William Sparks Sr.

The Life Summary of William

When William Sparks Sr was born on 2 August 1646, in Fareham, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, Thomas Sparks Sr, was 31 and his mother, Joane Davis, was 28. He married Mary Wright about 1674, in Queen Anne's, Maryland, British Colonial America. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 3 daughters. In 1689, at the age of 43, his occupation is listed as attorney in Talbot, Maryland, British Colonial America. He died on 21 June 1709, in Queen Anne's, Maryland, British Colonial America, at the age of 62, and was buried in Queen Anne's, Maryland, United States.=============Biography

Cross of St George

William Sparks Sr was born in England.

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo

William Sparks Sr was a Maryland colonist.

He was born on 02 Aug 1646 [1] [2] in Hampshire County, England and his parents were Joane (Davis or Davies) and Thomas Sparks. This profile's birth date was changed from 06 Aug 1640 to 02 Aug 1646 so that it agrees with his Findagrave.com memorial. If you have information and a valid source in regard to the correct date, please enter that information here and notify one or more of the profile managers and/or Patricia Prickett Hickin (12 Apr 2019).

About 1662 he emigrated from Fareham Parish, Hampshire County, England [citation needed] to the Province of Maryland. [3]

By 1672 he had purchased land in Talbot County (now Queen Anne's County), Maryland. His primary plantation was "on the east side of Chester River near the head of a small branch of Island Creek", a few miles southwest of Church Hill, Maryland.

He was called an attorney in a Talbot County, Maryland Deed of 12 May 1689. [4]

William Sparks married about 1670 in Frederick County, Maryland to Mary Wright [5] (1656-1730) and they had at least five children (four sons and one daughter).

He acquired a considerable amount of land and at one time owned nearly 1,000 acres on Island Creek, Talbot County, Province of Maryland.

He was a member of the Anglican faith. In 1696 he and Edward Tomlins were elected wardens of St.Paul's Parish. He was succeeded in 1698 by Solomon Wright. [6]

On 21 Jun 1709 he made his last Will signing by his usual mark "X" (circled). [6]

William Sparks died in 1709 [6] and was buried at Sparks Family Cemetery in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. [2]

On 24 Oct 1709 his estate was in the probate court of Queen Anne's County, Maryland. [6]

Parents Marriage

Married: 19 Oct 1635 Faraham Parish, Ham[p]shire County, England

Father: Thomas Sparks

Mother: Joanne or Joane Davis or Davies (daughter of William Davis & Joane Wekham)

Child: William Sparks, b: 1640?1646; d: 1709 MD

Child: Francis Sparks, b: 1641

Child: John Sparks, b:1649; d: 1700 MD

Child: Richard Sparks, b: 1658

Marriage

Married: 1666 or 1674 Maryland [citation needed]

Husband: William Sparks

Wife: Mary Wright

Child: William Sparks, Jr., b: 1674; d: c1735

Child: George Sparks, b: c1679

Child: John Sparks, b: 1684; d: 1737

Child: Joseph Sparks, b: c1690; d: 1749 Frederick Co, MD.

Land Records

1672/Jul/17 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from Richard Pernes to Thomas Heather and William Sparks, who purchased jointly for 5600 pounds of tobacco, a tract of 100 acres ... lying and being on the north side of St.Michael's River. beginning at a marked oak standing at the head of a small branch running morth west & running for breadth down the branch east south east 50 poles, to a marked gum tree then north rast up the river for length of 320 poles being formerly laid out for Francis Martin; witnesses: James and Mary Murphy. [6] [7]

1681/Jul /18 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from Michael Hackett and his wife Mary to William Sparks, a tract of 250 acres called "Sparks Choice" located on the east side of Chester River near the head of a small branch of Island Creek. It had originally been surveyed as part of a 160-acre tract for Michael Hackett. [6] [8] This is believed to be the plantation where William and his family lived.

1681/Aug/16 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from Michael Hackett and his wife Mary to William Sparks, for 5,000 pounds of tobacco,100 acres named "Adventure", lying on the south side of Chester River and on the south east side of Island Creek, and adjoining land owned by John Hawkins. witnesses: Henry Willcockes and John Parsons. [9] This tract had originally been granted on 16 Oct 1670, to John Mitchell at which time it had been given the name "Adventure" and Mitchell had later sold it to Hackett, who sold it to William Sparks. On 01 June 1691 William Sparks sold this tract along with 100 additional acres to Samuel Withers. John Hawkins, who owned land adjoining "Adventure", also owned land on Coursey's Creek; in 1706 the Assembly passed an act to establish the county-seat of Queen Anne's County on a tract of 100 acres "upon the plantation of Major John Hawkins, in Coursey's Creek" to be called QueensTowns. After the Revolution, however, the county-seat was moved to Centreville. John Hawkins was a vestryman of the parish church at Chester; when he died in 1718 he was succeeded by Augustine Thompson, another close friend and neighbor of the Sparks family. [6]

1684/Sep/10 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from William Coursey, Jr. assignee for Colonel Venceant Lowe, to William Sparks, for 100 acres called "Sparks Own" adjoining his home plantation; survey: 21 June 1683; Lowe had obtained it as part of a tract of 3,000 acres Land Patent granted by the Province of Maryland to him on 20 March 1683. For this grant, William Sparks agreed to pay the Lord Proprietor, rent of four shillings sterling in silver or gold. [6] [10] [11]

1688/Jun/12 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from Thomas Smithson, assignee for Daniel Walker, to William Sparks for 114 acres called "Sparks Outlet"; part of a Province of Maryland Land Patent; survey: 22 Oct 1687. [12]

1691/Jun/01 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from John Salter to William Sparks for lot#6 in Town of West Chester. [13] In 1696 this John Saiter purchased a different lot in West Chester from John Sparks (William's brother). And even later this John Salter was a witness to the last Will of William Sparks.

1691/Jun/01 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from William Sparks to Samuel Withers for 200 acres being 100 of the 200 acres named "Adventure". [14]

1691/Oct/20 Talbot County, Maryland Deed from Robert and Ann Smith to William Sparks, for 8500 pounds of tobacco, a tract of 200 acres (part of a larger tract called "Wrights Choyse") located on the south side of Chester River and on the north side of the south east branch of a creek in the said river called Island Creek; witnesses: Thomas Beckles & Sollomon Wright. [6] [15]

1696/Jul/21 Talbot County, Maryland Deed for 100 acres from William Sparks, Sen. and his wife Mary to Alexander Ray [16]

Research Notes

Date of Death: 21 Jun 1709 (Date adjusted to correct error from suggestion report)

The Sparks Family Association ... After much research, it was discovered that most of the Sparks family information [17] [18] [19] [20] is derived from The Sparks Family Association, which was created in the early 1950s by three Sparks descendants. A Quarterly newsletter was published by them for 50 years. The association ended with the death of the last founder. The articles posted at the website, [1] include the data of the original newsletters.

Sources

↑ Birth record on FamilySearch.org (accessed 07 Oct 2018) for Willm. Sparks, b: 02 Aug 1646

↑ 2.0 2.1 Find A Grave: Memorial #174783465 for William Sparks, Sr., b: 02 Aug 1646 Fareham, Fareham Borough, Hampshire, England; d: 21 Jun 1709 Queen Anne's County, Maryland; buried: Sparks Family Cemetery, Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

↑ Index of Early Settlers, Maryland 1633-1680 Hall of Records in Annapolis, Maryland; citing Book#6 p90; Text: "Then came George Richardson and demanded Land for the transportation of himself in Anno 1661, Mary Richardson in 1663, Thomas Hayward in 1662, William Sparke in 1662".

↑ Talbot County Maryland. Deed book#5 p232 on 12 May 1689; parties: Hannah Hamer (wife of John Hamer) with William Sparks ... "her true and lawful attorney.

↑ Index of Early Settlers, Maryland 1633-1680 Hall of Records in Annapolis, Maryland; citing Book#6 p71; Text: "I, Thomas Skillingham, of the province of Maryland, do assign George Richardson all my right and title to these following Rights of Land. First for Thomas Skillingham and Mary, his wife, William Sparks (30) ... Servants in all Six, Ann Powell, Mary Webb, John Green, as witness my hand this 2nd day of the month 1663. Thomas Skillingham".

↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 "Sparks Families in Kent, Talbot and Queen Anne Counties, Maryland" p1372 to 1389 published in Sparks Family Association Newsletter (accessed 07 Oct 2018)

↑ Talbot County Maryland Deed book#1 p213.

↑ Talbot County, Maryland Deeds

↑ Talbot County Maryland Deed book-T p68.

↑ Talbot County Maryland Deed book-A p507.

↑ Queen Anne's County Maryland Rent Rolls p242

↑ Talbot County Maryland Deed book#2 p625.

↑ Talbot County Maryland. Deed book#7 p53.

↑ Talbot County Maryland Deed book#5 p336.

↑ Talbot County Maryland Deed book#5 p328

↑ Talbot County, Maryland Deed book#7 p221.

↑ #704 William Sparks, Genealogy Report: Ancestors of George William Paul Green; genealogy.com (accessed 07 Oct 2018)

↑ "Sparks Genealogy 1645 to 1998", Descendants of William Sparks, Sr. by Harold E Sparks, with Nancy Sparks Morrison; sparksgenealogy.net (accessed 07 Oct 2018)

↑ Sparks Family Tree" by James J Sparks, J. D.; (accessed 07 Oct 2018)

↑ Sparks Family Tree" compiled by John W. Grace (accessed 07 Oct 2018)