serve on a jury on August 5, 1807. 1812 Abel Sparks had moved toTennessee, but in what section he settled is not known. Sometime between1815 and 1820 he moved to Illinois, settling in Bond County, for he andhis family were listed on the 1820 census of that county as follows:
Abel Sparks
1 male over 21 years
3 males under 21 years
7 free white females

No record has been found thus far to reveal when or where Abel and SarahSparks died. Some members of the family moved to Grant, Wisconsin, inlater years. A marrlage is recorded in Bond County, Illinois, for one ofAbel Sparks’ children: on October 10, 1822, Fanny (Frances) Sparksmarried Francis Kirkpatrick. Of the other children, it is known thatElizabeth married a Jones, Sarah married William Dennis, and Rebeccamarried William Andrews.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1987, Whole No. 138, pg. 3062:

TWO MEN NAMED ABEL SPARKS: ABEL SPARKS THE ELDER.

[JS Note: This article corrects errors which first appeared inSQ 337.]

"Several members of the branch of the Sparks family to which the twomen named Abel Sparks belonged were regularly taxed in Surry County,North Carolina, during the 1790s in what was called "Captain Benge 'sDistrict" (it became Captain Wilburn's District in 1795). On the WilkesCounty side, the district in which members of this family owned land andwere taxed was called "Captain Holloway's District" in 1795, although by1800 it was called "Captain Johnson's District." These were actuallydistricts for the training of the local militia, but they also served asgeographical divisions for collecting taxes. All tax records of thisperiod have not survived, nor have we been able to make a thorough searchof all of those that are extant.

"The earliest reference that we have found to the name Abel Sparksappears on the tax list of Captain Benge's District in Surry County forthe year 1794. Abel was then taxed for 200 acres of land. Other Sparksesalso taxed in the same district were William Sparks, Sr. (400 acres);William Sparks, Jr. (350 acres); Thomas Sparks (220 acres); Reuben Sparks(300 acres); George Sparks (220].

"The tax list for Captain Benge's District for 1795 does not survive,but that for 1796 does, although it was now called Captain Wilburn'sDistrict. Abel Sparks was taxed there that year on 150 acres. He wastaxed in Captain Wilburn's District also in 1802 (poll tax only--he ownedno land in 1802). We have not found him on subsequent tax lists of SurryCounty. We believe the reason is that he moved to Georgia in 1802 or1803. When the 1800 census was taken, he had been listed as a residentof Wilkes County. We believe that the census taker had been unsure ofthe dividing line between Surry and Wilkes Counties, and that he includedAbel in Wilkes County while the tax collector had included his land inSurry County.

"The earliest surviving tax list for Wilkes County on which we havefound the name of Abel Sparks is that for 1800--he was taxed that year inCaptain Johnson's District for 60 acres of land in Wilkes County. ReubinSparks (360), brother of Abel Sparks, was also taxed in the same districtin Wilkes County, whereas, like Abel, he had been taxed earlier in SurryCounty. The same was also true of John Sparks (359), brother of Abel andReuben; John was taxed for 260 acres in 180. We believe, again, that thetaxing of these men in Wilkes County rather than Surry resulted fromconfusion over the county line.

"Abel Sparks married Elizabeth Benge. She was a daughter of ThomasBenge of Wilkes County, North Carolina. (Here article details terms ofwill and names spouse and children of Thomas Benge--pg 3062).

"The identity of Elizabeth (Benge) Sparks as the wife of Abel Sparksis further proven by her own application for bounty land in 1851 andagain in 1855, based on Abel's service in the War of 1812. She stated inher application that her maiden name had been Benge and that she and AbelSparks had been married in Wilkes County, North Carolina, "sometime inNovember 1794 by one William Lewis, a Justice of the Peace." She madethis statement on February 3, 1851, but on May 1, 1855, when she againsigned a statement regarding her marriage, she said she and Abel had beenmarried on November 10, 1795, in Wilkes County by Wm. Lewis. In herFebruary 3, 1851 statement, she have her age at that time as 76, whichwould mean she was born about 1755. In her May 1, 1855 statement, sheindicated that she was now 79 years old. From these statements, we canprobably assume that she was born in either 1775 or 1776. We do not knowhow to reconcile the two dates given for her marriage. Since she wasmore precise about the date in her 1855 statement, we may speculate thatshe had found a written record of the event by that time.

(Article discusses census of 1800 in Wilkes County and court minutesdated February 7, 1800 directing Abel and others to "view and lay off aroad").

"As we noted earlier, on July 31, 1801, Abel Sparks the elder wasgiven a power of attorney by his brothers and sisters. In allprobability, this power of attorney was intended to enable Abel to takethe leadership role in settling the estate of their father Solomon Sparks(356). It also seems apparent that Abel was making plans at this pointto move to Georgia, and, as noted above, there is reason to believe thathis mother, Sarah Sparks, would accompany him. Perhaps this power ofattorney was intended to enable Able to manage his mother's financialaffairs more effectively.

"Abel Sparks moved from Wilkes County, North Carolina, to ClarkeCounty, Georgia, in either 1802 or 1803. He was taxed (poll tax) inClarke County, Georgia, (Captain Reynold's District) in 1803. He ownedno land--his poll tax was 31 cents 2 1/2 mills.

"The Mars Hill Baptist Church was then located in Clarke County,Georgia. When Oconee County was cut off from Clarke County in 1875, thearea in which the church was located became part of the new county. ThisBaptist Church had been constituted in 1799. According to the minutebook of this church, as copied for us a number of years ago from a copythat had been placed in the D.A.R. Library in Washington, D.C., AbelSparks was "received by Experience" as a member of his church on March18, 1804. (There is no mention of his wife.) There is a further reference to him on April 18, 1806, and on June 14, 1806, he was "excluded ."This probably means that he either moved away from the area where theMars Hill Baptist Church was located, or perhaps he simply joined anotherchurch.

"Isaac Sparks (340) and his wife Sarah were received into the MarsHill Baptist Church "by letter" at about the same time as Abel--on April14, 1804. Isaac and Sarah were "dismissed by letter" on March 15, 1806(i.e. they were given a letter to present to another Baptist Churchshowing that they had been in good standing at the Mars Hill Church.)However, on October 18, 1806, "Brother Isaac and wife Sarah [were]Excluded for disobeying Church. " We feel certain that this Isaac Sparkswas a son (probably the next to youngest) of Matthew (256) and Sarah(Thompson) Sparks (330) who were among the first members of the Sparksfamily to move from Frederick County, Maryland, to Rowan County, NorthCarolina. (For this family see SQ 556-66 [Matthew is William IV'sbrother]). [JS Note: See the article on Isaac Sparks which mentionsAbel on pp. 5622-23.]

"A militia roster of Morgan County dated between 1808 and 1812 showsAbel Sparks as a member of Capt. Conner's District (see THEY WERE HERE,Vol. 4, June 1968, p. 676). In 1813, Abel Sparks was listed as a privatein Captain Henry Lane's Company of Morgan County Militia. This militiaunit was called upon to give service in the War of 1812. Abel Sparksbegan his service in that war on November 21, 1814, as a member ofCaptain Henry Lane's Volunteer Rifle Company. He reported for duty onNovember 21, 1814, at the rendezvous (later information shown this tohave been Fort Hawkins), and he was discharged there on May 6, 1815.

"According to the military file for Abel Sparks the Elder at the NationalArchives, Abel's residence
was about 60 miles from Fort Hawkins. The records show that he served atotal of 5 months and 23
days, which apparently included the eight days that it took for him totravel to and from Fort
Hawkins. These records show also that his compensation for this servicewas at the rate of $8.00
per month and that he drew a total of $46.65, including 72 cents forsubsistence. The 72 cents
appears to have consisted of nine cents a day for the eight days that ittook him to reach Fort
Hawkins and to return home. The records also indicated that he drew one"red stript" blanket which
appears to be the charge of 18 cents shown as the contract price ofrations.

"At the time that Abel Sparks the Elder lived in Georgia, Morgan Countyadjoined Clarke County on
the south. Adjoining both Clarke and Morgan Counties was Walton County,and it was in Walton
County that Abel and his family were living when the 1820 census wastaken. While it would appear
that Abel moved around a good deal between 1803 and 1820, the distanceswere not great even
though three different counties were involved. His family was enumeratedas follows in 1820:

1 male over 45 years of age (himself)
1 female over 45 (his wife, no doubt)
2 males aged between 10 and 16 (thus born between 1804 and 1810)
3 females aged 16 to 26 (thus born between 1794 and 1804)
1 female under 10 years (thus born between 1810 and 1820)

"No other Sparks has been found on the 1820 census of Walton County,Georgia, nor was anyone
named Sparks listed on the 1820 census of Clarke County.

"In the QUARTERLY of December 1980, Whole No. 112, page 2258, wepublished a query
regarding Uriah Sparks, born about 1797 in North Carolina. He was thefather of 13 children. It is
striking that his service in the War of 1812 was exactly the same as thatof Abel Sparks, the Elder.
Furthermore, a David Sparks also served in the same unit for exactly thesame length of time. We
believe that Uriah and David were both sons of Abel - - perhaps a reasonfor Abel serving at the
age of 47 was to look after his two sons. When the 1820 census was taken,however, neither Uriah
nor David were living in the same county as Abel as heads of households.David Sparks was
in Morgan County, Georgia, when the 1820 census was taken; he and hiswife had three small
children at that time, two males and one female, all under ten years ofage. We know from the
records preserved by a descendant (Mrs. Ellen McKay George, 182 Dale Dr.,Apt. 102, Kent, OH,
44240) that David Sparks was born on May 19, 1794; he died on November10, 1862, in
Talladega County, Alabama, in that area that is now Clay County. He wasmarried to Permelia
["Milly" ] Medlock in the 1820s; she was born on February 15, 1791, inSouth Carolina, and died on
December 3, 1876, in Delta, Clay County, Alabama. Our informationregarding David Sparks's
family is quite limited, but we know that he had at least two children:(1) Abel Tomlin Sparks, born
November 10, 1827, who married Nancy Ann M. Newsom on December 12, 1850,and (2) Malinda
Sparks, born in 1833 who married Jesse Jackson Dempsey.

"Uriah Sparks, whom we believe also to have been a son of Abel Sparks,the Elder, was born in
1797 in North Carolina. As noted above, we have not found him on the 1820census of Georgia,
but we think it likely that he was the Uriah Sparks who married PollyPinhinter on July 4, 1821, in
Montgomery County, Alabama. He was living in Newton County, Georgia, in1830 and
in Carroll County, Georgia, in 1840 and 1850. It was in Newton Countythat he was married to his
second wife on December 8, 1831; she was Sarah Whatley, daughter ofSolomon and Polly
(McLendon) Whatley. She was born in 1807 and died in 1850. Uriah's thirdwife was named
Mahala Browning. He had four children by his first wife and nine by hissecond. Their names were:
(1) George W. Sparks, born ca. 1822; (2) Green Sparks, born between 1820and 1835; (3)
William Sparks, born ca. 1826; (4) an unidentified son, born ca. 1825-30;(5) Mary Sparks, born
June 6, 1833; (6) Martha Sparks, born ca. 1835; (7) Simeon Sparks, bornca. 1837; (8) Sarah
Sparks, born ca. 1839; (9) C. Napoleon Sparks, born ca. 1841; (10) JosephSparks, born ca.
1843; (11) Andrew Sparks, born ca. 1844; (12) Dennis M. Sparks, bornNovember 1844; and (13)
Nancy Sparks, born March 4, 1850. More detailed information regardingthese thirteen children
was given in the query noted at the top of this page, in the December1980 issue of the
QUARTERLY, Whole No. 112, page 2258.

"In 1821 Georgia's fourth land lottery was conducted. As noted earlier,records have been
preserved naming all participants in only the first lottery of 1805; insubsequent drawings (1807,
1820, 1821, 1827, and 1832), only the names of the winners have beenpreserved. Among the
winners in 1821 was Abel Sparks of Walton County-3n, fact, he won lotswith both of his draws
(2021 acres in each), one being in the 6th District of Houston County andthe other in the 12th
District of Henry County.

"On July 24, 1822, Abel Sparks, the Elder, still of Walton County, soldfor $275 to Hinche Mitchell,
also of Walton County, the lot (No. 153) that he had won in the 12thDistrict of Henry County located on Paris Creek (Deed Book 1, p. 236).Elijah Shaw and John Campbell witnessed the deed.

"When Elizabeth (Benge) Sparks applied for bounty land initially onFebruary 3, 1851, she stated
that her husband, Abel Sparks, had died in Henry County, Georgia, on June18, 1824. In her
second application (for additional land under a new federal law) on May1, 1855, she stated that
her husband had died on June 25, 1823. We have found no record from anyother source to verify
which of these dates is correct. Henry County had been created in 1821from a portion of Walton
County along with Indian lands. It was in Henry County, as noted above,that Abel Sparks had won
one of his tracts of land in 1821, but he sold it the following year toHinche Mitchell. Abel and his
family may have lived in that portion of Walton County that became HenryCounty, or they may have
moved there in 1822 or 1823.

"When Elizabeth, widow of Abel, applied for bounty land in 1851 and againin 1855, she was a
resident of Fayette County, Georgia, which then adjoined Henry County.Although a search has
been made of the 1850 census of the state of Georgia, Elizabeth Sparks'sname has not been
found. Ten years earlier, when the 1840 census was taken (listing justthe name of the head of each
household), Marberry Sparks, believed to have been a son of Abel andElizabeth, appeared on the
census of Coweta County. Coweta County is located west of Henry County,with Fayette County
lying between Henry and Coweta. Marberry Sparks's age category was givenas 30 to 40 (thus
born between 1800 and 1810) as was also that of his wife. Two malechildren between the ages of
five and ten were enumerated, along with a female child aged ten tofifteen and two other female
children under five. Also enumerated was a female aged between 60 and 70.We believe that this
was probably Elizabeth, widow of Abel.

"When Elizabeth (Benge) Sparks applied for bounty land in 1851, she didso with the assistance of
a justice of the peace named Franklin Landrum--she signed her applicationby mark. A man
named Archibald McEachran testified that he knew that Abel and ElizabethSparks had lived
together as husband and wife. Elizabeth was still a resident of FayetteCounty when she applied for
additional bounty land in 1855 (she had obtained 80 acres with her firstapplication). On March 3,
1855, Marberry Sparks and Thomas Sparks witnessed her signature (by mark)and testified to the
fact that she was the widow of Abel Sparks. William Watson and William M.Landrum also signed
an affidavit to the effect that they had known Elizabeth Sparks for thepast twenty years and that
they knew also that she was the widow of Abel Sparks.

"We feel certain that Marberry Sparks (spelled "Marbry" on the 1850census of Fayette County) was
a son of Abel and Elizabeth (Benge) Sparks. His age on the 1850 censuswas given as 45 (thus
born about 1804-05) and his place of birth was given as Georgia. Hiswife, Sarah Sparks, was 49,
and she also was a native of Georgia. Living with them were thefollowing, doubtless their children:
(1) Melissa Sparks, born ca. 1830; (2) James Sparks, born ca. 1831; (3)Thomas Sparks, born ca.
1832; (4) Frances Sparks, born ca. 1834; and (5) Adaline Sparks, born ca.1838. All were born in
Georgia. Twenty years later when the 1870 census was taken, MarberrySparks, aged 65, was
living in Fayette County, Georgia, a "farm laborer." His wife Sarah waslisted as 69. Living with
them were two of their daughters, Melissa Sparks, age 40, and FrancesSparks, age 36.

"We have records of three Sparks marriages in Fayette County, Georgia, inthe 1820s. These may
have been children of Abel and Elizabeth (Benge) Sparks:

Sarah Sparks to David L. Wilkins, May 18, 1823
Elizabeth Sparks to John Dent, July 15, 1825 ,
Ettiene Sparks to Elizabeth Lyle December 24, 1826

Another son of Abel Sparks, the Elder may have been named Matthew. AMatthew Sparks was
listed on the 1840 census of Coweta County, Georgia, and was living verynear Marberry Sparks.
Born between 1800 and 1810, this Matthew Sparks headed a householdconsisting of a female in
the same age category as himself (doubtless his wife), along with sixchildren: 2 males under 5
years; 1 male between 5 and 10; 1 female between 10 and 15; and 2 femalesbetween 5 and 10. There was also a male between 20 and 30, perhaps he wasa hired man or he may have been a relative of Matthew or his wife. (Couldthis have been the Matthew Sparks who married Nancy Sparks in NewtonCounty, Georgia, on March 11, 1828?) We have not identified this MatthewSparks on any 1850 census."
END OF ARTICLE

- - - - - - - - - -

[See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1992, Whole No. 160, pp. 4020-23 foran article entitled SOME DESCENDANTS OF MALINDA MINERVA (SPARKS)DEMPSEY, who was the daughter of David Sparks, who was a son of AbelSparks. This article is reproduced under the notes for Minerva.]

[JS NOTE: See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1958, Whole No. 24, pp.337-337 for the following article which was later corrected in the June1987 issue of the QUARTERLY at pp. 3061-3084, reproduced below. ThisAbel Sparks, said in the following article to be the son of Solomon and(Sarah -----] Sparks, was actually their grandson and the son of JosephSparks.]

DEATH TAKES GEORGE WILLIAM WAGNER

GREAT-GRANDSON OF ABELSPARKS

"It is with deep regret that we report the death of George WilliamWagner, a devoted member of The Sparks Family Association since 1955. Mr.Wagner died of a heart attack at his home in Conrad, Montana, on August31, 1958. He was eighty-three years old at the time of his death.

Born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, on September 18, 1874, Mr. Wagner movedwith his parents to a farm near Blue Earth, Minnesota, where he attendedschool. They later farmed near Guckeen, Minnesota. He married MinnieGertrude Brownlee, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Gordon) Brownlee, inDecember, 1902, and he and his wife came to Montana in 1910, homesteadingtwenty-eight miles east of Conrad. He lived there until he retired in1942. Mrs. Wagner died in 1956. He is survived by four daughters: Mrs.George (Gertrude) Kovatch of Kellogg, Idaho; Mrs. Olive Harris of Conrad;Mrs. A. J. (Marian) Kovatch of Conrad; and Mrs. Mae Bales of Tillamook,Oregon.

Mr. Wagner was connected with the Sparks family through his paternalgrandmother, Mary (Sparks) Wagner, daughter of Abel and Sarah Sparks.Abel Sparks, Mr. Wagner’s great-grandfather, was the son of Solomon andSarah Sparks of Surry County, North Carolina [Note: later foundincorrect; see top of page]. (See page 98 of the December, 1955, issue ofThe Sparks Quarterly, Whole No. 12.)

Mr. Wagner owned the family Bible in which was recorded the birth of AbelSparks, along with that of his wife and children. Following is atranscription of this record:

Abel Sparks was born Jan. 8th, 1767
Sarah Sparks was born May, 1767
Children:
Geo. Sparks, born Oct. 14th, 1800
Hannah Sparks, born May 9th, 1802
Frances Sparkes, born Oct. 27th, 1803
Elizabeth Sparkes, born April 13th, 1805
Ann Sparkes, born June 7th, 1808
Martha Sparkes, born April 1st, 1811
Soloman Sparkes, born Sept. 5th, 1812
John Sparkes, born March 25th, 1814
Mary Sparks, born October 25th, 1815
Sarah Sparks, born Sept. 13th, 1817
Abraham Sparks, born July 27th, 1821
Rebecca Sparkes, born Dec. 27th, 1825
Jane Sparks, born July 19th, 1827

Relatively little has been learned regarding the life of Abel Sparks. Hemay have been married twice, for on the 1800 census of Wilkes County,North Carolina, he was listed with five children, two boys and threegirls, all under ten years of age. Since the Bible record gives nochildren born before 1800, it would seem probable that they were childrenby an earlier wife. It is possible, of course, that these five childrenwere not his own and were merely living in his household when the 1800census was taken. Another problem exists regarding the birth date ofSarah, wife of Abel. If she was born in 1767, as the Bible recordindicates, she would have been thirty-three years of age when her firstchild, George, was born in 1800, and sixty years old when her daughter,Jane, was born in 1827. Although it is not impossible for a woman ofsixty to bear a child, it is very unusual - - so unusual that, if she wasthe mother of all the children named, she must have been born severalyears after 1767.

Several records have been found in Wilkes County, North Carolina,pertaining to Abel Sparks. The earliest of these is a tax record dated1800 on which he was taxed for 60 acres of land. A letter of attorneydated July 31, 1801, to Abel Sparks from his brotiers and sisters is alsoon file in Wilkes County; this appears to have involved the settlement ofthe estate of Abel’s father. Although it is evident that Abel Sparksowned land in Wilkes County by 1800, the only deed pertaining to hispurchase of land is dated December 12, 1801. It records the purchase byAbel Sparks from Humphrey Cockerham, both of Wilkes County, for 100pounds, a tract of 150 acres described as follows: “a certain tract orparcel of land lying and being in the County of Wilkes beginning on theEast fork of Swan Creke on Timothy Sisks line, running with the sd lineSouth to a stake in James Foxes line, then East running with sd line to awhite oak on the County ithe, thence North with the County to the LongGlade Creek, thence running down sd crick with the various courses of thestream to the beginning.” The witnesses to this deed were Mordecoi Samueland James Dowell; it was recorded in the Wilkes County courthouse inFebruary, 1805.

In 1805, Abel Sparks was taxed for 100 acres of land in Wilkes County.The last record pertaining to him in the county states that he was chosento serve on a jury on August 5, 1807.

By 1812 Abel Sparks had moved to Tennessee, but in what section hesettled is not known. Sometime between 1815 and 1820 he moved toIllinois, settling in Bond County, for he and his family were listed onthe 1820 census of that county as follows:
Abel Sparks
1 male over 21 years
3 males under 21 years
7 free white females

No record has been found thus far to reveal when or where Abel and SarahSparks died. Some members of the family moved to Grant, Wisconsin, inlater years. A marrlage is recorded in Bond County, Illinois, for one ofAbel Sparks’ children: on October 10, 1822, Fanny (Frances) Sparksmarried Francis Kirkpatrick. Of the other children, it is known thatElizabeth married a Jones, Sarah married William Dennis, and Rebeccamarried William Andrews.

Mary Sparks, daughter of Abel, was Mr. Wagner’s grandmother. She was bornwhile her parents were living in Tennessee, and died on May 10, 1879, inHampton, Franklin County, Iowa. She was married twice, her first husbandbeing Jacob Wagner, who was born in Palatine, New York, August 24, 1807.He was a farmer living in Grant County, Wisconsin, when, about 1844, hewas killed by a neighbor who struck him on the head with a fence post. Itwas winter and there was lots of snow; Jacob Wagner had taken down thisman’s fence in order to take a shortcut home. The children of Jacob andMary (Sparks) Wagner were as follows:

(1) Elizabeth Wagner, born Jan. 22, 1832, died Mar. 17, 1923; marriedSamuel Wanamaker.
(2) George Wagner, born May 1, 1833, died Mar. 9, 1863; never married.
(3) Sarah Jane Wagner, born May 22, 1834; married Jake Wire.
(4) Jesse William Wagner, born June 28, 1835; died June 1, 1922; nevermarried.
(5) Emdine Catherine Wagner, born Jan. 9, 1837, died Feb. 1, 1929;married Scott Vincent.
(6) Solomon Wagner, born Aug. 20, 1838, died Jan. 20, 1924; he wasmarried five times. His first wife’s maiden name was Sullivan; hemarried 2nd Mrs. Pricella Ice Ward. Solomon is buried atStockton, California.
(7) Jasper Newton Wagner, born Nov. 4, 1839; never married; he was lostin a storm on a wagon train going West.
(8) Jacob Harrison Wagner, born Feb. 28, 1841; died Feb. 25, 1929;married Margaret Eirning.

Mary (Sparks] Wagner married, as her second husband, Joseph Brown who wasborn about 1810 and died about 1860. He was a Quaker, born inPennsylvania, but lived in Grant
County, Wisconsin. They had the following children:

(1) Apame Ann Brown, born March 25, 1845; died May, 1909; marriedBentley Wheeler.
(2) Minerva Brown, born Nov. 14, 1846; died June, 1921; married CharlesHumphrey.
(3) John Brown, born July 23, 1848; died Aug. 24, 1920; married Mary AnnGullickson.
[4) Dave Brown, born Aug. 20, 1850; died Feb., 1914; married EvelynMedley.
(5) Marques De Lafayette (Mark) Brown, born June 14, 1852; died Dec. 26,1899; married Agnes Nowell.
(6) Pheobe Brown, born July 9, 1854; died June 4, 1855.
(7) Mary Idell Brown, born Feb. 21, 1858; died Dec. 18, 1933; marriedDr. John Pride.

The above information on Mary (Sparks) Wagner Brown has been supplied byMr. Wagner’s daughter, Mrs. Olive M. W. Harris, who has been an activesupporter of the Association for the past several years.

Should anyone have further information on Abel Sparks or his descendants,your editor would be very pleased to hear from him."

**************************

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1987, pp. 3069-3084:

TWO MEN NAMED ABEL SPARKS
(continued:)

ABEL SPARKS, THE YOUNGER
SON OF JOSEPH SPARKS

"When the younger Abel Sparks died in 1872, his age, as given on histombstone, was 94. When his wife, Sarah Sparks, died in 1853, her age wasgiven as 74. If these ages at the times of their deaths are correct, Abelwas born in 1778 (possibly 1777 or 1779) and Sarah, his wife, was born in1779 (possibly 1778 or 1780). Census records confirm the near correctnessof these dates.

As noted earlier in this article, we are quite certain that this AbelSparks, whom we have called "the Younger" in order to distinguish himfrom his uncle, Abel Sparks, the Elder, was a son of Joseph Sparks, abiographical sketch of whom appears on pages 3057-60 of the present issueof the QUARTERLY. We believe this in part because the age of Abel Sparks,the Younger matches the age of a son of Joseph Sparks enumerated on the1800 census of Surry County, North Carolina. No other man named Sparksliving in Surry or Wilkes Counties of North Carolina had a son born in orabout 1778 whom we cannot otherwise account for.

"Abel and Sarah Sparks were married in Surry or Wilkes County, NorthCarolina, about 1799. While we have found no record of their marriage,there can be little doubt but that Sarah’s maiden name was Cochran.Descendants have always believed that this was her name. (Cochran wasspelled in a variety of ways in the Wilkes County records, including"Cockerham.") We believe that it is significant that on December 12,1801, Abel Sparks purchased a tract of 150 acres of land in WilkesCounty, North Carolina, from Humphrey Cochran. (Deed Book E, p. 703)While in this deed, Humphrey’s name was spelled "Cockerham," his nameappears in some Wilkes County records as Cochran (also Cockran). Adaughter of Abel and Sarah (Cochran) Sparks, Frances Sparks, who marriedFrancis Creswell Kirkpatrick, named her first son James Cochran.Kirkpatrick. This may suggest that Sarah’s father was named JamesCochran, though no one of that name has been found in Wilkes Countyrecords.

"In the QUARTERLY of December 1958 (Whole No. 24, p. 337) we published arecord of the children of Abel and Sarah (Cochran) Sparks from a familyBible then owned by the family of George William Wagner (who died in1955). George William Wagner descended from a daughter of Abel and Sarahnamed Mary. This record pertains to Abel Sparks, the Younger, although atthe time (1958) that we published the record we did not realize thatthere were two different men named Abel Sparks living in the Surry-WilkesCounties area in the 1790s and early 1800s. In transcribing this Biblerecord for the QUARTERLY from a hand-copied sheet sent by a member of theWagner family, we noted that the dates of birth given for Abel and SarahSparks (both being 1767) seemed strange in relationship to the dates ofbirth of their thirteen children; if born in 1767, both Abel and Sarahwould have been 33 years old when their first child was born in 1800, andboth would have been 60 years old when their last child was born in 1827.Rarely, if ever, has a woman borne a child at the age of 60.

We assumed in the 1958 article that this was the same Abel Sparks knownto have been a son of Solomon and Sarah, as noted earlier. Since thattime, however, evidence has been found to prove that the birth date(1767) given for the younger Abel Sparks and his wife Sarah was wrong(see the records given above for their ages at their deaths appearing ontheir tombstones). Rather than being a son of Solomon and Sarah Sparks,Abel Sparks (whom we call "the Younger” here" was a grandson of Solomonand Sarah.

Since the publication of the 1958 article, we have obtained a photostaticcopy of the family record in the Wagner Bible. From this it is clear thatthe names and dates of birth of Abel and Sarah Sparks, along with thoseof their thirteen children, were all written in the same hand and at thesame time, that is, this record was copied from an earlier record.Perhaps it was taken from a family Bible once belonging to Abel Sparks,himself. What is especially interesting is the fact that the birth datesof Abel and Sarah were written orginally in the Wagner Bible as follows:

"Abel Sparkes was born january 8th Anno Domini 1789
Sarah Sparkes was born May 1th Anno Domini 1789."

"At a later date, in a different hand, the following was written in theWagner Bible record above the entry for the birth of Abel Sparks:"corrected Born 1767" and above the entry for Sarah Sparkes was writtensimply "1767." Why was this correction made? We can speculate thatsomeone, at some point, must have realized that if Abel and Sarah hadbeen born in 1789, as originally written in the Wagner Bible, they wouldhave been only 11 years old in 1800 when their first child was born.While the date "1789" was obviously wrong, subsequent events (e.g. theirages given on census records and their ages at death on their tombstones,as well as the fact that no woman could bear a child at age 60) provethat "1767" was likewise wrong.

"Where did the date "1767" come from? Since this seems to be very nearlythe date of birth of the elder Abel Sparks (son of Solomon and Sarah), wewonder whether the person who made the change in the Wagner Bible recordmay have had access to the record of the births of the children ofSolomon and Sarah Sparks and assumed, as did we in 1958, that there hadbeen but one Abel Sparks.

"In our earlier discussion of the elder Abel Sparks, reference was madeto the 1800 entry in the Wilkes County Court Minutes for an Abel Sparksbeing one of a group of men charged with laying out a road "from Brooksroad at Surry County line into the road that leads down the Yadkin on thesouth side." While we cannot be certain, we think it probable that thisreferred to the younger Abel Sparks. (It is interesting that in this listof men charged with building this road, the name of Humphrey Cockerham(or Cochran) immediately precedes that of Abel Sparks.)

"It was on December 12, 1801, that Abel Spanks purchased from HumphreyCockenham (or Cochran) a tract of land in Wilkes County consisting of 150acres. (Book E, p. 703) Both Humphrey Cockerham and Abel Sparks wereidentified in the deed as residents of Wilkes County. Abel Sparks paidCockerham "One Hundred Pounds Courantcy." The tract was described in thedeed as follows:
"... lying and being in the County of Wilkes beginning on the East forkof Swan Creke on Timothy Sisks line running with the sd line South to astake in James Foxes line then East running with sd line to a white oakon the County line thence North with the County to the Long Glade Creekthence running down sd crick with the various Courses of the stream tothe beginning." The witnesses to this deed were Mordecoi Samuel and JamesDowell. Though signed on December 12, 1801, this deed was not recorded inthe Wilkes County Courthouse until February 1805.

"Unfortunately, no tax lists are available for Wilkes County between 1800and 1805. Abel Sparks was taxed for 100 acres of land in Captain JohnMartin’s District in Wilkes County in 1805. Since the elder Abel Sparkshad been in Georgia for at least two years when this tax list wasprepared, we have no doubt that this refers to Abel Sparks, the Younger.

"While the Wagner Bible record quoted earlier regarding the family ofAbel and Sarah (Cochran) Spanks was obviously in error regarding thedates of birth of both Abel and Sarah, the record of the births of theirchildren seems to be accurate, according to descendants. This recordreads as follows:

1. George Sparkes, born October 14, 1800
2. Hannah Sparkes, born May 9, 1802
3. Frances Sparkes, born Octobr 27, 1803
4. Elizabeth Sparkes, born April 13, 1805
5. Ann Sparkes, bonn June 7, 1808
6. Martha Sparkes, born April 1, 1811
7. Solomon Sparkes, born September 5, 1812
8. John Sparkes, born March 25, 1814
9. Mary Sparkes, born October 25, 1815
10. Sarah Spankes, born September 13, 1817
11. Abraham Sparkes, born July 27, 1821
12. Rebecca Sparkes, born December 27, 1825
13. Jane Sparkes, born July 19, 1827

"Our last record of Abel Sparks, the Younger that we have found in NorthCarolina is dated 1807. The Wilkes County court records indicate thatAbel served on a jury there on August 5, 1807. He again served on a juryin Wilkes County on September 21, 1807. (See the Winter 1982 issue of thequarterly publication of the Wilkes Genealogical Society, Vol. 16, No.4, p. 10.)

"Abel Sparks, the Younger moved with his family to Tennessee sometimeafter September 1807, where they remained until at least 1815. He wastaxed in Franklin County, Tennessee, in 1812. (See Index to EarlyTennessee Tax Records by Byron & Barbara Sistler, published in Evanston,IL in 1977.) By 1820, however, Abel Sparks had again moved his family,this time to the new state of Illinois, settling in Bond County accordingto the federal census of that year. Abel Sparks did not appear on the1830 census of Illinois, however, because by that time he had taken hisfamily to Crawford County, Missouri. In fact, the move to Missouriprobably came no later than the summer of 1827 because Abel’s youngestdaughter, Jane, who was born July 19, 1827, gave her place of birth inlater years as Missouri.

"Abel Sparks, the Younger made one more major move in his lifetime --sometime before 1840. In this instance, however, he may have simplyaccompanied a son in his attempt to better himself. Abel’s son John wasliving in Grant County, Wisconsin Territory, when the 1840 census wastaken, while his son George was in Iowa County of Wisconsin Territory.From the enumeration of the household of George Sparks on the 1840census, it appears that his parents were then living with him.

"When the 1850 census was taken of Grant County, Wisconsin, Abel andSarah Sparks were listed (on November 2, 1850) as living with their sonSolomon Sparks, near the town of Lima. (The 1850 federal census was thefirst to list each member of each household by name.) Solomon Sparks, sonof Abel and Sarah, was identified as a farmer, 40 years old, with realestate valued at $1,200. His place of birth was given as Tennessee. Abeland Sarah, both shown as born in North Carolina, were listed as 70 yearsof age. Also listed in the same household of Solomon Sparks (who nevermarried) was 23-year old Lucinda Sparks (thus born about 1827) whoseplace of birth was given as Missouri. We believe that this was intendedfor Jane Sparks (born July 19, 1827), the youngest daughter of Abel andSarah Sparks--perhaps her middle name was Lucinda, or the census takermay simply have misunderstood her name. Also living in the household ofSolomon Sparks were three males who were probably hired men or boarders.They were: William Wagner, age 15, laborer; Jesse Crow, age 27, miner;and Jasper Wilkerl, age 20, laborer. (JS Note: See SQ p. 2608 for thiscensus.)

"In 1853, Sarah (Cochran) Sparks, wife of Abel, died. She was buried inGrant County, Wisconsin, about one mile south of the hamlet calledArthur. Located on land owned by a McReynolds family today, the cemeteryis called the McReynolds Cemetery. (Two daughters of Abel and SarahSparks married men named McReynolds, Nancy and Jane.) The inscription onSarah’s tombstone reads:"Sarah, wife of Abel Sparks, Died August 12,1853, Aged 74 years."

"When the 1860 census was taken, Abel Sparks, 82 years old, was againlisted by the census taker as living with his bachelor son, SolomonSparks, in Grant County, Wisconsin. The census taker, however, mistakenlywrote his name as "Abraham"; in the column for occupation, he wrote"Gentleman." In 1870, Abel Sparks was again listed by the census takeras living with his son Solomon; he was now 92, and under occupation thistime the census taker wrote "keeping house."

"According to the inscription on his tombstone in the Mc ReynoldsCemetery, Abel Sparks died on December 27, 1872, at the age of 94. He wasburied beside his wife, Sarah.

"When Solomon Sparks, son of Abel and Sarah (Cochran) Sparks, died in1880 without issue and without leaving a will, his brother, AbrahamSparks, requested the county probate judge to appoint Thomas Watson asadministrator of the estate. A man named George Clementson was directedto identify the heirs of Solomon Sparks. His report contains helpful dataregarding the descendants of Abel and Sarah, as will be noted below."(For balance of article see notes for each child.)

See SQ p. 393: ABEL SPARKS, son of George and Delila Sparks, was bornin Wilkes County, North Carolina, about 1828. He married ElizabethDouglass in Wells County, Indiana, on May 4, 1850.

***************

The following article was taken from the March, 1977, issue of theQUARTERLY, Whole No. 97, p 1890:

"In the June 1959 issue of the QUARTERLY (Vol. VII, No. 2, Whole No. 26),we devoted several pages to the history of the descendants of SolomonSparks, Jr. (died 1817) and his wife, Charity, of Wilkes County, NorthCarolina. A son of Solomon Sparks, Jr., was George Sparks (born ca. 1788)who married Delila - - - - about 1806 and moved to Randolph County,Indiana, about 1830. He moved to Wells County, Indiana, about 1836 anddied there in 1843.

One of the sons of George and Delila Sparks was Abel Sparks who was bornin Wilkes County, North
Carolina, about 1828; he married Elizabeth Douglass in Wells County,Indiana, on May 4, 1850. This is the only information that we hadregarding Abel Sparks when the above mentioned article appeared. Mrs.Bertha J. Davis, 1700 Harrison Blvd., Boise, Idaho (83702) has learned alittle more about him, but hopes that someone reading this may be able toreport even further.

When the 1850 census was taken of Huntington County Indiana, the familyof Abel Sparks was listed as
consisting of himself (aged 22, and his wife, Elizabeth, aged 19.Elizabeth's birth place was given as
Pennsylvania. Abel's mother, Delila Sparks (aged 62, born in NorthCarolina), was living with him, as was his sister, Mary Sparks (aged 16,born in Indiana).

According to family records found by Mrs. Davis, Abel and Elizabeth(Douglass) Sparks had a daughter, Mary Sparks, who was born on April 16,1851, in Bluffton, Wells County, Indiana. It is not known whether therewere other children.

Sometime in the 1850's, after the birth of Mary, Abel Sparks, with hiswife and daughter, joined a wagon train going to Oregon. Abel Sparks diedenroute - - where or when is not known. It is known that his wife marriedagain, but it is not known to whom or when.

On May 12, 1869, Mary Sparks, daughter of Abel and Elizabeth (Douglass)Sparks, was married to John
Joseph Brown, son of Charles Arthur Brown. Their first two children,names and dates unknown, were born in Cottage Grove, Lane County, Oregon.Mary and John later moved to Gilliam County, Oregon, where a son, CharlesArthur Brown, was born on March 11, 1876, in Rock Creek. Charles ArthurBrown was married on December 1, 1901, in Condon, Gilliam County, Oregon,to Missouri Pearl Fitzwater.

Mary (Sparks) Brown died in Condon, Gilliam County, Oregon, on August 29,1931. Her son, Charles Arthur Brown, died on September 12, 1960, inPleasant Valley, Baker County, Oregon, and his wife, Missouri Pearl(Fitzwater) Brown, died on February 9, 1969, in Oak Harbor, IslandCounty, Washington."

***************
Also see SQ p. 3706.

***************

See SQ p. 5289:

Abel Sparks was born in May 1827. He was married to Elizabeth Douglas onMay 4, 1850, in Wells
County, Indiana. A great-granddaughter of Abel Sparks (Doris Cornett[Brown[ Macomber), reported
many years ago that early in 1852 Abel Sparks and his wife, Elizabeth,with their infant daughter, Mary
Sparks, joined a wagon train to Oregon. Most of Elizabeth's family,including her parents, were members
of this train. Abel Sparks died of cholera somewhere along the PlatteRiver on June 13, 1852. Elizabeth
and her daughter continued with the train and settled with her relativesin Lane County, Oregon. There, on
May 23, 1854, she was married (2nd) to James Richard Phillips.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1969, Whole No. 67, p. 1258:

DESCENDANTS OF DAVID SPARKS (BORN MAY 19, 1794, DIED NOV. 10, 1862)

"II. Abel Tomlin Sparks, son of David and Permelia (Medlock) Sparks,was born on November 10, 1827, in Georgia, and died on January 20, 1896,in Clay County, Alabama. He was married in Talladega County, Alabama, onDecember 12, 1850, to Nancy ann M. Newsom, who was born in 1827 (February12) in Coweta County, Georgia, and died on May 21, 1912, in Clay County,Alabama; she was a daughter of Silas and Nancy Lavina (Peoples) Newsom,both of whom were natives of Georgia.

"Soon after his marriage in 1850, Abel Tomlin Sparks built a log cabinfor his bride in Clay County, Alabama. A photograph of this early Sparkshome has been provided by Mrs. Mars and appears below: (p. 1258).

"Mrs. Mars recalls that her father used to repeat a family story ofhow Abel Sparks "hauled the sandstones to make the chimneys and fireplaceby ox-cart from the rock quarry near the mountain. It was a two-dayjourney and there was no alternative but to leave his new bride,Nancy(Newsom) Sparks alone. There were many Indians in the area. Luckily,they were not hostile, but they were hungry 'all the time' and they wouldcome begging for food and liquor. Since she cooked on the fireplace, shekept a kettle of boiling water and a hot poker in the ashes at herdisposal at all times so she could 'run them out of there'."

"In the QUARTERLY for September 1967 (Vol. XV, No. 3, Whole No. 59,pp. 1097-1098) we published abstracts of the papers on file in theNational Archives in support of a pension application which Abel TomlinSparks filed in 1889 to secure a pension for his service in the CivilWar. In presenting those papers in the QUARTERLY, we were puzzledbecause it was apparent that he had served first in the Confederate Army,then, following his capture, on the Union side. Mrs. Mars has explainedthe situation by recalling the following family account:
"At the beginning of the Civil War, Abel Sparks owned slaves. Hefreed them. As the war progressed, the Confederate Government beganconscripting men for military service. Since Abel Sparks did not believein the Southern cause, he had no desire to serve in the Confederate Army,a fact known to the officials who would come searching for him regularlyat the farm and his home. He would hide in a cave near the house, andLavina Sparks, his daughter who was then about eight years old, wouldbring him food which she had hidden in the pockets of her pantaloonsunder her skirts. She would play around, then suddenly disappear andtake the food to her father in the cave. This worked for a while, buteventually they caught up with him and he was forced to 'volunteer' as aprivate in Company G, 28th Alabama Infantry, on December 28, 1864."

"A muster roll dated February 29, 1864, for Company G lists Abel T.Sparks as "missing since November 23/63 supposed to be a prisoner ofWar." He had been captured by the North at Missionary Ridge during theBattle of Chattanooga.

"Abel T. Sparks was taken as a prisoner of war to Rock Island,Illinois, where he convinced his captors that his sympathies really laywith the Northern side, and on May 24, 1864, he enlisted to serve in theNorthern Navy. He served on the warship New Hampshire until July 15,1864, then on the Wabash from July 16, 1864, to January 27, 1865, then onthe Hunchback from January 28 to June 12, 1865, then on the Vermont fromJune 13 to June 26, 1865, when he was discharged as a "paroled prisoner."In his application for a pension twenty-four years later, Abel T. Sparksstated that he had been discharged at the Brooklyn Navy Yards. Hedescribed himself at the time of his service as being six feet tall, witha light complexion, dark hair, and blue eyes. He stated that while onduty at Fort Fisher in North Carolina on or about December 24., 1864, he"was jared by the reports of the cannons to such an extent that hishearing became impaired in both ears.'

"Jesse McKay, a grandson of Abel T. Sparks, recalled hearing a familystory of how Abel, following his discharge from the Union Navy, walkedback to his home in Alabama. "He came by his sister's home in Rome,Georgia, and spent a night. She had one small piece of bread for themall; he walked home from there without anything to eat, but what appleshe could get on the way. The dogs would run him away and he would hideout in the daytime so as to hide the uniform. He was almost starved whenhe reached home, and was allowed to eat only a little for awhile until hegot used to it."

"Abel Tomlin and Nancy Ann M. (Newsom) Sparks were the parents of onlyone child, a daughter, named Lavina Elizabeth Sparks, who was born May24, 1852, at Lineville, Clay County, Alabama. She died on December 8,1934, at Ashland, Clay County, Ala.

Note on page 1265: "Although Abel Tomlin Sparks had only one child,he had twelve grandchildren, and ninety-three great-grandchildren."

See MARYLAND MARRIAGES 1634-1777, Compiled by Robert Barnes, Baltimore,
1987, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. p. 168:

"Lippings (sic), Henry, 18 May 1737, Abigail Sparks" citing 1 QA-43.The citation refers to the records of St. Lukes Church, Queen Annes County, 1728-1850, p. 45, which records were copied in 1904/5 at theMaryland Historical Society.

SQ 3229 married Henry Tippins 18 May 1737; children unknown.

"Abner Sparks, son of Solomon and Catherine (Hillegas) Sparks, was bornon August 17, 1812, in Adams County, Ohio, and died at Humboldt,Illinois, on August 31, 1881. He was a farmer and merchant. He wasmarried on May 14, 1861, at Yankee Town, Ohio, to Lucinda Woodburn whohad been born on Feb-February 13, 1832, at Amanda, Ohio. She died onApril 5, 1918. Children:

a. Mary Catherine Sparks, born February 3, 1863.
b. George Sherman Sparks, born June 7, 1864.
c. Delilah Isabel Sparks, born June 21, 1865.
d. John Oliver Sparks, born June 27, 1869.
e. Nancy Ann Sparks, born March 21, 1871; died in infancy.
f. Elizabeth Jane Sparks, born March 22, 1872; died at age of oneyear.
g. Florence Jeanette Sparks, born June 23, 1875.-

SQ p. 2961:

Abraham Sparks, son of Solomon and Rachel Sparks, was born on February 8, 1788 1791, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. He served in the War of 1812as a soldier in Capt. Solomon Sparks's Company, organized in BedfordCounty, according to the Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. 7, pages 737-38.After the death of his father in 1838, he headed a household composed ofhis sisters, Sarah and Rachel, and his grand- nephew and grand-niece,William and Jane Latta. On the 1850 census of Bedford County, he waslisted as an inn-keeper and farmer with real estate valued at $15,000. Heapparently never married.

A considerable portion of the real estate owned by Abraham Sparks waslocated in Bureau County, Illinois, and this may have been a reason whyhis brother, Joseph S. Sparks, migrated there in 1851. When AbrahamSparks died, intestate, on November 28, 1854, it was natural that theBureau County Court should appoint Joseph S. Sparks to administer thesettlement of the estate.

Joseph S. Sparks gave an inventory of his brother's estate shortly afterhis appointment as administrator. Abraham owned six tracts of land inBureau County totaling 291 acres. The annual income from the sale of thecrops (corn, oats and wheat) amounted to over $400 according to theinventory. Joseph did not live long enough, however, to make a finalsettlement, dying on March 31, 1868. The Bureau County Court thenappointed his son, Joseph R. Sparks, to make a final settlement which hedid on June 10, 1868. Named as heirs were:
Heirs Date Amount
Hannah Bogges, executor of Jonas Sparks 23 Nov. 1866 $55.84
Philip Hollar, administrator of Hannah Hollar 25 Nov. 1867$53.24
Delilah Hughs 25 Nov. 1856 $53.24
Julia Manspeaker, heir of Sarah Sparks 20 Dec. 1864$53.24
Mary Morgert 20 Sep. 1864 $53.24
Rachel Kennard 1 Jan. 1861 $55.50
------- executor of Solomon Sparks 5 Aug. 1867 $53.24
William States, guardian of heirs of John Sparks 22 July 1867$53.24
J. S. Sparks 27 July 1867 $42.46

SQ 3084: "Abraham Sparks (he was also called "Abram"), son of Abel andSarah (Cochran) Sparks, was born on July 27, 1821, in Bond County,Illinois . He married Susannah Caroline (Kirkpatrick) Mundon, widow ofFrederick Mundon. She had been born about 1811 in Georgia, according tocensus records. From Census records it appears that Abraham and Susannahwere in Iowa County, Wisconsin, in 1850 at which time they had one child,James Sparks, born about 1849 . Whether there were additional childrenwe do not know. Abraham was still living in 1880 when his brother's(Solomon's) estate was settled."

See SQ 2968:

"Abraham J. Sparks, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Naill) Sparks, wasborn on December 3, 1830, in Bedford County. He accompanied his parentsto Bureau County, IL, where he married Eleanor R. Frankenberger on June10, 1855. They lived at Wyanet, IL. Abraham served as a captain inCompany H, 146th Regiment Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. (SeeWhole No . 59, and below, for an abstract of his pension file.) He diedon January 1, 1881, at Del Norte,Colorado. Eleanor died in 1913. Theywere the parents of five children:
Alice L., Jennie Elizabeth, Cora B., Clarissa Irene and Edgar S Sparks."

***************

SPARKS QUARTERLY, SEPTEMBER 1967, WHOLE NO. 59, pps. 1098-99:

CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION

ABRAHAM J. SPARKS, born on December 3, 1830, in Bedford County,Pennsylvania; died January 1, 1881, at Del Norte, Colorado; he marriedEllen R. Frankenberger in Bureau County, Illinois, on June 10, 1855;served as Captain of Company H of the 146th Illinois Infantry. Filedesignation: WC 346597.

"On April 25, 1908, Ellen R. Sparks, a resident of Wyanet, BureauCounty, Illinois, made application for a pension. She stated that shewas the widow of Abram J. Sparks who had been commissioned a captain ofCompany H of the 146th Illinois Infantry at Wyonet, Illinois, onSeptember 17, 1864, and was honorably discharged on July 8, 1865. Shestated that Abraham Sparks had died on January 1, 1881, at Del Norte,Colorado. She signed her application as Ellen R. Sparks, and Parker H.Bimm and C. H. Hamrick signed as witnesses.

"Ellen R. Sparks submitted with her application a copy of her marriagecertificate which states that Abraham J. Sparks and Miss ElanorFrankenburger were married by the Rev. Joseph 0. Gilbert on June 10,,1855, in Bureau County, Illinois. Although her name was given as ElanorFrankenburger on this certificate she stated in her application that hermaiden name had been Ellen R. Frankenberger.

"With her application, Mrs. Sparks also submitted a sworn statement bya notary public named James P. Hall to the effect that he had made a truecopy of the family record in the Bible owned by Ellen R. Sparks and thatthe births of the children of Abraham and Ellen R. Sparks were mritten inthe Bible as follows:

Alice L. Sparks, born March 20, 1856
Jennie E. Sparks, born May 31, 1858
Cora B. Sparks, born October 14, 1860
Clarrissa I. Sparks, born October 26, 1865
Edgar S. Sparks, born April 17, 1870

"James P. Hall added that "there does not appear of record in the saidBible the death of any of the above named children.' He stated that the"Bible bears date of being printed in the year A.D. 1856 and judging fromthe appearance of the -writing, I believe the entries copied to have beenmade about the dates given." Mr. Hall dated his sworn statement February18, 1892.

"The only other record sent by the National Archives from this file isa notice dated July 15, 1913, that the postmaster at Wyanet,,Illinois,had reported the death of Ellen R. Sparks and that her pension of $12.00per month had been last paid to April 4. 1913.

"From records previously published in the Quarterly, we know thatAbraham J. Sparks was born on December 3. 1830, and was a son of JosephS. and Elizabeth (Naill) Sparks who moved to Bureau County, Illinois,from Bedford County, Pennsylvania, between 1851 and 1855. Joseph S.Sparks (1794-1868) was a son of Solomon and Rachel Sparks; Solomon Sparks(1760-1838) was a son of Joseph Sparks (who died in 1809). Joseph Sparkshad moved with his family from Frederick County, Maryland, to BedfordCounty, Pennsylvania, about 1778.

For additional information on this family, see the Quarterly of March1955 (Vol. III, No. 1. 'Whole No. 9, pp. 59-61); also the Quarterly ofSeptember 1961 (Vol. IX, No. 3,, Whole No. 35, pp. 585-87); also theQuarterly of June 1965 (Vol. XIII, No. 2, Whole No. 50, pp. 912-13).

!NOTES:
SQ pg 2924 states: "Abram Wareham Sparks was born on September 29 ,1886. On
January 1, 1908, he married Edna Virginia (Krouse) Davis. She was bo rnon April
26, 1888 and was a daughter of Mary Davis. Abram died on May 5, 1935 .He and
Edna had five children: Charles E., Roy S., Robert W., Constance R. ,and Mary
E."

SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1974, No. 84, 1699-1704:

"HAVE WE FOUND THE PARENTS OF ELIJAH SPARKS OF EARLY INDIANA?"

"The June 1973 issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY (Vol. XXI, No. 2, WholeNo. 82) was devoted to an article about Elijah Sparks of early Indiana.Part of the article was concerned with the lack of knowledge as to hisplace of birth and as to his parentage. Contemporaries had givenconflicting testimony as to the place of his birth, some saying that hewas born in Queen Annes County, Virginia (there was no such county inVirginia) while others stated that he had been born in Frederick County,Virginia. None could tell who his parents were. It now appears fromdata recently uncovered that Elijah Sparks was born in Queen AnnesCounty, Maryland, and that his parents were Absalom and Elizabeth (Brown)Sparks.

"Absalom Sparks was born in the early part of the 1700's, probablyabout 1720, and was a son of John and Cornelia (- - - -] Sparks of QueenAnnes County, Maryland, and a grandson of William and Mary Sparks whocame to Maryland about 1670, probably from County Hampshire, England.William Sparks died in 1709 in Queen Annes County and left a will inwhich he named his children, including his son, John Sparks. (See theMarch 1971 issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Vol. XIX, No. 1, Whole No. 73,for a fuller account of William and Mary Sparks.) (The referenced articlediscusses the parents of Absalom, John and Cornelia (- - - -) Sparks frompages 1699 to 1702 where we continue:)

"We have found only a few records pertaining to Absalom Sparks. Webelieve he was one of the younger children of John and Cornelia, probablythe youngest. In 1744 he bought from his brothers, Caleb and Millington,the shares of "Sparks Choice" and "Sparks Enclosure" which they hadinherited from their father. Absalom sold these tracts of land thefollowing year to John Earle for 7,000 pounds of tobacco and 20 pounds inmoney.

"There are two records pertaining to Absalom Sparks dated 1748. Oneof these is a record of his service in the Provincial Militia in theCompany of Captain William Hopper. The other record is that of hismarriage to Elizabeth Brown on November 17, 1748, as recorded in theRegister of St. Luke's Parish (Queen Anne's County, Maryland) [at p.55.See MARYLAND MARRIAGES 1634-1777, Compiled by Robert Barnes, Baltimore,1987, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. p. 168.]

"Elizabeth was a daughter of Edward and Mary Brown. Edward Brown diedin 1763 and named (among other children) his daughter, Elizabeth, wife ofAbsolom Sparks.

"A few months after his marriage, Absalom Sparks bought a tract ofland called "Tullys Delight" which was located near Back Creek, atributary of Southeast Branch of Chester River. In 1752, along withcertain of the other heirs of John and Cornelia Sparks, Absalom Sparksand his wife, Elizabeth, sold their interest in "Sparks Choice," butsince there was no consideration in the transaction, this could have beenjust a confirmation of an earlier sale. In 1758, Absalom bought aquantity of household goods from his sister, Cornelia, and her husband,Peter Alley.

"Elizabeth (Brown) Sparks, wife of Absalom, apparently died about1765-1770, and Absolom married (second) Ruth ---. (For a reference t oRuth's later marriage to William Tippins, see SPARKS QUARTERLY,September, 1 993, Whole No. 163, p. 4183: Date, ca. 1775; Spouse, WilliamTippins, Remarks, W id. of Absalom Sparks; p. 1702 TSQ, Queen AnnesAccounts, 72/39.) Then, in the latter part of 1771, Absalom Sparksdied. He left no will and his widow , Ruth Sparks, was appointedadministrator of his estate. On January 21, 17 72, she brought intocourt an inventory of his property which had been appraised by Benj.Chaires and James Finley. Witnesses to the appraisal were Absalom'sbrothers: John Sparks, C. Sparks, and Millington Sparks.

(The C. Sparks was Caleb Sparks.) Absalom's nephew, Levi Sparks, wasalso a witness. The inventory amounted to over 209 pounds and includedin the list of articles were three small bibles appraised at eightshillings.

"In 1774, Ruth Sparks, widow of Absalom, married William Tippins andtogether they presented to the court the record of the final Balances,and also the record of the final Account of the estate of Absalom Spa rkson August 11, 1774. The Balances record showed that after all ofAbsalom's debts and other obligations had been settled, the estateamounted to 130 pounds. One-third of the estate was given to his widow,Ruth Tippins, while the residue was equally divided among his sevenchildren. Named in the final account as representatives of the deceased(in addition to his widow, Ruth Tippins) were his seven children: Eliza,of age and wif e of Henry Thompson; Robert Sparks; Brown Sparks; MarySparks; Absalom Sparks Jr.; Elijah Sparks; and Athaliah Sparks. Allexcept Eliza were identified as "under age."

"If we may assume that Eliza, wife of Henry Thompson, had just reachedthe age of 21 in 1774, and that the son Robert was very nearly 21 yearsold, and, further, that the children were named in this document datedAugust 11, 1774, in the order of their birth, whe can then fairly wellarrange the probable dates of birth of the children of Absalom andElizabeth Brown Sparks. It should be kept in mind that they were marriedin 1748 and that Elizabeth died in the late 1760's.

1. Eliza Sparks was probably born about 1750; she had married---Thompson prior to August 11, 1774. (See reference to marriage in SQSept. 1993, Whole No. 163, p. 4183.)
2. Robert Sparks was probably born about 1753-1754.
3. Brown Sparks was probably born about 1756.
4. Mary Sparks was probably born about 1758-1759.
5. Absalom Sparks, Jr., was probably born about 1762.
6. Elijah Sparks was probably born abut 1765.
7. Athaliah Sparks was probably born about 1767.

"Robert Sparks, oldest son of Absalom and Elizabeth (Brown) Sparks,apparently took charge of handling the business of the family, and by1776 he had bought and sold property. It is this particular activit y onhis part that provided us the clue which led us to believe that theElijah Sparks of early Indiana was quite probably the same Elijah Sparkswho was a son of Absalom and Elizabeth (Brown) Sparks. Our readers willrecall that Elijah Sparks (of early Indiana) had complained mildly in aletter written to President James Madison in 1813 that "It was mymisfortune ...to be deprived of Parents in very early life and from theLaw of primogenitr & other misfortunes, I was thrown on the world,helpless and unlearned." This reference to the Law of Primogenitureindicates that he had an older brother who had been favored in some wayin the settling of their parents' estates.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, Dec 1990, Whole No. 152, pp 3674-3681 @@ 3677-78:

"Absalom Sparks was probably born about 1753 in Frederick County,Maryland, and was almost grown when his father died. As noted above,[referring to notes included under his father Charles sheet] he wasinvolved in a lawsuit in what was then Ohio County, Virginia, in 1778 andappeared before the justices on March 3 and 4. The case was then decidedin his favor, a witness on his behalf being Henry Nelson, hisstep-father. As has been noted, from 1776 to 1780, the Virginia county ofOhio included what later became Washington County, Pennsylvania, andthere can be no doubtthat Absalom was living there in 1778.

"In 1777, the General Assembly of Virginia had directed that all whitemales over the age of 21 living in Virginia be required to take an oathof allegiance to the Commonwealth. William Scott, one of the justices ofthe Ohio county Court, was charged with administering this oath andrecording the names. Scott's record for Ohio County survives and waspublished in the GENEALOGICAL REFERENCE BUILDERS NEWSLETTER, Whole No.32, dated Febru ary 1971. According to his listing, Absalom Sparks tookthis oath on November 5 , 1777. Four other men did so on the same day,which may suggest that they were close neighbors; they were Robert Cavin,Ezekiel Boggs, Samuel Taylor and William Boggs.

"The fact that Charles Sparks, Jr.'s name does not appear on this listmay suggest that he had not reached the age of 21 by 1777. GeorgeSparks, uncle of Absalom Sparks, and Henry Nelson, his step-father, tookthe oath on October 6, 1777. There were some men, however, who refusedto take the oath--they were called "recusants." William Sparks, theother uncle of Absalom was one of nine men listed as "recusants" in OhioCounty. It may mean that these "recusants," including William Sparks,were expressing their loyalty to King George III when they refused totake this oath. Another possibility is that they considered themselvesto be citizens of Pennsylvania rather than Virginia.

"William Scott was not only a justice of the Ohio County Court, butafter the settlement of the boundary line between Pennsylvania andVirginia , he became a captain of a company of militia in WashingtonCounty following its organization as a Pennsylvania county in 1781. Areturn of Capt. Scott's company, which was part of the Fourth Battalionof Washington County Militia, shows Absalom Sparks as a member of the 7thClass in the Company in 1782. (See the 6th Series of the PENNSYLVANIAARCHIVES, Vol II, pp. 158-9.)

"Among the papers of THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, 1774-1789, there is adocument dated October 30, 1784, listing "Inhabitants near the OhioRiver."Among those listed are Absalom Sparks and his uncle WilliamSparks. also among these papers is a petition to the President of the Continental Congress dated April 11, 1785, from "Inhabitants of the OldNorthwest." Among the names appearing on this petition is that ofAbsalom Sparks as well as his brother Charles.

"The last reference to Absalom Sparks found thus far amongPennsylvania records is the need of November 23, 1786 noted earlier."While we have not found positive documentary proof, we believe that itis highly probable that, following the settlement of their father'sestate in 1786, Absalom Sparks and his brother Charles moved fromWashington County, Pennsylvania, southward to the general area wherepresent-day Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee meet. If thisassumption is correct, their move may have been influenced by theirknowledge that two of their father's brother's, Solomon Sparks and JonasSparks, along with some cousins, had settled in this general area some 30years earlier. We know for certain that there was an Absalom Sparks,whom we have been unable otherwise to identify, living in WashingtonCounty, Virginia, from 1799 to 1805. Likewise, there was a Charles Sparkswhom we have been otherwise unable to identify, who was living in WilkesCounty, North Carolina from 1789 to 1806.

"Among the very few early marriage records preserved in WashingtonCounty, Virginia, is that of Absalom Sparks and Elizabeth McQuann onJanuary 5, 1801. Considering that the Absalom Sparks who was a son ofCharles Sparks was born about 1753, it would seem probable, IF he was thesame person as the Absalom who married Elizabeth McQuann (type??) inWilkes County, North Carolina, this would have represented a secondmarriage for him.

"Absalom Sparks paid taxes in Washington County, Virginia, in 1799 ,1800, 1805, and then in Lee County, Virginia, in 1811. He moved to KnoxCounty, Kentucky, in 1819 and settled in that part of the county that wascut off the same year to form Harlan County. He was taxed in HarlanCounty , Kentucky, from 1820 to 1829. He died, apparently, about 1829.

"There were three households in Harlan County shown on the 1830 censusas headed by men named Sparks. Whether there was a relationship amongthese individuals to Absalom Sparks is not known. They were: (1) JamesSparks who was one of the two males enumerated opposite his name as agedbetween 20 and 30; also comprising his household were four females aged20 t o 30, one male under 5 and two females under 5; (2) William Sparkswas shown as aged between 60 and 70, 2 females aged 20 to 30, one femaleaged 10 to 15, one male aged 5 to 10, one male under 5, and one femaleunder 5; and (3) William Sparks, Jr., who whas shown as aged 20 to 30;comprising his household was one female also aged 20 to 30, and one maleunder 5 years. ( See SQ of Sept 1959, Whole No. 27, pp. 419-422, for afull listing of Sparkses shown on the 1830 census of Kentucky.)

SQ p. 4607:

"Absolom Sparks, the son of John and Elizabeth Sparks was born in orabout 1799, who had been apprenticed, at age 12, in January 1812, toCrispin D. Gibbs, and who had been married to Esther Hodge in 1823, wasshown on the 1830 and 1840 censuses of Burke County. Judging from theenumeration ofhis household in 1840, it appears that he then had sevenchildren, three boys and four girls. By 1850, however, Absolom Sparkshad moved west to Buncombe County, North Carolina, where he and hisfamily appeared on the census for that year. He was shown as 50 yearsold in 1850. His wife, age 45, was called Margaret on that census,indicating, do doubt, that his first wife, Esther Hodge, had died, andthat he had remarried. Living in their household in 1850 were SidneySparks, age 18; John Sparks, age 15; and Cate Sparks, age 12. We havenot traced Absolom's descendants further."

See The Sparks Quarterly, June, 1998, Whole No. 182, pg 5002:
"Absalom Sparks, probable son of James Sparks, was born between 1790and 1800; he may have been named for an uncle, Absalom Sparks. He wasmarried, apparently, about 1815, and when the 1830 census was taken ofBurke County, North Carolina, he and a woman whom we assume to have beenhis wife, were enumerated there, on page 136. His age was given asbetween 30 and 40, while that of his wife was reported as between 20 and30. Living in their householdwas a girl under 5 years and a boy between5 and 10, whom we assume to have been their children.

!NOTES:
SQ pg 2926 states: "Absalom Sparks, son of James and Nancy (Rogers )Sparks, was born about 1804. He married Mahala Grubb, probably abo ut1835. She was born about 1813 in Pennsylvania. She died sometim e after1880. Absalom died in June 1862. He made a will on June 2 , 1862, whichwas proven on June 24, 1862. In it, he named his wife , Mahala, and hiseldest son, David, and referred to other children w hom he did not name.He and Mahala had three children."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1990, Whole No. 151, p. 3631:

"Absalom Sparks, son of Jesse and Susan (May) Sparks, was born onApril 25, 1822. He was probably named for his uncle, Absalom Sparks. Hewas a blacksmith. He was married to Malinda Boles, probably in 1845. Shehad been born on November 5, 1822. Absalom died in June 1894. After hisdeath, Malinda made her home with their son, James E. Sparks. She diedon May 27, 1910. She and Absalom were probably buried in the familycemetery on their farm in Humphreys County. They had eight children."

SQ p 2448:

"Absolom Sparks, Jr., son of Absalom and Lydia (Elsberry) Sparks, wasprobably born about 1810, in Illinois. He accompanied his parents toArkansas where, in 1825, he joined his father and brothers in
signing a petition to the President and to Congress. He signed asAbsalom Sparks, Jr. His father signed as Absalom Sparks, Sr. When the1830 census was taken of Arkansas, he was listed as the head of hisfamily in Pope County. He was born between 1810 and 1815. With him inthe household were three
females: one born 1815-20/ one born 1810-15; and one born 1770-80.

"Absalom Sparks, Jr. may have been the Absalom Sparks who marriedEmaline Thomason in Sevier County, Arkansas, in 1840. According to arecord we have received from Marriage Book B-1, p 7, they were married onMay 21, 1840, by John R. McCown, a justice of the peace, at the home ofNancy Boucher. The record indicates that Absalom was living in the homeof George T. Borings while Emaline lived with Mary Boucher."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY September 1982, No. 119, pp. 2443-48:"INFORMATION SOUGHT REGARDING THE DESCENDANTS OF ABSALOM SPARKS(ca.1771-ca.1830."

"Absalom Sparks was born about 1771 in Rowan County, North Carolina.He was a son of Matthew and Sarah (Thompson) Sparks who probably migratedfrom Frederick County, Maryland, to North Carolina about 1758 and settledin Rowan County. About 1774, Matthew Sparks moved to Surry County, NorthCarolina, settling in that portion which would become a part of WilkesCounty in 1777. He remained there until about 1784, when he moved hisfamily to the Franklin Washington Counties area of Georgia. There, inNovember 1793, Matthew Sparks was killed by Indians.

"Absalom, son of Matthew and Sarah (Thompson) Sparks, married Lydia(or Mary?) Elsberry, probably about 1790. She was born about 1774 andwas a daughter of Benjamin and Francina Elsberry. The marriage may havetaken place in District 96, of South Carolina, and the couple may havelived there for several years, but by 1802, Absalom Sparks was in ClarkeCounty , Georgia. There he made a deposition about his property which hadbeen stolen by the Indians about 1793.

"Absalom Sparks continued to live in Clarke County until about 1807when he (probably with his brother, Matthew Sparks) moved westward to theIllinois Territory settling at the Big Creek Settlement in GallatinCounty in what is now Pope County, Illinois. There, on December 6, 1812,Absalom and two of his sons, Elsberry Sparks and Benjamin Sparks, signeda petition to the President and Congress seeking permission to settlewest of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. It was also in Gallatin Countythat four of his children were married in 1813 and 1814, and two of hissons saw military service during the war of 1812.

"The Territory of Arkansas was formed in 1819 and Absalom Sparks ,with other members of his family, went there and settled in Miller County. (Miller County was established in 1820 and embraced portions ofpresent-day Texas and Oklahoma. It was absorbed by Texas in 1836, butwas returned to Arkansas and re-established in 1874.) It was in MillerCounty, in 1821, that Absalom Sparks, along with his sons, BenjaminSparks, Elsberry Sparks, and Matthew Sparks, petitioned the President andCongress to modify a proposed treaty with the Indians which would deprivethem (the white settlers) of their homes without remuneration. A similarpetition was sent on October 26, 1825, to the President. Among thesigners were Absalom Sparks and his sons, Absalom Sparks, Jr., ElsberrySparks, Matthew Sparks and Willoughby Sparks. (See TERRITORITARIALPAPERS OF THE UNITED STATES, ed. by Clarence Edwin Carter, Vol . XIX,Arkansas Territory, 1819-1825, pp. 140-141.)

"Absalom Sparks may have died in Arkansas between 1825 and 1830 for,when the 1830 census was taken of Pope County, his son Absalom Sparks,Jr. , was listed as the head of a household which included a female, aged50-60 . This was the age category into which his mother Lydia (?)(Elsberry) Sparks would fit, and she may have been this female andwidow. On the other hand , Absalom Sparks may have taken his dwindlingfamily to Texas and may have died there, leaving his daughter, EdySparks, as head of the family. In all probability, we may never learnwhen and where he died. (JS: See note below regarding the place of hisdeath and the "Claim of Heirs".)

"We do know, however, that Absalom Sparks left no will, nor have wefound any records of the administration of his estate. In spite of thelack of records, we believe we can name most, if not all, of hischildren, in part because of the extant records settling the estate ofhis daughter, Edy Sparks. Here is what we have learned about each ofthem. We do not know the order of their births." [Here followsinformation on each child for which see their individual sheets.)

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 2001, Whole No. 196, pp 5605-5630, p.5609:

"Absolom Sparks, sometimes spelled Absolem , son of Matthew and SarahSparks, was born in or about 1771 in what is now Davie County, NorthCarolina, although the Forks of the Yadkin, where Matthew's land waslocated , was then part of Rowan County. Absolom accompanied his parentsin their move to Georgia in 1783/84; he was then about thirteen yearsold. He remained in Georgia following his father's death in 1793, havingearlier been married to a daughter of Benjamin and Francine Elsberry,whose name was either Lydia or Mary Elsberry. She was a sister of Sarah("Sally") Elsberry who was married in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, toAbsolom's brother, Nathan Sparks, on May 10, 1800. It appears thatAbsolom and his family moved with his brother, Matthew Sparks , Jr. ,from Georgia to Illinois Territory about 1807, then to Arkansas about1820. He was the father of ten children. For an article about Absolom andhis family, see the QUARTERLY of September 1982, Whole No. 119, pp.2443-48. (In this article, we stated that his parents, Matthew and SarahSparks had migrated from Maryland to North Carolina about 1758; we arenow certain that Matthew had come to North Carolina with other members ofthe Sparks family in 1754; whether he and Sarah were married in Marylandor North Carolina, we cannot be sure. In the QUARTERLY of September 1989,Whole No. 147, pp.3463-72, we published an article about Absolom's sonnamed Willoughby Sparks, born in 1802.)"

**********

On July 22, 2005 I received an email from Janet Newell(newell@@surewest.net) that contained the title page of a book publishedby the Picton Press of Rockport Maine entitled "The Settlers of LovelyCounty and Miller County, Arkansas Territory, 1820-1830" by MelindaBlanchard Crawford and Don L. Crawford. Commencing on page 153 is thefollowing article appearing in the chapter entitled Depositions from theHelena Land Office:
(We are grateful to Janet Newell for her information relating to thedeath of Abasalom Sparks no herefofore known.)

CERTIFICATE #23; CLAIM #156: HEIRS OF ABSALOM SPARKS

Claim of Heirs of Absalom Sparks deceased
Copy of testimony taken before Hartwell Boswell and John Redman lateRegister and Receiver of the Land Office at Batesville A. T. viz:

Josiah Jenkins of lawful age being duly sworn deposeth and saith that hehas no interest in the claim of said Absalom Sparks, deceased, and at andprevious to the 24th day of May 1828 was at the head of a family with awife and some children and at & previous to the date aforesaid upwards ofone year resided upon the lands appropriated to the Cherokee Indians andon the Salisaw Creek. The deponent states that the claimant is thefather of Williby Sparks, Matthew Sparks and Jeremiah Sparks -Credibility of Witness established.

Richard Johnson of lawful age being duly sworn deposeth and saith thatthe above named Sparks referred to by the Witness J. Jenkins made animprovement on the Salisaw [sic] of something like six acres or more uponwhich he had erected a cabin and other houses around a stock of horsesetc. the deponent further states that the claimant left his saidsettlement and as he understood believes went with his family & effectsto Mulberry Creek east of the lands now owned by the Cherokee Indians -Credibiity of witness established - Thomas Moore of lawful age being dulysworn deposeth and saith that the person who Josiah Jenkins refers to inhis evidence has departed this life and that the family and effects ofsaid Absalom Sparks [were] on Mulberry Creek ease of said Cherokee line -Credibility of Witness established.

Miranda Marrs of lawful age being duly sworn deposeth and saith thatAbsalom Sparks the claimant departed this life in the year 1829 and thatthe famiy of said Sparks are residing on Horse head Bayou and furthersaith not - James Ball of lawful age being duly sworn deposeth and saiththat the claimant Absalom Sparks removed from the Salasaw [sic] Creek in1828 and settled on Mulberry Creek as he understood and afterwardsremoved to horse head Bayou.

Land Office at Batesville
Claim of the heirs of } May 20 1830
Absalom Sparks }

Archibald Sparks of lawful age being duly sworn deposeth and saith that[he] was well acquainted with Absalom Sparks now deceased and that he wasliving on the Salasaw [sic] Creek and in Loveley [sic] County on May 281828 and that he was at the head of a family having a wife and threechildren living at home with him and that he removed East of the nowwestern limits of Arkansas Territory and on Mulberry Creek in the fall of1828 and that he departed this life in February 1829.
Registers office Batesville, A.T.
March 3rd 1835
I do hereby certify that the foregoing is a full copy of the testimonytaken in the claim of the Heirs of Absolom Sparks decd. To a Donationclaim.
Townsend Dickinson
Register

Territory of Arkansas } Personally came before
County of Crawford } me AHenderson an
acting Justice of the Peace within & for said county & Territory AllenMiller of lawful age who being duly sworn deposeth & sayeth That thenames of the heirs of Absalom Sparks Dr Deceased are as follows to witElizbury Sparks, Louis Boatwright & Sarah, his wife in right of his wife- - Fanny Tidwell, Matthew Sparks, Allen Miller & Polly his wife in rightof his wife - - Williby Sparks, Lydia (JS: Lydia is lined through) FriendBoatwright & Lydia his wife in right of his wife - - and all of the heirsof Absalom Sparks Sr Deceased with the exception of three children heirsof Benjamin Sparks deceased to wit (JS: to wit is lined through) Furtherthis deponent sayeth not. Sworn to & Subscribed before me this 26th dayof November AD 1834.
his
Allen + Miller
mark
Compiler's note:
Witnesses were Josiah Jenkins, Richard Johnson, Thomas Moore, MirandaMarrs, James Ball, Archibald Sparks, and Allen Miller.

**********

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4276 states: EdaSparks, daughter of Jesse and Nancy Sparks, was born on 24 March, 1838.She had four children: Sabra, Sarah, Eliza and Andrew.

SQ 2775:

"Ada Sparks was born on July 11, 1877. She was married to JamesDavid Kring on December 29, 1897, and they had seven children:

Newell, Nora, Everett, Louise, Woodrow, Jack, and Ruth.

"Ada died on November 22, 1953."

SQ p. 4749: "Ada Sparks lived at Whitesburg, Kentucky."

SQ pg 2619:

"She homesteaded a ranch near Pecos, New Mexico, as early as 1891, andsold the land in 1897. She invested in property in Las Vegas, NewMexico. She never married, and in her later life made her home with hernephew, Waldo Hainlen. She died in 1964."

SQ p. 2166:

Addison J. Sparks, son of Truelove and Nancy (Hall) Sparks, was bornabout 1833 in Adair County, Kentucky. He served in Company B, 27thRegiment Missouri Infantry during the Civil War. (See the September 1967issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 59, pp. 1099 -1100, for an abstract ofhis pension file.) He was married to Mary E. Widener on May 24, 1857, inMercer County, Missouri, by the Rev. Joel L. Brownlee. She was born about1837 in Tennessee. It was the first marriage for both. Addison Sparksdied while in the military service on May 13, 1864. He left his wife withthree small children and an unborn child who would be born posthumouslyon November 13, 1864.

***********************************

UNION SOLDIERS NAMED SPARKS WHO APPLIED, OR WHOSE HEIRS APPLIED, FORPENSIONS FOR SERVICE IN THE CIVIL WAR

ADDISON R. SPARKS, son of Samuel and Mary (Aaron) Sparks, born about 1840in Adair County. Served in Company C, 13th Regt. Ky. Cavalry. Apparentlynever made application for a pension.

Addison R. Sparks apparently did not apply for a pension based on hisCivil War service, but the National Archives has provided copies of thefew documents in his military file. He enrolled on June 24, 1863, inAdair County, Ky., in Company C, 13th Regiment Kentucky Cavalry for aperiod of one year. He was mustered into service on Dec. 23, 1863, atColumbia, Ky. He was 22 years of age. He was present for duty on thecompany roster until he was mustered out with his company on Jan. 10,1865, at Camp Nelson, Kentucky. (See page 2159 of the present issue ofthe QUARTERLY.)

************************************

SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1967, Whole No. 59, pp. 1099-1100:

ADDISON SPARKS, born about 1831 in Kentucky; died May 13, 1864, while inthe Union Army; resided in Mercer County, Missouri; married Mary B.Widener on May 24, 1857; served as a private in Company B, 27th Regimentof Missouri Volunteer Infantry. File designation: WC 37630.

On September 20, 1864, the Adjutant General’s Office made a report on theservice of Addison Sparks. He was enrolled on August 15, 1862, atRavenna, Missouri, in Company B of the 27th Regiment of MissouriVolunteers to serve three years. He was mustered into service as aprivate on September 12, 1862, at Benton Barracks, Missouri. This reportconcludes: On the Muster Rolls of Co. B of that Regiment, he is reported"Died in Small Pox Hospital, St. Louis, May 13th 1864." Cause of deathnot stated.

On June 28, 1864, Mary B. Sparks signed a sworn statement prepared by B.F. Cornwell, the County Clerk of Mercer County, Missouri. She stated thather post office address was Princeton and that she was a resident ofMercer County; she gave her age as 27 years (thus born about 1837) andstated that she was applying for a pension under an Act passed byCongress on July 14, 1862. She stated that she was the widow of AddisonSparks who had been a private in Company B of the 27th Regiment ofMissouri Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Col. Curley, and that AddisonSparks had died of the small pox in St. Louis on May 13, 1864, "a diseasecontracted while in the service of the United States." She further statedthat she had been married to Addison Sparks on May 24, 1857, and that hername before her marriage had been Mary B. Widner. (In other papers inthis file her name is spelled Widener.) She stated that she had "not inany manner been engaged in, or aided or abetted the rebellion in theUnited States." She stated that she and Addison Sparks had had thefollowing children: (1) William A. Sparks, born September 23, 1858; (2)Parthena E. Sparks, born December 5, 1859; and (3) Sarah J. Sparks, bornDecember 25, 1861. The following acquaintances of Mary E. Sparks signedas her witnesses: Wm. H. McKinley and Joel L. Brownley.

Mrs. Sparks submitted a true copy of the record of marriage as recordedin the court house of Mercer County, Missouri, which reads: "This is tocertify that I solemized the rites of matrimony on the 24th day of May1857 between Addison Sparks and Mary B. Widner, both of whom areresidents of the County and State aforesaid. Given under My hand this 6thday of June 1857. [signed] Joel L. Brownlee, Minister of the Gospel."

Mary B. Sparks was pregnant at the time she made her application. Herfourth child was born on November 13, 1864, some six months afterAddison’s death.

When a new law was passed on July 25, 1866, giving a war widow a pensionof $8.00 per month, plus $2.00 for each child under 16, Mary E. Sparkssubmitted the following list of her children:

Albert W, Sparks, born September 22, 1858, in Mercer County, Mo.
Eviline F. Sparks, born December 3, 1860,
Sarah J. Sparks, born December 21, 1862,
Arvillie Sparks, born November 13, 1864.

"She further declares that she has not remarried since the death of herhusband, nor has she abandoned the support of any one of the childrenabove named, nor permitted any one of the same to be adopted by any otherperson as his or her or their child."

In this statement of July 25, 1866, Mrs. Sparks gave her residence asTrenton, Grundy County, Missouri. She signed her name by mark, whereasshe (or possibly someone else) had signed her name in a clear hand in1864. Samuel Tidener and B. F. Wyatt, both residents of Grundy County,signed as witnesses. (Since her maiden name had been Widener, this SamuelWidener must have been a relative.)

There was some confusion in the Pension Office regarding the differencein the names of her children as submitted in 1866, and on July 28, 1868,she was required to swear on oath that the names and birth dates were asfollows:

William A. Sparks, born September 22, 1858
Parthena B. Sparks, born December 3, 1859
Sarah Jane Sparks, born December 25, 1861
Arvila A. Sparks, born November 13, 1864

It seems evident that the eldest son had the forenames William and Albertand that there had been confusion regarding which was his first and hismiddle name. Likewise, the eldest daughter seems to have had theforenames Parthena and Eviline and that there had been confusionregarding which was her first and her middle name. Hugh S. Carries and W.M. H. Roberts witnessed this statement of July 28, 1868.
The final document in this file sent by the National Archives is astatement that Mary E.. Sparks was paid her pension of $12.00 per monthon November 4, 1904, for the last time, and that she had died shortlythereafter.

Addison Sparks and his family were listed on the 1860 census of MercerCounty, Missouri, in Summerset Township. (See the Quarterly for June,1966, Vol. XIV, No, 2, Whole No. 54, p. 992.) This census was taken inJune, 1860. Addison’s age was given as 29, thus born about 1831. Hisbirth place was given as Kentucky. Mary’s age was given as 23 and herbirth place was given as Tennessee. Their eldest son was given as W. A.Sparks, aged 1 year, and their first daughter was given as P. E. Sparks,aged 6 months. It would thus appear that the dates of birth which Mrs.Sparks gave for her children in 1868 were the correct dates.

SQ p. 2168:

ADDISON R. SPARKS, son of Samuel and Mary (Aaron) Sparks, born about 1840in Adair County. Served in Company C, 13th Regt. Ky. Cavalry. Apparentlynever made application for a pension.

Addison R. Sparks apparently did not apply for a pension based on hisCivil War service, but the National Archives has provided copies of thefew documents in his military file. He enrolled on June 24, 1863, inAdair County, Ky., in Company C, 13th Regiment Kentucky Cavalry for aperiod of one year. He was mustered into service on Dec. 23, 1863, atColumbia, Ky. He was 22 years of age. He was present for duty on thecompany roster until he was mustered out with his company on Jan. 10,1865, at Camp Nelson, Kentucky.

SQ pp 5437-38:

Adeline JosephineSparks, daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Swaim) Sparks,was born on April 11, 1849. She was married to Marion DeKalb Rodgers. Hehad been born in York County, South Carolina, on April 10, 1842, a son ofJohn R. and Priscilla Jane (Riggins) Rodgers. A photograph of Adeline andher husband appears on the cover of the present issue of the QUARTERLY.Adeline Josephine (Sparks) Rodgers died in Indian Land Township,Lancaster County, South Carolina, on August 5, 1921. Her husband, MarionDeKalb Rodgers, had died on February 2, 1921. Both were buried in theBelair United Methodist Church Cemetery at Belair, South Carolina.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4458: They had four children: Gail, Louise, Preston and Fay e.

From the "Record by Martha Jenkins Stone and Mary Teresa StoneSparks", we learn that Agnes Gertrude Sparks, the third child of Mary wasBaptised at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Morganfield, KY. and that herhusband's surname was Bowling. In her Last Will and Testament datedJanuary 15, 1945, her name appears as Agnes G. Baroling. I was unable tolocate an Agnes Baroling or Bowling in the 1920 or 1930 census forMissouri or Kentucky.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 2783: "Albinia Sparks was born on August 20, 1873. She was married
to Simeon M. High on December 8, 1891, in the Caledonia Baptist Churc h at
Gholson, Texas. He was born on September 9, 1869, and died Februar y 12,
1918. Albinia died on December 12, 1967. They were buried at Gholso n.
They had four children: Laura, James T., Jesse W., and Clarence H."

SQ p. 332: For birth information.

SQ pg 2620:

"He became a physician and practiced his profession in his hometown ofIndianapolis until his death on October 18, 1978 . He was a strongsupporter of the Sparks Family Association. On September 10, 1930, hewas married to Mary Jane Wilcox, and they had two sons, Robert J. Sparksand Richard Sparks."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 398:

"Albert Sparks, born about 1839. On the 1850 census of Wells County,he was listed as being 11 years old and living with the family of Robertand Abigail Roberts. (Abigail was probably his mother, the widow ofMoses Sparks; on april 21, 1841, Abigail married Robert Roberts in WellsCounty.) Albert Sparks married Mary Ann Roberts in Huntington County,Indiana, on February 10, 1860. She died September 30, 1860, aged 18years and 5 months, according to the inscription on her tombstone. AlbertSparks married, second, Martha Roberts in Huntington County, Indiana, onJune 25, 1861. She died March 7 1915, aged 70 years, 9 months, and 9days. Albert Sparks died June 17, 1923, aged 84 years, 6 months, and 23days. Albert Sparks and both his wives were buried in the SparksCemetery in Wells County."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 1601:
"In a biographical sketch of Albert Sparks, son of Moses and Abigail(Redding) Sparks that appeared in a HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON COUNTY, Indiana(Chicago, Brant & Fuller, 1887), pp. 704-05, it was stated that Mary JaneSparks, daughter of Moses and Abigail (Redding) Sparks, died unmarried.

"Albert Sparks, son of Moses and Abigail (Redding) Sparks, was born onNovember 24, 1839, according to the published biographical sketchmentioned above. However, Mr. Amos Redding (a descendant) gave Albert'sbirth as December 24, 1838. Albert Sparks died June 17, 1923. He was afarmer in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County, Indiana, havinginherited the farm that his father had purchased shortly before hisdeath. The sketch mentioned above contains the following: " After hismarriage, Mr. Sparks began farming on his present place, twenty-sevenacres being ready for the plow. Their first house was made of hewedlogs, the room being eighteen by twenty-four feet. He worked hard toimprove his home, and the first log rolling held in Rock Creek townshipwas on his farm. After a few years he built his present comfortablehouse and barn, and carries on general farming. He has one hundred acresof tillable land and fifty-eight acres of rough, uncleared ground, whichfurnishes excellent pasture for his stock. He had been reasonablysucessful in life, and has laid up a competency which will insure himagainst future want. He is a man of strict integrity whose every actwill bear the searchlight of truth, his endeavor having been to live upto the teachings of the Christian church of which he is a member. Inpolitics he is a Democrat." (Note that this was published in 1887.)

"Albert Sparks was married twice. He was married to his first wife,Mary Ann Roberts of Grant County, Indiana, on February 10, 1860. She wasalso called Mara and Mariette; she was born in 1842 and died on September30, 1860, in childbirth; her infant also died. Albert was married onJune 25, 1861, in Huntington County, Indiana, to his second wife, MarthaRoberts, who was born on November 7, 1831, and died on March 7, 1915. Shewas a sister of his first wife. Albert and both of his wives are buriedin the Sparks Cemetery in Wells County, Indiana.

"Albert and Martha (Roberts) Sparks were the parents of the followingchildren: (The data that follow have been taken from the notes of Mr.Amos Redding) [for which see their family sheets.

SQ pg 3357: "Albert Sparks, son of John and Malinda (Jones) Sparks,was born on March 21, 1841. He served in Likens Battalion TexasVolunteers, Confederate States Army. This unit was reorganized andchanged to A . W. Spaights Battalion Texas Volunteers. Albert Sparksdied while on a military
campaign in 1865.

***************

See the December 1969 issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No. 68, pg.1280, for a record of his military service:

ALBERT SPARKS (born about 1841)

Albert, Sparks enlisted for the duration of the war at Sabine Pass onSeptember 20, 1861 by S. B. Davis, as a private. On October 1, 1861, hejoined and was enrolled in Capt. J. N. Blair’s Company of what wasinitially called Capt. J. M. Blair ‘s Company in Likens' Battalion TexasVolunteers. He gave his age as 20 years. This company subsequently becameCompany A, 11th Battalion Texas Volunteers. Albert Sparks’s name appearson the company’s muster roll from September through December 1862, Theofficial history of this battalion reads as follows:

This battalion was organized in the latter part of 1861, with onecavalry, one artillery and two infantry companies and known in that fieldas Likens’ Battalion Texas Volunteers. Early in 1862 an infantry companyand a cavalry company were added and it was designated the 6th BattalionTexas Infantry. It was reorganized June 17, 1862, and known in the fieldas A. W. Spaight ‘s Battalion Texas Volunteers. The battalion was brokenup November 20, 186)4, and all but Company B were assigned to the 21stRegiment Texas Infantry as Companies A, E, H, B, F and K.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 3941: They had at least three children: Goldie, Nova and Darwin Sparks.

SQ p 2869: He lived at Three Rivers, Texas.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1957, Whole No. 20, pp. 264-66:

"FAMILY OF ALBERT CYRUS SPARKS, 1830-1915"

"Ruth Ely Porter (Mrs. Milby Porter) of 3112 Wheeler Ave., Houston 4,Texas, is (written in December 1957) seeking information regarding theancestry of her grandfather, ALBERT CYRUS SPARKS. He was born in LewisCounty, Kentucky, on January 8, 1830, and died at Fort Scott, Kansas, onMarch 22., 1915 (buried in the Chapel Grove Cemetery). It is known thatthe Christian name of Albert Cyrus Sparks's mother was Elizabeth, but thename of his father has not been proved, although there is some reason tobelieve that it was James Sparks. Mrs. Porter has a picture (tin-type)of Albert Cyrus Sparks's father; he is believed to have had Englishancestry.

"Albert C. Sparks is known to have had at least two brothers, HarrySparks and John Sparks, of the vicinity of Cloverdale, Putnam County,Indiana. There was also an "Aunt Eliza Sparks," but whether she was asister or a sister-in-law of Albert C. Sparks is unknown. Albert C.Sparks was a member of the Campbellite, or Christian, Church. It appearsthat in his youth he lived in Indiana, probably Putnam County, and wasmarried in Indiana, date unknown, to Sarah Jane Collins, who was born onJan. 20 (or 30). 1836, in Putnam County, Indiana; she died on August 29,1876, near Webb City, Missouri. Sarah Jane was the daughter of JohnCollins, whose tombstone in Evergreen Cemetery, Pleasant Grove,Minnesota, indicates that he was born on August 1. 1806, and died onAugust 25, 1886. (The eldest child of John Collins was Betsy Ann CollinsBurgan who was born at Somerset., Kentucky, on February 27, 1827; died at87 years in 1911, at Pleasant Grove, Minnesota. Sarah Jane's brothers,William H. Sparks (JS: Should be "Collins"?) (whose farm is still ownedand cultivated by his descendants) and John Collins served in the IndianWars and in the Civil War, from August, 1862, to August, 1865. WilliamCollins enlisted, at 32 years of age, John at 31. Both are buried atPleasant Grove.)

"It would seem probable that there was a close relationship betweenAlbert Cyrus Sparks and James Harvey Sparks of Putnam County, Indiana.According to a history of Putnam County by Jesse W. Weik (1910), James R.Sparks was born in Lewis County, Kentucky, on February 8, 1826, the sonof James and Elizabeth (Gilman) Sparks. (Elizabeth Gilman was thegranddaughter of Henry Gilman, a soldier in the Revolution under GeneralWayne.) According to Mr. Weik's account, the family moved from LewisCounty, Kentucky, to Putnam County, Indiana, about 1838, locating nearMt. Meridian. It seems probable that Albert C. Sparks was a member ofthis family. James Sparks, father of James Harvey Sparks, was listed onthe 1840 census of Putnam County, Indiana, as follows:

himself, between 40 and 50 years
wife, between 30 and 40
2 sons under 5
2 sons between 5 and 10
1 son between 10 and 15
2 sons between 15 and 20
1 daughter between 5 and 10
1 daughter between 10 and 15

"Mr. Weik stated that James H. Sparks learned the blacksmith trade inGreencastle and on February 27, 1851, was married to Emily Jane Coffman,daughter of John and Mary (Williams) Coffman of Fountain County,Indiana. She died February 7, 1920 at the age of 69. James H. Sparkswas still living in 1910 and was a member of the Christian Church. Heserved in Company I, 43rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry during the CivilWar. On the 1850 census of Putnam County, Cloverdale Township, James H.Sparks was listed as "Harvey Sparks," which was his middle name. He wasliving with the family of Greenburg and Lucinda Lyon. Greenburg Lyon wasalso a blacksmith. The only other Sparks living in Putnam County in 1850was Elizabeth Sparks, age 22, born in Indiana, who was living with thefamily of David C. and Elizabeth A. Allen in Floyd Township.

"Albert Cyrus Sparks moved to Minnesota as a young man and settlednear Pleasant Grove in Olmstead County. The exact date on which he movedis unknown, but it was sometime prior to the summer of 1856 for in Augustof that year his oldest child was born in Minnesota. The first census ofMinnesota was taken in 1857. Albert C. Sparks was listed in OlmsteadCounty as 28 years old, a farmer, born in Kentucky, with his wife andfirst child. He was living in "Town 105, Range 13." Living next toAlbert C. Sparks was the family of Elizabeth Sparks, 54 years old, bornin Pennsylvania. With-out doubt, this was the mother of Albert C.Sparks. Living with her were William Sparks, age 18, and Mary Sparks,age 16, both born in Indiana; these were doubtless younger children ofElizabeth. Also living with her were E. R. Tubbs., age 5, born in Iowa.9and L. J. Tubbs., age 3, born in Minnesota. Perhaps these weregrandchildren. Living with the family of Allen and Alice Dice nearby wasJohn Sparks, age 11, born in Indiana. Perhaps he was also a son ofElizabeth. Also living in Olmstead County in 1857, only a few housesfrom Albert C. Sparks, was Joseph Sparks, age 25, farmer, born inIndiana, and his wife, Armela Sparks, age 18, also born in Indiana.

"On the 1860 census of Olmstead County, Minnesota, Albert C. Sparkswas listed with his wife and two children, but also living with him weretwo nephews, Winfield Sparks who was born February 20, 1852, and BenjaminSparks, born October 3, 1857; both were born in Iowa. Elizabeth Sparkswas not listed in the 1860 census of Olmstead County -- perhaps she haddied between 1857 and 1860, or she may have moved back to Indiana. Livingnext-door to Albert C. Sparks in 1860 was Jas. Sparks, age 27, farmer,born in Kentucky, with his wife Sarah (age 21, born in Indiana)., and twochildren, Angeline, age 2, and James, age 1 month, both born inMinnesota. Living with them was a Josephine Sparks, age 7, born in Iowa.

"Following the Civil war, Albert C. Sparks and his family moved fromMinnesota to Missouri, later to Kansas, where he operated a saw mill.Albert Cyrus and Sarah Jane (Collins) Sparks were the parents of thefollowing children

1. Hester Ann Sparks, born Aug. 27, 1856, at Pleasant Grove, Minn.; diedApril 21, 1945, at Fort Scott, Kansas. She married Francis Marion Grosson July 3, 1876. They were the parents of four children: (1) JesseGross; (2) Norman Gross; (3) Orville Gross; and (4) Nellie Matilda Gross.

2. Charles Sparks, born July 7, 1858, at Pleasant Grove, Minn.; died onDec. 10, 1951, in Colorado Springs, Colo. He married, first, OtieRosetta Lee, who was born in Fredonia, Kansas, and died in Chandler,Okla., on Aug. 20, 1895. They were the parents of two children: (1)Albert Sparks, born Jan. 28, 1891, at Fredonia; and (2) Syble Sparks,born Aug. 20, 1893. Charles Sparks married, second, at Chandler, Okla.,on Dec. 28, 1898, Madge Evelyn Funk, who was born Aug. 8, 1874, in StarkCounty, Illinois. They were the parents of the following children: (3)Phyllis Sparks; (4) Jennie Sparks; and (5) Isaac Sparks. (Madge Evelyn(Funk) Sparks, second wife of Charles Sparks, was the daughter of EdgarMortimer Funk, born Sept. 23, 1848, near Peoria, Ill., and Jennie Sharer,born near Laceyville, Penna., on Feb. 26, 1849. They were married atToulon, Stark Co., Ill., on Sept. 23, 1869; both died near Vernon, Colo.,and were buried in Chandler, Okla. Edgar Mortimer Funk was the son ofJesse Funk, born in Fayette County, Ohio, and his wife, Cynthia (Hanes)Funk, born in Brooks County, Va., near Natural Bridge. Jennie (Sharer)Funk was the daughter of Samuel Sharer, born in the state of New York, aBaptist minister, who died in Ewart, Iowa, and his wife, Jerusha (Smith)Sharer who was born in Pennsylvania, a school teacher, of the QuakerFaith.)

3. James Madison Sparks, born October 17, 1860, at Pleasant Grove,Minn.; died April 30, 1937, at Los Angeles, Calif.; buried in WestminsterMemorial Park Cemetery.

4. Matilda Jane Sparks, born May 15, 1862, at Pleasant Grove, Mirm.;died Aug. 8, 1905, at Palmyra, Missouri. She married Alphonso EthelbertMills Ely at Ft. Scott, Kansas, on March 26, 1883. They were the parentsof the following children: (1) Ruth Ely (Mrs. Milby Porter, author ofthis query); (2) Drusilla Ely; and (3) A.E.M. Ely.

5. Albert Sparks, born Jan. 27, 1864, at Pleasant Grove, Minn.; diedAug., 1891, in a silver mine accident at Lamertine, Cob.; buried in IdahoCemetery, close to Cripple Creek.

6. Aletha Sparks, born June 22, 1866, at Pleasant Grove, Minn.;married Napoleon B. Simonds on Aug. 27, 1885. They had an apple orchardat Doniphan, Kansas.They were the parents of three children: (1) LulaSimonds; (2) Earl Simonds; (3) Walter Simonds. (One of the boys died atCamp Funston while in training for World War I.)

7. Flora Sparks, born May 15, 1868, at Pleasant Grove, Minn.; diedJune 3, 1869.

8. Luella May Sparks, born June 27, 1870, near Webb City, Missouri;died August 10, 1871.

9. Stella May Sparks (twin), born June 27, 1870, near Webb City,Missouri; died in childhood.

10. Cora Sparks, born Oct. 21, 1871, at Boonvilbe, Missouri; died May6, 1952, at Atchison, Kansas. She married Ira Jett in August, 1895, atDoniphan, Kansas. He was born March 3, 1870, at Doniphan, Kansas, anddied May 28, 1929, at Atchison, Kansas.

11. Nora Sparks, born Dec., 1874; died August 11, 1876.