SQ pg 3701: See SPARKS QUARTERLY pg 3694 where Dora is shown i n aphotograph with her cousin Elam Hardy Sparks (RIN 6542). She was marriedto a man named Roach. This photo is reproduced in her scrapbook.

SQ p. 817: Marriage record of Dorcas Sparks and Arron Fairchild; marriedby Henry Jayne, husband of Dorcas' aunt Sarah Jayne.

SQ p. 3868: Dorcas Sparks, daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Jayne )Sparks, was born on September 9, 1826. She was married to AaronFairchild on February 15, 1845, in Johnson County. He had been bornabout 1822 in Virginia and was a son of Aaron and Rebecca Fairchild.Dorcas and Aaron had four children when the 1850 census was taken ofJohnson County. She died in 1851.
a. Thomas Aaron Fairchild was born on August 8, 1846. He wasmarried to Elizabeth Jane Conley. He died in 1903.
b. Mary Jane Fairchild was born on December 10, 1847. She diedin infancy.
c. William Henry Fairchild was born on February 5, 1849. Henever married.
d. Enoch Fairchild was born on September 24, 1850 . He wasmarried to Sarah McKenzie. He died in 1924.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4078: She was married to Arvil Hill.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3413: She was married twice. Her first marriage was to William Blair, and they had a son, Donald Blair. Her second marriage wa sto Earl Gilliam, and they had a daughter, Jo Anne Gilliam.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2785: She married C. C. Curtis and lived in California.

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 2001, Whole No. 196, pp 5605-5630, p.5608:

"Eady Sparks, daughter of Matthew and Sarah Sparks, was born about 1763.No article hase been published about her , so we report here what we havehave learned, based largely on the research of Johnella S . Boynton."Eady" was a nickname for Idris , but because she seems always to havebeen called Eady , sometimes spelled "Edie , " we will call her Eady here. There can be little doubt that she was married to Randolph Traylor inGeorgia, sometime after her parents moved there from North Carolina in1783/84. On September 19, 1797, William Sparks , brother of Eady , soldland to Randolph Traylor that was located in Jackson County , Georgia. Adeed for land sold by Traylor in Clarke County, Georgia, dated January 3,1807, was signed by his wife, "Edie Traylor," as well as by Randolph.(See Deed Book D, p. 224.)

"Randolph Traylor was a son of William Traylor , who died in WilkesCounty , Georgia, in 1791, having moved there from Halifax County,Virginia, after the Revolution . When William Traylor died , he left 12heirs . (See Halifax County Pleas Book 21, page 105, August Court 1802).Besides Randolph, the heirs included Elizabeth (Traylor) Brooks, themother of Sarah ["Sally"] Brooks, who was married to Eady's nephew , JohnSparks, in Jackson County, Georgia, in 1806. John Sparks was a son ofMatthew Sparks, Jr., Eady's brother.

"Randolph and Eady Traylor moved their family to Mississippi about thesame time that Eady's brother, William Sparks, moved there in 1811. Theysettled in that part of Marion County, Mississippi, that became LawrenceCounty in 1818. We believe that a "Landel Traylor" listed on an 1813Mississippi tax list is an incorrect rendering of Randolph. In Georgiarecords , he was sometimes called "Randall. " Randolph Traylor died inMississippi before November 6, 1818, when an inventory was made of hisestate in Lawrence County. Matthew Traylor, probably the eldest son,and Joseph Cooper, were made administrators of his estate. RichardSparks, son of William, was made guardian of Randolph's minor heirs,named Thomas, Elizabeth , and Jo Ann Traylor. A later record showsRichard Sparks received a distribution from the estate of Sarah Traylor;we are uncertain if Sarah was another child, or whether an error was madein copying the earlier names. The 1823 Mississippi state census shows aMiss Sarah Traylor in Lawrence County. "Mrs. Traylor" was mentioned in anestate inventory of March 1820; other heirs included in RandolphTraylor's estate settlement were Hiram Traylor, William Traylor, andNathan Traylor."

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!NOTES:
SPARKS QUARTERLY pg 4557: Eady Sparks, daughter of Nathan and Nan cy(Hancock) Sparks, was born on February 9, 1807, probably in Georgi a; shemay have been carried as a baby to Tennessee by her parents . She wasobviously named for her father's sister, Eady Sparks. Sh e was marriedto William S. New on July 21, 1831, in Willson County b y Wilson Hearn.Hope Hancock was the bondsman. William New had bee n born on October 27,1794, and was very likely a widower with four c hildren when they weremarried.
Eady and William New had two children before her death, which occurred on June 12, 1836. After her death, William New apparently was married again and had two more children before his death on August 11 ,1846. He and Eady were buried in the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyteria nChurch Cemetery.

SQ p. 5617:

"Eady Sparks, daughter of Bailey and Martha (Noland) Sparks, was born onDecember 7, 1816. It seems probable that she was named for Bailey'ssister. She was married to John J. Goodrum on March 16, 1837.

"Some years ago , Jeff Lovelace of Dallas, Texas, wrote that hisgreat-great-grandmother, Eady (Sparks)
Goodrum , had been born on December 7 , 1816, he thought, in DicksonCounty, Tennessee. Dickson adjoins Humphreys County, Tennessee; we arecertain that it was in Humphreys County that Eady was born . Mr .Lovelace sent us a photocopy of a page from a family Bible that he hadfound--he did not know the whereabouts of the original. We give here thecontents of this record in the hope that it may prove helpful to someone.

John J. Goodrum & Eady Sparks was Married March the 16 1837
John Jefferson Goodrum was born Feb the 11 1811 in JeffersonCo. Miss.
Eady Goodrum was born Dec 7th 1816 Dixon Coounty, Tennessee.
Thomas Goodrum was born Feb the 11, 1838
Martha Ann Goodrum was born January 13th 1840
Mary Matilda Goodrum was born Aug 27th 1842
Susan Elizabeth Goodrum was born March 28th 1845
James Liles Goodrum was born Apr 15th 1848
Reuben Smith Goodrum was born Oct 3th 1850
Laura Jane Goodrum was born Dec 16th 1853
Sarah Francis Goodrum was born June the 23 1856
Julia Terrissa Goodrum was born Jan 13th 1860

Susan E. Goodrum Departed this life Aug the 3 1848
Thomas B. Goodrum departed this life Aug the 6, 1848
Julia T. Goodrum departed this life June the 23, 1861
Eady Goodrum Departed this life Aug the 6 1875 59 years

The household of John J. Goodrum appeared on the 1850 census of YalabushaCounty, Mississippi (page 478) "South of the Yalabusha River."On thiscensus Eady's name was given as Edith; perhaps the census takermisunderstood or just assumed that Eady was a nickname for Edith .

John J. Goodrum age 39 Born in Mississippi $250Real Estate
Edith " 33 " Tennessee
Martha " 10 " Mississippi
Mary " 8 " "
James L. " 2 " "

Jeff Lovelace has noted that Eady (Sparks) Goodrum died in BurlesonCounty, Texas, and was buried in the Hix Cemetery in Burleson County. Herhusband's date of death was not known to Mr. Lovelace, but he believedthat he had been buried in the Little River Cemetery in Milam County,Texas. Sarah Francis Goodrum, from whom Mr . Lovelace descends, was bornin Gonzales County, Texas; she was married to William Henry Lovelace onFebruary 4, 1875. in Milam County, Texas. She died on January 5, 1929, inBrown County, Texas."

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 4072: He was married to Annie Ruth Riner on February 1, 1946 ,and they had three children: Jo Ann, Dale and Brenda.

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!NOTES:
SQ pg 4073: They have four children: Robin, Earnest, Jr., Bryan an dKellie.

SQ pg 2615: He lived at Bushnell. He went by the name of Burrell .He retired at Mountain Home, Arkansas. He had a son, Durward Sparks, whotaught school for a while at Peoria, Illinois, and a daughter namedLucille.

!NOTE:
There is a listing in death records of Union County, KY FHL 976.98 85V38h on
page 14 of J. O. Sparks, born Oct 3, 1887 who died May 24, 1916. Hi sfather's
name was Ed Sparks and his mother was Belle Snodgrass. He was cathol ic.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1986, Whole No. 134, p 2877:

"Eady Sparks, daughter of William and Mary (Fielder) Sparks, was bornon August 15, 1810, in Clarke County, Georgia. She was undoubtedly namedfor her father's sister, Eady Sparks. Eady (daughter of William) wasabout a year old when her parents left Georgia to go to the Territory ofMississippi. There she grew to womanhood and married James H. Simmons onJanuary 12, 1828, in Lawrence County. He had been born on February 15,1801, in Rowan County, North Carolina, and was a son of Jesse and CharitySimmons.

"(Editor's Note: The given name of Eady (also spelled Edy or Edie) isnot uncommon among the descendants of Matthew and Sarah (Thompson)Sparks. Four sons of Matthew and Sarah named a daughter "Edy" or "Eady."It was probably a nickname originally. Some descendants claim that itwas a shortened form of Edith; others say that it was derived fromIdris. In all probability, the exact derivation will never be known. Inthis article (and in others) we will try to use it just as we have foundit in the records.)

"The 1830 consus found the Simmons family in Yazoo County,Mississippi, but by 1831 the family was in neighboring Attala County.They were still there when the 1840 census was taken and appaarently theydid not go with the Sparkses to Texas in 1836. It was not until 1846(after the death of Charity Simmons and the settlement of her estate)that James and Eady Simmons took their family to Texas where they settledin Rusk County. Shortly after they arrived there, James Simmons and hiswife (along with others, unnamed) were named as heirs of Levi N. Sparks,who had died about 1848 without issue. They sold the 89 acres that theyhad inherited in Cooke County. A footnote to this transaction reads:"Levi N. Sparks was a son of William Sparks, Revolutionary soldier ofNacogdoches County. Mrs. Simmons was a daughter."

"The Simmons family continued to live in Rusk county until about 1861when they moved to Collin County. Three sons and a daughter were marriedby this time, and the country was on the eve of civil strife. All of thesons of James and Eady would serve in the Confederate States Army.

"James H. Simmons died in Collin County on April 16, 1879. His estatewas probated on May 28, 1880, with his wife serving as hisadministratrix. The inventory of his estate totaled abnout $3,140. Eady(Sparks) Simmons survived her husband nearly twenty years, dying on March2, 1897. She was buried beside her husband in the Fitzhugh Cemetery inCollin County. They were the parents of ten identifiable children."

**********

On July 30, 2002 an email was received from Patricia Ann West, Ph.D.(wiz@@websitewiz.com) to which was attached several pages of datarelating to the descendants of Edith Arminda Sparks and James H. Simmons,Sr. Notes provided by Dr. West will be prefaced with her initials(PAW). We are grateful for her help.

Generation One

1. EDITH ARMINDA SPARKS was born on 15 Aug 1810 at Clarke Co., GA.She was the daughter of William C. Sparks and Mary Fielder. She marriedRev. James H. Simmons Sr., son of Jesse Simmons and Charity _____, on 12Jan 1828 at Lawrence Co., MS. She died on 2 Mar 1897 at Forest Grove,Collin Co., TX, at age 86. Edith was named after her aunt, Eady Sparks.She was deed on 21 Jan 1839.

Children of Edith Arminda1 Sparks and Rev. James H. Simmons Sr.were as follows:

i. WILLIAM FIELDER SIMMONS2; born 1829; married Mrs. EmilyCook Addison 10 Jun 1849 at Rusk Co., TX.
A family member contributed the following to a biography ofWilliam F. Simmons in a Rusk Co. (?), Texas history. "William FielderSimmons . . . served in the Confederate Army in the Civil War as did hisbrothers, John, James J. and George W., and his brothers-in-law. WilliamF. wrote a letter to his sister Sarah on July 20, 1864, when he was in aCamp on Bayou Flacen, Louisiana. He had seen his brother John, who hadreceived a 'fine cake' from Eliza and had saved him a big piece. He hadseen Tom [Williams] [Patsy West's great-grandfather] five days ago. ..Tom's Company was ready to go on down on the Atchafalaya [Bay? River?.]News was all rumors . . . but all good. . .It was reported that GeneralGrant is leaving Richmond with his forces and falling back towardWashington City. . . [there is more to this letter buy I don't have therest of it]. ..."
William and Emily Simmons had two children: Sarah Edith Simmons andJohn Brittain Simmons. He and his brother James married twin sisters.

Information sent by Joyce Steward Smith, a Simmons descendant.
ii. JOHN T. SIMMONS; born 7 Oct 1831 at Lawrence Co., MS; marriedEliza J. Newsom 1858 at Rusk Co., TX; died 28 Aug 1908 at age 76. He wasmarried first to Susan Edith Randal.
iii. JAMES J. SIMMONS; born 14 Sep 1833; married Rebecca Ann E.Cook 8 May 1855; died 8 Jan 1914 at age 80. According to Deed Book B:331of Attala Co., James Simmons Jr. bought land from the Tax Collector,David Eakin, for $11.50 a parcel east 1/2 of SW quarter of section 4,twp. 12, range 5E. This transaction was dated 20 Feb. 1843. This couldnot be the son of James H. Simmons Sr. His wife Rebecca had a twinsister Sarah A.E. Cook. They were daughters of Franklin Cook and Sarah(Anderson) Cook. James and his brother William married twin sisters.
iv. FRANCES ELIZA SIMMONS; born 1835; married James A. Bowmancirca 1855; died before 1880. According to Mrs. J. S. Hardaway, Francesmarried James A. Bowman in Collin Co. and had three children: Thomas,Edwin, and Ada Bowman. The children were named in the Power of Attorneygiven by the heirs of Edith Simmons in 1898 to George W. Simmons of ClayCounty, Texas.
v. GEORGE WASHINGTON SIMMONS; born 20 May 1837; married Lucy JanePhelps 1 May 1870; died 1920. He was married first to Martha Smith inJuly 1865. She was the daughter of A.C. Smith of Collin County. Theyhad one child, Robert L. Simmons.He married Lucy Jane Phelps, daughter ofAquilla L. and Matilda (Glaze) of North Carolina. Their children were:

1. Edwin Simmons, d young
2. Daisey Simmons, d young
3. George W. Simmons Jr., d young
4. James Aquilla Simmons b ca 1871 in Collin Co.; m 1894 toEmma Pollard Thompson. 4 sons.
5. John Albert Simmons; three daughters, Willie Mae Dodsonand her sisters Marie and Cinda.
6. Lula D. Simmons--never married. Taught school in Clay Co.,TX; d ca 1960 and is buried at Bellvue.
8. Alma Simmons b 1880; married Will Childress. Fourchildren: a. Virgil Simmons, retired attorney in Houston; b. EdithChildress m Odell Cherry; c. Roy Childress married Birdye Christine_____. d. Lucy Childress married Stewart Lively Hugley.
9. Sallie Simmons b ca 1882. Married Bernard Gault. Nochildren.
10. Mabel Simmons b 1888; d 1974. Married Kirk Hampton. Oneson John George Hampton. He is buried in Bellevue Cemetery in Clay Co.,TX. He had moved there sometime after 1880. He died in 1920 and hiswife Lucy died in 1928. He served in the Civil War in the CSA.

vi. MARY ANN SIMMONS, born 29 Feb 1840 at Attalla Co.,Mississippi; married Thomas Hudson Williams.
vii. SARAH 'SALLIE' SIMMONS; born 1842 at Collin Co., TX;married William Lafayette Graham 26 Oct 1865 at Attalla Co., MS; died 26Nov 1903 at Allen, Collin Co., TX. Her obituary notes that she livedone mile north of Lucas and that she had been partially paralyzed forseveral months. She was one of the early settlers of Collin County. Shewas a member of the Primitive Baptist church, holding fellowship with theOrchard congregation three miles from Lucas. Burial was in Forest GroveCemetery and services were conducted by the Rev. Webb of McKinney. Shehad four daughters and one son: Mesdames Allen and Will Biddy, Mrs.Newsome, wife of the Rev. W.T. Newsome, and James Graham, unmarried, whowas still at home. She was a daughter of Mrs. Simmons, deceased, one ofthe pioneer settlers of this county. Her husband William Lafayette Grahamserved in the CSA in the Civil War.
viii. MARTHA A. SIMMONS, born 24 Feb 1844; married William HenryCrawford Brooks.
ix. ELIZABETH JANE "BETTIE" SIMMONS; born 1846; married RuebenA. Cook; died.
x. SUSAN MARGARET SIMMONS; born 13 Feb 1848 at Rusk Co., TX;married William Dudley Kirby 15 Oct 1867.

Generation Two

2. MARY ANN SIMMONS (Edith1Sparks) was born on 29 Feb 1840 atAttalla Co., Mississippi. She married Thomas Hudson Williams, son of ____Williams and Mary "Polly" Newsom, on 28 Apr 1856 at New Salem, Rusk Co.,Texas. She died on 30 Mar 1925 at Collin Co., TX, at age 85. , , Shewas buried on 31 Mar 1925 at Collin Co., Texas. Two detailed newspaperclipping exist about her. "Grandma William's [sic] 84th Birthday: ManyFriends Assemble to Help Mrs. Mary Ann Williams Celebrate Her 84thAnniversary" notes that the affair was a surprise. Guests included herchildren, ministers, friends, and mentioned her mailman of 23 years. Herparents were James and Edith Simmons and Mary Ann was b Feb. 29th 1840 inAttally [sic] Co., MS. She came to Nacogdoches County East Texas with herparents in 1846. The article includes her marriage date and lists all ofthe living children in 1924. It notes that she had 15 children, 52grandchildren living and 20 dead; 58 great-grandchildren living, 11 dead;and 10 great-great grandchildren, all living.
The McKinney Daily Courier-Gazette on 1 April 1925, page 1 featuredher obituary, "Funeral Services Held for Long-Time Resident of County:Mrs. Mary Ann Williams Came Here in 1860." This article repeats a lot ofinformation that was printed for her 84th birthday. Her living childrenare listed. Her tombstone is inscribed "I know that my redeemerliveth," and Pearly Gates are shown. Mrs. J.S. Hardaway wrote in theRusk Co. History that Thomas and Mary Ann got married near Clear Rock,Rusk Co., TX. She had red hair.

Children of Mary Ann2 Simmons and Thomas Hudson Williams wereas follows:
i. ANN ELIZA WILLIAMS3; born 2 Feb 1859 at Rusk Co., TX;married James H. Graham Jr. 18 Aug 1874 at Collin Co., TX; died 23 Sep1899 at age 40; buried at Collin Co., TX.
The Graham's had five children:
1. James Walter Graham, b 1890 and d 1947 by a pitchfork inhis chest. He married Della Alice Parrish and they had one daughter,Catherine who married K.L. Balch and lived in Wichita Falls, Texas(1-817-692-5565).
2. Nellie
3. Elsie
4. Eva
5. Joanna who married ____ Wetzel

Info: from Pat Williams' files.
ii. JASPER (JAMES?) NEWSOM "BUD" WILLIAMS; born 18 Oct 1860 atCollin Co., Texas; married Ozella Garrett 17 Dec 1885 at TX; marriedLottie Dickerson after 1885 at TX; died 11 Feb 1946 at TX at age 85.He lived in Granbury, Hood Co., TX. In 1925, he lived in Godley,Texas.He had one daughter, Mary Ann Williams, b 12 August 1894.
iii. GEORGE WASHINGTON WILLIAMS; born 13 Feb 1863 at CollinCo., TX; married Sarah H. Armstrong circa 1883 at Collin Co., TX; died1910 at Collin Co., TX. He and his wife are both buried at Forest GroveCemetery, Collin Co., Texas.

They had two children:
1. Oren Metz Williams b 16 Aug 1892 in Collin Co.
2. Veras Aubrey Williams b 25 Jul 1894 in Collin Co.

Info: Pat Williams' files.

iv. CHARLES LEMUEL WILLIAMS; born 18 Oct 1865 at Collin Co.,Texas; married Minnie Elizabeth Harber 27 Dec 1888 at TX; died 29 Jan1954 at age 88. In A History of the Vashti [Texas] Community:1878-1978, there is an article and photo of Charles L. Williams and hiswife, Minnie E. Harber. The article was written by Bertha Alma Hood,their daughter, who was 81 when she wrote the article. "Minnie E.Harber moved from Collin Co. to Clay Co. with her parents and settled ona farm 6 miles southeast of Bellevue. The next year Charlie L. Williams,her childhood sweetheart, came out from Allen, Collin co, Texas, and theywere married Dec. 27, 1888. The next year they bought a farm 3/4 mileswest of Turner's Store and lived there 53 years, rearing four childrenand twin granddaughters. After he retired, they loved in Bellevue. Helived to be 88 and she 101. Both are buried at Vashti."

Their seven children were:

1. Mary Agnes Williams (1890-1971); m Edwin Dewitt Walker andhad six chilrlen: Dorothy Lakey; Lota, Joy, Stuart, Philip and Nina.She is buried in Sayre, OK. She died in Oklahoma City.
2. Thomas Buford Williams (1893-1967), who married SalenaGeorge of Burleson, Texas. They lived in Electra and had five children:Thomas, Miriam Conner, Charles Newton, Kathalee Yocum and NathaleeDavidson. When the mother died, the grandparents reared the twins.Later Buford married Dollie Herndon and had one son, Terry. He died inDeming, NM.
3. Bertha Alma Williams (1896-1992), married Charles ErnestHood on Feb. 19, 1922 in Vashti and settled in Cedar Ridge, CO, whereCharles had a farm. They had 3 children: Mary Lee Moore, NettieCharlene Wilson and Audrey Lois Miller, and 9 grandchildren and 2great-grandchildren. She died in Kersey Colorado and is buried inHereford, Texas.
4. (Not included in the article) George Dewey Williams(1898-1952). He married Sadie Mae McCord in Waxahachie, Ellis Co., Texason 23 November 1919. He is buried in Vashti, Texas with his wife.
5. (Not included in the article) Audrey Joy Williams(1906-1908). She is buried in Vashti Cemetery.
6,7. They had infant twins who died at birth.

The article also noted that James Eldridge Newsom, Thomas H.Williams' first cousin, also settled in this community and was a minister.

Charles and his wife are both buried in Vashti, Texas.
v. JAMES MONROE WILLIAMS; born 30 May 1867 at Collin Co.,Texas; married an unknown person; married Fannie Garrett; died.
They had one daughter, Flora Pearl Williams, born 9 April 1895.

Info: Pat Williams' files.
vi. WILLIAM THOMAS WILLIAMS.; born 31 Aug 1869 at Collin Co.,Texas; died 11 Jun 1883 at Collin Co., TX, at age 13. He is buried inFitzhugh Cemetery in Collin Co., Texas. He was not quite 15 years oldwhen he died.
vii. JOHN FRANKLIN WILLIAMS; born 10 Feb 1872 at Collin Co.,Texas; married Lena Draper; died.
viii. HENRY HUDSON WILLIAMS; born 2 Feb 1873 at Parker, CollinCo., TX; married Emma C. Willis; died 19 Apr 1933 at McKinney, CollinCo., TX, at age 60. , , His death certificate notes that he was amill worker and is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in McKinney, CollinCo., Texas. He died of tuberculosis. He and his wife had three children:

1. Willie Mae Williams. She is buried in Ridgeview Cemetery.She had a daughter, Myrtle, who married Bill Collinsorth. Myrtle livesin McKinney, Texas (1-214-548-9284).
2. Floyd Williams. His wife was Mary ___ and he is buried inPecan Grove Cemetery in McKinney, Texas. He and his wife had no children.
3. Everette Williams, b 13 September 1904 in Allen, Texas anddied 27 Deptember 1904. Everette is burried in Forest Grove Cemetery,Allen, Texas.
ix. MARY ELLEN WILLIAMS; born 25 Sep 1874 at Parker, Collin Co.,Texas; married Benjamin Stith Hardaway 11 Nov 1894 at Collin Co., TX;died 14 Dec 1943 at age 69; buried 1943 at Edgewood Cemetery. Her son,John Samuel Hardaway (1907-?) lived in Fort Stockton, Texas in 1982. Hiswife wrote up information on Balaam Newsom that appeared in the Mid-WestTennessee Genealogical Society publication in October 1982.
x. VIRGINIA FRANCES 'FANNY' WILLIAMS; born 6 Mar 1877 at Parker,Collin Co., Texas; married William Clarence Hardaway 7 Aug 1898 at TX; ,died 26 Sep 1970 at age 93.
xi. WALTER RALEIGH WILLIAMS; born 26 Sep 1879 at Parker, CollinCo., Texas; married Mollie Dugger circa 1899 at TX; died 14 Nov 1949 atAllen, Collin Co., TX, at age 70. , , He and his wife are buried inForest Grove Cemetery in Allen, Collin Co., Texas. He had one daughter,Gladys, who married Bailey Whisenet. Their son, Bailey Whisenet Jr.,lived in Allen, Texas. I talked to her in the early 1980s, but she wasreal forgetful and couldn't remember much.
xii. ALICE BEATRICE WILLIAMS; born 17 Feb 1881 at Parker,Collin Co., Texas; married Wylie H. Smith 23 Oct 1898 at Collin Co., TX;, died 1963 at Allen, Collin Co., TX.
xiii. SALLIE ODESSA; born 12 Nov 1882 at Parker, Collin Co.,Texas; married John Johnson Brooks, son of William Henry Crawford Brooksand Martha A. Simmons, after 1925 at Collin Co., TX; died 1965 at Allen,Collin Co., TX. She married her first cousin, John Brooks. She livedwith her mother and cared for her until her mother died. They had nochildren. They raised pigeons. When she died, the family sent her goldwedding ring to her sister, Betty West. Betty gave the ring to hergranddaughter, Patricia West, who wears it as her wedding ring. There isan "S" inscribed inside.
xiv. MARTHA ELIZABETH "BETTY" WILLIAMS, born 28 Jan 1885 atParker, Collin Co., TX; married Zack Simeon West.
xv. HORACE ELDRIDGE WILLIAMS; born 28 Oct 1888 at Parker,Collin Co., Texas; died 5 Jul 1890 at Parker, Collin Co., TX, at age 1. He is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Collin Co., TX.

3. MARTHA A. SIMMONS (Edith1Sparks) was born on 24 Feb 1844. Shemarried William Henry Crawford Brooks on 14 Oct 1861 at Collin Co., TX.She died on 2 Aug 1937 at age 93.
Information on Martha A. Simmons Brooks and her family comesfrom Joyce Steward Smith, a great granddaughter. Joyce's address isRoute 2, Box 199, Karnack, TX 75661, as of January 1998.

Children of the Brooks were (the first eight children were born inMcKinney, Collin Co., TX):

1. Sarah Elizabeth Brooks, b 1862 & d 1950 in Terrell, Kaufman Co.,TX. She married A. B. Webb.

2. Mary Frances Brooks b 1865 & d 1943 in Carlsbad, TX. Shemarried Gabe Staggs, ___ Trowbridge.

3. Susan Virginia Brooks b 1866; d 1961 in Longview, Gregg Co.,TX. Married in 1888 to George Washington Stewart.

4. Lidia Brooks, b 1868; d 1965 in Terrell, Kaufman Co., TX.Married George Edwin Smith.

5. James William Brooks, b 1870 & d 1884 in Terrell, Kaufman Co.,TX.

6. Mattie Brooks b 1872 & d 1955 in Dallas, Texas. Married J.E.McConnell.

7. George Washington Brooks b 1874 & d 1965 in Brownwood, TX.

8. John Johnson Brooks b 1876 & d 1950 in McKinney, Collin Co.,TX. He married Helen Farmer, and then Sallie Williams (his first cousin).

9. Thomas Joseph Brooks b 1878 & d 1955 in Terrell, Kaufman Co.,TX. Married Agnes Wallace.

10. Eldridge Brittan Brooks b 1880 in Lawrence, Kaufman Co., TX &d 1965 in Terrell, Kaufman Co., TX. Married Effie Mae Walker.

11. Gabriel Hillis Brooks (m) b 1882 in Lawrence, Kaufman Co., TX &d 1970 in Houston Texas. He married Kathryn Elizabeth Kimmerly.

12. Virgie Maude Brooks (f) b 1887 in Lawrence, Kaufman Co., TX & d1964 in San Angelo, TX. Married Pat McMillan

13. Samuel Jordon Brooks b 1889 in Lawrence, Kaufman Co., TX & d1975 in Houston, TX.

Children of Martha A.2 Simmons and William Henry CrawfordBrooks were:
i. JOHN JOHNSON3; born 15 Feb 1876 at McKinney,Collin Co., TX; married Sallie Odessa Williams, daughter of Thomas HudsonWilliams and Mary Ann Simmons, after 1925 at Collin Co., TX; died 18 Jul1950 at Allen, Collin Co., TX, at age 74. His first wife was HelenFarmer.

Generation Three

4. MARTHA ELIZABETH "BETTY"3 WILLIAMS (Mary2Simmons, Edith1Sparks)was born on 28 Jan 1885 at Parker, Collin Co., TX. She married ZackSimeon West, son of The Rev. Joseph Samuel West and Anna A. Montgomery,on 24 Oct 1909 at Jackson Co., OK. She died on 15 Apr 1973 at Birmingham,Jefferson Co., AL, at age 88. She was buried in Apr 1973 at Birmingham,Jefferson Co., AL.
Betty Williams was known for her beautiful, thick, wavystrawberry blonde/auburn hair, which was down to her waist when shemarried. (The Sparks family [her grandmother] was known for its redhair.) Her husband, Zack, used to enjoy combing her hair. She met herhusband while both were visiting relatives in Jackson Co., OK. Zack sawher walking down the street and said to his brother, "That's the womanI'm going to marry." And he did--a week later. They were married in abuggy. Zack died just eight days before their 60th wedding anniversary.

She had scarlet fever when she was an adult and lost her long hairas a result. As an older woman, she talked about how much trouble thelong hair had been and how much she liked to keep it short.

She had a lovely alto voice, with perfect pitch. She played theorgan well. She had a pump organ. Although she never had formal musiclessons, she could sit down and play anything she heard once.

She told her granddaughter about how much she hated to pick cottonwhen she was growing up.

I used to spend every Saturday night with my grandparents. Wealways ate ice cream and orange slices. My grandmother always cookedcornbread and gave me toast with a honeycomb for breakfast.

Children of Martha Elizabeth "Betty"3 Williams and Zack SimeonWest were as follows:
i. EDITH ANN WEST4; born circa 1910 at TX; diedcirca 1912 at TX.
ii. EUGENE MORROW WEST; born 8 Oct 1913 at Allen,Collin Co., TX; married Irene Adele Hooker 26 Apr 1935 at Tuscumbia,Colbert Co., AL; married Carroll (Nee?) Barr 16 Jul 1988 at Tullahoma,Coffee Co., TN; died 5 Feb 1990 at Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL, at age76; buried Feb 1990 at Forest Hills Cemetery, Birmingham, Jefferson Co.,AL. . He had no children.
Eugene served in the Navy during World War II. He waspurchasing agent for the Tennessee Valley Authority. He lived most ofhis adult life in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After he retired, he and hiswife, Adele Hooker West, moved to Crossville, Tennessee. They were avidbirders and took several long trips to Mexico and Central America with an"Airstream" caravan. They had a 50th wedding celebration in Birmingham.Adele developed stenosis of the aorta and died at Vanderbilt Hospital inNashville. In 1988, Eugene married Mrs. Carroll Barr and they lived inTullahoma, Tennessee. He also survived his second wife. Eugenedeveloped prostate and then bladder cancer. He died in 1990 and isburied with his first wife and parents in Forest Hill Cemetery inBirmingham.
5. iii. LURA VELMA WEST, born 8 Jun 1920 at Fort Worth,Tarrant Co., TX; married Elliott Monroe Cranford on 30 May 1937 atBirmingham, Jefferson Co., AL. Three sons. (LIVING in 2002)
6. iv. LUCIAN WINFRED WEST SR., born 29 Dec 1921 atDecatur, Wise Co., TX; married 1: Alice Eugenia Kirkland, daughter ofGertie B. Morton and Patrick G. Kirkland;divorced 1967; married 2 inAnniston, AL to Mrs. Helen Doss; divorced ; married 3 to Mrs. JeanAdrian Price ca 1985 in Florida. One daughter, one son by first wife. Nochildren by subsequent wives. (LIVING in 2002)
7. v. FRANK MACDONALD WEST, born 28 Aug 1924 atBirmingham, Jefferson Co., AL; married Edna Catherine Hawk on 31 Aug 1946at Birmingham, Jefferson Co., AL. Two sons. (LIVING in 2002)

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4473: They had two children: Karolyn Nan and Barbara Jan Lawrence.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 2002, Whole No. 190, pp 5388-89:

"Edmond Jones Sparks (called Jones Sparks on the 1850 census), son ofWilliam D. Sparks, was born on October 4, 1837, in Surry County, NorthCarolina, and died on October 11, 1922, at Lindsay, Tulare County,California. He was married in Cooper County, Missouri, on December 25,1856, to Mary Duncan, daughter of Andrew Jackson and Sarah Jane (Fulton)Duncan.

"Mrs. Carol Hodge March whom we have quoted earlier, descends from EdmondJones Sparks; she is a granddaughter of Samantha Alice Sparks, bornAugust 5, 1862, who was one of the 12 children of Edmond Jones and Mary(Duncan) Sparks. Mrs. March has written the following regarding hergreat- grandfather:

"Edmond Jones Sparks was born in Surry County, North Carolina, in October1837, son of William D. and Priscilla Sparks. Before 1840 the familymoved to Cooper County, Missouri, where his father was a farmer. In April1852 Edmond Jones Sparks (often called "Jonas" or "E . J.") and hisbrothers, Richard and Martin, joined a wagon train in the Gold Rush toCalifornia. They may have served as scouts on the wagon train on thattrip west. Once there, I believe they did more prospecting for land thanthey did for gold; they spent at least one summer helping with a wheatharvest in the Capay Valley. They returned to Missouri via the Isthmus ofPanama.

"Edmond was married to Mary Eliza Duncan. in Cooper County on December25, 1856. Their first child was born in Missouri in 1858, and in 1858they started across the plains in a covered wagon and ox team forCalifornia. One account tells of the troubles they encountered en route.While fording a stream Edmond tied his only pair of shoes onto a horse tokeep them from getting wet; however, the horse ran away and was nevercaught, leaving my great-grand father to walk barefooted 1,000 milesuntil he could purchase shoes at a trading post in Nevada! In Californiathey settled first on the Beat River near Nicholas, Sutter County, thenlater purchased land on Coon Creek near Lincoln in Placer County, wherehe had a very successful grain and cattle ranch, and there he built alarge two-story Victorian home. He was elected Supervisor of PlacerCounty for two terms and was active in the Masonic Orders in that county.In 1895, he sold his ranch and moved to Redlands, San Bernardino County,California, due to his wife's poor health. After her death in 1904, helived with his son in Lindsay, Tulare County, California, where he diedon October 11, 1922, at the age of 85.

"The names of the children of Edmond Jones and Mary (Duncan) Sparks havebeen provided by Mrs. March as follows: [See the individual sheets forthese children)

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4072: Edna Lee Sparks was born on March 21, 1934, and wa s atwin to Edward Sparks, next above. She was married twice. Her f irstmarriage was to James Sosbe by whom she had a daughter, Vernia L ee. Hersecond marriage was to Ray Trevitt. She died on May 24, 199 0.

SQ p. 1339:

"Edna Nafania Sparks, born February 10,, 1885., in Brady, Texas, diedMarch 4, 1955, in Brady. She married Chesley James Watters on December8, 1907, in Brady. He was born July 1, 1883, in Bosqueville, Texas. Theyhad one daughter, Eula May Watters, born September 27, 1908, in Menard,Texas. She was married twice and by her first husband she had one son,Robert Eugene Wall, born March 23, 1933. She married (second) ThomasCalvin Prince on June 4, 1935. He was born January 14, 1912, inWellington, Texas. They had one son, Jerry Lowell Prince, born April 16,1937, in Brady, Texas."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 4072: He was married to Hilda Doris Stokes.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 2002, Whole No. 198, p. 5678:

[JS: A photograph of George W. Sparks appears on the cover page for whichsee his scrapbook.]

GEORGE W. SPARKS (1850-1915), NOTES ON HIS ANCESTRY

By Russell E. Bidlack

(Note: Here appears [See scrapbook for Lucy Jane] a photograph, beneathwhich is the following caption:)

LUCY JANE (COOK) SPARKS (1856-1945)
WIFE OF GEORGE W. SPARKS
Daughter of A. Mount and Laurana (West) Cook

The original photographs of George W. Sparks and his wife, Lucy Jane,reproduced on the cover and above of this issue of the QUARTERLY, wereloaned to this writer in 1965 by Ethel (Sparks) Cearley. Mrs. Cearley,born in 1903, lived near Dora, Missouri. She had been married to NoahCearley on May 5, 1922. Her parents had been Edward Gracin Sparks(1875-1955) and Aletta (Drumright) Sparks (1876-1953).

As we have noted, George W. Sparks and Lucy Jane (Cook) Sparks were thegrandparents of Ethel (Sparks) Cearley. George W. was shown with hisparents, James and Jane Sparks, on the 1850 census of Yancey County,North Carolina; he was then two months old. His father, James Sparks, hadalso been born in what was Yancey County, but prior to 1833 it had beenpart of Burke County, North Carolina. Born about 1829, James was recordedin 1850 as a 21-year-old farmer; Jane's age was given on the 1850 censusas 23, thus born about 1827.

James Sparks and his oldest brother, Hardin J. Sparks, who had been bornabout 1818, moved from North Carolina to Union County, Georgia, on theeve of the Civil War.

Writing in 1963, Mrs. Cearley provided us with information regarding herparents, Edward Gracin and Aletta (Drumright) Sparks, with a record oftheir children. Edward Gracin Sparks had been born on February 1, 1875,in Union County, Georgia. He died on September 21, 1955, at PacificBeach, California. He was married on September 15, 1898, at West Plains,Missouri, to Aletta Drumright, who had been born on July 23, 1896, atWest Plains, Missouri; she died in Dora, Missouri, on March 15, 1953. Herparents had been Frank and Eliza (Hatcher) Drumright.

See UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY GENEALOGY, VOL. 4., FHL 976.9885 D2h page120
which lists deaths of children which might be issue of Edward:
--- Sparks, s/o E S and M B Sparks, Sep 28, 1866 (sic)
Joseph, s/o E S and M B Sparks, Mar 12, 1880-Apr 10, 1880
Ruby, d/o E S and M B Sparks, Mar 18, 1883-July 9, 1884
These persons are buried in the Masonic Cemetary, Morganfield, UnionCo. KY. A book entitled UNION COUNTY KENTUCKY GENEALOGY, 976.988 5 D2hlocated in the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah includes arecord of burials in St. Ann's Roman Catholic Cemetary in Morganfield andlists Ed S. Sparks 1851-1926.

See also UNION COUNTY KENTUCKY DEATH RECORDS 1911-1950, FHL 976.98 85V38h at page 41:"SPARKS, Edward, (born) August 16, 1851, (died) December16, 1926, son of Solomon and Margaret (Sinns) Sparks- Catholic (St.Anns)." Diane (Sparks) Arnold sent me a photocopy of the certified copyof his death certificate which cooberates the foregoing. It lists noname for his spouse. It is probable that she predeceased Edward.

A copy of the death certificate of Edward Sparks states that he was bornon August 16, 1851 and died on December 16, 1926 at the age of 75 yearsand 4 mos of cancer of the stomach. His father was Solomon Sparks bornin Virginia and Margaret Sinns born in Virginia. He was buried in theCatholic Cemetery (in Morganfield?) on December 18, 1826. The formindicates that he was single and not widowed or divorced. (I have nosource for his stated marriage to Belle Snodgrass.) The form does notindicate the name of the information provider.

Edward is called Edwin Sparks in the 1870 and 1880 censuses.

Sparks Quarterly pg1551:

ADDITIONAL SPARKS MARRIAGES IN KENTUCKY, continued:

BOYD COUNTY, KENTUCKY, MARRIAGE BONDS (1860-1905)

E. W, Sparks and Mary L. Miller, 1905. (Book 23a, page 493) He single,age 27, born in Elliott County, -Kentucky; father, G. W. Sparks, born inKentucky; mother, Louisa J. Creech, born in Kentucky. She, single, age15, born in Lawrence County, Ky.; father, William Miller, born inKentucky; mother, Alley Campbell, born in Kentucky. Witness, RettieSparks.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1989, Whole No. 148, pp. 3524-3525

Pension Application of Edwin Sparks, son of Levi and Zulima Craig(Moore) Sparks, was born on October 26, 1829, in Adams County, Ohio. Hewas married to Priscilla Spurgeon on March 31, 1851, at Dubuque, Iowa.He served in Company C, 21st Regiment Iowa Infantry. File Designations:Inv. Cert. No. 118,653; Widows Cert. No. 576,823.

"Edwin Sparks received a Certificate of Disability for Discharge onApril 4, 1863, at Memphis, Tennessee. He was a sargeant in Capt. JesseM. Harrison's Company C, of the 21st Regiment Iowa Infantry. He hadenlisted in the company on August 20, 1862, at Dubuque, Iowa, to servefor three years. He had been born in Adams County, Ohio; was 32 years ofage; was 6 feet tall; had a fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair;and he was a farmer. Surgeon William L. Orr certified that Sparks wasincapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of the loss ofall the fingers of his right hand by amputation as the result of agunshot wound.

"On April 17, 1871, Sparks applied for an invalid pension stating thatthe loss of his fingers prevented him from earning his support. He saidthat he lost his fingers as the result of an accidental gunshot woundwhich he received while preparing to march from Houston, Missouri, toWest Plains, Missouri. Since leaving the service, he had lived atDelaware County, Iowa, and Kossuth County, Iowa. He appointed H. S.Vaughn as his attorney, and Thomas Henderson and Gillespie M. Parsonswitnessed his signature.

"Invalid Certificate No. 118,653 was issued to Edwin Sparks, and hewas placed upon the pension roll. Sometime about 1875, he moved to thestate of Washington where he died at Vancouver on February 19, 1891.

"On March 21, 1891, Sparks's widow, Priscilla Sparks, applied for awidow's pension. She said she was married to Sparks on March 31, 1851,at Dubuque, Iowa, by Elder Mobley. She was married under her maiden nameof Priscilla Spurgeon. It was the first marriage for both. JamesSnodgrass and William Cahill witnessed her make her mark.

"Apparently the pension application of Priscilla Sparks was notapproved, for on February 23, 1901, she reapplied under the provisions ofthe 1900 Act of Congress. She was now 68 years of age, and still aresident of Vancouver, Washington. She appointed Milo B. Stevens & Co.,Washington, D.C., as her attorneys. Sarah J. Sharp and E. M. Greenwitnessed her make her mark.

"On June 10, 1901, the War Department confirmed Sparks's militaryservice. He had been enrolled on August 19, 1862, in Company C, 21stRegiment Iowa Infantry and was discharged on April 9, 1863, on aSurgeon's Certificate of Disability. He had been wounded in the righthand at the Battle of Houston on January 8, 1863, and the injurynecessitated the amputation of all fingers.

"Three affidavits were made on June 7, 1901, to support PriscillaSparks's claim. Arthur H. Nichols, aged 56; Roxy Cramer, aged 70; andMary Dean, all residents of Vancouver, testified that Edwin Sparks andPriscilla Spurgeon had been married in 1851 and had lived together as manand wife until his death in 1891. Since his death, she had notre-married. On the same day. Dr. J. R. Smith testified that he was thefamily physician of Edwin Sparks and had treated him during his lastillness and that Sparks had died from a siege of grippe which lastedabout one month.

"Widow Certificate No. 576,823 was issued to Priscilla Sparks, and shewas placed upon the pension roll. When she died on January 15, 1919, shewas receiving a pension of $25.00 per month.

"[Editor's Note: Edwin Sparks was a son of Levi and Zulima Craig(Moore) Sparks of Adams County, Ohio, and Dubuque County, Iowa. Hispaternal grandparents were Solomon and Catherine (Hillegas) Sparks, alsoof Adams County, Ohio. He was a great-grandson of George and Mary Sparksof Washington County, Pennsylvania. For further details of these people,see the June and September 1963 issues of the QUARTERLY, Whole Nos. 42and 43, respectively; also the issue for March 1971, Whole No. 73, andthat for March 1984, Whole No. 125.

From other sources, we have learned that Edwin and Priscilla (Spurgeon)Sparks had twelve children. Their names, birthdates, and the names oftheir spouses (if any) are given below:

1. Ella Ann Eliza Sparks, born March 16, 1852; she married CharlesE. Wheelock in 1873.
2. Walter Winfield Sparks, born December 22, 1853; he married MaryE. Spurgeon in 1883.
3. Edwin Sparks, Jr., born November 23, 1855; he died in 1880, unmarried.
4. Marian Porter Sparks, born April 25, 1858; she married Harry C.Dannals in 1880.
5. Marshall Rowe Sparks, born October 7, 1860; he married Alice D.Sharp in 1884.
6. Sarah Zulima Sparks, born August 21, 1862; she married MatthiasC. Sharp.
7. Mary Ramsey Sparks, born April 2, 1864; she married (1st)Ernest H. Haack and (2nd) Joseph Clark.
8. Leo Charles Sparks, born February 2, 1866; he married MarianClark.
9. Catherine Emma Sparks, born January 3, 1868; died on December5,1879.
10. Mabel Nancy Sparks, born April 4, 1869; she married GrantColfax Bacon in 1887.
11. John Oliver Sparks, born February 7, 1871; he married EllaProebstel in 1893.
12. Matthias Elias Spurgeon Sparks, born April 4, 1873; diedDecember 1, 1879.

"The above information on the children of Edwin and Priscilla(Spurgeon) Sparks appears in a photostat copy of 25 hand-written chartsprepared by Lieutenant Commander Dean Brooks. He presented these to theInstitute of American Genealogy on November 14, 1949; he was then livingin Los Angeles. This collection of charts has the title "RevolutionaryVeteran Solomon Sparks of Pennsylvania and Some of His Descendants to1925." The Institute of American Genealogy ceased to exist many yearsago, and your editor was able to purchase this copy of Lt. Comdr. DeanBrooks's charts when its collection of records was sold.

[JS: But see SQ p. 4049 amending the source of the collection to JudgeWalter Sparks, cousin of Dean Brooks.]

Following is a portion of the article on the pension application ofWilliam Henry Sparks, father of Edwin McMasters Sparks, as related byPercival "Pete" Sparks, William's grandson. It appears in the SPARKSQUARTERLY, December, 1977, Whole No. 100, p.1942:

"Pete Sparks relates that his father, Edwin McMasters Sparks, "taughtschool one year at Tollesboro (Kentucky) and lived in Sand Hill; hewalked nine miles each way, each day. He was supposed to have gotten ahouse to rent, but the deal fell through." Regarding his grandfather,Pete recalls: "Bill Henry lived in a valley, Bill Henry's brother,Thornton Sparks, lived on top of the hill (Mowery Precinct), and eachSunday Thornton would drive past Bill Henry's house on his way to church.Old Bill Henry would be sitting on his front porch. Thornton would say'Good morning, Will' Bill Henry would nod his head and grunt. They mightnot see each other for another week, when the same exchange would takeplace."

Pete Sparks's father, Edwin McMasters Sparks, was killed by a train whenPete was only two years old, and his mother then returned to the home ofher parents, Samuel and Alice Wilson. Pete relates that "the Wilsons atone time owned ten square miles in that area, given them by GeorgeWashington, and my mother's mother always felt the Wilsons were betterthan the Sparkses. Like the Hatfields and the McCoys, the Wilsons livedin the river bottom, the land was more tillable, and they were moreprosperous than the Sparkses who lived in the hills where grazing landwas about all they had. Old Bill Henry had a flat area on top of thehill back of his house, where he had a race track, to work out hisharness horses.

The center of the track was the vegetable garden and one of my earliestrecollections was riding; in my Uncle Willie's lap, riding, around thetrack, and waving to the twins (daughters of Myrtle Sparks Houston) whowould be pickin pole beans, or whatever, in the garden." "

* * * * *

SQ 2447:

"Edy Sparks, daughter of Absalom and Lydia (Elsberry) Sparks, wasBorn about 1806. She was undoubtedly named for her father's sister, EdySparks, who is thought to have married Randolph Traylor, probably about1785, and who moved to Lawrence County, Mississippi.

"Edy Sparks may have moved to Texas with her parents, and they mayhave died there, leaving her as the head of the family. Whatever thecircumstances, in 1833 she was given a land grant in Washington County,Texas, of about 4,600 acres as the head of a family. the grant wascertified to her on March 22,
1838, after she had furnished proof that (1) she had arrived inWashington County in 1833, and (2) she was the head of a family.

"The latter statement is puzzling in view of the fact that Edy Sparksmay never have married. It is a matter of record that a license wasissued on April 21, 1838, in Washington County, Texas, by John Power, ajustice of the peace, authorizing the marriage of Edy Sparks and DruryMcGee. Apparently,
the license was never returned. Several years later, in 1874, affidavitswere made by knowledgable persons that "Edy Sparks died without children."

"Edy Sparks died prior to September 1849, and her estate was dividedamong her sisters and brothers. The administration of the estate tookseveral years, and as late at 1874 affidavits were made to prove herheirs. That year, Benjamin Polk, of Johnson County, Texas, and WillisSparks, of Bosque County Texas, swore that Edy Sparks had died withoutchildren and that her heirs were: Matthew Sparks, Willoughby Sparks,Elsberry Sparks, Lydia Boatright and Fanny Tidwell."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3409: They had five children: Jerry, Barbara, Mary, Nancy ,and Laurie Richardson.

SQ pg 3694:
"His first marriage was to Gennette "Nettie" Franklin on Februar y 25,1906, and they had one child, Ethel America.
"His second marriage was to Dora Frances Wright on May 10, 1916, a tCheyenne, Oklahoma. Elam and Dora had four children: Hazel Catherine,Nellie Ruth, Ruby Carol, and Johnnie Arelda."
His photograph appears with that of his cousin, Dora Sparks, on page3694. It is reproduced in his scrapbook.

SQ p. 332 for birth information.

SQ p. 688:

(?) Eleanor Sparks. She was born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, in1758 and may have been a daughter of James Sparks, Jr., or she may havebeen the daughber of one of James’s brothers or nephews. She was marriedin Spotsylvania County in 1782 to Edlyne Willoughby who, according to hisRevolutionary War pension application, was born in Spotsylvania County in1752. He died in Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, in 1839.Eleanor died in the same place in 1825. They moved from SpotsylvaniaCounty to Richmond, North Carolina, before 1790; by 1810 they were livingin Anson County. Their children were: (1) Joseph Willoughby; (2) WillisWilloughby, born 1785. (3) Nathan Willoughby; and (4) Charles Willoughby.

SQ 3797: She was married to Peter Mauk in 1818.

SQ 3859: "Eleanor "Nellie" Sparks, daughter of Thomas and Rebecc aSparks, was born on February 15, 1791, in Surry County, North Carol ina.She was married to Peter Mauk on June 8, 1818, in Scott County ,Virginia. He had been born on April 14, 1781, and this marriage ma yhave been his second. He was a son of Frederick and Margaret Mauk . Heand Nellie came to Kentucky shortly after their marriage and se ttled inthat section of Lawrence County that became a part of Carte r County in1838. Nellie died there in March 1858, and Peter died o n February 13,1859. They were buried in the Mauk Cemetery in what i s now ElliottCounty. They were the parents of eight children."

SQ p. 4637:

"Eleanor Sparks, daughter of Garrett and Betsey (Boggs) Sparks, wasborn on February 8, 1829, and was a twin of Reuben David Sparks. She wasmarried to Wiliam Lyon about 1850, probably in Lawrence County. He hadbeen born on July 4, 1825, and was a son of William "Redhead" and Sarah(Holbrook) Lyon. William and Eleanor lived for a while on Keaton Fork ofBlaine Creek, but later moved to the Middle Fork of the Little Fork ofLittle Sandy River about 1865. We have not been sent a record of thedeath of Eleanor Lyon. William died on May 30, 1905. They had ninechildren according to a descendant."

!NOTES:
SQ 1359: "Eleanor Caroline Sparks, daughter of Jacobson and Cynthia
(Champion) Sparks, was born February 2O, 1854, and died September 12 ,1943; she
married Wince Carlton, born December 6, 1848."

Photograph on page 2623 and in scrapbook.

SQ pg 2623: She went by the name Josephine. She was married toFrederick Wilson Hirst on September 13, 1875, in Fulton County, Illinois. He was born about 1848 in the state of New York to parents whowere natives of England. In the early days of the Union PacificRailroad, he was in charge of the district at Ogden, Utah. Later hetaught school. He and Josephine had three children.

* * * * *

On November 11, 2001, an email was received from C. Fred Busch(FrednBonBon@@netzero.com] in which he provided information relating toEleanor Josephine Sparks, his great-grandmother and her descendants inhis line. He stated that she was:

"My Great-Grandmother: Eleanor Josephine Sparks Hirst, born December5, 1854-Died July 17, 1938 in Ogden, Utah.

Born in Praire City, Illinois and daugher of Joseph Sparks and SusanDeFord Sparks. Married Frederick Wilson Hirst in 1875 in Fulton City,Illinois. Frederick was born in 1848, in New York State, the son of JohnFrederick HIrst and ? Wilson. Moved to Fort Bridger, Wyoming in 1876 withher husband, who was a collector of specimans for the SmithsonianInstitute and manager for the Union Pacific Railroad. They moved to OgdenUtah in 1893. He died in 1889. She started her teaching career in Iowaand continued teaching in Fort Bridger for 16 years, from 1876 to 1893when she moved to Ogden, Utah. In Utah, she served as both a teacher andas a Principal and was active in community and women's organizations upto the time of her death. She had two daughters, Florence Josephine andEthel Louise Hirst. Florence married a man named ? Newcomb and lived,and died in Ogden, Utah. She was an educator, like her mother, EleanorJosephine Sparks Hirst."

!NOTES:
SQ 3870: Eleanor "Nellie" Sparks was married to William Craft o nOctober
13, 1852, in Greenup County, Kentucky. He had been born about 1828 .Nellie
died on December 17, 1909. She and William had nine children:
a. Sarah Craft was born about 1854. She was married to William Riggle.
b. Ada Craft was born about 1856. She was married to Patrick Ans on.
c. Charles Smith Craft was born on July 25, 1857.
d. Mary Ellen Craft was born about 1860. She married John Reynol ds.
e. Martha A. Craft was born about 1864. She married to James Douglas.
f. Willis Craft was born about 1867. He married Belle Salyers.
g. John Craft was born about 1869. He married Sarah Crance.
h. William Ellis Craft was born about 1871 and died when he was young.
i. Henry Craft was born about 1875. He married Frances Bunch.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4276:

"Eli Sparks, son of Jesse and Nancy Sparks, was born on March 24, 1838, and was a twin of Eda Sparks. He was married to Rebecca Rice, and theyhad seven children: Isabella, Amanda, Boone, Mary Ellen, John , Sarah andFleming."
On the internet, on Nov 2, 1997, I received some Email from a child ofFleming whose name was Nila Moore, 2301 W. Grecourt, Toledo, OH 43615.She sent me information on her family which has been input. I sent her acopy of my book.
(Sequel Dec 19, 1998, impeachment day, Day 2 Iraq bombing: I receivedworksheets from Nila Moore which I have incorporated into the familypages of Eli Sparks.)
(Another sequel: Reviewing some old notes I found the following:

US Census Record, Martinsburg (Now Sandy Hook), Elliott County, Kentucky,7 June, 29 June (?) 1870 (FHL 976.9255x286:
127. Alexander Sparks 34 $100 Born KY
Rebecca 36 "
Mary 9 "
Landon 6 "
Mary (sic) 5 "
John 3 "

They are living next door to Nelson (and Sarah) Sparks, his fourthcousin, once removed.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1986, Whole No. 134, p. 2889:

"Eli G. Sparks, son of William and Mary (Fielder) Sparks, was bornabout 1814 in Mississippi. He apparently went to Texas with his parents,but did not participate in the Texas-Mexican War. According to theearliest record we have found of him, he was single when he arrived inNacogdoches County in March 1837. He was taxed there in 1839 and 1840 asone poll with a saddle horse. He applied for a land grant on June 7,1839, and was granted 640 acres.

"On January 9, 1840, Eli G. Sparks was married to Evalina Hall inNacogdoches County. She was born on June 11, 1823, and was a daughter ofJohn Hall, a resident of Nacogdoches County. (Some records refer to hergiven name as "Ebalina.11) Eli was listed on the 1840 census ofNacogdoches County, but apparently he died shortly thereafter. He andEvalina had no children. After Eli's death, Evalina married (2nd) JohnThomas McDaniel.

SQ p. 5706:

Eli Stephen A. Sparks, born on January 12, 1866, died January 26, 1922.On the 1870 census of Snow Creek Township, Mitchell County, NorthCarolina, he was shown in his father's household as "Stephen Sparks," age4. On the 1912 Questionnaire from the Bureau of Pensions, Whitfield gaveIra's age as 46. On the 1880 census, however, his name was given as "EliS. A. Sparks," age 12. He was living in Grassy Creek Township when hedied. On his death certificate (Book 3, page 383), his name was given asEli A. Sparks, age 56. He had been married to Allis Duncan in MitchellCounty on December 28, 1885.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June, 1873, Whole No. 82, pg. 1556:
ELIJAH SPARKS (born about 1770, died 1815) OF EARLY INDIANA

"(Editor's note: We have found few Sparks men whose lives touched asmany records as did that of the Rev. Elijah Sparks. A hasty andincomplete count by the author of this article reveals that data havebeen collected from nearly fifty sources. One of the earliest and mostbiographical of these sources was written by a contemporary and fellowminister, the Rev. Allen Wiley, who wrote a series of articles entitled"Medhodism in Indiana." These articles first appeared in the TRI- WEEKLYSTATE JOURNAL between August, 1845, and November, 1846. They wererepublished in the INDIANA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, Volume XXIII, 1927. )

"Although several persons have contributed data relative to thisarticle, three descendants of Elijah Sparks who have shared materialsthat they had collected and preserved over a long period of time shouldbe given special notice. (Here are names and addresses of contributers.)

"One of the early religious and political leaders of the IndianaTerritory was Elijah Sparks, who settled in Dearborn County. In theshort period of time from his arrival in 1806 until his untimely death in1815, he was "one of the prominent instruments of the planting, spreadingand symetry [sic] of Methodism in Indiana," according to the Rev. Mr.Wiley. In addition, he was a practicing lawyer and Judge of the ThirdCircuit Court of the Territory, a most unusual combination of talentseven in those early days.

"We have been unable to learn the names of the parents of ElijahSparks. In a letter to President Madison dated February 23, 1813, inwhich he explained why some of his friends had applied to have himappointed Judge, Sparks wrote, "It was my misfortune (if it be proper tocall it such) to be deprived of Parents in very early life; and from theLaw of Primogenitr & other miscarriages, I was thrown on the worldhelpless and unlearned." His reference to the Law of Primogeniture as amiscarriage (i.e. misfortune) indicates that the had an older brotherwho, under the Law of Primogeniture, had the right to inherit hisparent's property. From several sources, we know that Elijah had abrother named Robert Sparks; perhaps he was the older brother who hadinherited all of this father's real estate.

"We have been able to learn very little regarding Robert Sparks. Aswill be noted in more detail later in this sketch, Elijah Sparks died in1815 while on his way to visit his brother, Robert, who was then livingon the Eastern Shore of Maryland. According to information received fromThe Historical Society of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of theUnited Medhodist Church, records prove that "Robert Sparks was aSupernumerary Preacher in the Philadelphia Conference in 1808." TheDelaware District and dorchester are also mentioned with his name. Hisname also appears in the Philadelphia Conference records in 1810, but noinformation is given.

"The Rev. Allen Wiley confessed that he knew nothing of Sparks'sparentage or early training, which appears quite strange since he hadapparently been well acquainted with him. Wiley was born in 1789 inFrederick County, Virginia and came to Kentucky in 1797; he then went toDearborn County, Indiana, in 1804. Wiley joined the Methodist Church in1810, became licensed to preach in 1813, and spent the rest of his livein the ministry. He died in 1848.

"We are also uncertain regarding the place of birth of Elijah Sparks.The Rev. Mr. Wiley wrote that Sparks had been born in Queen Ann's County,Virginia, about 1770. There was never a county by that name in Virginia,however, and Wiley's statement is further contradicted by anothercontemporary and fellow minister, the Rev. Henry Boehm. According toBoehm, Elijah Sparks was born in Maryland; he also mentions Elijah'sbrother, Robert Sparks, and stated that he was still living in Marylandat the time he wrote, which was about 1840. Boehm's ministry took him toMaryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, including all of theplaces where Elijah Sparks had lived and preached, so it might seem thathe should have been in a position to know his birth place. (See hisREMINISCENCES OF SIXTY-FOUR YEARS IN THE MINISTRY.)

Undoubtedly, the Rev. Mr. Wiley was well acquainted with Elijah Sparksand it can be assumed that Wiley was well acquainted with the area inVirginia in which he himself grew up. Why, then, did he make referenceto Queen Ann's County, Virginia, when in fact there is not and never wassuch a county in Virginia? Could he have meant Queen Annes County,Maryland, where in 1778 there were twenty-seven Sparks families?

Was Elijah Sparks a native of Frederick County, Virginia? In a sketchof David Sparks, Elijah's grandson, published in a HISTORY OF DEARBORN,OHIO AND SWITZERLAND COUNTIES, INDIANA in 1885, Elijah was said to havebeen born in Fredericksburgh, Virginia. Fredericksburgh is inSpotsylvania County, Virginia, but it would have been a natural error toconfuse Frederick County, with Fredericks- burgh. In addition, theCOMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHY OF PROMINENT & REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF INDIANAPOLIS& VICINITY, published in 1908, states that Elijah Sparks was a native ofWinchester, Virginia. This town is in Frederick County, Virginia.

It was in Frederick County, Virginia, that Elijah Sparks was marriedto Elizabeth Weaver on August 8, 1793. There were also two other Sparksmarriages in Frederick County at about the same time. On March 1, 1785,Ann Sparks was married to William Ross, while on august 15, 1795, WilliamSparks was married to Mary Robinson. We also know that there was aSparks family in Frederick County at an earlier date. In 1754, SamuelSparks, from Frederick County, enlisted in Colonel George Washington'sregiment and was in the battle of Great Meadows. He reenlisted in 1780during the Revolutionary War. (See VIRGINIA COLONIAL MILITIA LISTS byGrozier, 1935, pg 36.) We also have a record of another Sparks marriagein Frederick County many years later; on May 30, 1836, Maria Sparks wasmarried to Baxter Thornton.

Records have been searched of both Queen Annes County, Maryland, andFrederick County, Virginia, for the origin of Elijah Sparks, but noconclusive evidence had been found. Until other records are uncovered togive definite proof, his place of birth must remain a matter ofconjecture. There is one other fact, however, that would suggestVirginia as his birthplace. As noted earlier, in 1813 Elijah Sparksreferred to the "Law of Primogeniture" as having been one of the causesof his poverty in early life. Since he was a lawyer, Sparks probablyreferred to primogeniture correctly in its legal sence. If so, Virginiawould have to have been his birthplace rather than Maryland because inMaryland the law of primogeniture had been repealed in 1715, long beforeElijah's birth. This law was not repealed in Virginia, however, untilearly in the Revolutionary War. (See Evelyn Cecil's PRIMOGENITURE, ASHORT HISTORY OF ITS DEVELOPMENT AND ITS PRACTICAL EFFECTS, London, J.Murray, 1895, pp. 75-76.) Inherited from England and adopted in a numberof the colonies as law, primogeniture is the right by which the oldestson of a family, regardless of the father's wishes, succeeds to thefather's real estate in preference to, and to the absolute exclusion of,the younger sons and daughters. Thomas Jefferson, who greatly opposedthe law, referred in his autobiography to its abolition in Virginia atthe beginning of the Revolution, saying that its end "removed the feudaland unnatural distinctions which made one member of every famiy rich andall the rest poor." Its effect was, of course, to keep farms andplantations from being cut up into small parcels.

"The law of primogeniture was in effect for only six or eight yearsafter Elijah Sparks was born, so his father would have had to die whenElijah was very small for the law to have effected him. Note, however,that Elijah did say in his lettre to President Madison in 1813 that hehad been "deprived of Parents in very early life."

"Prior to his marrige to Elizabeth Weaver, Elijah Sparks had committedhimself to religious work. The Rev. Allen Wiley wrote that when he(Sparks) was about nine- teen or twenty years old "he became a professorof religion and in 1792 became a traveling preacher." There is someuncertainty about his preaching assignment, but he was "on trial" (thefirst step toward becoming a Methodist minister) in 1792 when he is putdown for the Rockingham Circuit. Rockingham Circuit undoubtedly refersto a church circuit related in some way to Rockingham County, Virginia,located a little further up the Shenandoah Valley from Frederick County.

"As stated earlier, Elijah Sparks was married to Elizabeth Weaver inFrederick County, Virginia, on August 8, 1793. An account of themarriage as recorded by Elizabeth Timberlake Davis in FREDERICK COUNTY,VIRGINIA, MARRIAGES, 1771-1825, page 15, gives Elizabeth's name as Eliza,and her father as Francis Weaver, but the latter statement is incorrectfor it was Elizabeth's mother Frances Weaver, who gave her consent. JohnB. Tilden wa surety for Elijah Sparks.

"According to data sent to us by Miss Firnhaber, Elizabeth Weaver wasborn on December 1, 1772, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, one of sevenchildren born to George and Frances (Brechbuhl) Weaver. George Weaverwas born about 1733 and was a son of Jacob and Anna (Bowman) Weaver, orWeber, who come to Penn- sylvania about 1715-1730 from Switzerland andsettled on 3,000 acres of land in Weaver Valley (Weber Thal), EarleTownship, Lancaster County. Jacob Weaver and brothers John and Henry,had acquired the land from William Penn. Frances Brech- buhl, orBrackbill, was born about 1738, a daughter of Ulrich and Frances (Herr)Brachbuhl.

"George Weaver, father of Elizabeth (Weaver) Sparks, died in May,1782, leaving his widow with seven minor children, according to LANCASTERCOUNTY MISCELLANEOUS BOOK 1782-84, page 46. His administrators, John andBenjamin Brechbuhl, sold 125 acres which George had purchased from hisbrother, Henry, in 1763. They also disposed of two tracts of landcomprising 230 acres, including a dam and grist mill on Conestoga Creek.

"On May 14, 1787, Frances Weaver, widow of George, sold 200 acres ofland which she had inherited from her father's estate in April, 1759, andshortly thereafter moved to Middletown, Frederick County, Virginia.There, on June 8, 1790, she purchased 135 acres of land from MartinCartmell; however, by 1797, she had moved to nearby Stephensburgh, nowStephens City.

George and Grances (Brechbuhl) Weaver were the parents of thefollowing children:
1. Henry Weaver, born October 10, 1763; married Mary Good in1788.
2. Ann Weaver, born December 25, 1765, married Matthias Shirk.
3. Frances Weaver, born May 10, 1768, married a Mr. Perry in1796.
4. George Weaver, born December 20, 1770; married Mary V.Wilson in Stephensburg, Virginia. They moved to Lawrenceburg, Indianawhere George died in1853.
5. Elizabeth Weaver, born December 1, 1772; married ElijahSparks, the subject of this sketch.
6. Samuel Weaver, born October 15, 1775; died October 4, 1808,in Natchez, MS.
7. John Weaver, born May 21, 1777; married Rebecca Cartmell inStephensburg,Virginia; they moved to Dearborn County, Indiana, prior to1806, where John was a U. S. Captain of Troops commanding blockhouses inthat area. He died in Lawrenceburg, Indiana in 1841.

"The will of Joseph Stephens of Frederick County, Virginia, datedFebruary 1, 1776, was witnessed by Elizabeth Sparks, Henry Weaver, andJohn McGivins. We assume that this Elizabeth Sparks was Elijah's wifeand that Henry Weaver was her oldet brother. (See Will Book 5, pg. 87.)

"Following the marriage of Elijah Sparks and Elizabeth Weaver, thereare few official records to be found of them for several years. Accordingto the HISTORY OF FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA, Elijah Sparks and AndrewNichols were clergymen of the Fairfax Circuit Methodist Church in 1794.Membership consisted of 540 whites and 50 colored. A son, Hamlet Sparks,was born to Elijah and Elizabeth about 1796 (according to the 1850 censusof Dearborn County, Indiana), which brought more family responsibilitiesto Elijah. As the Rev. Mr. Wiley wrote, "the opinion prevailed generallywith preachers and people, that no young man ought to marry and remain atravelling preacher; and if this had not been the opinion, the means ofsupport were so very limited, that necessity would have driven such todesist from the work."

"Whatever the reason, Elijah Sparks left the active ministry and wentinto the mercantile business, according to Wiley. He did not meet withgreat success, and in 1798, he moved to Kentucky with some law books andcommenced the study of law. In the fall of 1800, he began the practiceof law in Campbell County, Kentucky. It was also tat that time that hepaid taxes in that county on 200 acres of land on Bank Lick Creek. Healso paid taxes on two blacks and one horse. He continued to pay taxeson the land until 1806, but by that time he had disposed of the slaves.On September 23, 1810, Elijah and Elizabeth Sparks sold the 200 acres ofland to William Massie, but by that time they were living in DearbornCounty, Indiana, where two of Elizabeth's brothers were also living.

"Elijah Sparks continued to maintain an active interest in preachingfor, according to METHODISM IN KENTUCKY, by W. E. Arnold, published in1802, he was living and preaching in the bounds of the Salt River Circuitwhich consisted of Jefferson, Nelson, and Shelby Counties, Kentucky. Thisis confirmed by an entry in THE JOURNAL OF THE REV. FRANCIS ASBURY OF THEMETHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AUGUST 7, 1771 TO DECEMBER 7, 1815, whichstates: "Next day (September 10, 1805) I called on Elijah Sparks, atNewport, and baptised two of his children. ... I rejoiced to find a newcircuit had been formed and there were several growing societies."

"Sometime during 1806, Elijah Sparks moved his family to DearbornCounty, Indiana, and settled on Second Street in Lawrenceburgh. DearbornCounty had been established on March 7, 11803, by a proclamation ofWilliam H. Harrison, Governor of the Indiana Territory. The county wastaken from Clark County, and embraced portions of what is now Fayette,Franklin, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland, Union, and WayneCounties. In all likelihood, the move was a happy one for ElizabethSparks, for she now rejoined her mother and brothers, George and John.

"Elijah Sparks was apparently successful as a lawyer-politician, butit most surely must have been strenuous work. The sparseness of thepopulation and settlements required a lawyer to extend his legalknowledge and energy to places far from home. As now, the courts wereheld at the county seats, and the lawyers traveled from county tocounty. The legal circuit that included Dearborn County, Indiana, alsoincluded the counties of Franklin and Jefferson. Travel was by horsebackor carriage, and the lack of roads probably made the former thepreferable method.

"Sparks's ability and reputation as a lawyer attracted the attentionof Governor Harrison as well as that of the Indiana Territory GeneralAssembly, and on November 27, 1810, he was appointed one of thecommissioners to fix the county seat of the newly-created county ofFranklin. Less than a month later, he was appointed the commissionerfrom Dearborn county to meet with other county commissioners to fix theseat of government (i.e., the capital) of the Territory. The countyseat of Franklin County was fixed at Brookville while the first capitalof the Territory (and of the state of Indiana) was fixed at Corydon inHarrison County. On May 11, 1811, Elijah was admitted to practice law inFranklin County, and on December 22, 1812, he was named its prosecutingattorney.

"In the meantime, Elijah's friends had been at work persuadingGovernor Harrison to appoint him to the post of Attorney-General of theTerritory, and on July 27, 1813, he received the appointment. Accordingto Mrs. Skinner, he was sworn into office by Governor Dunn, agreat-grandfather of Miss Caroline Dunn, Secretary of the IndianaPioneers Society.

"The appointment as Attorney-General to the Territory apparently wasan unrewarding one to Elijah Sparks for, in reality, the enforcement oflaw and regulation was still left to other officers of the Territory. OnSeptember 27, 1813, he wrote to Governor Harrison to question hisduties: "Does the appointment conferred upon me take from the Governor,the right exercised under the ordinance to appoint an Attorney-Generalfor the Territory or does it unite with the General Court so far only ,as I hold Federal District powers?" Whether or not he ever received ananswer is not known.

"In the spring of 1814, Elijah Sparks decided to run for Congressagainst his friend (and incumbent) congressman Jonathan Jennings. Theresult of the campaign must have been disappointing to Sparks for whenthe votes were counted in August, he was soundly defeated. According toa newspaper account (Vincennes Western Sun), June 11, 1814) there were noparticular issues involved. Jennings simply pointed to his record ofservice during the four and one-half years he had been a delegate toCongress. Sparks stated that his only ambition was "to assist in raisingand establishing the equal rights of men -- of all men, above the irongrasp of tyranny, the yoak [sic] of despotism and the drudgery ofoppression."

Another account of the election is given in BIOGRAPHICAL & HISTORICALSKETCHES OF EARLY INDIANA, by William W. Woblen, 1883, which records theevent thusly: "In 1811, Mr. Jennings was reelected to Congress, hisopponent being Waller Taylor, the same man who, two years before, hadtried to provoke him to mortal combat. In 1811, he was again elected,his competitor this time being Judge Elijah Sparks, a very worthy andpopular man."

"Part of Elijah's disappointment over his defeat may have beenmitigated when he received word of his appointment, on September 14,1814, as Judge of the Third Circuit court of the Indiana Territory. Theappointment had been slow in coming, but it was a popular one. InTERRITORIAL PAPERS OF THE UNITED STATES, Vols. 7 & 8, several pages arefilled with the names of persons who petitioned congress in 1813 to makethe appointment. His political rival, Jonathan Jennings, had recommendedthe appointment to the Secretary of State on April 25, 1812, and to thePresident (James Madison) on March 1, 1813. The judgeship put to an endhis appointment as Attorney General of the Territory, however, and hewrote to President Madison on January 3, 1815, to express hisdisappointment at being relieved of that appointment.

"Probably the first court over which Elijah Sparks presided as aFederal Judge was at Vevay, the county seat of the newly-formedSwitzerland County. The INDIANA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, Vol. 20, page 198,reveals that the first term of the Circuit Court of Switzerland Countywas held on Friday, October 28, 1814, with the Hon. Elijah Sparks, thecircuit and presiding judge in the Third District, presiding. It wasthere that he also presided over what was probably his last Circuit Courtsession on March 27, 1815.

"In the Spring of 1815, according to the Rev. Mr. Wiley, Elijah Sparkswent east (to Pennsylvania) to attend to a legacy of about eight or tenthousand dollars left to his wife by a relative, and also to visit hisbrother, Robert Sparks, who was a traveling Methodist preacher of manyyears' standing in the Philadelphia Conference, but who had located in1812 on the Eastern shore of Maryland. After attending to his businessin Pennsylvania, Elijah started to his brother' s home and went as far asthe "heart of the Elk," when he became sick and confined, and afterlingering a few days, expired far from home and wife and friends.

"The "heart of the Elk" probably is meant to be the "head of the Elk",for the Elk River has its source just east of New Hollard, LancasterCounty, Pennsylvanis, and flows southward until it empties inotChesapeake Bay in Cecil County, Maryland.

"The cause of Elijah Sparks's death is unknown; however, almost twoyears earlier, he had confessed in a letter to Governor Harrison, that hewrote with great difficulty, "having been confined for two weeks by apretty severe attack of the Fever." Perhaps it was a reoccurrence of thedreaded "ague-fit" fever that overtook him in Pennsylvania on April 30,1815. (See INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS: HARRISONS LETTERS.)

"His death was recorded officially by the Washington (D.C.)INTELLIGENCER of June 14, 1815, as follows: "Elijah Sparks, PresidingJudge of the Third Circuit of Indiana Territory, died April 30 near NewHollard, Pennsylvania." On May 25, 1815, the vacancy created by hisdeath was filled by the appointment of James Noble.

"Elizabeth (Weaver) Sparks spent the rest of her life (nearly fiftyyears) in wodowhood and died on March 13, 1864, at Moores Hill, Indiana,at the home of her son, Hamlet Sparks. On the marriage of Elijah andElizabeth, the Rev. Mr. Wiley wrote: "As a husband and a father, he(Elijah) was most affectionate and kind, and did all that his means andopportunities permitted to make them wise, pious, and happy; hence hisfamily felt his loss in no ordinary degree."

"We are certain that Elijah and Elizabeth (Weaver) Sparks had sixchildren, three sons and three daughters, who reached maturity. Thereare indications tht there was at least one other child whodied young. TheRev. Mr. Wiley wrote: "Here is a man superior in piety, gifts andusefulness, intending to adjust his temporalities so as to devote theevening of his days to the interest of religion and God's glory; but,just when everything seemed to say, he may go abroad in the vineyard ofthe Lord, death overtakes him far from home, his family and friends.While one of his children lies dead and the burial is delayed so that hemight see the body of his beloved child before it is consigned to thegrave, he being expected home every minute, a letter arrives informinghis wife and children that their father is no more an inhabitant of thisworld..." We have no other record of this child.

"When John Weaver, Elijah's Sparks's brother-in-law andcourt-appointed administrater (Elijah left no will), appeared in DearbornCounty Court for the purpose of "transacting orphan's busines," he statedthat Sparks had left six children. (See Deed Book AA, page 109, Recordedon November 7, 1719.) He also stated that Elijah did not leave enoughpersonal estate to satisfy all of his debts and asked permission to sellland owned by Elijah and Elizabeth Sparks.

"Reference was made earlier in this article to a letter that ElijahSparks wrote to President Madison on February 23, 1813. This waspublished in the TERRITORIAL PAPERS OF THE UNITED STATES, Vol. VIII,TERRITORY OF INDIANA, 1810-1816, pp. 240-41. Because this letter isquite revealing in regard to Elijah's personality and outlook on life, itis reproduced below:
Lawrenceburgh 23d February, 1813
VENERABLE SIR, Unbend your mind for a few Moments, from national, andvastly more interesting considerations; and look over a candid address,from a former acquaintance. The acquaintance being very partial, as topersonaltity, is now without doubt, in every trace, effaced from yourrecollection. A knowledge of your own candour, induces me to write, forwhich I have a Claim on your goodness, for Pardon. This I shall obtain,when it is understoo, that I thus act, in justice to myself. Every manowes a degree of justice to himself. My friends have twice laid my namebefore you, as a Successor, to the late Judge Vanderburg of thisTerritory. While that appointment was in suspense, I was not at libertyto say a word to you on the Subject; but as that appointment is conferedupon another (as it is said) the restraint is removed, and I am free toexplain the motives which influenced many of my friends to Solicit forme, and myself to accept the place if bestowed. These motives were alittle out of fashion,-- they were not popular, and lucrative. IfPopularity was the object, a much more wide and certain Path, hath beenopened, in which I might have walked; -- and if Richers, the Barr wouldnot be exchanged for the Bench.

For many years past, I have thought it my duty to Preach the Gospel ofGod. This I have done, & still do at all opportunities, withoutpecuniary fee or reward; and I believe not in vain. Many think that thePractice of Law, & Preaching the Gospel, are incompatible -- I am not oneof those; but there is this inconvenience, they interfere in Point oftime, & attention; the former requiring too large a portion, for theLatter -- It was thought that the Bench, would in some measure, removethe inconvenience -- I practice Law from necessity, to Procure acompetency (a competency is all I covet) for a Lady who put herself undermy protection some years ago, in the county of Frederick, Virg. and arising family -- it was my misfortune (if it be proper to call it such)to be depriced of Parents in very early life; and from the Law ofprimogenture & other miscarriges, I was thrown on the world helpless &unlearned. I turned my attention to Science, devoted every spare, &prudent Moment, by day & by night, until I acquired a sufficient degreeto Commence the Study of Law -- I have been as successful in theprofession, as ordinary -- I have not sought to be known, much beyond mysphere of exercise -- I am content in obscurity -- With Politicks Iconcern, nothing more than I think every good Citizen should do." (Outof space; continued under notes for his wife, Elizabeth Weaver.)

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1969, Whole No. 67, p. 1256:

THE FAMILY BIBLEOF ELIJAH SPARKS, born July 28, 1778

Recently we learned that a family Bible that had once been the propertyof Elijah Sparks (born 1778) had been owned at a later time by a mannamed Samuel Clark of Linwood, New Jersey. A letter addressed to SamuelClark happily fell into the hands of Miss Emma Clark of 318 PoplarAvenue, Linwood, New Jersey. Miss Clark is a granddaughter of SamuelClark, to whom we had written. Samuel Clark, we learned, has been deadfor many years.

Upon receiving our letter, Miss Clark called her aunt, Mae Babcock ofPleasantville, New Jersey, to inquire whether she had ever heard of aSparks family Bible. Mrs. Babcock had not only heard of such a Bible, butreported that she now owned it. Miss Clark very kindly examined this oldBible and in the process determined that Elijah Sparks, who had onceowned it, was her great-great-grandfather.

From the entries in the Bible, copied for us by Miss Clark, it isapparent that Elijah Sparks, who was born in 1778, married twice. Hisfirst wife was named Nancy and died between 1811 and 1815. His secondwife was named Rebecca. The oldest daughter of Elijah Sparks, whose namedwas Mahala, married William Clark. The births of the children of Williamand Mahala (Sparks) Clark are also recorded in this Bible.

At this time, our knowledge of Elijah Sparks is limited to theinformation contained in the Bible which he once owned. We assume that helived in New Jersey. Following is the record as copied for us by MissClark:

This Bible belongs to Elijah Sparks, born 28th July 1778.
Mahala Sparks, daughter of Elijah and Nancy Sparks - born March 17, 1797.

Mary Ann Sparks, daughter of Elijah and Nancy Sparks - born 1811.

Sally Ann Sparks, daughter of Elijah and Rebecca Sparks - born May 30,1815.

John Merret Sparks, son of Elijah and Rebecca Sparks - born Feb. 23, 1818.

John Clark, son of William and Mahala Clark, born Sept. 22, 1823.

George Clark, son of William and Mahala Clark, born April 7, 1827.

William Clark, son of William and Mahala Clark, born August 1832.

Susanna Clark, daughter of William and Mahala Clark, born March 26, 1835.

Samuel Clark, son of William and Mahala Clark, born June 19, 1829.

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

See SQ 2567 for mention of this man and his marriages:

"Elijah Sparks, son of Nathan Sparks, Jr., was born between 1775 and1794, according to the 1820 census of Queen Annes County, Maryland, andwe place his year of birth as close to 1780. He was born at or near thevillage of Church Hill. Most of the information that we have about himcomes from letters written by his son, Clinton C. Sparks. In the letters,Clinton mentioned three marriages of his father, but apparently he wasmarried a fourth time. (See the Editor's Note at the beginning of thisarticle.)The name of the first wife of Elijah Sparks was unknown toClinton Sparks; however, she may have been Nancy Hinds, an heir of IsaacHinds. She was named as the wife of Elijah Sparks in the
disposition of land in Queen Annes County in 1802. The marriage probablytook place about 1801, and
only one child was born to this union....

"Elijah Sparks married, second, ----- Davis, probably about 1812. Tothis union three children were born, two daughters and one son....

"The third marriage of Elijah Sparks was to Elizabeth Davis,probably about 1820. She was a sister of his second wife and the motherof his son, Clinton Sparks, mentioned above. Four children were born tothis marriage, the oldest being Clinton....

"Elijah Sparks married Henrietta Davis on May 15, 1828, in QueenAnnes County. This was probably his fourth marriage. We have not learnedwhether Henrietta was related to his other wives who had the name Davis.Elijah probably died sometime during the 1830's."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1995, Whole No. 172, p. 4581:

NEW INSIGHT INTO THE LIVES OF SOME DESCENDANTS OFELIJAH SPARKS (1778-ca.1830+)
OF QUEEN ANNES COUNTY, MARYLAND

"[Editor's Note: Information about Elijah Sparks (1778-ca.1830+) ofQueen Annes County, Maryland, has been published earlier in two issues ofthe QUARTERLY. The first information was on page 1256 of the September1969 issue, Whole No. 69, and consisted of records from a Bible thatElijah had owned. The second piece of information was on pages 2567-68of the December 1983 issue, Whole No. 124, and was an account of Elijahand his family.

"[As noted below, Elijah Sparks was born in Queen Annes County,Maryland, on July 28, 1778. He was a son of Nathan Sparks, Jr. who hadbeen born about 1760, also in Queen Annes County. The parents of NathanSparks, Jr. were Nathan, Sr. and Eliza (Bolton) Sparks. Nathan Sparks,Sr. was a son of James and Elizabeth (Barkhurst) Sparks. James Sparks,who had been born about 1710-1715, and Elizabeth Barkhurst were marriedin Queen Annes County on February 9, 1737. As Paul E. Sparks pointed outin his article in the QUARTERLY of December 1983, cited above, there canbe little doubt that James, who made his will in Queen Annes County onMarch 21, 1775, and died shortly thereafter, was a grandson of WilliamSparks who died in Queen Annes County in 1709. Circumstantial evidencepoints strongly to James Sparks having been a son of William Sparks, Jr.and his wife, Margaret Hamilton. Readers interested in this Sparks lineare urged to review the articles cited above, as well as articlesregarding William Sparks (died 1709) and his family appearing in theQUARTERLY of March 1971, Whole No. 73, and that of December 1992, WholeNo. 160.

"[Now, thanks to the keen interest and careful reading of theevidence, Mary Lee Konz, a relative of Elijah Sparks (1778-ca.1830+), weare able to add to the earlier information that we have of this man. Forthe sake of uniformity, we have retained the same alpha-numeric outlineused in the earlier articles.]

"Elijah Sparks, son of Nathan Sparks, Jr., was born in Queen AnnesCounty, Maryland, on July 28, 1778. Apparently, he was married fourtimes. His first marriage was to Nancy Hinds about 1796, probably in thecounty of his birth. She was an heir of Isaac Hinds; in fact, she maywell have been his daughter. According to the Bible record cited above,she and Elijah had two daughters, Mahala and Mary Ann....."

"The second marriage of Elijah Sparks was to Rebecca Davis about1814. They had three children: Sarah, Elmina, and John Merritt....."

"The third marriage of Elijah Sparks was performed about 1820 when hewas married to Elizabeth Davis. She was a sister of Rebecca Davis, thesecond wife of Elijah Sparks. She and Elijah had four children...."

"Elijah's fourth marriage was to Henrietta Davis on May 15, 1828, inQueen Annes County. The Rev. Walton performed the marriage ceremony. Wehave no further information regarding this couple."

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

See SQ pp. 226-7 for a copy of the Johnson County, Kentucky - 1850Census showing Elijah and Sarah (Evans) Sparks and 8 of their children.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
Elijah Sparks & Sarah Evans, October 19, 1832. (Box 3) Consent of herfather, Wesley Evans. Witnesses: Daniel Sparks & E. E. Stikes.

SQ 3797: He was married in 1832 to Sarah Evans.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1992, Whole No. 148, pg 3945:
"Elijah Sparks, son of Thomas and Dianah (Wilcox) Sparks, was bornabout 1811 in North Carolina and was about ten years old when his parentsarrived in Lawrence County, Kentucky. It was there that he was marriedto Sarah "Sally" Evans on October 19, 1832, with Wesley Evans, father ofSally, giving his consent. Daniel Sparks, brother of Elijah, was awitness along with E. E. Stikes. Sally had been born in Virginia onSeptember 14, 1811. She and Elijah lived on the Puncheon Fork of HoodCreek in northwest Johnson County where they reared nine children. Elijahdied between 1870 and 1880. Sally died on October 4, 1891."

SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1979, Whole No. 108, p. 2162:

Elijah Sparks, son of Truelove and Polly (Anderson) Sparks, was bornabout 1824 in Tennessee. Shortly after his birth, his mother died and hewas reared for the first few years of his life by his stepmother, Nancy(Hall) Sparks. Apparently, he was not in the household of his father whenthe 1840 census was taken and descendants say he was reared by a paternalaunt, Jane Phillips (Sparks) Wright, wife of Thomas Wright.
On October 23, 1862, Elijah Sparks married Mary Ann Garner. She was bornon January 11, 1843, at New Albany, Indiana, and was a daughter of Andrewand Mary Garner. Elijah and Mary Ann lived at Sherman, Illinois, wherenine children were born to them. She died on April 22, 1912, and he diedon January 15, 1918.

A fine tribute to Elijah Sparks appeared in the History of SangamonCounty, Illinois, which was referred to earlier. It reads: Mr. Sparks isa fine specimen of the farmer of early days. Although he has worked hardall his life, and has been subjected to many of the hardships incident topioneer days, he has enjoyed excellent health and has accomplished muchof which he may well be proud. He has lived to see his children grow upabout him, developing into useful men and women, and is very proud ofthem and his many grandchildren. The old home is becoming too small tohold all the connections when there is a gathering, as there often is,but the warm, cordial welcome which each member receives from the grandold man and his wife compensates for a little crowding."

Miss Aileen Sparks, Springfield, Illinois, a granddaughter of Elijah andMary Ann, has shared with us a most interesting series of notes about thefamily of her grandparents. She writes: "My grandparents were married atthe old Witherow homestead north of Sherman. They bought a house on theeast side of the village, but it was torn down when the railroad boughtit for their right-of-way. The lawyer for the railroad found them a smallfarm about three miles east of Sherman and they lived there until theirdeaths. My grandparents' family seemed to be Methodists, but seldomattended the church in Sherman. As far as I know, none of the family everran for or held public offices."

The following note appears in the SPARKS QUARTERLY following a pensionapplication of an Elijah Sparks (not this one) born November 18 1842.The note distinguishes the applicant from this Elijah, son of Solomon andMary (Day) Sparks.

SQ pp 2219-20

(Editor's Note: Apparently there were two persons named Elijah Sparks whowere born about 1842 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. One, ElijahSparks, age 17, was living in the family of William Russell and Permela(Gentry) Sparks when the 1860 census of Wilkes County was taken. ThisElijah Sparks had not been living in the family of William RussellSparks, however, when the 1850 census was taken and we doubt very muchthat he was the same individual as Elijah Sparks, the pensioner. (Seepage 1089 of the September 1967 issue of the QUARTERLY for informationregarding William Russell Sparks.) Also listed on the 1860 census ofWilkes County, North Carolina, was an Elijah Sparks, age 17, living inthe household of Solomon and Mary (Day) Sparks, and it is this ElijahSparks whom we believe was the subject of the above pension file. ThisSolomon Sparks, born about 1815, was a son of Samuel and Mary (Alvey)Sparks (see the QUARTERLY of June 1959, Whole No. 26, page 386.) TheWilkes County marriage bond of Solomon Sparks and Mary Day was datedJanuary 30, 1838.

When the 1860 census was taken in Wilkes County, the family of Solomonand Mary (Day) Sparks was listed as comprising the following: (1) DanielSparks, 18; (2) Elijah Sparks, 17; (3) Sarah Q.(?) Sparks, 15; (4) JacobSparks, 13; (5) Martha J. Sparks, 11; and (6) Amanda Sparks, 6. SolomonSparks, the father, apparently died between 1860 and 1870 for Mary Sparkswas listed as head of the family on the 1870 census, with daughtersSarah, Martha, and Amanda still at home. No Elijah Sparks has been foundon the 1870 census of Wilkes County, but on the 1880 census he appearedin Edwards Township, a farmer 40 years of age, with wife L. C. Sparks(age 37) and sons F. S. Sparks, 12; W. M. Sparks, 9; Willie Sparks, 6;and E. A. Sparks, 5. Living in the same township in 1880 was JacobSparks, age 34, miller. We believe that this was Elijah's youngerbrother. Jacob's wife's name was given as Milly on the 1880 census andtheir children were: (1) Solomon Sparks, 11; (2) Mary Sparks, 9; (3)Thomas Sparks, 7; Robert Sparks, 6; William Sparks, 4; and Jacob F.Sparks, 1.

See SQ p. 232 for birth information and p. 946 for marriage information.

SQ pg 2632:

"Elijah Rogers Sparks, son of Allen and Nancy (Rogers) Sparks, wasborn on November 6, 1843, near Colfax, Indiana. He was obviously namedfor his maternal grandfather. He was a farmer, a teacher, and also anattorney. He served in the 3rd and 8th Regiments, Indiana Cavalry in theCivil War. (See page 2637 of this issue of the QUARTERLY for an abstractof his pension file.) He was married twice. His first marriage was toElizabeth Barker on April 19, 1866, in Boone County, Indiana. She wasborn on December 20, 1846, and was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth(White) Barker, natives of North Carolina. She died on November 5, 1887.

"Elijah Sparks was elected a justice of the peace of Clinton County,Indiana, in 1876. He was apparently licensed to practice law about 1880.As noted in his father's obituary, Elijah specialized in assisting CivilWar veterans in preparing their applications for the pensions provided bythe U.S. government. He was a member of the Methodist Church and in hispolitics, he was a Republican.

"On March 18, 1891, Elijah married (2nd) Jennie Jordan in TippecanoeCounty, Indiana. She was born about 1851. They had no children.

"Elijah died on January 14, 1916, in the Indiana State Soldiers'Home at Lafayette, Indiana. According to records known as the "RogersIndex," which are housed in The Filson Club, Louisville, Kentucky, andalso from a copy of the Bible record of the births of his children keptby Elijah Sparks that has been provided us by Irma (Cory) We lls, Elijahand Elizabeth (Barker) Sparks were the parents of eight children."

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

See SQ pps 2637-8 for the abstract of his pension file:

"ELIJAH ROGERS SPARKS, son of Allen and Nancy (Rogers) Sparks. Heserved in Company H and Company M, 3rd Regiment Indiana Cavalry andCompany M, 8th Regiment Indiana Calvary. File designations: Inv. C ert.No. 489,980; Wid. Cert. No. 816,397.

It is known that Elijah Rogers Sparks filed an application for aninvalid pension with the Bureau of Pensions on June 7, 1889; however, nocopy of the application was sent from his pension file in the packet ofmaterials supplied us by the National Archives. His military service wasconfirmed by the War Department on November 30, 1889 . He was enrolledin Company H, 3rd Regiment Indiana Calvary on August 27, 1862. He wastransferred to Company M, same regiment, on September 1, 1864, and toCompany M, 8th Regiment Indiana Cavalry on May 1, 1865. He was capturednear Fayetteville, North Carolina, on March 10, 1865, and confined atRichmond, Virginia, on March 28, 1865 . He was paroled at Boulware HoxisWharf, Virginia, on March 30, 1865, and sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, onApril 2, 1865. He was mustered out on June 9, 1865.

Invalid Certificate No. 489,980 was issued to Elijah Sparks, and hewas placed upon the pension roll.

On March 6, 1899, Sparks responded to a questionnaire from the Bureauof Pensions. He stated that (here follows his marital information andthe names and birthdates of his children).

On May 28, 1912, Elijah Sparks, now aged 68 and a resident ofLafayette, Indiana, applied for an increase in his pension under an Actof Congress of 1912. He said that he had enrolled in Company H, 3rdRegiment Indiana Cavalry on August 27, 1862, at Indianapolis, Indania,and had served until he was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio, on June 9,1865. At the time of his enlistment he had been 5 feet, 10 inches tall;he had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair, and he was a farmer.He had been born on November 6, 1843, near Colfax, Indiana. ClarenceBooth and C. P. White witnessed his signature. His pension was increasedfrom $24 to $30 per month. Elijah Sparks died on January 14, 1916, atthe Indiana State Soldiers Home, Lafayette, Indiana. He was described onthe death certificate as "retired pension attorney." The name of hisfather was given as Allen Sparks.

On January 26, 1916, Jennie J. Sparks, aged 60, applied for a Widow'sPension. She stated that she had been married to Elijah Sparks on March18, 1891, at West Lafayette, Indiana. It was her first marriage, but herhusband had been married previously. John Tankerley and James N. Hugheswitnessed her signature. She was issued Widow Certificate No. 816,397 bythe Bureau of Pensions and placed upon the pension roll."

See SQ p. 227 for a copy of the Johnson County, Kentucky - 1850 Censusshowing Elisha and Susanna (Pridemore) Sparks and 8 children.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriageinformation from Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):Elisha Sparks & Susannah Pridemore, December 16, 1833. (Box 3) Consent ofher father, John Pridemore, of Floyd County. Bondsmen: Daniel Sparks,Saul Sparks, and David Sparks.

SQ pg 3797: He was married in 1833 to Susanna Pridemore.

**********

SQ pg 3938:
"Elisha Sparks, son of Thomas and Dinah (Wilcock) Sparks, was bornabout 1809 in North Carolina. He was married to Susanna Pridemore onDecember 16, 1833, in Lawrence County, Kentucky, by Walter Osborne. Hisbondsmen were Daniel Sparks, Saul Sparks, and David Sparks . Susanna hadbeen born about 1810 in Floyd County, Kentucky, and was a daughter ofJohn Pridemore who gave his consent to the marriage , since she was thennot of age. Elisha and Susannah lived on a road between the communitiesof Flat Gap and Paintsville near the headwaters of Hood Creek. It wasthere that they lived for the rest of their lives. Susanna died on July2, 1889, and Elisha died on December 26, 1893. They were buried in asmall cemetery not far from their home. They had thirteen children."

"[Mrs. Jean (Sloan) McCarty, a great-great-granddaughter of Elisha andSusanna (Pridemore) Sparks, has shared with us a description of two ofthe Sparks cemeteries where her ancestors were buried. We are pleased toinclude here a portion of her observations.]

" 'A few years ago,' Mrs. McCarty wrote, 'We visited the small andunnamed cemetery where Elisha and Susanna were buried. It is on KentuckyState Road 1092, about one-half mile off Kentucky State Road 201. It isacross the road and up a small hill from the Kerz Enterprise BaptistChurch and is still being used occasionally. Elisha and Susanna havefield stone markers onto which names and dates have been carved; however,the stones are beginning to crumble. Elisha's son, Benjamin, is alsoburied there.' "

SQ pg 3942 for family members.

SQ pg 3965 for abstract of Elisha Sparks' pension file as follows:

ELISHA SPARKS, JR. son of Elisha and Susanna (Pridemore) Sparks,was born about 1841 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He died on February12, 1863. He served in Company D, 14th Regiment Kentucky Infantry. File Designations: Mother Cert. No. 144,771; Father Cert. No. 275,403.

"On September 3, 1866, Elisha Sparks, aged 55, a resident of JohnsonCounty, Kentucky, made application for a "Father's Pension." He statedthat he was the father of Elisha Sparks who had been a private in CompanyD, 14th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment commanded by Capt.---; the regiment had been commanded by Col. George W . Gallup. His sonhad died while in the service on February 12, 1863 , at Ashland,Kentucky. Sparks said that he had been dependent upon his son forsupport. His son had never married and had no dependents. Sparks statedthat he lived on the road between Flat Gap and Paintsville, about 10miles from the latter. He appointed W. D. B. Morrill, Louisville,Kentucky, as his attorney. B. F. Salyer and Tillman Craft, both of HoodsFork [now Hoods Creek], Kentucky, witnessed him make his mark, and theapplication was sworn to before Hiram C. Conley, Johnson County Judge.

"John W. Witten and G. W. Rice made a joint affidavit to supportSparks's application. They said that from about 1855 until his death i n1863, Elisha Sparks, Jr., had contributed about $10 per month to thesupport of his father by "working out from home for meat, bread and othernecessaries." They also stated that Elisha Sparks, Sr., lived on aboutfive acres of land in a house which was worth no more than $250,including the household goods.

"Apparently the claim of Elisha Sparks, Sr., was not allowed, for onJuly 5, 1870, Susanna Sparks, mother of Elisha Sparks, Jr., deceased,made an application for a "Mother's Pension." She stated that she hadbeen almost wholly dependent upon her deceased son to support her. Priorto his death in 1863, her son, Elisha Sparks, had given her about $100per year. She appointed J. F. Stewart, Paintsville, Kentucky, as herattorney. John W. Witten and Samuel Murray witnessed her make her mark,and the application was sworn to before James Ramey , deputy clerk ofJohnson County, Kentucky.

"On September 2, 1870, Mother's Certificate No. 275,403 was issued toSusanna Sparks, and she was placed on the pension roll. She died on July1, 1889, in Johnson County, Kentucky. On August 24, 1889 , ElishaSparks, Sr., again applied for a "Father's Pension," claiming dependencyupon his deceased son. He stated that he had been married to the motherof Elisha Sparks, Jr., on December 25, 1833, by Walter Osborne. She hadreceived a "Mother's Pension" until her death . He appointed B. H.Harris, Flat Gap, Kentucky, as his attorney. H . P. McKenzie and J. F.Pruit witnessed him make his mark.

"In the spring of 1890, Franklin Salyer, Ben Stambaugh, EphriamSalyer, Lavinia Pack, G. W. Rice, and Dr. N. P'Simer made affidavits tosupport the claim of Elisha Sparks. Father Certificate No. 275,403 wasissued to him, and he was placed on the pension rolls. He died onDecember 26, 1893."

See SQ p. 3948

See the Sparks Quarterly, March, 1969, Whole No. 65, p. 1205:
"Elisha (or Eli) Sparks, son of Allen and Polly (Weaver) Sparks, wasborn about 1847; he died on August 9, 1910, in Monroe County, Indiana.His will dated August 5, 1910, and probated August 12, 1910, names hischildren:
John, Samuel, Orpha, Mary, James, Grace, Anna, Hubert, Osia, Hila,Roy, Frank, and Pearl.

For marriage record source see SQ p. 4183.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June, 1973, Whole No. 18, pps 1567-69: (for aphotograph of her see page 1568)
Eliza Ann Sparks , eldest daughter of Elijah and Elizabeth (Weaver)Sparks, was born on April 3, 1803, in Kentucky. On November 2, 1828, shewas married to William S. Durban in Dearborn County, Indiana. (SeeMarriage Book I, p. 216). She died on October 30, 1862, at NewPhiladelphia, Washington County, Indiana. Miss Firnhaber, agreat-granddaughter of Eliza Ann (Sparks) Durban, has a newspaperclipping, without a date and without the name of the paper, which waspasted in the family bible, probably by her grandfather, John WeaverDurbin. It reads: "Mrs. Eliza Ann Durban, wife of Wm. S. Durban, Esq.,and daughter of the Rev. Elijah and Elizabeth Sparks, was born April 3,1803, married Nov. 2, 1828, and died in great peace in New Philadelphia,Washington County, Indiana, October 30, 1862, age 59 years, 7 mos. Thuspassed away from earth one of the brightest and sweetest spirits ofIndiana Methodism. In early life she received the intellectual andreligious culture from her long since departed but sainted father who wasa pioneer judge as well as a pioneer preacher. Eight sons and threedaus."
Elizabeth Ann Sparks and her sister, America Sparks, married brothers;Eliza Ann married William S. Durbin and America married Hosier J.Durbin. According to records gathered by Miss firnhaber, the Durbanbrothers descended from Daniel Durbin who was born in Baltimore County,Maryland (that portion that is now Harford County) on December 1 1741,and died in 1827 in Harrison County, Kentucky. Daniel Durbin marriedMolly Johns and they had seven children. Their second son, born in 1778,was named Nathaniel Giles Hosier Durbin. He married Elizabeth Nunn andthe were the parents of five sons, including William S., born about 1806,and Hosier J., born about 1812. The other sons were: John Price Durbin,born about 1800; Samuel S. Durbin; and Edmund N. Durbin. Nathaniel GilesHosier Durbin died suddenly in March, 1813, leaving his widow with fivesons. William S. was then about seven years old, while Hosier wasprobably still an infant.
William Sappington Durbin (the name of Sappington probably came fromRichard Sappington, a Revolutionary War surgeon who married CassandraDurbin, a sister of Nathaniel Giles Hosier Durbin) became a tanner atBrookville, Indiana, but subsequently opened his own tannery atlawrenceburgh. In 1850, he went to New Philadelphia, Indiana, where heoperated a tannery for a number of years. (See lithograph of WilliamDurbin's tannery on page 1569, The Sparks Quarterly.)
After the death of his first wife, Eliza Ann (Sparks) Durbin, in 1862,William S. Durban married Virginia A. Vosler. She died on December 12,1890. He died in 1891 at Greenville, Indiana.
Eliza Ann (Sparks) Durbin and William S. Durban were the parents ofeleven children, eight sons and three daughters. Seven of the sonsserved in the Union forces during the Civil War. One of them becameGovernor of Indiana.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Lizy A. Sparks & Peter T. Burgess, 1860. (Box I)

SQ p. 3907: "Eliza Ann Sparks, daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Jayne)Sparks, was born on March 20, 1838. she was married to Peter
Taylor Burgess about 1860. He had been born on June 29, 1838, and was ason of Sylvester W. and Jane (Stafford) Burgess. According todescendants, Peter and Eliza Ann lived on Brushy Fork in Lawrence Count ywhere they reared four children.
a. Sarah Jane Burgess was born about 1862. She was married to LewisM. Spencer on March 24, 1887. He had been born on May 17, 1862,at Charley, Kentucky. He and Sarah Jane had at least one child , Bertha["Bird"], born on June 5, 1888.
b. Benjamin Franklin Burgess was born on November 22, 1864. He wasmarried to Mary Rosetta Davis on April 12, 1888, and they had atleast one child, Tera, born on June 8, 1889.
c. Milton Burgess was born in March 1875.
d. Alfred Burgess"

SQ pg 4481: Additional information concerning Benjamin FranklinBurgess:
His marriage was in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Mary Rosetta Davis wasborn about 1872 and was a daughter of John Buell and Larue B. (Nickell)Davis of Davisville, Kentucky. Ben and Rosetta had four children: TeraBurgess, Mary Burgess, Lena Burgess, and Benson Burgess.