.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3277: They had six children: May Etta; Berniece; Olbert, Jr .,
Ancil B.; Virginia Mae; and George C.

.

!NOTES:
SQ p. 3910: "Stella Virgie Sparks, daughter of Daniel and Marth a(Spriggs)
Sparks, was born on December 24, 1882. She was married to John Alonz oCreech
on October 9, 1900, in Elliott County, Kentucky. He had been born o nOctober
29, 1881. He and Stella had nine children. Stella died on January 2 ,1967,
and John died on November 30, 1973.
a. Roy T. Creech was born on August 26, 1901. He was married t o Anna
Klitz in 1920, and they had seven children: Gerald, Eunice, Ra lph,
Louise, Faye, Doris, and Fern. Roy died on October 6, 1981.
b. Mary Creech was born on February 20, 1905. She was married t oWilliam
Riley Johnson in 1924, and they had six children: Eugene, Joy ce,
Shirley, Gary, Sue, and Kieth. Mary died on September 8, 1980.
c. Martha Evelyn Creech was born on April 15, 1907. She was marr iedto
Charles Edsell Darnell in 1932, and they had three children: David,
Florence, and Harry.
d. Verna Creech was born on March 31, 1909. She was married to J ames
Parker Chapman on December 5, 1931, and they had five children :Karl,
Carol, Rita, Bernardine, and Kieth.
e. Henry Harrison Creech was born on May 6, 1911. He was marrie d toDora
Whitt in 1933, and they had two children: Vera and Robert.
f. Arvil Creech was born on April 4, 1914. He was married to An n L.Cursi,
and they had five children: Sandra, Sharon, Dennis, Douglas , and
Thomas. Avril died on July 28, 1986.
g. Arlene Creech was born on May 26, 1919. She was married to Rollie Eve
on December 7, 1940, and they had six children: William, Ruth ,Douglas,
Debra, Deidra, and Peggy.
h. Vivian C. Creech was born on July 13, 1922. She was married twice. Her
was to John B. Gregg on June 7, 1942. They had two children ,Ronald
and Thomas. Vivian was married (2nd) to Howard F. Pullin on October
18, 1950, and they had three children: Daryl, Michael, and Richard.
i. John Lonzo Creech, Jr. was born on February 4, 1924. He die d onMay 17,
1926."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY Sept 1985, Whole No. 131; p. 2770:

DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM SPARKS (1761-1848)

(See photos of Stephen Franklin Sparks on the cover of Whole Number 131,i.e., pg 2767, and on page 2770)

"Stephen Franklin Sparks, son of Richard and Elizabeth (Cooper)Sparks, was born on April 7, 1817, in Lawrence County, Mississippi . Hewas a sixteen year-old lad when his parents moved to Texas during thewinter of 1833-34. He recalled that event many years later in a letterwhich he wrote to the Rev. J. L. Walker, of Bruceville, Texas, on March16, 1895:

"We first rented land in San Augustine County, but in the fall of1834, we moved and settled five miles north of Nacogdoches on a Leagueof land [Editor's note: ca. 4600 acres] that my father had bought. Inthe fall of 1835 I started to school some twenty miles north of us inwhat was then known as the Williams Settlement.... I did not stay morethan a month before General Cos invaded Texas with an army of 1000 or1500 men and there being a call for colunteers to meet them, I leftschool and joined the army. My Captain was H. T. Edwards of NacogdochesCounty.

"Stephen Sparks served in the Texas Army from the start of thehostilities in the fall of 1835 until the defeat of the Mexican Army inApril 1836, and ended with the massacre of a hardy group of Texans at theAlamo. The Mexicans also won a hard-fought battle at Goliad on March 27,1836 , which ended with the killing of helpless prisoners of war by theMexicans. A month later, on April 21, 1836, under the leadership ofGeneral Sam Houston and shouting the war cries of "Remember the Alamo "and "Remember Goliad," the Texans whipped General Santa Ana at the Battleof San Jacinto. Stephen Sparks received a bayonet wound during thisbattle, but continued to fight to its end. The Battle of San Jacinto, toall intents and purposes, ended the Texas-Mexican War.

"An incident involving Steven Sparks is related in the HISTORY OF THEWACO BAPTIST ASSOCIATION written in 1897 by J. L. Walker and C. P.Lumpkin . Just before the battle of San Jacinto, when General SamHouston crossed Buffalo Bayou, Sparks and Howard Bailey, a lad of aboutthe same age as Sparks, conveyed the baggage of the Texas Army across thebayou while the men crossed in the ferry boat. They took rope and boundthree logs together and then placed on the "raft" as much baggage as itwould carry. A rope was tied to one end. Sparks took this rope in histeeth and swam and pulled while Bailey swam behind and pushed. In thisway they swam the bayou 21 times and had all the baggage over by the timethe men crossed.

"After the war ended, Stephen Sparks rejoined his family which hadmoved to Sabine County, probably as a safety measure. He helped themmove back to Nacogdoches County where they planted a crop of corn. Thatfall, on October 6, 1836, he was married to Emily Beauchamp Whitaker byAdolphus Sterne, Judge of the Municipality of Nacogdoches. She had beenborn about 1822 and was a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Hammond)Whitaker of Woodford County, Kentucky. Shortly after his marriage,Stephen was converted, baptized, and joined the Baptist Church. Yearslater, he commented that since his conversion he had helped to buildchurches and schools wherever he had lived. He helped to build the firstBaptist Church in the village of Nacogdoches.

"In 1854, Stephen Franklin Sparks, moved his family to McLennanCounty, Texas. There, in January 1855, his wife, Emily, died when theirson , Newell Crane Sparks, was born. A year later he was married to JaneM. Jurney on April 14, 1856, in McLennan County. She was born about 1822in Tennessee. No children were born to this marriage.

"Stephen Sparks was a justice of the peace in McLennan County. He wasalso elected to the Board of Trustees of the Trinity River BaptistAssociation and helped to organize many churches in the area around Waco,including the Bosque Baptist Church, the East Waco Baptist Church, andthe Oak Grove Baptist Church. Descendants describe him as a missionarypreacher who would travel many miles to preach on a Sunday.

"In 1890, Stephen made his last move, this time to Aransas County ,Texas, where he settled at Rockport. He was elected president of theTexas Veterans Association (he was the last one) in 1905, and he oftenbragged that the only organizations to which he had belonged were theBaptist Church and the Texas Army.

"On July 19, 1903, Stephen Sparks gave an account of his SPARKSancestry. He was now aged 86 years and apparently his memory was fadingfor he made several errors in his account. These have been corrected inthe text which follows, so that they will not be perpetuated. Theoriginal statements have been preserved and are now in the possession ofa great-grandaughter , Effie Jewel (Sparks) Owen. Here are hisstatements (as corrected):

"Rockport, Texas. July 19, 1903. The Ancestry and Kindred andPosterity of S. F. Sparks, Sr.
I will commence with my great-grandfather. His name was Matthew . Heand six other brothers came to the U.S. from Ireland in the early day andhe was killed at Mimms Fort, Georgia, while serving in the Oconee IndianWar. My grandfather, whose name was William, was among the oldestchildren of his father who was killed at Mimms Fort. Some of hisbrothers were Jesse, Bailey, Issac, and Nathan. I don't know whetherthere were any more children or not. My grandfather told me he did notknow what became of his father's brothers. My grandfather's childrenwere Richard (who was my father) and John and James (who was Jesse W.Sparks. Sr's father) and Levi and Eli and Sally McNulty and EdieSimmons. So Jesse's father and my father were brothers. None of myuncles were in the war with Texas and Mexico except Levi who was with mein the Battle of San Antonio in 1835. John Sparks left two childrenwhose names were Allen and Sussie. Levi and Eli left no children. Mybrothers and sisters are William F., James H. , Thomas B., Andrew J., andJohn M., Eliza Rogers, and Mary Sharp. My children are James H., StephenF., Newell C., Amanda E., and America.

"(Editor's note: As was noted at the beginning of this article in theJune1985 issue of the QUARTERLY, a record of the life of Matthew Sparks,greatgrandfather of Stephen Franklin Sparks, appeared in the June 1961issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 34. Matthew and his wife, Sarah(Thompson ) Sparks, were the parents of eleven sons and two daughters.We believe that Stephen Franklin Sparks was mistaken in saying that hisgreat-grandfather came to America from Ireland, although it is possiblethat Matthew's forebears did so. We believe, but cannot yet proveconclusively, that Matthew Sparks, who was born about 1730, was closelyrelated to the William and Mary Sparks who came from County Hampshire,England, to Queen Annes County, Maryland, (at that time Talbot County)about 1680. William Sparks died there in 1709 leaving a will that wepublished, with biographical data, in the QUARTERLY of March 1971 (WholeNo. 73.), pages 1381-89.)

"Jane (Jurney) Sparks, the second wife of Stephen Franklin Sparks ,died about 1900. Stephen died on March 12, 1908, and was buried in theSeaside Cemetery at Rockport. He left a long line of descendants,numbering today more than one hundred. He and his first wife, Emily, hadeight children, including an unnamed child born about 1848 who died atbirth."

SQ pg 2774: "Stephen Franklin ("Long Frank") Sparks, Jr., son ofStephen and Emily (Whitaker) Sparks, was born on November 11, 1852 . OnAugust 8, 1872, he was married to Ida Jane Bentley. She had been born onJanuary 29, 1852, in Tennessee. He died on April 14, 1933, and Ida Janedied
on March 20, 1938. They had at least two children and there may havebeen others:
(1) Annie Beauchamp Sparks was born on February 18, 1873. She marriedCharles Davis, a son of Lee R. Davis. They had three children: Richard,Charles and Robert.
(2) Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Magdalene Sparks was born on May 2, 1879.She married Newton Felix Moncrief, Sr. They had five children: Ruth,Lucy, Kizzie Lee, Margaret Elizabeth, and Newton Felix, Jr."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3403: They had one child: Omer Wilson.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3181: Surilda Evatine Sparks, daughter of David and Betsy (Bass)
Sparks, was born on May 30, 1861. She died on June 2, 1934. She mar ried
C. A. Barnes and they had five children: Mary, Alpha, Edith, Clara, a nd
Charles.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, WHOLE No. 112, p. 2263:
Susan Sparks, daughter of John and Katherine (Waddell) Sparks, wasmarried to Abraham Inlow in 1828 by John Rogers in Nicholas County,Kentucky. (Nicholas County bond dated July 17, 1828.) They moved toMontgomery County, Indiana, that same year. Abraham Inlow died in 1860.They had at least two children,there may have been others:
(1) William J. Inlow was born on December 6, 1833, in Montgomery County.OnMarch 15, 1866, he married Emmarine Sparks. She was born on November2,1833, and was a daughter of William and Catherine (Knox) Sparks ofNicholas County, Kentucky.
(In the article of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY referred to above, EmmarineSparks’s name is given as Harriet Sparks. Emmarine Sparks had a sister,Harriet Sparks, who was omitted from the article. She was born on June17,1831, and was married to William Firman Gillespie in 1863. He was bornon November 2, 1833, and was a son of Calvin and Cythia (Hedges)Gillespie. Harriet (Sparks) Gillespie died in 1888 and was buried in theCarlisle (Ky.) Cemetery. Our readers are asked to make the appropriateaddition on page 1500 of the QUARTERLY referred to above.)

(2) Susan Inlow was born on February 20, 1838. She was married to JamesH. Kelly in 1866. She died on February 25, 1879.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March, 1978, Whole No. 101, pg 1984:
"Susannah Sparks (called Susan), daughter of Cornelius and Susanna h(Stevens) Sparks, was born in Berrien County, Michigan, on August 1 ,1832; she died on October 22, 1917. She was married to John Irwi n onJuly 31, 1851. He was born on June 19, 1828, and died on November 3,1906. From the family records of Mary Vogel, it would appear that theyhad children named: (William Irwin; (2) James Irwin; (3) Frank Irwin; (4)Arthur Irwin; (5) and John Irwin."
SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1989, Whole No. 147, pg 3473:
"In THE SPARKS QUARTERLY of March 1978, Vol. XXVI, No. 1, Whole No .101, we published an article about Cornelius Sparks (1789-1862) whosewife was Susannah (Stevens) sparks (1794-1861), daughter of Spencer andElizabeth (Little) Sparks and was born in Rowan County, North Carolina.He left North Carolina in 1814 and settled in Wayne County , Indiana;then in 1828, he and Susannah, with the first eight of their elevenchildren, moved to Berrien County, Michigan, where they lived out theirlives. Among their eleven children was a daughter named Susannah, thoughshe was always called Susan, who was born in Merrien County on August 1,1932.
"In the isssue of the QUARTERLY cited above, on page 1984, we notedthat Susan Sparks had been married to John J. Irwin on July 31, 1851. Hehad been born on June 19, 1828, and was a son of James and Margaret(Gillchrist) Irwin; he was born in the state of New York. John J. Irwinlived until November 3, 1906; Susan died on October 22, 1917.
"We had very little information regarding John's and Susan's child renwhen we published the article in the March 1978 issue of the QUAR TERLY,but through the efforts of a great-great-grandaughter of thi s couple, weare now able to present a complete list of the Irwin chi ldren....TheIrwin family Bible, published in 1866, which contains this record, is nowowned by the mother of Mrs. Phyllis Rohn, Genevieve (Irwin) Casselman...."

.

!NOTES:
THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4273 states: "Susan
Sparks, daughter of Solomon and Susan Sparks, was born about 1839 i nNorth
Carolina. We have no further information about her."

SQ p. 2622:

"Susan Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (DeFord) Sparks, was bornon December 5, 1847. She was married to George Forbes on November 29,1876, at Bridger, Territory of Wyoming. (This marriage date was pro videdby Susan's daughter, Alice; as recorded by Sarah Sparks in her familyBible, see page 2613, Susan was married "December 1876.") George Forbeswas from Toledo, Ohio, and was a civil engineer associated with the UnionPacific Railroad. He and Susan had two children, including an unnamed sonwho died at birth. Shortly after the birth of her second child, Susan(Sparks) Forbes died on September 19, 1881. She was buried in theBushnell Cemetery."

!NOTES:
SQ 2569: "Susan Ann Sparks, daughter of Levi Sparks, married a ma nnamed
Knight.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3693: Her first marriage was to William Chapman by whom sh ehad two children, Cora and William, Jr. Her second marrige was t oWesley Rainey, by whom she had three children: Arelda, Susan, and B etty.

SQ p. 2974: Article on descendants of Joseph and Mary (McDaniel) endson page 2974 with mention of Susannah Sparks.

SQ p 3350:

"Susannah Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Mary (McDaniel) Sparks, wasborn about 1762 in Frederick County, Maryland. (See also page 2974 of theDecember 1986 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 136). She was married toAdam Weimer, probably about 1775. He was born about 1740 and was a sonof Johannes and Wientje (Symons or Simons) Weimer; thus a brother and asister (Solomon Sparks and Susannah Sparks) married into the Weimerfamily, Solomon marrying a niece of Adam Weimer who married Susannah.

"Adam Weimer, son of Johannes Weimer, died sometime between March 7,1825, when he made his will, and May 21, 1825, when his will wasprobated. Named in the will were his wife, Susannah, and their six sons:
Joseph b.1775,
Abraham b abt. 1777,
Jacob b. abt 1779,
John b. abt 1781,
James b abt 1783, and
Solomon b abt 1785.

"Susannah (Sparks) Weimer is said to have died on May 14, 1825. Thisdate is apparently based upon a tombstone inscription which reads asfollows: "S [reversed] W was Born 1752 D May 14, 1825." If this stonedoes mark Susannah's grave, then Adam's death probably occurred shortlybefore the date on which she died.

"Adam and Susannah (Sparks) Weimer were the parents of six children:
(see above names)

Information on Susannah's descendants came from Kevin Boers via email(kdb@@prodigy.net) on October 8, 2001.
***************
See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 2000, Whole No. 190, p. 5371:

Susannah Sparks, daughter of Matthew and Sarah (Elmore) Sparks, was bornin Surry County, North Carolina, about 1810; her age on the 1850 censuswas given as 50 and on the 1870 census as 60. She was married in SurryCounty in 1833, the marriage bond being dated October 9, 1833, with LeroyHolcomb serving as bondsman. The Holcombs were extensive landowners onDeep Creek in Surry County.

Susanna and her husband, Thomas Holcomb, moved from North Carolina toMissouri before 1845; they crossed the plains to Oregon in 1853,following other members of the Sparks family, including her parents, andsettled in Polk County. She signed a receipt in 1856 for her share($14.29) of her father's estate. According to the mortality schedule ofthe 1860 census for Polk County, Thomas Holcomb had died from cancer inDecember 1859 at the age of 50. Susan Holcomb was shown as head of herhousehold on the 1860 census of Polk County. With her were her children:William Holcomb, age 20; Thomas Holcomb, age 15; Elizabeth Holcomb, age13; and Martha Holcomb, age 11. William's place of birth was given asNorth Carolina; that for the other three as Missouri.

Susannah was married (second) to William Darrow on November 26, 1861, inPolk County, Oregon. On the 1870 census of Polk County, however, she wasshown as "Susan Holcomb," age 60, a native of North Carolina, living withher daughter, Mary, age 28, and Mary's husband, Abraham Garrison, age 38,a native of Indiana, farmer. According to Susan's thirdgreat-granddaughter, Marijane Rea, a family record identifies Susannah'schildren as: William Holcomb, Thomas H. Holcomb, Martha Evans, ElizabethLynch, Eliza Reynolds, and Mary Garrison.

Sybrina ["Bryan"] Sparks was born on April 30, 1904. She was married toReuben Thomas on January 1, 1927. He was elected later to the office ofRowan County jailor. He died on May 7, 1967, and Bryan died on March 25,1971. They had twelve children: John C. Thomas, James Thomas, ClaudiaThomas, Clyde Thomas, Clayton Thomas, Edith Thomas, Ruby Thomas, VindaThomas, Mary Jane Thomas, Sue Thomas, Bonnie Thomas, and Madge Thomas.

SQ 3193: Sylvester Sparks was born probably about 1879. He lived inTarkio, Missouri.

In July, 2001, Cindy Sparks (casparks10@@gateway.net) posted informationon the GenForum web site as follows:

"My father was Eugene Sparks b. Apr. 16, 1933, d. Apr. 24, 1994, MFrances Laychack b. Mar. 8, 1935, d. Apr. 4, 1994. Eugene's siblings:LUcille Sparks b. ? D. 198?, m John Montgomery; William (Billy) Sparks b.?KY resided in Mayhew Flats m Florence Hay b.?; Robert Sparks b. ? KYd.KY; Lettie Irene b. ?KY d. 1996 OH m. Elbert Hay b.? KY d. 1995 OH;Carolyn b. 1936? KY d. 1999 OH m. Leonard Hayes b. ?KY d. June, 2000 OH;Baby Sparks (Mildred) died in childbirth 1927

"My grandfather was James Solomon Sparks (Solly) b. Aug 7, 1901, m.Elizbeth Seagraves (Lizzie) b. 1908 d. 1927.

"G-grandfather was Sylvester Sparks b.? d.? m Elizabeth Johnson b.? d.?

"I cannot locate the branch from which Sylvester came. I have been toldwe are descendants of William Sample Sparks but I cannot find any directconnection with him."

This information is included here on the possibility that these aredescendants of this Sylvester Sparks b.ca.1879.

SQ 3872:

"Sylvester Barnett Sparks was married to Belle Redden. She had beenborn on December 24, 1874, and was a daughter of Joseph and AmeliaRedden. She and Sylvester had six children: Alva, Edith, John G.,Gilbert, Iva and Doris. Sylvester died in 1940."

!NOTES:
SQ 3858: "Tabitha Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Martha (Edwards )Sparks,
was born about 1832 in Kentucky. She was married to Rhodes Meade o nJune 15,
1848, in Pike County."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1985, Whole No. 130, pg 2746:

"Thaddeus C. Sparks was born on January 9, 1848. He was married toMary E. Gaines in 1867 in Cooke County, Texas. She was born about 1851and was a daughter of John B. and Nancy (McMahon) Gaines. Thaddeus diedon February 28, 1890, and was buried in the First Street Cemetary in Waco,
Texas. According to the 1880 census of Johnson County, Texas, he andMary had at least three children: (1) John M. Sparks b. ca. 1870; (2)Walter Sparks, . ca. 1876; Mary Sparks b.ca. 1878. She is said to havemarried a man named Dorris. (Note: Do not confuse Thaddeus C. withThaddeus D. Sparks, son of Thomas and Juliana (McWhorter) Sparks forwhich see page 541, March 1961, Whole No. 33. Sparks Quarterly.)

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1991, Whole No . 154, page 3753:

"Land records in Queen Annes County prove that this first WilliamSparks had come to Maryland from Hampshire County, England, at least asearly as 1670, as had also his brother, John Sparks. Recent researchstrongly suggests that they were sons of Thomas and Joane (Davis) Sparkswho had been married in Fareham Parish in Hampshire County, England, onOctober 19 , 1635.

"Among the children of Thomas and Joane was a son named WilliamSparks, baptised on August 6, 1646, and a son named John Sparks, baptizedon December 3, 1649. They also had two other sons baptized in theFareham Parish,Church: Francis Sparks, baptized on July 20, 1641, andRichard Sparks , baptised on December 10, 1658."

The World Family Tree disk Vol. 2, file 5319, shows Thomas and Joaneand their descendants for seven generations down to thegreat-great-grandfather of James J. Sparks, Solomon Sr.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for September, 1955, Whole No. 11, at page 79for the following:

THESPARKS FAMILY OF PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VIRGINIA

Compiled by

William Perry Johnson

It was during the American Revolution, in 1778 to be exact, that theSparkses settled in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Prior to that time,the family had made its home in Maryland, in the counties of AnneArundel, Baltimore, and Prince George's. In Prince George’s County, thefamily appears to have resided near the town of Upper Marlboro, whichlies about fifteen miles southeast of Washington, D.C., and about thesame distance southwest of Annapolis, Maryland.

Probate records for Anne Arundel County, Maryland, on file in theMaryland Hall of Records, in Annapolis, show that a Thomas Sparks diedintestate in that county in or near the year 1727. The inventory ofestate for Thomas Sparks is dated 20 April 1727, and the papers show thathe had "No Relations." (For some reason, a wife and children apparentlydid not count as "relations" in these cases.) The account, dated 1732,was made by Leonard Hollyday of Prince George’s County, Maryland, asadministrator of Thomas Sparks late of Anne Arundel County, deceased.This Thomas Sparks may or may not be the father of the Thomas Sparks whoappears on the records of Anne Arundel County a generation later.

For the balance of this article see the notes for Thomas Sparks born 1711.

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

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, VOL. VI, NO. 4 DECEMBER 1958 WHOLE NO. 24a pp.335-6

THOMAS SPARKS, POLITICAL EXILE

By: Paul E. Sparks

(Editor's Note: Among a large number of political exiles sent fromEngland to Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 1716-1717, was one ThomasSpark. He was probably the same Thomas Sparks who died intestate in AnneArundel County, Maryland, in 1727. (See The Sparks Quarterly, Vol. III,No. 3, September, 1955, p. 79.) The following account by our President,Paul E. Sparks, gives the historical background necessary to understandthe circumstances under which this early Sparks immigrant came toAmerica.)

James II, King of England, was deposed in 1688 primarily because heattempted to restore Catholicism as the religion of England. The birth ofa son, by his second wife, who was to be educated as a Roman Catholic,precipitated the crisis. James fled to France where he died in 1701. Hisson James, (later to be called The Old Pretender), was proclaimed at onceby the French court as "James III, King of England and Scotland." TheEnglish people, however, had selected as their rulers William and Mary,the latter of whom ruled Great Britain until 1702, when she was succeededby Queen Anne.

In 1707, during Queen Anne's reign, England and Scotland formed apolitical union. The union was not popular, and there was much unrest. Itset into motion several factions: "highlander" against "lowlander," Whigagainst Tory, "low" churchman against "high" churchman. The discontentmounted and reached a climax in August, 1714, when Queen Anne died andGeorge I was crowned as King.

Under the leadership of the Jacobites (Latin for "followers of James"), adissenting group of Englishmen and Scotchmen invited James, The OldPretender, to become their King. Internal friction within the group,however, and a lack of concerted leadership, caused a premature meetingof the Jacobite forces and a Loyalist army at Preston, England, and inNovember, 1715, the rebel group surrendered or dispersed. A month later,James landed from France, but his supporters had melted away, and hespeedily returned to France. The rebellion collapsed.

Seven hundred and thirty-eight men were taken as prisoners of war by theEnglish army and were sentenced to exile in the colony of Maryland. Theywere forbidden to return to England within seven years. Most of theseexiles, lowlanders from Scotland in the main, settled in Prince George’sCounty, Maryland, where they remained. They called their new home "NewScotland."

Among these exiles was Thomas Spark. Since there were so many factionsinvolved in this short rebellion, it is not known to which faction hebelonged.

References:
1. Richardson, Hester Dorsey. Side-Lights on Maryland History (Baltimore,Williams and Wilkins Company, 1903), Vol. I.
2. Cross, Arthur Lyon. A Shorter History of England and Great Britain(New York, The MacMillan Company, 1929).

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY for September 1955, Whole No. 11, p.79. Thisarticle is reproduced below:

Deed books for Anne Arundel County, Maryland, show seven deeds under thename Sparks, all for one Thomas Sparks. He first appears on record in1748, when he purchased 162 acres, and in 1752 he obtained 430 more acresof land. By 1756, he had sold all of his land in Anne Arundel County andwas living in Baltimore County, Maryland, having removed there late in1755 or early in 1756. The names of no other persons named Sparks appearin Anne Arundel records except Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Sparks, and theJosiah Sparks mentioned below.

The records of St. Anne’s Parish, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County,Maryland, contain two Sparks items, as follows: (1) Josiah Sparks married15 July 1749 to Penelope Brown, by the Revd. Mr. Andrew Lendrum. (2)Samuel, son of Thomas Sparks and Elizabeth his wife, was born 29 July1749. Both Thomas Sparks and Josiah Sparks, with their families, removedto Baltimore County, Maryland, and were members of St. John’s & St.George’s P. E. Church, Harford (then Baltimore) County, Maryland. JosiahSparks was born c1729 and died, intestate, in 1765, Baltimore County,Maryland, with Penelopy Sparks as adaministratrix. Records of St. John's& St. George's P. E. Church, afore-mentioned, show that on the 10th ofApril, 1770, Aquilla Wyle was married to "Pine" Sparks, widow of Josiah,and by 1781 they were living in Shrewsbury Twp., York County,Pennsylvania. Josiah and Penelope Sparks had five sons: Josiah, Matthew,Francis, Elijah and Thomas. (A record of Josiah Sparks, Sr., and hisdescendants, will appear in a forthcoming issue of THE SPARKS QUARTERLY.)The estate papers for Josiah, 1765, show that he had "No Relation in thisprovince but Thos. Sparks." No other records for Thomas Sparks have beenfound in Baltimore County, except that in 1760 he was granted 38 acres inBaltimore County, called the Hawk"s Nest. Thomas Sparks was born c.1711,and was either the father (by an earlier wife than Elizabeth) of Josiah(b. c.1729), or his elder brother - - probably the former.

The only other Sparks item on the records of St. John’s & St. George’s P.E. Church is the marriage, on the 3rd of September 1762, of Phill LockEllcott and Sarah Sparks. Sarah was probably a daughter of Thomas andElizabeth Sparks.

There are eleven Sparks deeds or other instruments on record in PrinceGeorge’s County, Maryland, as follows:

(1) Book T, page 682 - 7 February 1738 - John Courts of Charles County,Maryland, Gentleman, to Thomas Sparks, Senior, of the county aforesaid,planter - 21 year lease - 250 acres part of a tract of land lying inPrince George's County near Rock Creek and kown by the name of CleanDrinking. /S/ John Courts, Thomas his T mark Sparks. Witnesses: Robt.Yates, Jno. Biscoe. Proven 24 October 1738.
(2) Book Y, page 197 - 25 June l740 - Charles Carroll, of City ofAnnapolis, Maryland, Esquire, to Thomas Sparke of Prince George’s County,Maryland, planter 21 year lease - 100 acres - part of a tract of landcalled Cloven Couse. /S/ Charles Carroll. Witnesses: Danil Carroll, SamlBeall, Senr. Proven 25 June l740

(3) Book EE, page 631 - 13 December l748 - William Fields of PrinceGeorge's County, Maryland, planter, to Mathew Sparks of same, planter -3000 lbs. of tobacco - 68 acres, called Bedfordshire Carrier. /S/ Williamhis X mark Fields. Witnesses: B. Young, L. Young. Proven 13 Dec. 1748.
(4) Book RR, page 67 - 27 August 1760 - Benjamin Beall, planter, and wifeSarah, of Prince George's County, Maryland, to Matthew Sparks of same,planter - 5 Shillings 109 acres, called Smith’s Neglect. /S/ BenjaminBeall, Sarah Beall. Witnesses: Morda, Jacobs, Robert Tyler. Proven 27Aug. 1760.

(5) Book TT, page 113 At the request of Matthew Sparks the followingCertificate of a Stray was recorded November 25th, 1763. “Novr. 19th,1763 - Mathew Sparkes brought Before me the subscriber a Small BlackStallion Colt about Ten hand high has a Small Stare in his forehead heComplains that he Trespasses upon his Inclosure.” /S/ Chrisr. Lowndes.

(6) Book BB2. page 228 - 11 November 1767 - John Banks, Sr., of FrederickCounty, Maryland, planter, to Thomas Sparks, planter, of Prince George ‘sCounty, Maryland 55 Pounds 100 acres, called Quee Beck. /S/ John Banks (&wife Mary).

(7) Book CC2. page 136 - 2 February 1775 - James Beck, and wife Rebecca,of Prince George's County, Maryland, planter, to “Matthew Spark ofThomas” of same 50 Pounds 100 acres, called Pleasant Spring Enlarged. /S/James Beck, Rebecca Beck. Witnesses~ Chris, Lowndes, Mary Henderson.Proven 2 Feb 1775.

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(8) Book CC2, page 177 - At the request of Samuel Sparks the followingCertificate of a Stray was recorded August 21st 1775. "Prince George’sCounty, Ss. I do hereby Certify that Samuel Sparks brought before me thisday a Horse with the following Marks which he took up at Mrs. BerrysPlantation about 14 miles from Upper Marlborough a Bright Bay 13½ handshigh Branded on the near Shoulder IW natural Pacer and Short Scraped Tailtaken up four Weeks ago.”

(9) Book CC2, page 337 - 15 March 1777 - Matthew Sparks, Sr., of PrinceGeorge’s County, Maryland, planter, & wife Eleanor, to Richard Beall, sonof Ninian, Sr., of same - 100 Pounds - 109 acres, called Smith’s Neglect./S/ Matthew his X mark Sparks, Eleanor her X mark Sparks. Witnesses:Josa. Beall, Chrisr. Lowndes. Proven 15 March 1777.

(10) Book CC2, page 380 - 30 August 1777 - Thomas Sparks of PrinceGeorge’s County, Maryland, planter, to Solomon Groves of same, planter -150 Pounds - 100 acres, called Quebeck. /S/ Thos. Sparks, & (wife)Elizabeth Sparks. Witnesses: Chrisr. Lowndes, James Beck.

(11) Book CC2, page 396 - 5 April 1777 - Matthew Sparks of Thomas, ofPrince George’s County, Maryland, to John Hamilton, Sr., of same - 80Pounds - 100 acres - part of a tract called Pleasant Spring Enlarged. /S/Matthew Sparks, & (wife) Margery Sparks. Witnesses: Jos. Beall, Chris.Lowndes. Proven 5 April 1777.

In view of the fact that the counties of Prince George’s and Anne Arundeladjoin, it is supposed that the Thomas Sparks who leased land in PrinceGeorge’s County in 1738 and 1740 is identical with the Thomas Sparks whobought land in Anne Arundel County in 1748 and 1752, sold out by 1756,removed 1755/6 to Baltimore County, and by 1767 to Prince George’sCounty. This is further supported by the fact that the wife’s name ineach instance was Elizabeth.
The 1750 Rent Rolls for Prince George ‘s County, Maryland, list but oneSparks: Mr. Matthew Sparks, Bedfordshire Carrier, 68 acres. (Among theland owned by Mr. Caleb Dorsey was Sparks Chance and Sparks Round.)

The Register of St. John’s or Piscataway Parish, Prince George’s County,Maryland, contains the following Sparks data:

Children of Matthew and Elenor Sparks:

Sarah born 23 May 1753
Josiah born 26 Aug. 1761
True Love born 21 July 1764
Children of Matthew and Margery Sparks:
Elizabeth, bapt. 2 Nov. 1766
Jane, bapt. 6 Nov. 1768
In the above Register, True Love Sparks is designated as a female, but isbelieved to have been a male and identical with the True Love Sparks whomarried 1788 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, to Jane Sparks, and wasliving in 1790 in Spartanburgh County, South Carolina.
In Volume I of Brnmbaugh’s Maryland Records, is a copy of the 1776 Censusof Maryland. Among the inhabitants of St. John’s and Prince George'sParishes, Prince George's County, Maryland, listed on 31 August 1776, aretwo Sparks families:
(1) Thomas Sparks, age 65: 2 males, ages 18 & 14; Elizabeth, age 58; & 2females aged 16 & 14. (2) Mathew Sparks, age 61: 5 males, ages 27, 15,11, and 7; Elinor Sparks, age 45; 2 females, ages 23 & 3.

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Thus, there were three Sparks families in Prince George s County,Maryland. (1) Thomas Sparks (b, c.l711) and wife Elizabeth (b. c.l718);bought 100 acres in 1767 and sold out in 1777. (2) Matthew Sparks (b.c.1715) and wife Eleanor (b. c.1731); bought 68 acres in 1748 and 109acres in l760; sold the 209 acres in 1777 (undoubtedly sold the 68 acresalso, but grantee failed to have the deed recorded). (3) Matthew Sparks(son of Thomas) married (c.1765) to Margery; bought 100 acres in l775;sold out in 1777.

These Sparks families, having sold out in 1777, removed from PrinceGeorge's County, Maryland. to Pittsylvania County, Virginia, where theyobtained land in 1778.

Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Deed Book 5, page 211 - 25 February 1778 -Sylvester Adams & wife Nansey, of Pittsylvania County, Virginta, toThomas Sparks of same 110 Shillings (acreage not given) on both sides ofSandy River, /S/ Sylvester Adams Witnesses: George Adams. Edward Cook,Jonathan Montgomery Church. Proven 17 Aug l779 (This is the first andearliest record of the Sparks family in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.)

Land Grant Book E, page 441 Richmond, Virginia, shows that on 1 Sept.,1780 Matthew Sparks. for 35 Shillings was granted 305 acres inPittsylvania County, Virginia, on branches of Sandy River by survey dated13 March 1778. Same book, page 451, shows that on same date ThomasSparks, for 15 Shillings, was granted 137 acres in same county, on branchof Strawberry Creek, by survey dated 28 May 1780.

The third land grant to a Sparks in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, is tobe found in Land Grant Book H, page 250. On 3rd of July 1783 MatthewSparks, for 2 Pounds & 10 Shillings, was granted 496 acres inPittsylvania County, on both sides of Mortons Spring, branch of SandyRiver, by survey dated 30 Apr. 1780.

The forth and last land grant is on record in Land Grant Book 51, page388. Warrant No. 14,050, issued 30 August 1782, and on 6 July 1803granted to Thomas Sparks, 52 acres in Pittsylovania County, Virginia, onBean's Creek Mountain, Surveyed 1 April 1902.

Pittsylvania County, Virginia, tax lists, both land and personalproperty, begin in 1782 and extend to middle 1800's. Below is a listingof the Sparkses given on the land tax lists from 1782 to 1820:

1782 - Matthew Sparks - 796 acres
...........Thomas Sparks - 350 acres

1783 - (Alterations - Matthew Sparks - 496 acres

1784 - (Alterations - none for Sparkses)

1785 - (Alterations - Thomas Sparks - 162 acres from Thomas Robertson
.................................Mathew Sparks, 496 acres Ditto in Ditto(i,e."Rong charged")

1786 - Thomas Sparks - 162 acres
............Samuel Sparks - 100 acres
............Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
............Matthew Sparks - 796 acres
...........(Alterations & Mistakes for 1786 - Samuel Sparks, 100 acresfrom Thomas Robertson)

l787 - Matthew Sparks - 300 acres
..........Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
..........Samuel Sparks - 100 acres
..........Thomas Sparks - 162 acres

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1788 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Samuel Sparks - 100 acres
...........Matthew Sparks - 300 acres
...........Thos. Sparks (T. Robinson) - 163 acres

1789 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
Matthew Sparks - 300 acres
(Davd. Shelton (Tho. Sparks) - 80 acres
(Leon. Sparks (Tho. Sparks) - 83 acres .

(Note that these two tracts owned by Shelton and Leonard Sparks in 1789totaled 163 acres, the tract owned by Thomas Sparks. this Thomas Sparksapparently died c.1789 and his land was divided between Shelton & LeonardSparks.)

1790 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
Matthew Sparks - 300 acres
(Davd. Shelton (T.S.) - 80 acres
(Lenard Sparkes (same) - 83 acres

1791 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres

1792 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres

1793 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres

1794 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks (S) - 100 acres

1795 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks (S) - 100 acres

1796 - Missing

1797 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres

1798 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks 100 - acres

1799 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres

1800 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks -100 acres

1801 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres

1802 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres

1803 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Matthew Sparks - 100 acres

1804 - Thomas Sparks - 350 acres
...........Matthew Sparks - 100 acres

1805 - Mathew Sparks - 100 acres
...........Thos. Sparks-do. (L.P.) - 52 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres

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l806 - Matthew Sparks - 100 acres
..........Thomas Sparks - Bal.: - 298 acres
..........Thomas Sparks - do. (L. Pat.) - 52 acres
..........Matthew Sparks - 100 acres

1807 - Mathew Sparks - 100 acres
...........Thomas Sparks - 298 acres
...........Thomas Sparks - 52 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres

1808 - Missing

1809 - Mathew Sparks - 100 acres
...........Thomas Sparks - 298 acres
...........Thomas Sparks - 52 acres
...........Mathew Sparks - 100 acres
...........John Sparks - 500 acres

1810 - Thomas Sparks - Balance: 198 acres
...........Same - 52 acres
...........George Sutherland, Ext. John Sparkes to pay - 100 acres
...........Mathew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres

1811 - Thomas Sparks - 222 acres
...........Matthew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres

1812 - Matthew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - South side of Sandy River
...........Thomas Sparks - 222 acres - Cattail fork Beens Creek

1813 - Thomas Sparks - 222 acres - Cattail fork Beens Creek
...........Matthew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side Sandy River

1814 - Thomas Sparks - 222 acres - Cattail fork Beens Do. [Creek] - 23miles southwest of courthouse.
............Matthew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side Sandy River -20 miles south of courthouse.

1815 - Matthew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side (Sandy) River - 20miles south of courthouse.
...........Thomas Sparks - 222 acres - Cattail fork of Beens Creek - 23miles southwest of courthouse.

1816 - Thomas Sparks - 222 acres - Cat tail fork of Beens Creek - 23miles southwest of courthouse.
...........Mathew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side Sandy River - 20miles south of courthouse.

1817 - Mathew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side of Sandy River - 20miles south-west of courthouse.
...........Thomas Sparks - 27 acres - Sandy River - 18 miles southwest ofcourthouse

1818 - Thomas Sparks - 27 acres - Sandy River - 18 miles southwest ofcourthouse
............Mathew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - s. side Sandy River -20 miles southwest of courthouse.

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1819 - Mathew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side Sandy River 20 milessouthwest of courthouse
...........Thomas Sparks - 27 acres - Sandy River - 18 miles southwest ofcourthouse

1820 - Mathew Sparks, deceased - 200 acres - S. side Sandy River 20 milessouthwest of courthouse
...........Thomas Sparks 27 acres Sandy River - 18 miles southwest ofcourthouse

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1992, Whole No. 160, pg 4036-4040:

"Thomas Sparks, son of George and Elizabeth (Ricketts) Sparks, wasborn on January 8, 1736, according to the register of St. Lukes Parish.Apparently he was married about 1757, for when the special census wastaken of Queen Annes County in 1776, he was shown as having six children,five daughters and one son. His wife apparently died about 1776, and hewas married (2nd) to Juliana ( ----- ) Meredith Sparks, widow of acousin, James Sparks. (See page 2565 of the December 1983 issue of THESPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole No. 124.)

"The last record in which we have found mention of Thomas Sparks isthe 1783 tax list of Queen Annes County. In this, he was listed as aresident of the "Upper District." We have been unable to identify hisfirst wife or any of his children."

Also see SQ p. 4959 under an article entitled SPARKSES WHO SERVED IN THEAMERICAN REVOLUTION:

"Thomas Sparks (ca. 1736) Queen Anne's Co., MD. (Spouses) (1) ------------,
(2) Juliann Meredith Sparks; he took the Oath of Fidelity, see thearchives of Maryland; See also the Sparks Quarterly p. 2565.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage information:Thomas Sparks & Katherine Jayne, December 24, 1823. (Book I, p. 17)Married by Stephen Wheeler, Baptist minister.

See SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1991, Whole No. 154, p. 3797:

"Thomas Sparks, son of William and Ann Sparks, was born ca.1766 inNorth Carolina. He was married about 1787 to Rebecca -----. She mayhave been a daughter of Evan Beall (Bell) who died in Wilkes County,North Carolina, in 1794. She died about 1795, and Thomas was married(2nd) to Diana Wilcox about 1800. About 1817, he moved to the area whereLee and Scott Counties, Virginia, adjoin, but in 1821, with his brotherJames Sparks, he moved again, this time taking his family to that part ofFloyd County, Kentucky, which helped to form Lawrence County shortlythereafter. We believe that both he and Diana died there between 1836and 1840. Thomas Sparks was the father of fourteen children, the firstfour (Hanna, Joseph, Eleanor, and Allen) by his first wife and the lastten by his second wife." (The children are included in the familyinformation sheets).

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See also SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1991, Whole No. 156, p. 3853:

"Thomas Sparks, son of William (199) and Ann (200) Sparks, was bornabout 1766, probably in Rowan County, North Carolina. He probably grewto manhood in Surry County, and it was probably there that he was marriedto Rebecca --- about 1787. When the census was taken of Surry County in1790, they had two children, a son and a daughter. Rebecca apparentlydied about 1795, and Thomas married (2nd) to Dianah Wilcox about 1800.We have not found this family on an 1800 census, but Thomas' householdwas enumerated on the 1810 census of Surry County. Living in his household in 1810 was his wife along with six males and four females, allprobably their sons and daughters.

"Thomas Sparks paid taxes on 200 acres of land in Surry County in1790. On January 9, 1795, he purchased 200 acres of land from GilbertKeen. He sold this tract to his brother George Sparks (534). On October8, 1802, he purchased a 100-acre tract which had belonged to his fatherfrom the executors of his father's estate for $150. He sold this tractto Benjamin Martin, John Spencer, and Thomas Cartwright on December 26,1812. Thomas was present when this deed was registered in Surry Count yin November 1815.

"These are the only deeds we have found for Thomas Sparks in SurryCounty, although it is apparent that he owned other property. He wastaxed in 1812 on 200 acres; in 1813 on 378 acres; in 1815 on 697 acres(described as "on the waters of Deep Creek"), and in 1816, he was taxedon 100 acres "which adjoin Jonathan Sparks." His name does not appear onany subsequent tax list, and it seems obvious that he moved from SurryCounty about 1817.

"Thomas Sparks moved to nearby Virginia about 1817 where he settlednear the present-day boundary between Lee and Scott Counties. It was inScott County that a daughter, Eleanor, was married to Peter Mauk in 1818;however, when the 1820 census was taken, Thomas Sparks was listed in LeeCounty. With him, in addition to his wife, were seven males and threefemales, all of whom were probably his children.

"Thomas Sparks did not remain long in Virginia, and by the fall of1821, he and a son, Allen Sparks, were in Floyd County, Kentucky, whereeach was issued a Kentucky Land Warrant for fifty acres of land on "afork of Big Blaine Creek." The warrants were dated September 3, 1821.Thomas and Allen settled in that portion of Floyd County which became apart of Lawrence County when that county was formed three months later,on December 6, 1821.

"In all probability, Thomas Sparks was also accompanied to LawrenceCounty by his brother, James Sparks (189), and James's youngest son,Jesse Sparks (196). Most certainly, at least two other families, oneheaded by Levi Sparks (255) and the other by George Sparks (347), whowere relatives of Thomas and James Sparks, also arrived in LawrenceCounty about 1821. When the 1830 census was taken of Lawrence County,nine men named Sparks were shown as heads of households there.

"On May 24, 1825, Thomas Sparks, Sr. was issued another Kentucky LandWarrant for fifty acres which adjoined his earlier grant. The land wasin Lawrence County and was located on the Middle Fork of Laurel Creek, astream which flows most of its ten miles through present day JohnsonCounty before entering Blaine Creek in Lawrence County. Thomas Sparks,Jr. also acquired land that year on Lower Laurel Creek.

"The next to last land transaction we have found involving ThomasSparks, Sr. is a deed made in Lawrence County on March 11, 1836. He andhis wife, Dianah, on March 11, 1836, sold 200 acres of land on LaurelFork of Big Blaine Creek, recorded in Johnson County, to David Rose for$400. The last record we have found of Thomas Sparks, Sr. is a deed,recorded in Johnson County but made on September 19, 1837, in LawrenceCounty, by which he deeded 50 acres of land on Lower Fork to NicholasSparks. Witnesses to the deed were Thomas Sparks and Henry Jayne.

"Both Thomas and Dianah (Wilcox) Sparks probably died between 1836 and1840. No record has been found of them on the 1840 census. They left nowills, nor have we found any administrative records of their estates.From census records, it seems apparent that Thomas Sparks was the fatherof fourteen children, four of them by his first marriage and ten by hissecond marriage. We have identified thirteen of them." (Here followsrecords of children).

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See THE SPARKSQUARTERLY, December 1991, Whole No. 156, pp 3853-54:

THOMAS SPARKS(ca.1766-ca.1837) SON OF WILLIAM AND ANN SPARKS

OF SURRYCOUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA & LAWRENCE CO., KENTUCKY

By Paul E. Sparks

[Editor's Note: Thomas Sparks, who came to Lawrence County, Kentucky, in1821, was a son of William and Ann (-----) Sparks about whom an articleappeared in the QUARTERLY of June 1991, Whole No. 154. His parents haddisposed of their property in Frederick County, Maryland, in 1764 and hadmoved to Rowan County, North Carolina, shortly thereafter. The move wasmade in order for them to join some other members of the Sparks familywho had left Frederick County a few years earlier. William purchased landfrom his brother, Matthew Sparks, in 1765 in Rowan County. Other Sparksfamilies in Rowan County that year were headed by Solomon Sparks, JonasSparks, and William Sample Sparks.

[William and Ann did not stay in Rowan County very long; by 1771 they hadmoved to Surry County, North Carolina. It was there that William diedeither late in 1801 or early in 1802. His will, which he had made onDecember 21, 1801, was probated at the May 1802 term of the Surry CountyCourt. He left most of his estate to be "equally and peaceably dividedamongst my children and wife, she taking an equall share with one of thechildren." He appointed William Wilcox, William Sparks, Thomas Sparks,and George Sparks as executors of the will and "trustees for my wife andother children." Although he did not name all of his children in thewill, we believe that he and Ann had ten children: William Sparks, Jr.,Matthew Sparks, Rachel Sparks, Nancy Sparks, George Sparks, James Sparks,Thomas Sparks, Margaret Sparks, Benjamin Sparks, and Jeremiah Sparks.

See the June 1991 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 154, for furtherdetails about William and Ann and their family.]

Thomas Sparks, son of William and Ann Sparks, was born about 1766,probably in Rowan County, North Carolina. He probably grew to manhood inSurry County, and it was probably there that he was mayried to Rebecca----- about 1787. When the census was taken of Surry County in 1790, theyhad two children, a son and a daughter. Rebecca apparently died about1795, and Thomas Sparks was . married (2nd) to Dianah Wilcox about 1800.We have not found this family on an 1800 census, but Thomas' householdwas enumerated on the 1810 census of Surry County. Living in hishousehold in 1810 was his wife along with six males and four females, allprobably their sons and daughters.

Thomas Sparks paid taxes on 200 acres of land in Surry County in 1790. OnJanuary 9, 1795, he purchased 200 acres of land from Gilbert Keen. Hesold this tract to his brother, George Sparks. On October 8, 1802, hepurchased a 100-acre tract which had belonged to his father from theexecutors of his father's estate for $150. He sold this tract to BenjaminMartin, John Spencer, and Thomas Cartwright on December 26, 1812. Thomaswas present when this deed was registered in Surry County in November1815.

These are the only deeds we have found for Thomas Sparks in Surry County,although it is apparent that he owned other property. He was taxed in1812 on 200 acres; in 1813 on 378 acres; in 1815 on 697 acres (describedas "on the waters of Deep Creek"), and in 1816, he was taxed in 100 acres"which adjoin Jonathan Sparks." His name does not appear on any subsquenttax list, and it seems obvious that he moved from Surry County about 1817.

Thomas Sparks moved to nearby Virginia about 1817 where he settled nearthe present-day boundary between Lee and Scott Counties. It was in ScottCounty that a daughter, Eleanor, was married to Peter Mauk in 1818;however, when the 1820 census was taken, Thomas Sparks was listed in LeeCounty. With him, in addition to his wife, were seven males and threefemales, all of whom were probably his children. Thomas Sparks did notremain long in Virginia, and by the fall of 1821, he and a son, AllenSparks, were in Floyd County, Kentucky, where each was issued a KentuckyLand Warrant for fifty acres of land on "a fork of Big Blaine Creek."The warrants were dated September 3, 1821. Thomas and Allen settled inthat portion of Floyd County which became a part of Lawrence County whenthat county was formed three months later, on December 6, 1821.

In all probability, Thomas Sparks was also accompanied to Lawrence Countyby his brother, James Sparks, and James's youngest son, Jesse Sparks.Most certainly, at least two other families, one headed by Levi Sparksand the other by George Sparks, who were relatives of Thomas and JamesSparks, also arrived in Lawrence County about 1821. When the 1830 censuswas taken of Lawrence County, nine men named Sparks were shown as headsof households there.

On May 24, 1825, Thomas Sparks, Sr. was issued another Kentucky LandWarrant for fifty acres which adjoined his earlier grant. The land was inLawrence County and was located on the Middle Fork of Laurel Creek, astream which flows most of its ten miles through present-day JohnsonCounty before entering Blaine Creek in Lawrence County. Thomas Sparks,Jr. also acquired land that year on Lower Laurel Creek.

The last land transaction we have found involving Thomas Sparks, Sr. is adeed made in Lawrence County on March 11, 1836. He and his wife, Dianah,sold 200 acres of land on Laurel Creek to David Rose for $400.

Both Thomas and Dianah (Wilcox) Sparks probably died between 1836 and1840. No record has been found of them on the 1840 census. They left nowills, nor have we found any administrative records of their estates.From census records, it seems apparent that Thomas Sparks was the fatherof fourteen children, four of them by his first marriage and ten by hissecond marriage. We have identified thirteen of them.

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See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriage informationfrom Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
Thomas Sparks & Katherine Jayne, December 24, 1823. (Book I, p. 17)Married by Stephen Wheeler, Baptist minister.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1957, Whole No. 18, pg. 227 for theJohnson County, Ky. - 1850 Census.

(p. 96) Sparks, Thomas 48 North Carolina (M) Farmer $400
200-200 " Katherine 43 Kentucky (F)
" Sarah 19 " (F)
" Eleanor 17 " (F)
" Margarett 15 " (F)
" Thomas J. 13 " (M)
" Henry 11 " (M)
" Daniel 9 " (M)
" Katherine 6 " (F)
" John 4 " (M)

Also see SQ p. 3797: He was married to Catherine Jayne in 1823.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1991, Whole No. 156, p. 3868:

"Thomas Sparks Jr., son of Thomas and Dianah (Wilcox) Sparks, was bornon November 8, 1801, in Surry County, North Carolina. He accompanied hisparents to Lawrence County, Kentucky, and it was there that he wasmarried to Catherine Jayne on December 24, 1823. She had been born onJanuary 15, 1807, and was a daughter of William and Dorcas (Ramey)Jayne. Thomas and Catherine lived near his father on Lower Laurel Creekin that part of Lawrence County that became a part of Johnson County in1843, but about 1859 they moved to newly-formed Boyd County, Kentucky.It was there that Thomas died on February 8, 1876. Catherine died inLewis County, Kentucky, on May 6, 1883 . They had twelve children.