Mary A. Sparks

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 7 Aug 1820, Wilkes Co, North Carolina
• Census: 1840, Monroe Co, Indiana
• Census: 1850, Greene Co, Indiana; near Standord Shelton
• Census: 1860, Center, Greene Co, Indiana

Notes:

See Sparks Quarterly, March, 1969, Whole No. 65, pg 1204:

"In the September 1955 issue of the Quarterly, we published some data on this family, noting that the parents of Calvin Sparks were Hardy and Susannah (Brown) Sparks. Hardy Sparks was living in Wilkes County, North Carolina, when he was married to Susannah Brown in 1815 (the marriage bond was dated January 5, 1815, and they were probably married on that day or one or two days later). Hardy Sparks was born about 1797 in North Carolina. He doubtless belonged to the branch of the Sparks family which moved from Frederick County, Maryland, to Wilkes County, North Carolina, in the 1760's, but we have not succeeded in proving his parentage as yet. Hardy Sparks served in the War of 1812 from Wilkes County.

"Hardy Sparks and his family were still living in Wilkes County, North Carolina, when the 1820 census was taken, by which time he had two sons listed as under ten years of age. He may have been the Hardy Sparks who obtained a land grant in Ashe County, North Carolina, in 1824. He settled in Monroe County, Indiana, probably in the 1830's, later apparently moving over the line into Greene County.

"Hardy Sparks' first wife died in the 1830's and he married as his second wife Martha Motley. He was still living when the 1860 census was taken in Green County, Indiana. Hardy Sparks was the father of seven children by his first wife and eight by his second wife. The following record of these children is based on information supplied by a great-granddaughter. (Mrs. Jessie Sparks Conder of Stanford, Indiana, in 1954) and supplemented from census and other official records: (here follows information concerning the descendants for which see their records here.)

See The Sparks Quarterly, June, 1998, Whole No. 182, pps. 5000-5002:
"Hardy Sparks, probable son of James Sparks, was born November 30, 1796, in North Carolina. (see previous articles above).

"We have found no definite proof that Hardy Sparks was a son of James Sparks; however, several bits of information tend to support that relationship. Because the given name of Hardy is a bit unusual, it is also fairly easy to trace. We know, for example, that James Sparks had a brother named Hardy Sparks, and it is easy to imagine that James named a son for his brother. In addition, as was pointed out above, James Sparks acted as bondsman for Hardy Sparks to obtain a marriage bond, or license, an action which would support a close relationship. Hardy Sparks, also, named a son James Sparks, perhaps for the baby's grandfather.

"The most compelling evidence of the lineage of Hardy Sparks, however, has been handed down by one of his granddaughters, Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Sparks, a daughter of Hardy's son, Calvin Sparks. Lizzie was born in 1860 and was a six-year-old girl when her grandfather, Calvin Sparks, died. She was married to James A. Thompson in 1881, and they had seven children. She lived to be 100 years old and apparently enjoyed telling stories of the 'olden days.' Fortunately, she had a grandniece, Alice Sparks, who made notes of her grandaunt's remembrances and handed them down to other family members. Here is how her notes were recorded:

" 'My father, Guy Sparks, lived with Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Jim Thompson at different times in his life, from the age of ten years onward to adulthood, and looked upon them as second parents. I remember visiting with them many times as I was growing up. Dad (Guy Sparks) loved to hear Aunt Lizzie's stories about the "olden days. "She spoke of "Granddaddy Matthew Sparks," referring to him as her grandfather's granddaddy and relating stories of his hard life 'in the south,' and his experiences with the howling "Cree" Indians who raided and stole and destroyed. They'd only get things "put to rights" and here they'd come again. They felt lucky to save their skins, for those Indians wanted to stay where they were and didn't want any white neighbors shooting the game and using the land.

" 'Aunt Lizzie spoke also of a "Granddaddy" James, saying that he had the same name as her father, Uncle Jim. I don't remember any hair raising stories about him and the Indians, unless he was one of the "they" who considered themselves lucky to save their skins! Aunt Lizzie referred to Hardy Sparks as "Grandaddy" also, so evidently[she] called them all "Granddaddy," whether it was her grandfather or great-grandfather, or whatever, when she was telling about the "old days."

" 'When she [aunt Lizzie] spoke of Matthew, she referred to South Carolinie and Georgie. All of the other Sparkses I ever knew had tishabit of adding and 'ie," thus my father's brother, Ira, was called "Irie," and his brother, Noah, was "Noahie," and Elizabeth was "Lizzie."

" 'Aunt Lizzie was an intelligent woman, very much a lady. She was the female counterpart of an "Uncle Billie," the person everyone came to for advice and comfort, and lots of good food. She was slender and handsome, with the dark hair and blue eyes typical of so many Sparks[es]' appearance, as my father [Guy Sparks] for instance.

" ' I visited Aunt Lizzie when she was in her nineties. I asked her if she remembered telling Dad [Guy Sparks] about her "granddaddies"and the south and the Indians. She said, Yes. She said that Dad was the one who always wanted to hear her tell about those old times. She said, and i quote: "Poor Grandaddy, the Indians finally killed him, after all his hard times."

" 'Aunt Lizzie's description of the Sparks clan as a whole was that most were fairly tall, dark-haired and blue eyed. She, herself, had piercing blue eyes and dark hair, and so did my Dad, my uncles and my aunts. I remember my Grandfather's (Joseph Hardy Sparks) blue eyes and big mustache, but that's all that I can remember about him. (signed) Alice Sparks.'
"[Editor's note: The notes made by Alice Sparks from "Aunt Lizzie's stories" appear to be quite authentic. (Lizzie's father was Calvin Sparks, son of Hardy Sparks.) It is obvious that she had grown up with family members who knew about their ancestors and who were willing to talk about them. Her statement that "poor granddaddy, the Indians finally killed him," is quite correct regarding the fate of Matthew Sparks, father of James; Matthew was killed by Indians in Georgia in 1793. (See the Quarterly of June 1961, Whole No. 34, for an account of Matthew Sparks's life and death, pp. 556-66.) It is interesting that Lizzie remembered no stories of James Sparks and the Indians. In fact, this was because James had not accompanied his parents and siblings to Georgia.

"[We believe that these notes, quoted above, present strong evidence that Hardy Sparks was a son of James Sparks and a grandson of Matthew and Sarah (Thompson) Sparks.]

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/26822922/person/12073561102/media/3?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum


Census:
Name: Hardy Sparkes
Home in 1820 Wilkes, North Carolina
Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 1
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 1
Free White Persons - Under 16: 2
Free White Persons - Over 25: 1
Total Free White Persons: 4
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 4


Census:
Name: Hardy Sparks
Home in 1840 (City, County, State): Monroe, Indiana
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1
Persons Employed in Mining: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 7
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 9
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 9


Census:
72 Shelton Sandford A 31 1819 North Carolina
72 Shelton Priscilla (Carmichael) 27 1823 North Carolina
72 Shelton Charles A 9 1841 Indiana
72 Shelton Louisa C 7 1843 Indiana
72 Shelton Levi E 6 1844 Indiana
72 Shelton James M 5 1845 Indiana
72 Shelton Solomon E 1 1849 Indiana

74 Sparks Hardy 54 1796 North Carolina
74 Sparks Patsey 40 1810 North Carolina
74 Sparks John 17 1833 Virginia
74 Sparks Andrew 15 1835 Virginia
74 Sparks Alfred 13 1837 Indiana
74 Sparks Mary A 11 1839 Indiana
74 Sparks Martha A 9 1841 Indiana
74 Sparks Merrel 6 1844 Indiana
74 Sparks Nancy J 2 1848 Indiana
in 1870 Hardy has living with him a
Katy Charmichael, b 1830

76 Carmichael Archibald 50 1800 North Carolina
76 Carmichael Martha 48 1802 North Carolina
76 Carmichael Martha J 19 1831 Indiana
76 Carmichael Constant J 17 1833 Indiana
76 Carmichael Josephine 15 1835 Indiana
76 Carmichael Starling 13 1837 Indiana
76 Carmichael Archibald 10 1840 Indiana
76 Carmichael Henry A 9 1841 Indiana

Census:
residence 627
Hardy Sparks 63 North Carolina
Martha 50 1810 Indiana
Martha 19 1841 Indiana
Merit 17 1843 male Indiana
Nancy J 1849 Indiana
Hardy 7 1853 Indiana

residence 628
Alfred Sparks 23
Sarah 25
Mary E. 8/12

residence 631
Thomas Holder 51 1809 North Carolina
Wiley W. (Carmichael) 44 1816 female North Carolina
Frances M. 20 1840 Indiana
John M. 1842 Indiana
Margaret C. 13 1847 Indiana
Mary L. 11 1849 Indiana

Joseph married Martha "Patsy" Motley about 1832 in North Carolina. Martha was born in 1812 in North Carolina; died on 28 Oct 1868 in Center Twp, Greene Co, Indiana; was buried in Hardy Sparks Cem, Solsberry, Greene Co, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14889147/person/179756260

Died:
"[Editor's note: The notes made by Alice Sparks from "Aunt Lizzie's stories" appear to be quite authentic. (Lizzie's father was Calvin Sparks, son of Hardy Sparks.) It is obvious that she had grown up with family members who knew about their ancestors and who were willing to talk about them. Her statement that "poor granddaddy, the Indians finally killed him," is quite correct regarding the fate of Matthew Sparks, father of James; Matthew was killed by Indians in Georgia in 1793. (See the Quarterly of June 1961, Whole No. 34, foran account of Matthew Sparks's life and death, pp. 556-66.) It is interesting that Lizzie remembered no stories of James Sparks and the Indians. In fact, this was because James had not accompanied his parents and siblings to Georgia.
(see notes of Joseph Hardy Sparks)
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/26822922/person/12073561102/media/3?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum

Matthew married Sarah Thompson about 1750. Sarah was born in 1737 in Frederick Co, Maryland; died on 23 Aug 1831 in Carroll Co, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]