Pages 1903-1904
Whole Number 98
Between 1928 and 1939 there appeared in five parts a monumental work entitled Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis. It was published in Portland, Maine, by the Southworth-Anthoensen Press. It was the intent of the authors to record genealogically significant data for persons found in the records of Maine and New Hampshire whose parents had been married prior to 1699. The data are given in very brief form. On page 650, the following information appears for persons named Sparks; abbreviations have been spelled out in this transcription:
EDWARD SPARKS, age 22, came as a servant with Thomas Page." On page 522, Thomas Page is identified as "gentleman, tailor, Saco, from All Saints Stayning, London, arrived at Boston in the Increase the last of July 1635, age 29, bringing wife Elizabeth, age 28, two children; and servants EDWARD SPARKES, age 22, Katherine Taylor, age 24. Taxed in Saco September 1636..." This Edward Sparks who came to New England as Thomas Page's servant was born ca. 1613, since he was 22 in 1635. From another source, Planters of the Commonwealth, 1620 -1640, by Charles Edward Banks, published in 1961, we learn that the full name of the ship on which EDWARD SPARKS came to America was the Increase of Boston with Robert Lea as master. The ship left England the latter part of April and arrived in Boston at the end of July 1635.
We have no further record of this EDWARD SPARKS.
HENRY SPARKS. The following information is given in the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire regarding HENRY SPARKS of Exeter, New Hampshire: "HENRY SPARKS fought with Cromwell the Indian in 1667, both fined at Cochecho [which is the present town of Dover, N.H.] Taxed 1671. Fined in 1673 for taking Samuel Leavitt's bridle from Goodman Robie's. Lists 356j, 381. [ List 356 represents Dover, N.H., and 381 represents Exeter and Stratham, N.H.] Of Exeter, he married Martha Barrett at Chelmsford 10 July 1676. In February, 1677-8, 'late of Exeter, now sojourning at Chelmsford.' Acknowledged judgement to Simon Bradstreet." Chelmsford is in Massachusetts where HENRY SPARKS had married Martha Barrett in 1676.
HESTER SPARKS. The Genealogical Dictionary... gives the following: "CHESTER SPARKS witnessed John Pickering's bond to Abraham Corbett in 1665. One Esther Sparhawk married Samuel Adams in Chelmsford in 1668."
JOHN SPARKE. The Genealogical Dictionary... gives the following: "JOHN SPARKE, Saco 1653, his lot mentioned 1656. Lists 243a, 244be. [Both of these lists are for Saco. Saco later, in 1718, became Biddeford.] Town rate made 28 August 1669 toward maintaining old Goodman SPARKS, who was buried 24 October 1669."
JOHN SPARKS. The Genealogical Dictionary... gives the following regarding another JOHN SPARKS: "JOHN SPARKS, a Barrington proprietor. List 339 [which is for Portsmouth and Greenland, N.H] SUSANNA SPARKS received into Portsmouth South Church 4 October 1719 and son JOHN SPARKS baptized."
THOMAS SPARKS. Regarding THOMAS SPARKS, The Genealogical Dictionary... gives: "THOMAS SPARKS started and dropped an action against Nicholas Tuckerman in York Court 1666. One THOMAS SPARKS, resident in Cape Elizabeth in 1685, bought from Clement Swett a house and 20 acres next north of John Parrott. One REBECCA, widow of THOMAS SPARKS married Robert McKenney at Dover in 1692. In 1732 land was laid out to their son, Henry McKenney out of the land deeded by Mr. Fryer to Mr. Hollicomb; old home was nearby." A descendant of Robert McKenney, Harry W. Rowe, wrote to William Perry Johnson on October 31, 1967, that Robert McKenney, who was born in Scarborough, Maine, ca. 1665, and died there July 22, 1725, married in Portsmouth, N.H., on December 12, 1692, MRS. REBECCA SPARKS, widow of THOMAS SPARKS. She died on April 19, 1724, the day after an Indian attack. Mr. Rowe states that records in the York Courthouse reveal that THOMAS SPARKS purchased land in Scarborough in 1685. Mr. Rowe believed that this THOMAS SPARKS was connected with the Sparks family of Ipswich, Mass.
A John Harris is identified in the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire as a "fisherman, Isle of Shoals, likely the witness to a Smuttynose deed 6 December 1685,... married MARY SPARKS (daughter of JOHN SPARKS of Ipswich and Boston), marriage bond 24 June 1687, surety Jabesh Negus of Boston. Thereafter he lived in Ipswich where his wife died 6 May 1730, he died 3 December 1738." An article in Vol. 106 of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register page 26, gives the birth date of John Harris as 17 September 1671 and describes him as a twin son of John and Joanna Harris.
A Walter Roper is identified in the Genealogical Dictionary... (p. 596) as a "carpenter, about 48 in 1661, about 50 in 1661-2, about 65 in 1676 and with wife Susan, about 53 in 1669, settled in Hampton perhaps as early as 1640. Freeman 13 May 1642. Selectman 1644. Had share in commons 1646. Before 1647 he sold out to Robert Sayward and moved to Ipswich.... Will 1680 names wife and surviving children. In 1710 MARY SPARKS was the only surviving child.... Mary was baptized 22 August 1641, married JOHN SPARKS."
A Jocob Perkins is identified in the Genealogical Dictionary... (p. 542) as of "York, Wells, born 15 February 1685, son of Jacob and Elizabeth (SPARKS) of Ipswich.... He married 1st Lydia Stover (daughter of John Stover); at least 1 son, John. He married 2d in Hampton 17 October 1717 Anna Littlefied..." A book entitled Ancestry of Nathan Dane Dodge and His Wife Sarah (Shepherd) Dodge by Mary A. Dodge Parsons, published in Salem, Mass., in 1896, identifies (pp.27-28) this Jacob Perkins as a grandson of John Perkins of Gloucester, England, who emigrated in the Lion to Boston in 1631. Jacob Perkins was born August 3, 1662, and died in November 1705. He married (first) ELIZABETH SPARKS on December 27, 1684; she died on April 10, 1692. He married (second) Sarah Treadwell who died August 5, 1738. This volume identifies ELIZABETH SPARKS as a daughter of JOHN SPARKS of Ipswich. He was an innkeeper and was in Ipswich as early as 1655.