SQ 1O1:

"Joel Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, was born about1784, Surry County, North Carolina; died about 1850 in Wilkes County ;married 27 July 1814 (date of Wilkes County marriage bond) to NancyBlackburn , born about 1791, North Carolina. She survived herhusband...."

SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1961; Whole Number 35 at page 579:

SPARKSES IN THE WAR OF 1812 - BOUNTY LAND AND PENSIONAPPLICATIONS.

"Joel Sparks, born prior to 1793, died about 1861, of Surry County,North Carolina, and Bates County, Missouri. Bounty Land File BL Reg. 207286-1855.

"On August 13, 1855, Joel Sparks of Bates County, Missouri, appliedfor bounty land under the Congressional Act of March 3, 1855. He statedthat he was 62 years of age (although from records it would appear thathe must have been several years older than this) and that he had servedas a private in Capt. Witcher's Company in a regiment of North CarolinaMilitia commanded by a Co. Adkinson in the War of 1812; that he wasdrafted at Surry County, N.C., in the fall of 1814 for the term of 6months, but tha the served only 14 days; that he was honorably dischargedat Hillsborough, N.C., on or about Dec. 1, 1814. He signed theapplication a s "Joel Sparks"; the witnesses were Mrs. M. Briseve andGeo. C. Pulliam. Squire G. Allen signed as a justice of the peace. TheTreasury Department reported that no record could be found of JoelSparks' s service.

"In 1857 Joel Sparks asked that his application be re-examined and hesubmitted as proof of his service a statement made on March 27, 1857 , byhis brother William Sparks of Cooper County, Missouri. This documentreads as follows:

"State of Missouri, County of Cooper: On this 27th day of March AD1857, personally appeared before me the Clerk of the County Court withinand for the County of Cooper aforesaid, William Sparks who having been byme first duly sworn on his oath states that ---(a fold in the paper hasmade this line illegible) sixty seven years--who was a private in theCompany commanded by Captain Witcher, in the 13th Regiment of the NorthCarolina Militia, Commanded by Col. Atkinson in the war with GreatBritain, declared by the United States on the 18th day of June, 1812;that he was drafted on or about the month of July AD 181 (sic) for thetime of six months and continued in actual service in said War for theterm of more than fourteen days.

"This affiant further states that at the time he was drafted asaforesaid and in the County of Surry and State of North Carolina, hisbrother Joel Sparks--whose claim No. 207 286 for bounty land is said tobe suspended - was drafted and to the Certain Knowledge of this affiantserved as a private in the same Company same Regiment and same war for aperiod of more than fourteen days. And that whilst said service wasbeing performed by said Joel Sparks as aforesaid, he said Joel, became sodisabled on account of a rising in left leg near ancle as to be unable tocontinue in said service. And that on account of said disability saidJoel Sparks was honorable discharged by said Commander of said Regiment.This affiant was present and saw said Joel Sparks honorably dischargedfor the reason aforesaid, in the town of Hillsboro in Orange County andState of North Carolina, and that he saw the said discharge afterwards inthe possession of said Joel Sparks, and that he has no interest in theclaim of said Joel Sparks for bounty land. And further this affiantsaith not. (signed) William Sparks." This statement was sworn to beforeHenry C. Levens, Clerk of the County Clerk, who certified that "I havelong known the said William Sparks personally and that he is a credibleperson."

"Another document that Joel Sparks submitted with his request that hisapplication be reconsidered, was a sworn statement by his daughter, NancyAshcraft, who appeared before A. S. Pulliam, a justice of the peace ofCass County, Missouri, on April 11, 1857. The document read as follows:

"On this 11th day of April AD 1857, personally appeared before me A.S. Pulliam a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Cass, andState of Missouri, Nancy Ashcraft who having been by me first duly swornon her oath Stats, that she is the oldest child of Joel Sparks and thatShe is forty Eight or nine years of age, that she was Knowing to herFather Joel Sparks Enlisting in the war with Great Britton declared bythe United States, 18th of June 1812 for the term of six months, she doesnot no how long he Continued in the servis. This Affeant further Statesat the time her Farther Joel Sparks Enlisted that he lived in the Countyof Surry in State of North Carolina and that she has frequently saw herfather's Discharge and that she has no Interest in the Claim of said JoelSparks for Bounty Land." Nancy Ashcraft signed this statement by mark.

"On May 16, 1857, the Treasury Department re-examined the bounty claimof Joel Sparks but reported that, whereas the name of William Sparks wason the Roll of Capt. John Witcher's Company of North Carolina Militia ashaving served from November 28, 1814 until Feb. 22, 1815, the name ofJoel Sparks did not appear, and he did not receive bounty land.

"(Editor's Note: Joel Sparks was a son of Matthew and Eunice Sparksof Surry County, North Carolina, and a (great) grandson of William SampleSparks who came from Frederick County, Maryland, to North Carolina about1760. Matthew Sparks, father of Joel, made his will in Surry County onMarch 26, 1819; he named his children as: (1) Joel Sparks; (2) GeorgeSparks; (3) Matthew Sparks, Jr.; (4) William Sparks; (5) John Sparks; (6)Nancy Smith; (7) Sally Bray; (8) Peggy West. Joel Sparks, who appears tohave been Matthew's oldest son, was married twice. By his first wife,whose name we have not found, Joel Sparks is said to have had ninechildren; the following are known to have been among these nine: Nancy,who married ---Ashcraft; John C. Sparks, born 1815; William W. Sparks,born about 1817; and Joel Sparks, Jr., born 1824.

"Prior to 1850, Joel Sparks moved to Lafayette County, Missouri; by1855 he was living in Bates County, Missouri. His first wife died inSurry County, N.C., prior to 1846, and as his second wife, he married inWilkes County, N.C., Mary Shatley. The marriage bond for this secondmarriage is dated Nov. 23, 1846. By his second wife, Joel Sparks hadthree sons : Andrew J. Sparks, born about 1848, David Francis Sparks,born about 1849 and Solomon Sparks, born about 1851.)

SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole Number 148. On the cover at page 3483 is aphotograph of Richard M. Sparks, born May 4, 1829 in Surry County, NorthCarolina, died April 17, 1893, at Medicine Lodge, Kansas. He was a sonof William D. Sparks (who was Joel's brother) and a grandson of MatthewSparks. Thus he was a nephew of Joel.

On pgs. 3794-5 Matthew is mentioned in a lengthly article about hisfather William (199): "Matthew Sparks, born in Frederick County,Maryland, ca.1752. His name first appeared in a Surry County, NorthCarolina, tax list dated 1774 as a poll in his father's household. Hewas married about 1775 to Eunice ---(345), whose nickname was " Nicy"also "Unicy." They remained in that part of Surry County that was cutoff to form Yadkin County in 1850. Matthew made his will on March 26,1819, and died before May 1820. His wife lived until about 1837/1838.Their children were ...(4) Joel Sparks, born ca. 1784. He was marriedtwice; we have not learned the name of his first wife; he was married toMary Shatley in 1846. He died in Missouri (probably in Bates Co.)ca.1861.

(On page 50, Whole Number 8, December 1954, is an article by Oral A.Sparks, father of Melva Sparks who is the wife of Russell Bidlack, Editorof the SPARKS QUARTERLY. He traces her lineage back thusly: Melva,Oral, John Garland Sparks, Joel Sparks, Jr., Joel Sparks (346). ThusMelva Sparks is a 5th cousin of James J. Sparks. Our common ancestor isWilliam Sparks (IV) 199, our 4G Grandfather.)

**********

See the Sparks Quarterly, June, 2000, pp 5363-65:

Joel Sparks, Matthew and Eunice Sparks's first son, was born in SurryCounty, North Carolina (in the part that would become Yadkin County in1850), about 1784. His age appears at different times on several extantdocuments, but it seems to have been recorded incorrectly on mostoccasions. When all the possible years of his birth are considered, it isthe belief of this writer that he was born about 1784. On the 1850census, his age was given by the census taker as 62, which would placehis birth in or about 1788. On August 13, 1855, however, when Joelapplied for bounty land based on his service in the War of 1812, hestated then, also, that he was 62 years of age, which would place hisbirth in or about 1793. (See the QUARTERLY of September 1961, Whole No.35, pp.579-SO, for an abstract of his bounty land application; see alsopage 5383 of the present issue for the affidavit of Joel's brother,William D. Sparks, in an attempt to help Joel obtain land.) On the 1860census, his age was recorded as only 65, which would mean that he hadbeen born in or about 1795. A son of Joel by his second wife, AndrewJackson Sparks, who was borri in 1848, was quoted in The History ofJohnson County, Missouri published in 1881, p.733, as having stated thatJoel had been 87 years old when he died In 1861. If true, this would havemeant he was born in 1774. The fact that Joel had been married in 1846 tohis second wife, who was much younger than himself. may help to accountfor his age discrepan cies in these sources.

Joel Sparks, son of Matthew and Eunice Sparks, has been confused bysome of his descendants with his third cousin, once removed, who was alsonamed Joel Sparks and lived, also, In the Surry/Wilkes Counties area.

This other Sparks named Joel, who was born about 1784, was a son ofJohn and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, and a grandson of Solomon and SarahSparks. He was married in Wilkes County, North Carolina, in 1814(marriage bond and license dated July 27, 1814) to Nancy Blackburn. Hedied in December 1850 in Wilkes County, and in his will he named hischildren as Richmond, Malinda, Nancy, Robert, Joel, Mittie, and Hugh.(See the QUARTERLY of December 1955, pp.97-104 for further information onthis branch of the Sparks family.)

The following diagram shows the relationship of these two JoelSparkses in their descent from the immigrant from England named WilliamSparks who died in Queen Annes County, Maryland, in 1709:

William Sparks, died 1709

______________________I_________________________
I I
William Sparks, Jr.
died ca. 1734
Brothers

Joseph Sparks

died 1749
William Sample Sparks
died ca.1765
1st cousins

Solomon Sparks

died ca.1790
William Sparks
died 1800/01
2nd cousins

John Sparks

died 1840
Matthew Sparks
died 1819
3rd cousins

Joel Sparks

died 1850
Joel Sparks
died 1861
3rd cousin, once removed
from Joel Sparks who died
in 1850

We give here only a brief sketch of the life of Joel Sparks, son ofMatthew and Eunice Sparks; a more extended account will appear in a laterissue of the QUARTERLY.

Joel Sparks, son of Matthew and Eunice Sparks, was married twice. We havenot succeeded in positively
identifying his flrst wife's name and parentage, but we have asignificant clue that will be discussed in an article about him plannedfor the future. His first wife died prior to 1846. In 1846 he wasmarried, second, to Mary Shatley in Wilkes County, North Carolina. (Themarriage bond and license were dated November 23, 1846; the bondsman wasJohn Shatley.)

Joel and Mary (Shatley) Sparks moved to Missouri shortly after they weremarried and were living in Lafayette County, Missouri, when the 1850census was taken. They were living in Cass County, Missouri, however,when he applied for bounty land based on his service in the War of 1812.(His application was not successful, however, because he had beendischarged resulting from a "sore leg" and his name did not appear on theroster of his company at the time of its discharge on February 22, 1815.Furthermore, his written discharge had been lost, so he had no proof ofhis service.)

When the 1860 census was taken, Joel and his second family were living inMingo Township in Bates County, Missouri. According to a publishedbiographical sketch of a son by his second wife, Andrew Jackson Sparks,Joel Sparks died in 1861. Because of the complete destruction of propertyand records in Bates County in 1863, following the issuance of UnionGeneral Ewing's famous "Order #11," we cannot verify Joel's date of deathin any Bates County record. Following is a brief identification of someof the ten children of Joel Sparks and his first wife: (For thisinformation see each child's sheet.]

SQ 101: "Joel Sparks, born about 1825; married 1846, Charlotte Durham."

SQ 606: See the census of Wilkes County, North Carolina -- 1850 Census,P. 276, 368-368 for Joel Sparks, 28; Charlotte, 24; Caroline, 4; George,2; and Nancy, 1. They are living near their uncle, Reubin Sparks.

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1971, Whole No. 76, p.1453 where thefollowing was taken from an article relating to a pension applicationfiled by his son, Andrew J. Sparks:

(Andrew J. Sparks was a son of Joel and Charlotte (Durham) Sparks and agrandson of Joel Sparks, Jr., and his wife, Nancy (Blackburn) Sparks.His great-grandfather was John Sparks (born February 25, 1753) who servedin the American Revolution. For a record of this family, see theQUARTERLY of December 1955, Vol. III, No. 14, Whole No. 12, pp. 97-104.Andrew J. Sparks’s father, Joel Sparks, was born about
1826 - - he was a brother of the Robert Sparks who was the subject of asketch in the QUARTERLY of September 1970, Vol. XVIII, No, 3, Whole No,71, pp. 1346-1490 Joel Sparks married Charlotte Durham in Wilkes County,N.C., the marriage bond being dated June 21, 1846. From census records,it appears that Joel and Charlotte (Durham) Sparks were the parents ofthe following children:
(1) Caroline Sparks, born about 18)46
(2) George W. Sparks, born about 18148
(3) Nancy Sparks, born about 1850
(14) Andrew J. Sparks, born about 1852 (the applicant f or a pension)
(5) Julia Sparks, born about 1853
(6) Martha Sparks, born about 185)4
(7) Dovia (or Dovey) Sparks, born about 1855
(8) Joel Sparks, born about 1857
(9) Mary J. Sparks, born about 1859
(10) William Sparks, born about 1862

(Charlotte, wife of Joel Sparks and mother of the applicant for apension, died prior to 1870, at least she was not listed with the familywhen the 1870 census was taken. We have no record of Andrew J. Sparkshaving married.)

"Sometime between 1850 and 1860, Solomon Sparks moved to CarterCounty,, Kentucky, probably to be near his numerous relatives in thatarea, including his brothers, George and Levi. He stayed there aboutthree years, but returned to his former home near Warne, North Carolina.He apparently died sometime near 1860, and his widow, Judah, went to livewith her son, Joel Sparks, who had married about 1853. Joel moved toOhio about 1865 and when the 1870 census was taken., he and his familywere living near Goshen in Clermont County. With him was his mother,Juda A. Sparks, now aged 66. By 1880, Joel was in Elliott County,Kentucky, and with him was his mother, now aged 76.

"Joel and Mary Jane (Grow) Sparks did not remain long in ElliottCounty, and shortly after the 1880 census was taken they returned toCherokee County, North Carolina. Perhaps the strongest reason for theirleaving Elliott County was the murder of their son, Solomon Sparks, in1879. Solomon was a young man about 24 years old at the time. Asdescribed by a member of the Sparks Family Association, here is how thetragic incident occurred:

"The killing of Solomon Sparks took place about 1879. JoelSparks., who married Mary Jane Grow, had a son, Solomon, born about1855. He was stabbed and killed at a dance on the Little Fork of theLittle Sandy River by one of the Porter boys. The two Porters hadchosen their man to kill. One was to kill Sol Sparks; the other wasto kill Elliott Sparks, son of William Sparks. All lights weresuddenly extinguished; Sol Sparks was killed instantly, andElliott Sparks was injured so badly that he lived only a short timeafterwards. After the murder, Joel Sparks moved his family back toCherokee County, North Carolina. "

"The 1850 census of Cherokee County, North Carolina, lists SolomonSparks, aged 60, a farmer, born in North Carolina, with a wife, JuliaSparks, aged 44, also born in North Carolina. Living with Solomon washis son Joel Sparks, aged 22, also a farmer, born in Kentucky. There wasone other Sparks family living in Cherokee County in 185C, Samuel P.Sparks, aged 29, a farmer, born in North Carolina; living with him wasMary Sparks, doubtless his wife, aged 22, also born in North Carolina;also Jeremiah Sparks, aged 5, and Jackson Sparks, aged 1 year, both bornin North Carolina.

"By 1880, Joel Sparks, son of Solomon, was living in Elliott County,Kentucky. He was listed on the census of that year as Joel Sparks, Sr.,aged 55, a farmer, born in North Carolina. Living with him was his wife,Mary Sparks, aged 44, born in North Carolina,, and the followingchildren:
(1) George W. Sparks, aged 23, born in Ohio;
(2) John W. Sparks, aged 14, born in Ohio;
(3) Irena Sparks, aged 20, born in Ohio;and
(4) Julia E. Sparks, aged 1-2, born in Kentucky. Also living withJoel Sparks
was his mother, Juda A. Sparks, aged 76, born in North Carolina.Note that her name was given as Julia on the 1850 census of CherokeeCounty, North Carolina.

"Since Joel Sparks was closely related to the Lawrence and ElliottCounties, Kentucky, set of Sparkses--and since this set of Sparksesdescended from John Sparks, the Wilkes County, North Carolina,Revolutionary soldier, it is quite natural to assume that his (Joel's)father, Solomon Sparks, was a brother or closely related to George andLevi Sparks, sons of John, who settled in that section of Kentucky about1820. However, more definite proof will need to be established.)

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822- 1865):
Joel Sparks & Eliza J. Adkins, 1863. (Book 5, p. 71)

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1997, Whole No. 179, p 4868:
"Joel Denver Sparks, son of Bill and Polly (Lyon) Sparks, was born onAugust 6, 1842 in Carter County. He served in Company A, 5th RegimentKentucky Infantry, Confederate States Army, for nearly a year beforebeing mustered out. (His widow received a Kentucky Confederate Armypension in 1912.) He then served for a short time in Company A, 68thRegiment Kentucky Militia of the Union Army. (See an abstract of hispension below (and on SQ p 4882).
"On July 16, 1863, Joel Sparks was married to Eliza Jane Adkins inLawrence County. She had been born on February 29, 1845, in CarterCounty and was a daughter of Charity Robinson. According to descendants,her mother was married to a man named Adkins, and Jane (as she wascalled) took her stepfather's name. Joel Sparks was quite active in thegovernment of Elliott County and was elected sheriff in 1878 and countyjudge in 1882. He died near Fielden on March 12, 1936, at Ashland,Kentucky. They were buried in the Johnson Cemetery on Little Fork. Theyhad eleven children."

Here follows and abstract of the pension file of Joel Sparks:

"JOEL DENVER SPARKS, son of William and Mary (Lyon) Sparks, was bornon August 6, 1842, in Carter County, Kentucky. He was married to ElizaJane Adkins on July 16, 1863, in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He served inCompany A, 68th Regiment Kentucky Enrolled Militia. File Designation:Inv. Appl. No. 1,163,084.

"Joel D. Sparks applied for an invalid pension on December 17, 1894,stating that he had served as a sergeant in Company A, 68th RegimentKentucky Enrolled Militia from May 21, 1864, until June 22, 1864. Hismilitary service was confirmed by the War Department on February 12,1895, just as Sparks had stated. Probably it was because of the shorttime of his service that his case appears not to have been consideredfurther. He had enlisted at the age of 31 years.

"Sparks's case was apparently reopened in the fall of 1899, when, onOctober 13th, the War Department again sent a record of his militaryservice to the Bureau of Pensions. In addition to his Federal Armyservice, Sparks had enlisted in Company A, 5th Regiment KentuckyInfantry, Confederate States Army, on December 29, 1861, at Camp Huger,Kentucky. He was reported as the 3rd Sergeant in Ratliff's Company andhad been present for duty until the company had been mustered out atHazel Green, Kentucky, on October 20, 1862.

"On November 14, 1899, Sparks answered a questionnaire from the Bureauof Pensions. He stated that he had been married to Eliza J. Adkins onJuly 16, 1863, at Blaine, Kentucky, by Walter Osburn. Their childrenwere:

William Wallace Sparks, born April 24, 1864
James Washington Sparks, born January 2, 1866
America Virginia Sparks, born March 26, 1867
Milton Elliott Sparks, born May 5, 1868
Ellen Sparks, born January 29, 1871
Verlina Sparks, born November 25, 1873
Robert Nelson Sparks, born January 1, 1876
Nancy V. Sparks, born May 13, 1877
Emma Lee Sparks, born November 5, 1878
Minnie E. Sparks, born June 17, 1880
Bertha May Sparks, born October 29, 1885

"On the same day, Joel Sparks made an affidavit to support his case.He stated that he was 58 years of age and his post office was Stephens,Kentucky. He indicated that he had lived in this community ever sincehis return from the service. He said that in June 1864, as a sergeant inCompany A, 68th Regiment Kentucky Militia, at Louisa, Kentucky, he hadbeen exposed to hot and sultry days and damp and cool nights and had hadan attack of chronic pneumonia. He had been treated by three physicians:Dr. White, Louisa, Kentucky, now dead; Dr. Levi J. Sparks, Blaine,Kentucky, now dead; and Dr. T. W. Hudgeon, Bruin, Kentucky, now dead. Asa result of the pneumonia attacks, he could not perform one half of hisusual manual labor from 1864 until 1882, and since 1882 to the present,he had been unable to perform any manual labor. The affidavit was swornto before John M. Johnson, a notary public.

"Sparks was supported in his claim of illness while in service by hiswife, Eliza J. Sparks, who, on February 8, 1900, made an affidavit thatshe had sent a horse on which to bring her husband home from the service,and that after he arrived at home, he continued to be attacked bypneumonia, with severe and painful coughs which brought on hemorrhagingof the lungs. He had not responded to any treatment by the physicians inattendance.

"Joel Sparks's final request for an invalid pension was made on July12, 1901. He was now 59 years of age and a resident of Elliott County,Kentucky. He appointed
J. B. Cralle & Co. of Washington, D.C., as his attorneys. A. T. Johnsonand
J. I. Waddell witnessed his signature, and the declaration was sworn tobefore John
M. Johnson, a notary public.

"Joel Sparks died on March 26, 1906, and was buried in the JohnsonCemetery on the Little Fork of the Little Sandy River in Elliott County,Kentucky. He never received the pension that he sought."

Apparently Joel lived on the Little Fork for many years as he is foundin the 1870 US Census there as follows:
Joel sparks 28 KY
Eliza 25 KY
Jamima 4 KY
America 3 KY
Milton 2 KY
They are found close by Joels brother Reuben and family and also closeto his brother Isaac and family in North Fork.

SQ pg 3413: They had four children: Linda, Sharon, Steve, and BillySparks. Elwood (as he is called) lives in Florida.

Following is an obituary which was originally printed in the April 17,1924 issue of the "Girard Free Press", Girard, Kansas, and provided by agreatgrandson, Robert W. Sparks of Edmond, Oklahoma:

Death of Joel Franklin Sparks

Joel Franklin Sparks was born in Webb City, Missouri, January 13,1880. He entered the Great Beyond at his home near Radley, Kansas,Monday afternoon, April 14, 1924. He came with his parents to Kansaswhen two years of age, and resided here ever since.
He was united in marriage to Miss Edith Reed and to this union wasborn one son, Wayne.
When 18 years of age he confessed his faith in the Christ and unitedwith the Christian Church at Cherokee. He was a member of the PittsburgU.B.of C. & J. No. 561.
He leaves his companion, son, and mother, Mrs. Antha Mary Sparks,two sisters, Mrs. Martha Kuhn, and Miss Mary Sparks, of Girard, onebrother, William Sparks, of Pittsburg and a number of other relatives andfriends who mourn his departure.
Funeral services were held from the Christian Church in Girard,Wednesday afternoon and interment made in Gerard Cemetery.

SQ p. 2090 (and notes for his brother John C. Sparks: "...the brother ofJohn C. Sparks, Joel Sparks, Jr. who was mortally wounded at the Battleof Lone Jack during the civil war..."

SQ p. 5366:

"Joel Sparks, Jr., son of Joel Sparks and his first wife, was born in May1824. He was married to Almyra Lane in Wilkes County, North Carolina, in1844 (marriage bond dated September 5, 1844). His marriage bond to wedMira (as she was called) must not be confused with that of the JoelSparks, Jr., who was a son of Joel and Nancy (Blackburn) Sparks datedJune 21, 1846, to marry Charlotte Durham, also in Wilkes County.

When the 1850 census was taken, Joel Sparks, Jr., son of Joel Sparks andhis first wife, was living in Wilkes County with his wife and first threechildren, but by 1856 he had moved his family to Johnson County,Missouri, and they were shown there on the 1860 census. Early in August1862, Joel, Jr. volunteered to serve in the Missouri State Militia on theUnion side in the Civil War. Very shortly after his enrollment, withvirtually no military training, he participated in the Battle of LoneJack on August 16, 1862. During the battle, he was mortaily wounded anddied after a few days. When his widow later applied for a pension, sheenclosed pages removed from a small book, perhaps a Testament, on whichJoel, Jr. had recorded the births of their children."

SQ pps 3411-12: They had one child: Paul David Sparks.

SQ p. 3411:

Joel Washington Sparks, son of Fred and Catherine (Kegley) Sparks,was born on November 29, 1875, in Carter County. He was probably namedfor his maternal grandfather, Joel Kegley. He was a grown man when hehelped his parents move to Greenup County. It was probably there that hemet and courted Viola ["Dolly"] Morris, and they were married on April19, 1899, in Ironton, Ohio, just across the Ohio River.
Dolly was born on August 17, 1879, at Kitts Hill, Ohio, and was adaughter of James M. and Mary A. (Murphy) Morris. Joel Sparks died on May17, 1943. Dolly died on December 16, 1982, at the advanced age of 103!They had nine children.

SQ p. 1552: CARTER COUNTY, KENTUCKY, MARRIAGE BONDS (1838-1910)

Copied by Paul E. Sparks

(Note: these are in addition to those recorded on pages 721-722 of theQUARTERLY for March 1963, Whole. No. 141.)

Joel W. Sparks and Dora Bear, February 9, 1903. (Book 10, page 191) Hisage 20; father, J. E. Sparks; mother, Elizabeth Boggs. Her age 18;mother, Rebecca Bear. Witness: Millard Sparks.

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

SQ p. 3402:

"Joel Winfield Sparks, son of John Elliott and Lizzie (Boggs) Sparks,was born on August 6, 1882, in Elliott County. He married Dora Bear inCarter County on February 9, 1903. According to the marriage record, hewas 20 years old, and his father was J. E. Sparks and his mother wasElizabeth Boggs. Dora was 18 years old and her mother was Rebecca Bear.The witness was Millard Sparks. Winfield (as he was called) died onAugust 15, 1928. He and Dora had seven children."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Mar, 1971, Whole No. 73, pp. 1372-1381:

"JOHN SPARKS (died 1700) as person included in article entitled SPARKSFAMILIES IN KENT, TALBOT AND QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTIES, MARYLAND

"Our earliest record of John Sparks is a deed in Talbot County,Maryland (Book 7, p. 100) dated May 11, 1695, by which he acquired atract of land located on the north side of Chester River in what is nowKent County, although either because of confusion or subsequent changesin boundary lines, it was thought in 1695 to be in Talbot County (nowQueen Anne's County). This tract, consisting of 100 acres, was called"Buck Hill" (sometimes written "Buckshill") and John Sparks acquired itin 1695 from John Salter in exchange for "all those Lotts of land and allthe houses upon the Same whereon the said John Sparks now DwellethScituate, lyeing in West Chester Towne in Chester river in Talbott Co."John sparks signed this deed by mark as "S£" (obviously intended as "SJ",the reverse of his initials, "JS". His wife, Elinore Sparks, also signedthis deed by mark as "X". Elias Robinson and James Nicholson signed aswitnesses.

"It is interesting to note that William Sparks, who died in 1709, alsosold to John Salter a lot which he owned in West Chester in 1691 (TalbotDeed Book 7, p. 53). According to other records, there seems to belittle doubt that John Sparks and William Sparks were brothers. Onewonders whether they may have inherited the lots in West Chester.

"We have found no other reference to "West Chester Town", although itseems probable that it was the western portion of the present Chestertownon the west side of the Chester River in what is now Kent County.Chestertown was created officially in 1706 "in Chester River on aplantation of Mr. Joce's, between Mr. Wilmore's and Edward Walvin'splantation," but it is probable that it existed unoffi- cially a fewyears earlier. (See Frederick Emory's Queen Anne's County, Maryland,Baltimore, 1950, pp. 319-320.) John Salter was a leading citizen of thearea. In 1707, he was appointed a vestryman of St. Paul's Parish, whichincluded all of Queen Anne's County and a portion of Talbot. He was oneof Queen Anne's County's first representatives to the Assembly and in1715, with John Hawkins, recommended that a fine of 12 pounds be imposedupon anyone who should liberate a slave because such action caused otherslaves to become dissatisfied. He was a justice of the court in 1707 andwas a commissioner from Queen Anne's County to purchase and lay out townsin 1706.

"Our next record of John Sparks is his will dated September 2, 1699:(NOTE: This will also appears in the June, 1960, issue of the Quarterly,Whole No. 30, at page 490.)

WILL OF JOHN SPARKS OF QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY,MARYLAND:

In the name of God amen I John Sparks being Sick and Weak in Body butof perfect Sence of mind and memory for the avoinding suits at Law orcontroversies that may happen after my Death do make and ordain anddeclare this to be my Last will and Testament herby Revoaking all willsformerly made as Vizt
1st - I bequeath my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Saviourhopeing by his precious Blood to obtain Remission and forgiveness of allmy Sins - and my body to be Desently Buried at the Discretion of myExecutrix hereafter named.
2ndly - I give to my Beloved wife Ellinor Sparks after my Just Debtspaid my whole & small (?) estate to her heirs or assignes.
3rdly - I give to my Sons John and George Sparks one hundred acres ofLand Called Bucks hill provided Either of them Comes to Enjoy it.
4thly - I do Constitute and appoint my wife Ellinor Sparks my wholeSole Executrix of this my Last will & Testmt
In wittness hereunto I have Sett my hand and affixed my Sealethe 3 day of September, 1699.

his

Jno SJ Sparks
Signd Seald and Delivrd & Declared mark
to be my Last Will & Testament in the presence of us
Jno. Salter
Thos T. Prestige
Elizab Robinson

"The will of John Sparks was copied for us by William Perry Johnson anumber of years ago from the recorded copy among the Queen Anne's Countyrecords. It is apparent that this was recorded some years after thedeath of John Sparks, because the following statement follows the willitself: On the back of the aforegoing Will was thus Written as follows:

Vizt Janry the 3d 1701 Couty Kent

"Then Came the within named John Salter, Thomas Prestidge, & ElizaRobinson Wittnesses to the Wthin Will and made oath upon the holyEvangelist that they Did See the within John Sparks Signe & Seale theWithin Will and Declare the Same to be his Last Will & Testamt.

"There also appears the statement that John Salter and James Smithwere appointed to make an inventory of the estate of John Sparks. It isinteresting to note that John Salter, with whom John Sparks had tradedproperty in 1695, signed as a witness to his will and was also one ofthose appointed to take the inventory. Perhaps the "Eliza Robinson" whosigned as witness was the wife of Elias Robinson who had witnessed the1695 deed. Since the witnesses appeared in court to testify in theprobate of the will on January 3, 1701, we may assume that John Sparksdied late in the year 1700. Several days or even weeks usually passedbetween a person's death and the probating of his will.

"It should be noted that John Sparks named only two children in hiswill, sons named John and George, neither of whom was living inMaryland. To these sons he left his farm called "Buck Hill" provided"Either of them Comes to Enjoy it." A subsequent document reveals thatboth of those sons were in England.

"Following the death of John Sparks, his farm called "Buck Hill" or"Buckshill" passed into the possession of a nephew of John Sparks namedWilliam Sparks, Jr. There can be little doubt that this William Sparkswas actually the eldest son of William Sparks, Sr., who died in 1709.William Sparks, Jr., was born about 1674 and was living in Queen Anne'sCounty as late as 1730. On March 6, 1710, William Sparks, Jr., and hiswife Margaret sold "Buck Hill" to William Comegys of Kent County (SeeKent County Land Records JS #N, pp. 248-49). That this tract was indeedthe same land mentioned by John Sparks in his will is proved by thestatement in this deed of 1710 that he, William Sparks, Jr., promisedthat he would "for Ever defend the before granted premises to the saidWilliam Comegys his heirs & assigns for Ever against the heirs &successors of John Sparks Deceased, Onckle (i.e. uncle) to the aforenamed William Sparks as alsoe any other person or persons Claiming Rightby heire Ship from the Said John Sparks Deceased..."

"William Comegys, whose father Cornelius Comegys had brought hisfamily to Kent County from the Swedish colony on the Deleware in 1670,had good reason to require William Sparks, Jr. to agree to defend histitle to "Buck Hill," for he surely knew the provisions which John Sparkshad made in his will by which his sons could inherit the property. Thesesons, John and George Sparks back in England, did indeed still claimtheir right to their father's land, as is proved by a document datedOctober 23, 1716, written in England and recorded in Kent County. (SeeKent Co. Land Records BC #1, pp. 181-83.) It reads as follows:

John and George Sparks, 1717
TO ALL XPIAN PEOPLE to whom these presents shall come. John Sparks ofthe Burrough of Christchurch Twyneham in the County of Southson in theKingdom of England Butcher Eldest Son and heire and devisee of JohnSparks late of Chester River in Kent County in Maryland in Virginiadecs'd and George Sparks of the Burrough of Christchurch Twynehamaforesaid Glover one other of the Sons and devisees of the said JohnSparks deceased Send Greeting whereas the said John Sparks ...and GeorgeSparks are ... lawfully constituted to one hundred acres of Land calledBuckhill Lying in Chester River in Kent County ... and whereas by reasonof the remoteness of Said Land they ... are minded are minded andintended to dispose of the Same Now know that (they have)... madeconstituted and appointed and in their (stead) ...their true and trustyfriend Hugh Arbuthnot of Weymouth in the County of Dorst in ye Kingdom ofEngland Mariner their and either of their true and lawful attorney ...and in their .. names act for them... to sell and Dispose of to anyperson and persons whatsoever and for Such consideration andconsiderations as to him Shall Seem meet all and every the Said Landscalled Buckhill...and upon Such Sale.. to Sign Seale and deed to deliverand also for them... to appear in ... every proper court in Virginia afdand also to do all ... Lawfull Act ...for the Strengtheningcorroborateing and confirming as well ...the Title of the Said Land toSuch Purchasors.... Signed John Sparks; George Sparks.
Sealed and delivered in presence of John Lester, Esq Mayor of the Townand County of Pool in the Kingdom of England who in testimony of hath inthe margin of these presence affixed the common Seale of the Said Townand County. Signed John Lestor, Mayor

"Thus it was that John and George Sparks, residents of what is nowcalled the County of Hampshire, England, the sons of John Sparks who diedin 1700, attempted in 1716 to gain ownership of their father's estatecalled "Buck Hill." They authorized their "true and trusty friend, HughArbuthnot", a sailor, to attempt to sell the land for them. It is alsointeresting to note that one of the witnesses to their drawing up thispower of attorney in England was a man named Robert Robertson, who fivemonths later appeared before the court in Kent County, Maryland, to swearthat "he did See John Sparks and George Sparks Signe and Seal" thedocument. (It should be kept in mind that under the Julian Calendar,used in England and Colonial America until 1752, the new year began onMarch 25; thus when Robert Robertson appeared before the Hent CountyCourt on March 19, it was still 1716 according to the Julian Calendar.However, other European countries had long before adopted the GregorianCalendar, with the new year falling on January 1, and many Englishmen andAmericans considered January 1 as New Year's Day long before 1752. Notethat the clerk who recorded the above document on March 21, gave the yearas 1717 while two days before when Robertson appeared in cour hisstatement was dated March 19, 1716.)

"It is interesting to speculate regarding the connection of RobertRobertson with the Sparks family. He was in England when John and GeorgeSparks signed their power of attorney and he obviously carried thedocument from England to Maryland. It is known that a Robert Robertsonwas a warden of St. Paul's Parish, Kent County, in 1704.

"Although we have no further record of the attempt of John and GeorgeSparks to gain possession of and sell their father's farm, it can beassumed that their "lawful attorney", Hugh Arbuthnot, failed in hismission because their father, John Sparks, had made it a condition in hiswill that one of his sons would actually have to come to Maryland inorder to inherit "Buck Hill."

"The above document should prove an important link between this branchof the Sparks family of Maryland and their origin in England. Aprofessional genealogist, Mr. C. R. Humphrey-Smith, has done somepreliminary research for us. He reports that the Burrough ofChristchurch Twyneham, which John and George Sparks gave as theirresidence in 1716, is in fact Christchurch near Bournemouth in Hampshire.

("Southson" is an abbreviation of Southamptonshire, now known asHampshire.) The mariner Hugn Arbuthnott, whose residence was given as"Weymouth in the County of Dorst," was a resident of the county ofDorset, where indeed the port of Weymouth is located. One wonders howArbuthnott became a "trusty friend" of John and George Sparks and one istempted to speculate that members of the Sparks family may have beensailors, although in 1716 John was a butcher and George was a glovemaker.

"Mr. Humphrey-Smith reports that there exist four volumes of parishregisters for Christchurch in Hampshire, but the volume covering theyears 1643 to 1681 is no longer extant. This is most unfortunate becausethis was the period during which William Sparks (who died in 1709) andJohn Sparks (who died in 1700) were probably born. Mr. Humphrey-Smithhas noted an entry in the register dated March 16, 1686/87 records thedeath of William Sparkes, son of John Sparkes, by drowning.

"Further research among the records of the county of Hampshire maywell reveal the origins of this branch of the Sparks family." END OFARTICLE.

See The SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1971, Whole No. 73, pg. 1389:

"Children of William and Mary Sparks:
...John Sparks, born about 1680. Prior to 1704 he married Cornelia---. He died April 19, 1737, and Cornelia died December 22, 1737 . Theywere the parents of ten children: William; George; John Jr. ;Millington; Absalom; Caleb; Sarah; Mary; Rachel; and Cornelia."

See The SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1974, Whole No. 88, page 1699:

HAVE WE FOUND THE PARENTS OF ELIJAH SPARKS OF EARLYINDIANA?

"The June 1973 issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY (Vol. XXI, No. 2, Who leNo. 82), pg 1556 was devoted to an article about Elijah Sparks of earlyIndiana. Part of the article was concerned with the lack of knowledge asto the place of his birth and as to his parentage. Contemporaries hadgiven conflicting testimony as to his place of birth , some saying thathe was born in Queen Anne's County, Virginia (there was no such county inVirginia) while others stated that he had been born in Frederick County,Virginia. None could tell who his parents were. It now appears fromdata recently uncovered that Elijah Sparks was born in Queen Anne'sCounty, Maryland and that his parents were Absolom and Elizabeth (Brown)Sparks.

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

"John Sparks, father of Absalom, was born about 1680, probably inTalbot County, Maryland. Prior to 1704, he married Cornelia ---. Hermaiden name was very probably Curtis for in 1704 she and her husband,John Sparks, acted as adminis- trators of the estate of Caleb Curtis inneighboring Kent County, Deleware. Caleb Curtis was very likely herfather or brother.

"Like his father, John Sparks was a parishoner of St. Luke's Churchlocated at Church Hill in Queen Anne's County, and it was there that manyof the births and marriages of his family were recorded. "By hisfather's will, John Sparks inherited a tract of land which his father hadpurchased from John Hamer. John (Sparks's) father realized that thetitle to the land might prove to be faulty, so he provided for analternate inheritance if that proved to be the case. Undoubtedly, thetitle was not valid, for in March 1716, John Sparks and his brother,William Sparks, returned the land to Hamer. William Sparks rebought theland from Hamer at a later date.

"John Sparks was involved in three more land transactions prior to hisdeath. In 1715, he and his wife, Cornelia, were granted a tract of 100acres from Charles Carroll, agent for Charles Calvert, Lord Baltimore,Proprietor of the Province of Maryland. The land was on he south sideof Southeast Branch of the Chester River about one-half mi le aboveSyberry's Branch. (JS: See note under William, his brother) It wasgranted to John Sparks for his natural lifetime, or for the naturallifetime of his wife, Cornelia, or for the natural lifetime of his son,John Sparks, Jr.

"The second transaction came in 1722 when John Sparks bought back 200acres of land which his brothers, George Sparks and Joseph Sparks, hadinherited from their father, but which they sold to Augustine Thompson in1719. The tracts were called "Sparks Choice" and "Sparks Enclosure."

"The final land transaction was made in 1733 when John and CorneliaSparks sold a lot in Ogles Town for 565 pounds of tobacco. Ogles Townwas authorized by the Maryland Assembly in 1732 and was to be erected onthe south side of the Southeast Branch at its mouth. There is no traceof the village today. We have not learned how the lot became theproperty of John and Cornelia Sparks.

"John Sparks made his will in 1731 and after his death on April 19,1737, the will was entered into court for probate on May 24, 1737. Hereis the full text:

THE LAST WILL OF JOHN SPARKS OF QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY,MARYLAND

"In the name of God Amen. I, John Sparkes, of Queen Anne's County andProvince of Maryland, Planter, being sick and weak but of sound mind andperfect memory and not knowing how long it may please God to call me Doemake ordain & publish this to be my last Will & Testament.

"First and Principally I Bequeath my Soul to Almighty God my Creat or& merciful Redeemer and my Body to the Earth to be buried in a Christianlike manner by my executors hereafter named and as for the Worldly Goodsit had pleased God to bless me with I Devise Bequeath and Dispose of inmanner & form following after my just debts are duly paid.

"Item. I give and bequeath unto my five sons George, John,Millington, Absalom and Caleb my three tracts of land viz: one called"Sparkes Inclosure" containing 195 acres, "Sparkes Choice" containing 100acres & 100 acres lying in his Lordships Mannor in Queen Anne's County onthe southeast branch of Chester River the whole containing 395 acres tobe equally divided between them & their heirs and assigns forever.

"My will is that my loving wife Cornelia Sparkes have the use of mydwelling Plantation and Appurtenances thereto belonging to her Widowhood& no longer, as also the use of my Negro man Will during her life andafter her decease then my Will is that my said Negro Man be & remain tomy son Caleb to him and his heirs and assigns forever.

"As for the remainder of my Personal estate I leave to be equallydivided one third to my loving wife Cornelia Sparkes and the other twothirds among my nine children viz: George, John, Millington, Absalom,Caleb, Sarah, Mary, Rachell & Cornelia to them their heirs & assignsforever.

"Item. I give and bequeath to my Granddaughter, Sarah Sparkes,daughter of my son William, deceased one featherbed two blankets & a Rugto her her heirs & assigns forever.

"And Lastly I Doe consitutute Authorize and Appoint my loving wifeCornelia Sparkes my whole & sole executor of this my last Will & Testmentto see this my Will performed and Doe hereby revoke annul and make voidall other Wills by me heretofor made & this only to be deemed and takenfor my last Will & Testament for witness whereof I have hereunto sett myseal this 28th day of Janry 1731. his
Signed Sealed Pronounced & Declared [signed] John J SSparkes
to be the last Will & Testament of mark
the said John Sparkes.
Jacob Kelley, Margt Kelley, Eliza Sparkes
(here follows deputy commissioners verification)

"Cornelia Sparks, widow of John, qualified as his executrix on May 28,1737, with George Elliott and John Merrideth as her bondsmen and her bondwas fixed at 200 pounds. On June 3, 1737, she returned an inventory ofthe personal property of her deceased husband amounting to 158 pounds.The property had been appraised by John Earl and Edward Brown. Two ofJohn Sparks's sons, John, Jr., and Millington, were witnesses to theinventory.

"Cornelia Sparks did not live long enough to complete the settlementof her husband's estate; she died on December 22, 1737. After her death(both her date of death and that of her husband were recorded in theRegister of St. Luke's Parish) her son, George Sparks, was appointedAdministrator de Bonis non to finish the settlement of the estates ofboth of his parents. He made a final accounting of the estate of hismother on December 14, 1739. After all debts were satisfied, the estateof Cornelia Sparks amounted to 108 pounds. Representatives of Corneliaincluded eight of her children: George Sparks, John Sparks, MillingtonSparks, Absal om Sparks, Caleb Sparks, Sarah Herbert, Mary Ruth andCornelia Alley."
END OF ARTICLE p. 1701.

**********

In SQ 3835-3847 is a feature article named "Millington Sparks (408)(ca1715-ca.1780) Son of John and Cornelia (Curtis) Sparks of Queen AnnesCounty, Maryland". Commencing on page 3835: "By the terms of his will,John Sparks's wife, Cornelia Sparks, was to become the executrix of hisestate, and, following his death on April 9, 1737, she was deemedqualified for that task by the Queen Annes County Court, on May 28 ,1737. A few days later, she presented to the Court an inventory of herlate husband's personal property. As recorded in Inventory Boo k 22,pages 353-355, here is the inventory as presented by Cornelia S parks.We believe that it provides an interesting insight into the w ay of lifeat this time. (The three columns on the right reflect the value of eachitem in "Pounds", "Shillings", and "Pence.")
Queene Annes County. A Just True & perfect inventory of al l &singular the goods & Chattles Rights Debts & Credits of John Spar ks ofsd Co decd appraised in Curnt [current] money by us whose hand s & sealsare hereunto annexed the 3rd Day of June Anno Domi 1737.
£ S d
To his wearing apparel 2 10 0
To cash 4 8 6
To 1 Negro Man 30 0 0
To 1 best bed & bedstead & 1 Rugg 2 blankets 1 sheet 2 pillows 5 0 0
To 1 bed & bedstead & two blanketts & 1 rugg 4 0 0
To 1 bed & bolster & Trunnel bedstead 2 blankets & a rugg 3 150
To 1 old bed & old bed stead 2 0 0
To 1 bed & bedstead & two old blankts & 1 rugg 3 15 0
To 1 pair of andiron Doggs 0 12 0
To 1 fire shovel & one pair of tongs 0 5 0
To 1 oval Table & To 3 old chairs 0 17 0
To 1 pair of small stillards 6s and 1 small case with 10 bottles 0 16 0
To 1 old chest with lock & key 6s & 1 old chest 3 s 0 9 0
To 1 pewter Tankard 2s6 To 1 smaller Do (ditto) 1 s 0 4 0
To 1 small Trunk 2s6 To 1 smaller Do 1 s 0 3 6
To 44 1/2 lbs of Pewter at s 8 1 9 8
To 1 small looking glass 2s6 To 4 Doz of Candles at s 6 0 4 6
To 1 per Tinn candle Box s6 & 1 old brass mortar & pestle 2 s 0 2 6
To 2 Earthen Muggs & 3 Earthen dishes & 1 place 0 3 9
To 2 Earthen Dishes & 1 Barbers basan & 1 small earthen cup 0 3 2
To 1 small stone pott & 1 stone jugg 0 1 3
To 9 earthen milk pans s6 to 1 drinking glass s 3 0 0 9
To 1 pepper box to 9 wooden trenchers 0 2 9
To 1 brass skimmer s6 to 1 old pair sheep shears s 6 0 1 0
To 1 small Cow bell 1s To 7 bush of whest at 4 s 1 9 0
To 2 meal sifters 3 To 8 books at 10 0 13 0
To 1 stone jugg 2s6 To 2 small water jugs 1 s 0 3 6
To 1 old box iron & 2 heaters & 3 small earthen potts 1 3 6
To 1 old gun @@ 10 To 1 cut saw @@ 12 s 1 2 0
To a new falling ax and 3 old Do 0 12 0
To a parcel of Carpenters tools 0 6 0
To 1 pair of scissors @@ 3 To 7 yards of Country flannel at 1s6 0 109
To 1 old razor @@ 6 To 1 pair tow cards @@ s 4 0 0 10
To 3 pecks of Salt 1s6 To 1 old curry comb @@ 4 s 0 110
To 1 old Woolen Wheel 6s To 1 Linnen Wheel 10s 0 16 0
To 1 old linnen wheel 5s to pair wool cards @@s 9 0 5 9
To 2 iron wedges 2s To 2 bridles 4s to 3 old bridles @@ s 9 0 6 9
To 117 lb of pott iron @@ 2 1/ 2 1 4 4 1/2
To 3 pair of pot hooks @@ 1s per 0 3 0
To 1 flesh fork 6 To 1 iron pot rack 0 5 6
To 1 old Frying Pan @@ 1s To 1 old mill stone @@ 5s, To one
grindstone 0 9 0
To 1 mans saddle old 10s to 7 old dry tubs 7s 0 17 0
To 5 old Cyder Casks @@ 12s To 1 old cutting knife s9 0 12 9
To 900 10 py nails @@ 5s To 1 iron candlestick s 6 0 6 6
To 307 lbs of Bacon @@ 4s l b 5 2 4
To 10 lbs of Beef @@ 2s To 3 old weeding hoes @@ s 1 0 4 8
To 2 old hilling hoes & 1 grubbing hoe 0 2 0
To 2 mares of seven years old 9 0 0
To 3 breeding sows @@ 6 To 12 hoggs of 1 1/2 yr old @@ 5s per 31 8 0
To 11 shoats @@ 2s per 1 2 0
To 4 cows & 4 yearlings @@ L2/5 per 9 0 0
To 1 old cow & 1 calf 1 15 0
To 3 steers of 2 years old @@ 15s per 2 5 0
To 1 heifer of 2 years old @@ 18s To 1 large Bull L 1.1 0 2 8 0
To 19 sheep @@ 6 per To 8 lambs at 3 per 6 18 0
To 17 Barrels of Indian Corn @@ 8s1 1 7 1 8
To 21 Geese @@ 1s per To 63 lbs of Wool unwashed 3 8 3
To 1 plow & plow tackling 16s to 9 lbs Flax 1 s 1 5 0
To 4 1/2 Raw hides 0 18 0
To 1 Silver Cup 0 3 8 1/2
To a small parcel of unbroke Flax 0 2 0
To 2869 lbs of Tobacco @@ s2 23 18 2
To a parcel of old lumber 0 6 0
his ) Total 158 19 8
John I Sparks ) nearest
mark ) of John Earl
his ) kin Edward Brown
Millington X Sparks)
mark
Augst Thompson )
& ) Creditors
Solomon Clayton )

"August 24, 1737. Then came Cornelia Sparks Exr of the withinmentioned John Sparks, deceased and made oath on the Holy Evangeliststhat the within Inventory is a just & perfect one of all & singular theGoods and Chattles which were of said decd that came to her hands at thetime of making thereof that what hath since or shall hereafter come toher hands or possession she will return an additional inventory. Thatshe knows of no concealment of any part or parcel of said decd personalEstate by any person whatever and yt (that) if she shall discover anyconcealment or suspect any to be she will aqqaint the Commy General forthe time being or his Deputy with such discovery or Cause of suspicionthat it may be enquired into and that she will well & truly give an acctof all & every part of sd deceaseds personal estate that shall hereaftercome to her hands possession or knowledge.

Sworn to before me James Earle Dty Commery, Queen Anns County.
[Editor's note: Under the law in Colonial Maryland, an inventory of thepersonal property of a deceased person had be be signed not onl y by themen (usually two) who conducted the inventory (in this insta nce JohnEarl and Edward Brown), but by two individuals who could be described as"kin" (the spelling was usually "kinn') seems to have varied from placeto place and time to time. Relatives who were not, themselves, heirs ofthe deceased were sometimes preferred, whereas on other occasions, adultchildren who had actualy been willed property signed the inventory as"nearest of kin." In this instance, it will be noted, two sons of JohnSparks signed the inventory, John [ Jr.] and Millington. Both signed bymark, and the Deputy Commissary , James Earle, who was doubtless the onewho wrote their names, spelled Millington as "Millenton."

"Readers are reminded that, until quite recently when Great Britainintroduced the metric system into its currency, a pound consisted oftwenty shillings and a shilling comprised 12 pence. Where separateamounts were designated for multiple items in a single entry in theinventory of John Sparks, the word shilling was appreviated to s; wherethe value of the "small looking glass," for example, appears a s "2s6,"this meant two shillings and six pence.

For reasons of space limitation, the notes of John Sparks are continuedunder his wife's name.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1974, Whole No. 84, p. 1702:

"John Sparks, Jr., was probably born between 1705 and 1710. Hemarried Sarah Tippins (?) about 1730 and they had about ten children.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1988, No. 142, p. 3230:

"John Sparks. Son of John Sparks. Born ca. 1705. Married SarahTippins probably ca. 1730. Names of children: Joseph, Levi, John, Mary,Sarah, Absalom, Ann, Mordecai."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, Dec. 1990, No. 152, p. 3686:

"...(referring to the article on p. 3230 [above cited]...unfortunatelythe name of one of their children was omitted. He was Abner Sparks ,born ca. 1739... According to MARYLAND MARRIAGES 1634-1777, Compiled byRobert Barnes, Baltimore, 1987, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. p. 168,an Abner Sparks was married as follows:

"Sparks, Abner, 24 Aug. 1758, Mary Ann Bolton" cited at 1 QA-64 . Thecite refers to the Records of St. Luke's Church, p. 64, Queene AnnesCounty, MD copied in 1904/5 at the Maryland Historical Society. Abner,son of John Sparks Jr. and Sara Tippins would have been about 19 years ofage in 1758. In that same book we find the following marriages which mayhave involved the above-named children:
Reed, David, 20 Feb. 1750, Ann Sparks 1QA-57
Sparks, John, Jr., 1 Jan. 1756, Catherine Hayse 1QA-60
Wilkinson, William, 6 April 1758, Mary Sparks 1QA-63
Thompson, Thomas, 9 Aug. 1759, Sarah Sparks 1QA-65

SQ pg 3847:
"John Sparks, son of Millington and Mabel (Ruth) Sparks, was bor nabout 1750. The only record we have found of him is the tax assess mentlist for 1783 for Queen Annes County on which he was identified as "ofMillington."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1956, Whole No. 12, p. 94:

"SPARKSES IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by William PerryJohnson
(Editors note: In the following documents, capitalization and punctuationhave been modernized for the sake of clarity, but no changes have beenmade in spelling or content. The file number given to the applicationpapers of John Sparks in The National Archives is S-7580.)

REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION OF JOHNSPARKS

"State of North Carolina) SS.
County of Wilkes

"On this 30th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Courtbefore the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions of the County of Wilkes &State of North Carolina, now setting, John Sparkes Esquire, a resident ofthe County of Wilkes & State of North Carolina., aged seventy-nine years,who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make thefollowing declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act ofCongress passed June 7th 1832.

"That he was born on the 25th day of February 1753 in the County ofRowan in the State of North Carolina, where he lived until he removedwith his father to what is now Wilkes (then Surry) County, N.C., aboutthe year 1772. He resided in Wilkes until the commencement of theRevolution, and about the year 1775 or 1776 he volunteered himself andentered the service of the United States in Captain Jesse Walton'scompany of minute men who had volunteered for two years.

"Soon after the company was organized, they were called upon to goagainst the Scotch & Tories who were said to be committing greatdepredations in the country around Cros's Creek or Fayetteville. At thetime the company marched, this Deponent happened to be from home, but assoon as he returned, and being informed that they had gone, he took hishorse & pursued with all speed, but did not overtake them; having heardthat the Tories were suppressed and the troops on their return, heimmediately turned about & returned home. Soon after this he was orderedout by Captain Walton., to take command of a scouting party & scour thecountry around through Surry & Wilkes & to suppress the Tories or tobring in such as was supposed to be disaffected. In these littleexpeditions, he supposes he was in service two or three weeks.

"After remaining at home some months, orders were received from Col.Martin Armstrong to repair and rendezvous at the head of the Yadkin,preparatory to marching against the Cherokee Indians. They didrendezvous at or near the head of Yadkin, and there remained until theybuilt Fort Defiance where Genl. Wm. Lenoir now lives, during which timethis Deponent had the command of the company, Capt. Walton having beenappointed a Major.

"About the time the Fort was completed, orders were received fromMajor Walton for the company to return home and prepare for an expeditionagainst the Cherokee Indians. This Deponent and the company under hiscommand did return home having been gone about a month, and prepared withall possible dispatch to go against the Indians, and in a few daysmarched to headquarters at the Pleasant Gardens where they joinedGenl.Rutherford, at which time the company, under the command of thisDeponent, was attached to the company under the command of Capt. Benj.Cleveland, and the entire command transferred to Capt. Cleveland.

"After organizing at headquarters, they marched immediately to theCherokee Towns of Watauga, Cowee, Oconoluftee, Hiwassee Tuckaseegie & BigChota, with some others not recollected. This deponent was detailedwhile in the Nation, with others, to act as a spy, and on one occasiontheir party fell in with a small body of Indians on the Hiwassee, withwhom they had an engagement in which they killed ten & took threeprisoners, without losing any men on their side.

"After this little skirmish they returned to the main army with theirprisoners and delivered them up to Genl. Rutherford. The main body ofIndians having fled and abandoned the country, it was thought unnecessaryto pursue them, and after burning their houses, destroying their corn,and committing such other depredation upon them as they could, theyreturned to North Carolina, where they were discharged and returned home,having been gone about three months.

"Soon after the return of this Deponent, he was again called out andserved in various short expeditions against the Tories, but theparticular periods of each cannot now be recollected. About the timeLord Cornwallis was approaching North Carolina from the South, thisDeponent was again called upon and marched, under the command of Colo.Benjamin Herndon, in pursuit of Lord Cornwallis as he was on his marchfrom Cowans Ford on the Catawba to Guilford, and occasionally annoyed andkept in check his out-posts and foraging parties, one of whom theycaptured amounting to twenty or thirty men and detailed them prisonersuntil they were sent off to Virginia.

"This deponent and the troops with whom he was associated, pursuedtheir march until they reached Genl. Green's army at the high rock onHaw River, where they remained several days after which Genl. Greendischarged them, and they returned home, having been gone in thisexpedition at least one month. In a few days after their return home,this Deponent was again called out with others to march in pursuit ofLord Cornwallis who had retreated to Wilmington. They marchedimmediately and rendezvoused under Genl. Rutherford some distance onthis side of Fayetteville.

"After organizing, Genl. Rutherford detached near four hundredmounted men, of whom this Deponent was one, and placed them under thecommand of Colo. Smith & Major Graham, and ordered them to proceed downon the south side of Deep & Cape Fear Rivers until they reachedWilmington while he (Genl. Rutherford), with the balance of the troops,crossed the river and proceeded down on the north side. Previous totheir arrival at Wilmington, they heard that Cornwallis had left theplace, but that he had left a portion of the British troops to keeppossession of the town. Before, however, they reached the town, a smalldetachment was sent ahead to reconnoitre and ascertain the situation ofthe place. When they returned, it was ascertained that most of thetroops were on the northern side of the river but that a small body hadbeen left on the south to act as a piquet guard, upon whom Col. Smithmarched and surprised and succeeded in killing and taking every manwithout surprizing the camp.

"In a day or two, Genl. Rutherford arrived on the north side of theriver, about which time the news of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis wasreceived, upon which the British troops immediately evacuated the townand made their escape down the river in the night. The small pox havingbeen left in Wilmington by the British, it was deemed unsafe for thetroops to enter the place, and a discretion was given to the troops toreturn home or remain with Genl. Rutherford.

"Many did return home, of whom this Deponent was one, having been gonein this expedition nearly three months, (& having volunteered for threemonths would have remained that length of time, but for the smallpoxbreaking out as before Mentioned.) The capture of Lord Cornwallis beingconsidered the closing scene of the war, this Deponent was not againcalled upon to perform any other service. He has no documentary evidenceto prove his services, nor never received a written discharge that he hasany recollection of. He refers to Captain Samuel Johnson as a witnesswho can testify to part of his services. And he also refersto CaptainSamuel Johnson & Reuben Sparkes as persons to whom he is well acquaintedin his neighborhood, and who.can testify as to his character forveracity, and their belief of his services. This Deponent has no recordof his age, but the information herein given on that subject was derivedfrom his mother many years ago, and he believes it to be correct. Hehereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity exceptthe present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of theagency of any state.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

signed: John Sparks
signed R. Martin, Clk.
On the day and year aforesaid., personally appeared in open Courtbefore the Court aforesaid. Capt. Saml. Johnson, who being first dulysworn according to law, deposeth & saith that he served with JohnSparkes, Esqr., the above Applicant, during the three months tourperformed under Genl. Rutherford to the Cherokee Nation, and furtherthat the said three months tour as set forth & specified in the foregoingdeclaration as having been performed by the said John Sparks, Esqr., wasperformed by him.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

signed: R. Martin Clk. signed:Saml Johnson

We, Saml. Johnson & Reuben Sparkes., residents of the County of Wilkes &State of North Carolina, do hereby certify that we are well acquaintedwith John Sparkes, Esqr., who has subscribed & sworn to the abovedeclaration--that we believe him to be seventy-nine years of age--that heis reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have beena soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
signed: Saml Johnson signed: Reuben Sparks

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after theinvestigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatoriesprescribed by the War Department that the above applicant was aRevolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the Court furthercertifies that it appears to them, that Capt. Saml. Johnson and ReubenSparkes who have signed the preceding certificate are residents of theCounty of Wilkes and are credible persons, and that their statement isentitled to credit.

signed: Jno Walsh Ck Ct

Amended Declaration
State of North Carolina)
Wilkes County ) Personally appeared before me, theundersigned., a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid,John Sparkes, Esqr., who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that byreason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swearpositively as to the precise length of his service, but according to thebest of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentionedbelow, and in the following grades: For 'Eight Months and twenty-onedays" I served as a Private, and for such service I claim a pension.This deponent further saith by way of amendment to the foregoingdeclaration, that there is no clergyman residing in his neighborhood norany within a reasonable distance whose testimony he could procure infavour of his veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier ofthe Revolution.

Sworn to & subscribed this 23d day of May 1833 before me, M. H. Wheatley,J.P.

signed: John Sparks

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1956, Whole No. 12, pp 97-104:

THE GENEALOGY OF JOHN SPARKS,REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSIONER OF WILKESCOUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA ByWilliam Perry Johnson:

"As John Sparks stated in his pension application, he was born on the25th of February 1753, near Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina, andremoved with his father to what is now Wilkes (then Burry) County, NorthCarolina, about the year 1772. John Sparks did not identify his fatherin his application, but other records prove that his name was SolomonSparks. Surry County was formed from Rowan County in 1770, and the Surrytax lists for 1771 and 1772 have been preserved. On the 1771 tax list,Solomon Sparks is listed, with 3 polls, and William Sparks, with 1 poll.In 1772 only Solomon Sparks is listed., with 3 polls. The 1774 Surry taxlist enumerated four Sparks families; William Sparks, with 1 poll; WillSparks and son Matthew., 2 polls; James Sparks, 1 poll; and SolomonSparks, with sons Joseph and John, 3 polls. These four families wereundoubtedly closely related, but this account will be limited to thefamily of John Sparks, son of Solomon. (The Matthew Sparks who is listedin the 1774 tax list with his father, Will Sparks, was thegreat-great-grandfather of our Vice-President., Oral A. Sparks.)

"Solomon Sparks lived in Maryland before settling in North Carolinaand was very probably the son of Joseph Sparks who died intestate inFrederick County, Maryland, in 1749. (Note that Solomon named his eldestson Joseph, probably for his father. Note also that the Solomon Sparkswhose pension application was reproduced in the March, 1955, issue of theQULRTERLY was born in Frederick County, Maryland., in 1758.)

"On the 20th of March 1750, Solomon Sparks patented 93 acres inFrederick County, Maryland,, and gave his land the descriptive name ofCold Friday. This land was located on Beaver Dam Branch., a tributary ofLinganore Creek. On the 20th of June 1753, Solomon Sparks and wife "Sarah, sold these 93 acres for 34 Pounds, to Mathew Howard. Solomon isdesignated in this deed as a "farmer". If Solomon Sparks and wife Sarahwere living in Frederick County, Maryland., as late as June 20, 1753, asthis deed would indicate, then their son John, born Feb. 25, 1753, wasborn in Frederick County, Maryland, rather than in Rowan County, NorthCarolina, and was carried to North Carolina as a babe in arms. Althoughwe cannot be sure of the exact date, it is reasonably certain thatSolomon Sparks removed with his family sometime in 1753 to nearSalisbury, Rowan Co., N.C. (Rowan County was formed April 12., 1753, fromAnson County.)

"The following description of Salisbury is found in a letter writtenon November 24, 1755,, by Governor Arthur Dobbs: "The Yadkin here(Trading Ford) is a large beautiful river where is a ferry. It is near300 yards over, it was at this time fordable scarce coming to the horsesbellies. At 6 miles distance I arrived at Salisbury the County town ofRowan., the town is but just laid out., the Court House built and 7 or 8log Houses erected." (The Colonial Records of North Carolina, Vol. 5,page 355.) The 1950 population of Salisbury was 20.,102.

"The Sparkses settled in the Forks of the Yadkin, less than ten milesnorth of Salisbury, in what is now Davie Co, N.C. Solomon Sparks obtaineda land grant in 1761, for 250 acres in Rowan County, on the west side ofthe Yadkin River, opposite the mouth of Muddy Creek. In 1762 he obtaineda grant for 290 acres on the south side of the Yadkin River, whichadjoined his other land. In 1763 Solomon sold 130 and 3/4 acres to JonasSparks, and 159 and 1/4 acres to Valentine Vanhouser. According to thestatement -.made by John Sparks in his pension application, SolomonSparks and his family removed from Rowan County to "what is now Wilkes(then Surry), N.C. about the year 1772.11 In 1787, as residents of SurryCo., N.C., Solomon and SarahSparks sold 160 acres in Rowan County toZephemiah Harris, and in 1.788 they sold 170 (?) acres in Rowan County toJonas Sparks. Solomon and Sarah Sparks disappear from North Carolinarecords after 1788. Solomon does not appear on the 1790 census, andthere is no will, no intestate record, and no record of Solomon and SarahSparks buying or selling land in Surry or Wilkes Counties, although whenthe Surry--Wilkes County Line was surveyed in 1778 it mentioned theplantation of Solomon Sparks. A full copy of this interesting documentis given below:

"Wilkes Co., N.C., Court Minutes, 1778 - "A Return of the Proceedingsof the Commissioners who were appointed to Run the Deviding line betweenthe County of Surry and Wilkes - (To Wit) Beginning on Rowan County 'Lineabout half a mile below Daniel Rashes at a White Oak Standing in the headof a Branch of Hunting Creek thence North Crossing the mulberry FieldRoad about half a Mile below Ha.mlin's Old Store House thence throughSolomon Sparke's Plantation leaving the said Sparks House in Surry Countythence Crossing the Brushey mountains at the head of the north fork ofSwan Creek thence Crossing the Yadkin River a little below Capt Parkesand through the Lower end of Carrols Plantation on the north side of sdRiver, then crossing the Big Elkin at the long sholes thence Crossing thesouth fork of Mitchels River about half a mile above Riggs's Road, thenceCrossing Mitchels River a little bellow John Scott's Crossing the Top ofthe Piney Knob to the main Ridge of the Mountains about Two miles west ofFisher Peak thence to the Virginia line. The above line being Runexactly Twenty Six miles west of Surry Courthouse agreeable to Act ofAssembly.'

"Thus, Solomon Sparks lived just south of the village of Swan Creek inthe western part of Surry (now Yadkin) County., North Carolina., withland in Wilkes as well as in Surry. Around 1800 the Sparkses and theirconnections awned land for several miles along the Surry (nowYadkin)-Wilkes County line, and there are still many descendants in thatarea today.

"It is believed that Solomon and Sarah Sparks were both deceased by1800, or possibly by 1790. Since neither of them left a will, and nofamily Bible or other record has been located, it has been difficult toascertain the names of the children of this couple. However, a power ofattorney recorded in Wilkes County, N.C., Court Minutes, on Tuesday,August 4, 1801, gives what we feel certain is a listing of at least eightof the children of Solomon and Sarah Sparks. This instrument reads asfollows.- "A Letter of Attorney from John Sparks, Reuben Sparks, SolomonSparks, Mary Jacks, Hannah Denny, Susannah Johnson, and Joseph Sparks toAbel Sparks, dated 31st July 1801, was proven by Thomas Benge."(Susannah (Sparks) Johnson and her husband, Charles Johnson., are thegreat-great-great-great-grand- parents of William Perry Johnson " authorof this sketch. We know that John Sparks was born in 1753 and that AbelSparks was born in 1767, so assuming that the eight persons named in theabove power of attorney were listed in their order of birth, which isquite possible, we would have: (1) John., born 1753; (2) Reuben, bornabout 1755; (3) Solomon., Jr., born about 1757; (4) Mary, born about1759; (5) Harmah., born about 1761; (6) Susannah, born about 1763,married Charles Johnson in Wilkes Co., N.C., in 1784; (7) Joseph, bornabout 1764; and (8) Abel.19 born 1767. There may have been otherchildren of Solomon and Sarah Sparks who were living far removed fromthis area in 1801, or others may have been deceased. It is known thatthe eight named in the power of attorney were all living in Surry (nowYadkin) and Wilkes Counties, N.C., at that time. Of course, since then,branches of the family have scattered from coast to coast.

"John Sparks, son of Solomon and Sarah, lived in Surry County, NorthCarolina,, from the time he removed there with his father about 1771,until 1786. By 1782 John Sparks had purchased 200 acres of land inSurry, on Brushy Mountain, and was taxed with 200 acres and 1 poll, 2horses (or mules) and 6 cattle. In 1784 he was taxed with 200 acres and1 poll; same for 1785 and 1786. He does not appear on the Surry Countytax lists for 1787, 1788 or 1789, and he is given on the 1790 census ofWilkes County, rather than Surry. There is no record in Surry of JohnSparks purchasing or selling his 200 acres. (In those unsettled times,many, many deeds failed to get taken to the county seat for recording.)On 17 May 1780, John Sparks entered 200 acres of land in Wilkes County,which was issued to him 22 Sept. 1785. (Land Grant Office, Raleigh,N.C.., Book 59, page 253.) The 1790 census of Wilkes Co. lists JohnSparks with a total of eight persons in his family, apparently himself.his wife, four sons aged under 16, and 2 daughters. (The other JohnSparks on the 1790 census of Wilkes Co. is thought to be the John Sparkswho married in Wilkes in 1781 Mary Parmely; however, it,is possible thatJohn, son of Solomon, was listed twice, which happened occasionally.There was no John Sparks given on the 1790 census of Surry County.)

"John Sparks had married in Surry County about 1777 Sarah Shores adaughter of Reuben and Susannah Shores of Surry (now Yadkin) County.Reuben Shores owned large tracts of land where Jonesville, N.C., nowstands. Sarah is named as Sarah Sparks in the will of her mother,Susannah Shores, probated in 1806 in Surry County, N.C. (Susannah Shoreswilled her "household and kitchen furniture" to her youngest daughter,"Nancy Rousau". The other children listed in her will., to whom she left"one shilling Sterling each," were named as follows: "William Shores JohnShores, Elizabeth Westmoreland, Sarah Sparks, Reuben Shores, SimeonShores, Rebecca Mosley, David Shores, Rhoda Philips, Abiram Shores andLevi Shores.")

"Soon after removing to Wilkes County, John Sparks became active inthe civil affairs of Trap Hill, the community where he had settled, abouttwenty miles north-east of Wilkesboro. He became a justice of the peaceand performed marriages, listed taxes, and so on. On the 1800 tax listof Wilkes County, he is listed as John Sparks, Esquire, with 260 acresand 1 poll. (The title of Esquire was bestowed only on those of somestanding in the community.) John Sparks was an active member of the OldRoaring River Baptist Church in Wilkes County, having joined on January12,, 1789 "by experience and baptism." According to the Church records,on April 10, 1790, "the church set apart Brother John Sparks to walkbefore the church until next meeting as deacon," and on August 12., 1790,he "set forward to do work of deacon." In 1790 and 1791, he was "delegateto association," and on June 11., 1791, his wife, "Sister Sarah Sparks,was baptised. Like most other church members of the time, John Sparkswas occasionally called to account for failing to live up to the strictBaptist rules. For instance, in August,, 1791, he was found guilty ofgameing" but was pardoned. In 1794 he was accused of drunkenness, acharge which John Sparks denied and later "gave church satisfaction."

"John Sparks was listed on the 1840 census of Wilkes County as aRevolutionary War pensioner,and at that time he was living in the home ofhis son, Reuben Sparks. According to census records, John's wife, Sarah(Shores) Sparks, died sometime between 1830 and 1840. The date of deathfor John Sparks is not given on the Agency Books in Washington, D.C., butthe last payment of his pension was made 3rd Quarter (Sept.) 1840, so itis apparent that he died sometime between then and March 1841, when thenext payment fell due. His age at the time of his death was either 87 or88. After his death, his heirs did not claim his pension, which amountedto $29 per year. His pension application in the National Archives is theone and only application from a John Sparks who served in the Revolutionfrom North Carolina.

"John Sparks, son of Solomon, is sometimes confused with another JohnSparks who served in the Revolutionary War from South Carolina. Thissecond John was born in 1755 (supposedly in North Carolina), and iied in1834 in Washington County,, Georgia. There is no record in the NationalArchives of his ever having applied for a pension, yet a number of hisdescendants have joined the D.A.R. through the pension application ofJohn Sparks of Wilkes County, N.C. (An article on the genealogy of thisJohn Sparks of South Carolina and Georgia is planned for a future issueof the QUARTERLY. (Note: see the issue for September 1964., Vol. XII,No. 3, Whole No . 47, pp. 835-39. )

"Like his father, John Sparks of Wilkes County left no will, and hisfamily Bible cannot be located. All of his children and grandchildrenare gone, and there are but two or three of his great-grandchildrenliving. His grave, near Trap Hill, North Carolina, is marked with aRevolutionary Soldier marker, but it does not give his date of death norany other data that we do not already have. We have endeavored tocompile a list of the children of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, fromliving descendants, census, court, church, and other extant records. Weare fairly certain of eight children, but there may have been a total often or twelve.

"The following record has been worked out by our President, Paul E.Sparks:
John Sparks, son of Solomon and Sarah Sparks born 25 Feb. 1753, in RowanCounty, North Carolina died 1840-41, in Wilkes County, North Carolina,married about 1777, in Surry County, North Carolina, toSarah Shores,daughter of Reuben and Susannah Shores born about 1757 (?) place notknown, died between 1830 and 1840 in Wilkes County, North Carolina.(Here, commencing on p. 100 are the descendants of John and Sarah(Shores) Sparks.)

See more at SQ p 2269 and, concerning his status as a revolutionarysoldier, p. 4965.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1966, No. 53, pp 960-68::

"JOHN SPARKS (SON OF MATTHEW & SARAH [THOMPSON] SPARKS) BORN 1755,DIED 1831"

"John Sparks, son of Matthew and Sarah Sparks, was born in 1755 anddied in February 1831. (These dates are found on his tombstone in theSparks Family Cemetary several miles west of Russellville, FranklinCounty , Alabama]. He was a child of about four or five years when hisparents moved from Maryland to Rowan County, North Carolina.

"The earliest official document which we have found containing JohnSparks's name is the 1775 tax list of Surry County, North Carolina . Hisfather had moved from Rowan County to an area called New River in SurryCounty, North Carolina, shortly before the tax list for 1775 was drawnup. This area was included in Benjamin Cleveland's District for taxpurposes, and opposite the name of "Matthew Sparks, Sr. " on this 1775list are given three "taxable polls": the father himself, and his twoeldest sons, "John Sparks" and "Matthew Sparks, Jr."

"In 1777, a new county called Wilkes was created from a portion ofSurry County and the District of Washington. The area in which MatthewSparks's family had settled, called New River, was now included in thenew Wilkes County. (In 1799, Wilkes County was divided and this sectionwas included in the new Ashe County. It is still a part of Ashe Countytoday and is near the present site of the town of Jefferson.)

"John Sparks had just come of age when the American Revolution began.Thus far, we have found no official document to prove that he served[JS:see below] , but in the application for a pension made by hisbrother, William Sparks , there is a reference to such service. WilliamSparks, who was six years younger than John, swore on September 14, 1846,that about 1778 he, William Sparks,"was organized into a company ofmounted minute men under Andrew Baker, as Captain, and my Brother JohnSparks as Lieutenant." (See the March and June1954, issues of theQUARTERLY for a transcription of William Sparks' s pension application.

"Our next record of John Sparks is his marriage bond recorded inWilkes County, North Carolina, and dated August 14, 1781. His bondsmanwas James Bunyard and the girl whom his bond authorized him to marry wasMary Parmely. They were probably married a day or two after the bond wasissue. Mary Parmely, who was often called by her nickname, "Mollie", wasa daughter of Giles Parmely. According to the inscription on hertombstone, she was born in 1763. Her father, Giles Parmely, was bornJuly 1, 1731, in Killingsworth, Middlesex County, Connecticut, but he wasliving in Essex County, New Jersey, when Mary was born. He was in WilkesCounty, North Carolina, as early as 1777.

"The 1782 tax list of Wilkes County survives and, while John Sparksowned no land in 1782 according to this record, he was taxed on twohorses and five cattle. He was probably working for his father at thistime. Matthew Sparks, Sr., was taxed in the same district that year on650 acres.

"In 1786 the state of North Carolina ordered that a census be taken ofall inhabitants. Fortunately, Wilkes County was one of the eighteencounties which complied (in 1787) and the family of John Sparks waslisted near that of his father-in-law Giles Parmely. Living with JohnSparks were " 3 males aged under 21 and over 60, and 2 females of everyage." In all probability, these three males were his children--thereason for the census taker giving them in this age category was thatmales between 21 and 60 were required to pay the poll tax. One of thefemales would have been Mollie, John' s wife, while the other wasprobably a daughter. Living in the same district was John's brother,William Sparks, who had married by 1787. There was also another JohnSparks, who was a son of Solomon Sparks. It is believed that these twoJohn Sparkses were first cousins. [Note by James Sparks: If this otherJohn (359) was the son of Solomon Sparks (356) who lived in the Forks ofthe Yadkin, the two Johns were actually 2nd cousins, once removed.)

"Matthew Sparks, Sr., and most of his family moved from Wilkes County,North Carolina, to what is now Clarke County, Georgia, in the early1780's. Only John and William were still in North Carolina in 1786, andby 1790, William also had left to join his father. John Sparks waslisted on the 1790 census of Wilkes County; besides himself hishousehould in 1790 consisted of 4 males under 16 years and a total of 3females (one of whom was his wife). His [second] cousin [once removed],the other John Sparks, had exactly the same size family. (For a recordof this other John Sparks, who was born in 1753, see the QUARTERLY forDecember, 1955, Whole No. 4, pp 94-106 .)

"By the fall of 1791, John Sparks and his family had followed hisfather and brothers to Georgia. It was in Georgia that John's son, EnochSparks, was born in September, 1791. By 1794, however, John had moved tothe Greenville District, South Carolina (later called Greenville County),where on February 17, 1794, he purchased from John Stiles of OglethorpeCounty , Georgia, two tracts of land, one of 380 acres and the other of240 acres, on "Beaverdam Creek, a branch of Tygar River." (Deed Book C ,pp. 432-33.) He paid a total of 210 pounds for this land.

"John Sparks probably moved to South Carolina with his brother,Matthew Sparks, Jr., (Matthew and his wife, Margaret, witnessed the deedsby which John purchased his land in Greenville District.) In his pensionapplication, Matthew Sparks, Jr., stated that after his father was killedin Georgia in1793 [by Indians], he "removed to Greenville District in theState of South Carolina, where he resided seven or eight years..." (Seethe QUARTERLY of December, 1956, Whole No. 4, p. 179.) About the year1800, Matthew Sparks,Jr., moved from South Carolina to Jackson County,Georgia, bu t John Sparks remained in South Carolina.

"A number of deeds for land purchased and sold by John Sparks are onrecord in Greenville District (now County), South Carolina, the lastbeing dated 1828. He was listed on the census records of the county from1800 through 1830; in 1830 he was listed as "John Sparks, Esqr." agedbetween 70 and 80.

"Shortly after the 1830 census was taken, John Sparks and his wife ,Mary (or Mollie), moved from South Carolina to Franklin County, Alabama,to live with their son, William Sparks, who had gone to Franklin Countyin 1820. Shortly after moving to Alabama, John Sparks died, in February,1831 . His wife lived until September, 1853. Both are buried in theSparks Family Cemetary, located several miles west of Russellville. Onetombstone marks their graves; on one side the inscription reads "JohnSparks, Sr. Born A.D. 1755, Died Feb. 1831;" on the other side theinscription reads "Mollie, wife of John Sparks, Sr. Born A.D. 1763, DiedSep. 1853." (See p. 962 for photos of this tombstone.)

"According to a record of the family of John and Mary (or Mollie )Sparks, prepared by their great-grandson, Christopher C. Sparks(1846-1923) , they were the parents of the following children: (1)William, (2) Robert , (3) Samuel, (4) Enoch, (5) Rebecca, and (6)Elizabeth. The fact that John was called Sr. on his tombstone mayindicate he had a son named John, but this may have been to distinguishhim from his grandson, John Sparks, who was born in 1811 and died in1847."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY of December 1997, Whole No. 180, p 4965 forthat part of an article entitled SPARKSES WHO SERVED IN THE AMERICANREVOLUTION which states:

John Sparks (ca. 1755-1831) [spouse] Mary Parmely [service] Pvt.Capt. Andrew Baker's Co of Minute Men Surry County, NC. Source: Sons ofthe Amer. Rev. Dau. of the Amer. Rev. SQ p 537 and 960.

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 2001, Whole No. 196, pp 5605-5630, atp. 5607:

"John Sparks, eldest child of Matthew and Sarah Sparks, was born in 1755and died in February 1831, according to the dates on his gravestone stillstanding in the Sparks Cemetery a few miles west of Russellville,Franklin County, Alabama. The Wilkes County, North Carolina, marriagebond for him to be wed to Mary Parmely (1763-1853) was dated August 14,1781. Often callled "Mollie," Mary Parmely was a daughter of GilesParmely . A record of the lives of John and Mary (Parmely) Sparks, withthe identification of their six children, appeared in the QUARTERLY ofMarch 1966, Whole No. 53, pp.960-968. In that article of 1966, wespeculated that John had been born in Maryland before his parents movedto North Carolina. Based on later research, we now believe that hisfather, Matthew Sparks , had moved to North Carolina in 1754. While wecannot be certain whether Matthew and Sarah were married in Maryland orNorth Carolina, there can be little doubt that John was born in what wasthen Rowan County, North Carolina. John Sparks, son of Matthew and SarahSparks, should not be confused with the John Sparks (1753-1840), son ofSolomon and Sarah, about whom we published an article in the QUARTERLY ofDecember 1955, Whole No. 12."

SQ p 721, marriage records of Bourbon County, KY, see book I, page 23 forJohn Sparks and Caty Waddel (sic).

SQ p. 5128:

"John Sparks, born ca. 1770, died 1814. He was married to CatherineWaddel in 1792. Information regarding him and his family can be found inthe QUARTERLY of September 1972, Whole No. 79, p. 1498; and December1980, Whole No. 112, p. 2262." (A list of the children follows on page5129.)

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY of September 1972, Whole No. 79, p. 1498:

NOTES ON DESCENDANTS OF JOHN AND KATHARINE (WADDELL)SPARKS

OF BOURBON AND NICHOLAS COUNTIES, KENTUCKY

By Russell E. Bidlack

A former member of the Association whom we believe is now deceased, Mrs.Edna Briggs, once reported that about 1943 she visited a Mrs. ClaraSparks, widow of John J. Sparks. Mrs. Sparks had been born on October 7,1855; she was 88 years old at the time Mrs. Briggs interviewed her. Hermaiden name had been Clara Bramlett. She stated that her husband’s fatherhad been John Franklin Sparks (sometimes called Franklin), The father ofJohn Franklin Sparks was Jonas Sparks, who had a brother named WilliamSparks.

According to Clara Sparks, the brothers Jonas and William Sparks hadsettled in Nicholas County, Kentucky, having come there from Virginia,but originally they were from North Carolina. The two brothers owned landtogether, and she remembered that the families had had trouble dividingthe land in Bourbon and Nicholas Counties.

There can be no doubt that these two brothers about whom Clara Sparksspoke were the WILLIAM SPARKS, born July 30, 1793, who married CatherineKnox, and JONAS SPARKS, born about 1799, who married Elizabeth Knox, bothof Nicholas County, Kentucky.

Actually, Jonas and William Sparks were born in Kentucky, not Virginia asClara Sparks believed. Their father, JOHN SPARKS, who was probably bornabout 1770 was married in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1792 (marriagebond dated August 22, 1792). He married Katherine Waddell, who, accordingto Dr. J. S. Gallaway's Memories of Old Times in Paris, Kentucky,published in 1939, was a daughter of James Waddell. Her nickname was Katy(sometimes spelled Caty). John Sparks died in Bourbon County, Kentucky,in 1814 or 1815. His wife, Katharine (or Katy), died in 1843 in NicholasCounty. (The Margaret Waddell, aged 83, born in Maryland, who was livingwith William Sparks (son of John) when the 1850 census was taken may havebeen the mother of Katharine and thus the grandmother of William Sparks.) John Sparks's will, dated August 13, 1814, in Bourbon County, left hisproperty to his wife "Caty." Because he owned land in adjoining NicholasCounty as well as Bourbon County, there are deeds pertaining to hisestate in Nicholas County in which his children are named. There are alsodeeds that indicate he owned land in Fleming County, Kentucky. On August16, 1808, for example, he purchased for 180 pounds a tract of 104 acreson Fleming Creek in Fleming County (Book B, p. 376) from James Hendersonof Clermont County, Ohio; John Sparks was described in this deed as "ofBourbon County." He sold this tract to William Wishard on July 22, 1811(Book D, p. 411) for $800.

John Sparks was probably closely related to other Sparkses who settled inBourbon County, Kentucky, in the late 1780's. These were:

William Sparks, Sr., paid taxes in Bourbon County as early as 1787.William Sparks, Jr., paid taxes in Bourbon County as early as 1787.
George Sparks, paid taxes in Bourbon County as early as 1787.
Joseph Sparks, paid taxes in Bourbon County as early as 1795.
Michael Sparks, paid taxes in Bourbon County as early as 1795.

John Sparks's will was dated August 13, 1814, and was probated inFebruary 1815, thus proving that he died sometime between those two dates.

On August 8, 1825, William Sparks of Nicholas County (Book G, p. 90) "didswear out a writ of tiere facie against the estate of John Sparks, decd." This was apparently a legal step by which the land belonging to JohnSparks in Nicholas County could be advertised and sold, which was done,and William Sparks purchased said land. In this document of August 8,1825, the heirs of John Sparks were identified as follows:

Katharine Sparks, widow; Michael Stokes, late Michael Sparks; widow andrelict of Benjamin Stokes, deceased; Mary Ann Stokes, Catharine Stokes,and Harriet Stokes, heirs of the said Benjamin Stokes, deceased; IsaacBaker and Martha his wife, late Martha Sparks; Jonas Sparks; SusanSparks; and Katharine Sparks, Jr. (The name Katharine was sometimesspelled Catherine in these records.)

Katharine Sparks, widow of John Sparks, lived in Nicholas Countyfollowing her husband's death. On January 6, 1843, she made her willwhich was probated in the August 1843 court, proving that she diedbetween January and August, 1843. She described herself in the will as"aged and infirm". She divided her 36-acre farm between her daughterElizabeth and a granddaughter, Honor Sparks. She left her "bed andbedding" to a grandson named Thomas Baker.

From probate records, deeds, census records, and other documents inBourbon and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, we know that John and Katharine(Waddell) Sparks had the following children: (See their sheets.]

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March, 1996, Whole No. 173, pp. 4603-4610:

JOHN SPARKS (Born ca. 1775 - Died prior to1810)
OF SURRY AND BURKE COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA

The initial portion of the article pertains to the parents of JohnSparks, William Sparks, (son of William Sample Sparks) and Ann Sparks andis set forth in the notes for William (521). We pick up the article onpage 4604:

"John Sparks, whom we believe was the was the oldest son of WilliamSparks, Jr., was probably married to Elizabeth ??? shortly before hisfather moved to Burke County. Although he would later follow his fatherthere, he was still in Surry County when the census of 1800 was taken.John's household was enumerated in 1800 as consisting of one male(himself) aged between 26 and 45; one female (doubtless his wifeElizabeth, whose maiden surname we have not discovered) aged between 16and 26; and two boys under ten years of age.

"(A United States Census has been taken every ten years since 1790,each one providing for a more detailed enumeration of each householduntil 1850. In 1850 and thereafter, each member of each household hasbeen named, along with his/her age and place of birth.)

"We believe that John Sparks followed his father to Burke County,North Carolina, soon after 1800. Two Sparks households were shown on the1800 census of Burke County. One was headed by William Sparks, Jr. andthe other by his brother, Jeremiah Sparks.

"Before many years passed following John Sparks's move to BurkeCounty, he died as a relatively young man, leaving Elizabeth a widow withfour young sons. She was listed as head of her household in Burke countywhen the 1810 census was taken. Her name appeared as "Eliza Sparks,"Eliza probably being intended by the census taker as an abbreviation forElizabeth. She was enumerated as aged between 16 and 26, and her fourboys were all shown as under ten. From other records that will be notedfurther in this sketch, it would appear that she had been born between1775 and 1785 -- she could neither read nor write, and she likely becameuncertain of her exact age in later years. The only record indicatingher place of birth was the 1850 census, which gave the state as Virginia.

"Genealogical research in Burke County, North Carolina, is extermelydifficult because in 1865 most of the county's records were burned. Theexact cause of this distruction is unclear -- it happened after the UnionArmy forces had left Morganton, the county's seat of justice. (BurkeCounty had been created in 1774 from a portion of Rowan County; SurryCounty had been created out of Rowan County in 1770.)

" While Burke County's land and probate records prior to 1865 havebeen lost, (although some residents arranged to have their deedsre-recorded), some of the county's court records did survive. Fromthese, we learn that when the county court met in April 1812, it wasordered that 14-year-old William Sparks, who was described as an "orphanof John Sparks," be bound (i.e. apprenticed) to a man named Jesse Hall.(This was a common practice by which orphans could learn a trade.) At anearlier sitting of the court, in January, 1812, it had been ordered thatAbsalom Sparks, who was identified as an orphan aged 12 years, be boundto Crispin D. Gibbs. Absolom's father was not identified in this January1812 court entry, but there can be little doubt that he was a brother ofWilliam Sparks, and like William, also an orphan son of John Sparks.Malone Sparks, born about 1802, another of the children of John andElizabeth Sparks, appears, because of his youth when his father died, tohave remained with his mother. We have found no clue regarding the nameof the apparent fourth son of John and Elizabeth Sparks.

"According to her own sworn statement made in 1853, which will b