January 16, 2022
Pages 2349
Whole Number 115
QUERY
Ruth L. Blurton (Mrs. Dean) of Rt. 2, Dodge City, Kansas (67801) would like to contact descendants of 20.1.1.1 William and Elizabeth (Cochran) Sparks who might be interested in assisting in researching the Cochran family line. In The Sparks Quarterly of March 1976 (Whole No. 93) page 1796, we gave information regarding William Sparks who was born ca. 1804 in North Carolina and who was a son of Matthew and Polly (Robinson) Sparks. Matthew Sparks, father of William, was born January 14, 1783, in North Carolina, and was a son of William and Mary Sparks. This family came to the Adair County, KY, area in 1799, which was then Green County.
In this account, we quoted from an 1887 history of Kentucky to the effect that William Sparks (born ca. 1804, died 1878) had married Elizabeth Crawhorn. Subsequently, on page 1858 of the December 1976 issue of the Quarterly Whole Number 96), we noted that Elizabeth's maiden name had been Cochran (not Crawhorn) and that a record had been found of her marriage to William Sparks in Green County, KY, dated July 19, 1825. For this marriage, the consent of William's father, Matthew Sparks, had been obtained, as had also the consent of Elizabeth's father, Thomas Cochran.
[Note: This correction has been made.]
Mrs. Blurton reports that the wife of Thomas Cochran, and mother of Elizabeth (Cochran) Sparks, was Obedience (Blankenship) Cochran. Mrs. Blurton is presently trying to prove the parentage of Thomas Cochran--she believes that his parents were Samuel and Mary Cochran. She also reports that she has Blankenship records back to John Blankenship, born in 1695 in Virginia.
Page 2349
Whole Number 115
QUERY
M. Craig, 951 17th Ave., #65, Longmont, Colo. (80501) is seeking information regarding the parentage and brothers and sisters of her great-great-grandmother, ELMAETTE SPARKS, who may have been born in New York ca. 1811. About 1830 she married JAMES B. NORRIS who was probably also born in New York, ca. 1812. They had seven children, the first six of whom were born in New York.
(1) Charles J. Norris, born ca. 1830, married Emily Jane Hyde in 1851.
(2) George M. Norris, born ca. 1834, married Laura Fitzpatrick ca. 1856.
(3) Albert Norris, born ca. 1837.
(4) Amanda Norris, born ca. 1839, married FNU Kinney.
(5) Emily Norris, born July 5, 1845, in Lockport, NY, married Alfred R. Williams.
(6) Phoebe Norris, born September 7, 1847, in Lockport, NY, married Alexander McKenzie.
(7) Martha Adella Norris, born October 2, 1852, in Barry County, Mich., married Stephen Downs in 1875.
In the fall of 1848, this family left Lockport, Niagara County, NY, and went to Barry County, Mich., where they settled permanently. As noted above, the seventh child was born there.
ELMAETTE (SPARKS) NORRIS died in Barry County, Mich., between 1852 and 1855 Her husband, James B. Norris, died there on March 28, 1891.
Ms. Craig would be pleased to correspond with anyone having knowledge of this family.