May 22, 2023
Pages 272-280
Whole Number 21
A HISTORY OF THE
25. MARTIN P. SPARKS and 25.2 THOMAS H. SPARKS FAMILIES
OF GEORGIA
by Charles H. Smith and Russell E. Bidlack
25. Martin Peeples Sparks was born July 18, 1786. The place of his birth has not been determined, nor has his parentage been established. It is evident from official records, however, that he was closely associated throughout his life with 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks of Morgan County, Georgia. Jeremiah Sparks was born sometime between 1760 and 1770 (on the 1830 census of Morgan County he was listed as between 60 and 70 years of age). Jeremiah Sparks died in 1841, leaving a will which he had written in 1839 and in which he mentioned one son, 70.1.1.4 Carter Walton Sparks (1797-1877).
25. Martin P. Sparks, 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, and 70.1.1.1 Carter W. Sparks all lived in Morgan County, Georgia, on adjoining land. There has been disagreement among descendants regarding the exact relationship between Martin P. Sparks and Carter W. Sparks. The grandchildren of Martin P.Sparks called Carter W. Sparks "Uncle Carter," but in nearly every family there are instances where this title has been used to show love and respect rather than an exact relationship.
A short time before he died, 25.2.7 William Daniel Sparks, a grandson of Martin P. Sparks, stated that:
25.x (70.1.1.11) Carter W. Sparks was a brother of 25. Martin P. Sparks. A granddaughter of Carter, Fanny Harper, also believed that they were brothers. She further stated that they had a sister named:
25.2.5 Sarah Sparks, born in 1805, who married a FNU Williams in 1823,
25.z Sister Sparks who married FNU Hunter and was called "Aunt Hunter."
In his will, however,
70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks mentioned only one son,
70.1.1.1 Carter W. Sparks, along with three daughters,
70.1.1.2 Malinda Sparks Arnold,
70.1.1.3 Milly Sparks Crane, and
70.1.1.4 Nancy Sparks Crane,and two grandsons:
Joshua Patrick and
Ezekiel Partee.
The fact that Martin P. Sparks had died two years prior to the date on which Jeremiah wrote his will (October 11, 1839) could account for Jeremiah's making no reference to him, although it would seem that Jeremiah would have made some mention of Martin's widow and son, if he were Martin's father. Furthermore, the name "Jeremiah" has never been used by descendants of Martin P. Sparks. The names 'Martin' and 'Peeples' were probably derived from the surnames of either relatives or close friends of the family, but no connections have been discovered thus far. Information concerning Martin and Peeples connections will be appreciated. (The will of Jeremiah Sparks, dated October 11, 1839, and probated January 4, 1841, along with a record of Carter W. Sparks and his descendants, will appear in a later issue of the Quarterly.)
The earliest official record found thus far which pertains to 25. Martin P. Sparks is a deed executed in Morgan County, Georgia, on November 6, 1810, by which Martin P. Sparks purchased from Charles M. Lin (who was the guardian of Nancy Cooper and James Cooper, orphans of Thomas Cooper), Lot 294, District 20, containing 202 1/2 acres on Sandy Creek in Morgan County. He paid $1002 for this tract of land and was designated in the deed as being a resident of Morgan County. Section 20 is located in the north-west corner of Morgan County, and from subsequent deeds it is evident that Martin P. Sparks lived in this area, although he later owned land, not only in other parts of the County, but in other sections of Georgia as well. His home seems to have been located on Hard Labor Creek, slightly south of Sandy Creek, not far from the present town of Madison. The earliest deed on record in Morgan County pertaining to Jeremiah Sparks is dated July 8, 1811, by which he purchased 202 1/2 acres on Hard Labor Creek from John Shephard. Martin P. Sparks was a witness to this deed.
From the numerous deeds recorded in Morgan County, in which Martin P. Sparks bought and sold land, it is evident that he was a man of means. (Following is a list of the names of persons with whom we have record of his financial dealings: Charles M. Lin, Elisha Sims, Daniel Pynes, Joseph Patrick, Carter W. Sparks, Daniel Whitaker, John Harris, Laird Duke, Benjamin Williams, William H. Jones, John F. Thompson, Henry H. Cook, James C. Cook, William Cox, Judge W. Harris, John Towler, William Porter, Jefferson Burney, Charles H. Walton, heirs of John Franklin, Michael What ley, Jr., Benjamin Butler, and Hampton Whatley.) In 1826 he was the administrator of the estate of George Sanders.
When the 1820 census was taken of Morgan County, Martin P. Sparks was listed as the owner of ten slaves; ten years later, when the 1830 census was taken, he owned twenty-four slaves. On the 1832 tax list of Morgan County, he was listed as the owner of twenty-two slaves, a town lot, and a total of 3,033 acres of land, 960 1/2 acres of which were in Morgan County. (His land outside Morgan County was located in the following Georgia Counties: Baldwin, Monroe, Houston, Troup, Dooly, Lee, Muscogee, and Gwinnett.) He was also taxed in 1832 for one carriage.
Martin P. Sparks was sheriff of Morgan County from January 13, 1818, to January 14, 1820, and from January 9, 1822, until January 1824. by tradition, the office of sheriff in the Southern States was a post of considerable honor, dating back to Colonial times when the sheriff was appointed by the governor and was the chief executive of the county. It is evident that Martin P. Sparks was a man of stature in his community to have been elected twice to fill this important post. He also represented Morgan County in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1832, 1833, and 1834. It would seem that the background of Sheriff Sparks, also as State Representative, should be of Historical Record in Morgan County, but none has been found.
Little is known of the personal life of 25. Martin P. Sparks, nor is a photograph of him believed to exist. There is a legend handed down in the family that, while sheriff, he paid a substitute fifty dollars to hang a condemned murderer. This one incident reveals an important side of his character.
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On December 2, 1810, Martin P. Sparks married Elizabeth Whatley, who was born July 28, 1795; she died in Athens, Georgia, September 4, 1870, at the home of Anne Linton Sparks, widow of her son, 25.2 Thomas H. Sparks. Elizabeth Whatley is believed to have been a daughter of Oman and Judith Whatley. Oman Whatley, a Revolutionary War soldier from North Carolina, was born May 8, 1751, in North Carolina, and died December 1, 1798, in Georgia. His wife, Judith, whose maiden name has not been found, was born February 8, 1751, and died November 4, 1842. Following the Revolution, they lived in Wilkes County, Georgia, and later moved to Greene County, which borders Morgan County. (Oman and Judith Whatley had a son, Michael Whatley, born August 26, 1789, who married Elizabeth Peeples in Greene County, Georgia, and a son, Burrell Whatley, born December 23, 1781, died December 22, 1805, who married Caroline Matilda Hunter.)
25. Martin P. and Elizabeth (Whatley) Sparks were the parents of three children, only one of whom reached maturity. These children were:
25.1 Leonidas Sparks, born August 31, 1812; died September 19, 1812.
25.2 Thomas Hunter Sparks, born September 1, 1814; died September 13, 1863.
25.3 Nancy Sparks, born Mary 31, 1817; died August 2, 1827.
On several occasions when new land was opened for settlement in Georgia, distribution was made through what wore called "land lotteries." Under this system, families which had resided in the State for a year or more were permitted to "draw" for various sized acreages. In 1820, Martin P. Sparks drew 93 acres in Habersham County. In 1831, the State of Georgia acquired by purchase a vast area of land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indians. On December 3, 1832, this land was divided into ten counties and a lottery was set up. Martin P. Sparks drew a "Gold Lot" of 40 acres in Cobb County (Lot 477, District 16). One of the counties created from these Cherokee lands was Paulding County, the western half of which later (1851) became Polk County. It was to this section which eventually became Polk County that Martin P. Sparks moved with his family ca. 1836. He settled near the present town of Cedartown in an area called Cedar Valley. Mrs. Lucy Young Hawkins, in her History of the First Baptist Church of Cedartown, Georgia, 1935, stated: "Cedar Valley became known soon after the Cherokee Purchase in 1832 as the richest land in the newly acquired territory. It immediately attracted the attention of some Virginia families who had previously settled in Middle Georgia counties. It reminded them greatly of lands in Old Dominion. These were wealthy people for that time, as wealth then consisted of large families, many slaves, and land. Thus the people lost no time in buying up the Valley lands, erecting crude houses and slave quarters.:
Martin P. Sparks died on June 8, 1837, within a year after moving to Paulding County, and he was buried in a stone-enclosed plot on his plantation. His death was apparently sudden, for he did not leave a will. Thomas H. Sparks became the administrator of his father's estate and, on August 16, 1845, sold what remained of his father's property in Morgan County to John W. Porter. This property, which may have been the home place, consisted of 150 acres on Hard Labor Creek and adjoined land owned by John Toler, deceased, Terrell Speed, and John W. Porter. According to the deed, Martin P. Sparks had purchased part of it (Lot 206) from Charles H. Walton and part (50 acres of Lot 106) from the heirs of John Franklin. Provision was made in the deed to reserve "one rod square around the grave of Reubin Lively." Who Reubin Lively may have been has not been discovered.
Following the death of Martin P. Sparks, his widow, Elizabeth (Whatley) Sparks, made her home with the family of her son, Thomas H. Sparks. Following her son's death on September 13, 1863, she continued to live with her daughter-in-law until her own death on September 4, 1870, in Athens, Georgia. Those who knew her remembered Elizabeth (Whatley) Sparks as a saintly mother and a model Christian. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Cedartown while living in Cedar Valley, contributing twenty-five dollars toward the erection of a new church in 1845. She lies buried beside her husband in the plantation plot in Cedar Valley. As can be seen in the accompanying photo, these graves are covered by boxed white marble slabs, with a slab covering the entire grave, on which the epitaphs are chiseled.
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| BURIAL PLOT ON THE SPARKS PLANTATION IN CEDAR VALLEY (On the right is the grave of Martin P. Sparks; on the left is that of his wife, Elizabeth (Whatley) Sparks) |
| The inscription on the grave of Martin P. Sparks reads: "SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF MARTIN P. SPARKS, Born July 18, 1786, Died June 8, 1837. AGE 50 years, 10 months, 20 days." |
| The inscription on the grave of his wife reads: "IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH WHATLEY SPARKS relict of M. P. Sparks. Born July 23, 1795. Died September 4, 1870. A MOTHER IN ISRAEL - BLESSED BE HER NAME. |
(Editor's Note: It is requested that any member of THE SPARKS FAMILY ASSOCIATION having knowledge of the ancestors of Martin P. Sparks and/or Elizabeth Whatley share it with the Association and Major Charles H. Smith.)
25.2 THOMAS HUNTER SPARKS (1814-1863)
25.2 Thomas Hunter Sparks, the only child of 25. Martin P. Sparks to reach maturity, was born September 1, 1814, in Morgan County, Georgia. If Martin P. Sparks did have a sister who married a Hunter, as was mentioned earlier, it was doubtless in honor of her that he gave his son the middle name "Hunter." Thomas Hunter Sparks' name first appears on the official records of Morgan County on November 24, 1835, when he witnessed a deed by which Martin P. Sparks sold land to John Harris and Judge W. Harris. On the day following his twentieth birthday, September 1, 1834, Thomas H. Sparks married, in Morgan County, Mary Ann Leonard, the daughter of James P. Leonard. The marriage is recorded in the family Bible, as follows: 'Thomas H. Sparks and Mary Ann Leonard were married the 2nd of September 1834 at candle Lighting in evening, at Mr. Vann Leonard's in Morgan Co. by the Revd. Lovick Pierce, D.D.'. She was born January 14, 1818, and was thus only sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage.. About 1836, Thomas H. Sparks and his wife moved, with his father, to Paulding County. On June 8, 1837, Martin P. Sparks died, leaving his son, a youth of twenty-two years, as head of the household. Two years later, on October 18, 1839, Mary Ann died, leaving Thomas H. Sparks with a two-year-old daughter, 25.2.1 Medora Sparks, and an infant son, 25.2.2 James Sparks, only seven days old. Mary Ann (Leonard) Sparks was buried in the stone-enclosed plot on the Cedar Valley plantation near the grave of her father-in-law. The inscription on her stone reads: 'SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF MARY ANN, WIFE OF THOMAS H. SPARKS, A DAUGHTER OF JAMES P. LEONARD. Born June 14, 1818 and died October 18th, 1839. Age 20 years, 9 months and one day.'
In time, Thomas Hunter Sparks realized the need for a companion and helpmeet, not only for himself, but for motherless Medora and James. To that end he courted an eligible lady in his old home district in Morgan County. Following mutual commitments, he returned to claim the lady. However, becoming averse to venturing into a new community without friends, she reversed her intentions. Returning alone to Cedar Valley, he stopped overnight with old friends, "Uncle Billy and Aunt Sally Daniel," who lived in Greene County. It happened that at the time of his arrival, "'Uncle Billy's" niece was hanging curtains in the parlor. Her domestic ability and obvious gentility impressed him, winning his admiration. The young lady was Ann Linton. Her mother had died when she was twenty-two months old and she had become the ward of her 'Uncle Billy' Daniel, her mother's brother. The family Bible of Thomas H. Sparks records the results of his chance meeting with Ann Linton: 'Thos. H. Sparks and Ann Linton were married the 25th of February 1845 - 11 1/2 o'clock A.M. Tuesday at Mrs. Sarah Linton's, near Penfield, by the Revd. Joseph Baker, D.D.'. (Note: Mrs. Sarah Linton, at whose home the couple were married, was the second wife of Dr. A. B. Linton, father of Ann.)
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| PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HOME OF THOMAS HUNTER SPARKS IN CEDAR VALLEY, MORGAN COUNTY, TAKEN ON JUNE 15, 1915. IT HAS SINCE BEEN BURNED, ONLY THE BRICK KITCHEN REMAINS. |
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| THOMAS HUNTER SPARKS This photograph was probably taken shortly before the beginning of the War Between the States |
ANN (LINTON) SPARKS This photograph was taken in Rome, Georgia, sometime after the death of her husband, Thomas Hunter Sparks. |
Ann (Linton) Sparks was of the gentility on both sides. Born October 17, 1827, she was the daughter of Dr. Alexander Brown Linton (born August 10, 1783, died December 4, 1838) and Jane Daniel (born February 28, 1789; died August 16, 1829). Dr. Linton and Jane Daniel were married on November 21, 1811. Dr. Linton was a son of Samuel Linton of Abbeville District, South Carolina (born August 17, 1755; died December, 1826), and his wife, Ruth Brown, who is believed to have been from Pennsylvania. Samuel Linton served as Quartermaster, Wade Hampton's Regiment, Sumpter's Brigade, South Carolina Troops, during the Revolution. Dr. Alexander Linton served as a Surgeon during the War of 1812. He and his first wife, Jane (Daniel) Linton, were the parents of the following children:
Dr. John S. Linton,
Mary H. Linton,
Samuel Linton,
William Alexander Linton,
James T. Linton,
Ruth Linton, and
Ann Linton.
Of that group, only a daughter of Dr. John S. Linton survives, 'Miss Lucy', who passed her ninety-third birthday on June 13, 1957. Born of the gentility, devoid of ostentation, a 'Lady'. Dr. Alexander Brown Linton married as his second wife Sarah (Cheney) Faver, widow of John Faver, Jr. According to the marriage contract, neither was to benefit by the other's estate. She died June 15, 1850, and was buried at Penfield, Georgia. Her impressive stone of base and shaft records: 'In memory of Mrs. Sarah Linton, who died June 15, 1850, in the 61st year of her age. She had been 16 years a member of the Baptist Church and an ample Christian. There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God.'
Dr. Alexander Brown Linton and his wife, Jane Daniel, were first buried in the old cemetery at Athens, across Jackson Street from the east side of the University campus. In time it became neglected and desecrated. Mr. Hal Linton, brother of "Miss Lucy," bought a lot in the new Oconee Hill Cemetery and had their remains, together with their tombstones, transferred to the new lot. (Note: "Miss Lucy" is Lucy Linton, who was born July 14, 1865, in Athens, Georgia.) On the white marble memorials covering their entire graves are chiseled: 'In memory of Jane Linton, consort of Dr. A. B. Linton, who departed this life on the 29th of August, 1829, Aged 40 years and 6 months.' 'In full assurance of a blessed immortality beyond the grave.' (Note: The date of her death as recorded in the family Bible is Sunday, 16th of August 1829; the stone is incorrect. C.H.S.) Dr. Linton's stone reads: 'Sacred to the memory of Dr. Alexander B. Linton, who departed this life on the 4th of December, 1838. Aged 55 years. He lived a life of usefulness and died the death of a Christian.' Dr. A. B. Linton and members of his family pioneered in railroad and cotton mill construction and paper mill development.
Following the marriage of Thomas H. Sparks and Ann Linton in 1845, an architect from Athens was employed to visit Cedar Valley and rehabilitate the old homestead. From the accompanying print, it appears that he met with some degree of success. In those days, this home was denominated a "mansion." Since the accompanying picture was taken (1915), the house has burned. The customary outside brick kitchen still stands, but the box-wood hedges aligning the walk, from the front gate to the house, now lead to a modest frame cottage instead of a memorable legacy of the past: a tragic reflection.
Thomas Hunter Sparks had children by both of his wives. Following is a list of these children as their births were recorded in the family Bible. (A more complete account of them and their descendents will appear in a later issue of the Quarterly.)
Children of Thomas H. and Mary Ann (Leonard) Sparks:
25.2.1 Martha A. M. E. T. Sparks was born April 27, 1836.
25.2.2 Medora Newton Sparks was born August 16, 1837.
25.2.3 James Martin Sparks was born October 11, 1839.Children of Thomas H. and Ann (Linton) Sparks:
25.2.4 Linton Sparks was born January 18, 1846, 3 o'clock A.M. Sunday.
25.2.5 Sarah Jane Sparks was born August 13, 1848, 8 o'clock P.M. Sunday.
25.2.6 Thos. Hunter Sparks, Jr. was born April 22, 1850, Monday morning, about 5 o'clock.
25.2.7 Wm. Daniel Sparks was born September 3, 1851, 5 o'clock A.M., Saturday.
25.2.8 Carter Whatley Sparks was born February 17, 1853, at 6 o'clock, Wednesday evening.
25.2.9 Samuel Peeples Sparks was born December 28, 1854, at 9 o'clock Thursday morning.
25.2.10 John Veasey Sparks was born March 16, 1856, between 12 and 1 o'clock Sunday.
25.2.11 Alexander Sparks was born August 29, 1857, about 3 o'clock Saturday evening.
25.2.12 Mary Elizabeth Sparks was born November 1, 1859, 20 minutes after 12 AM Tuesday.
25.2.13 Annie Elizabeth Towns Sparks was born Saturday, 7 o'clock PM, December 29, 1861
25.2.14 Charles Sankey Sparks was born Wednesday July 8, 1863, 6 o'clock in the evening in Clark Co.,Arkansas.
(Note: With the exception of Charles Sankey Sparks, all of the children were born in Cedar Valley.)
This story of the family of Thomas Hunter Sparks must of necessity be limited to the disclosures made by contributing sources - both sunshine and shadows; they constitute life without respect for its abode or quality of its actors. Unfortunately for this generation, the Martin P. and Thomas H. Sparks code of ethics was to live what they professed, not to broadcast it. As a result, family lore was almost a muted subject, in spite of its inspirational example.
25.2 Thomas Hunter Sparks became head of the family when his father, 25. Martin P. Sparks, died in 1837. He inherited his father's property, including the plantation in Cedar Valley. Although only twenty-two years old at the time, he became Justice of the Inferior Court of Paulding County on January 20, 1837, continuing to hold the office until January 14, 1841. In 1838 he represented Paulding County in the Georgia House of Representatives. When the 1850 census was taken, his property was valued at $25,000. Ten years later, when the 1860 census was taken, his real estate was valued at $75,000, and his personal property at $50,000. He owned 90 slaves on June 20, 1860, 48 of which were males, ranging in age from one month to 50 years, and 42 females ranging from two months to 50 years of age. 'Judge Sparks', as he was locally known, was highly respected, his neighbors and others frequently calling upon him to settle disagreements. He was recognized as a man of honor and unpurchaseable.
Although generous with loans, he rarely required evidence, assuming that if his creditors were honest, they would pay. If unable to pay or dishonest, he preferred to forget and not sacrifice his good opinions. Those were times when men were as good as their word, and integrity in flower. But once during their married years did he venture disapproval of his wife Ann, and then when she expressed astonishment at the questionable conduct of an acquaintance. He gave vent to surprise at her comments.
The community of Cedartown built a school in Cave Spring, to which the Sparkses contributed, with the understanding that if alcoholic liquors were ever sold in the town, the property would revert to the donors or their heirs. None has been sold there to this day. On March 5, 1856, a charter was issued to the Woodland Female Academy in Cedartown; Thomas H. Sparks was listed as a trustee. The history of the First Baptist Church of Cedartown records that among those contributing to an edifice built in 1845 (costing $1000 and having 'a commodious slave gallery') were: Thomas Sparks $75, and Elizabeth Sparks, his mother, $25. This history also notes that in 1860, 'Mr. Thomas Sparks sold his plantation and mansion to Marcus Burm, of Twiggs County. Mr. Sparks, with his pioneer spirit, moved westward to Arkansas.'
The story of how Thomas H. Sparks sold his plantation is intriguing. It occurred that Marcus Burm was enamored with the Sparks Plantation and on numerous occasions conjured what price would buy it. Invariably, it was not for sale. However, the story goes that the two met unexpectedly in Cedartown on a busy day, shortly before the Civil War began, when Mr. Bunn took occasion to again propound his question - 'What price today, Judge Sparks?' Hoping to end his importunities, the 'Judge' answered: 'Fifty thousand dollars in gold, in cash,' believing the price prohibitive. 'SOLD!' was the reply. Legend had it 'a shock and a blow.' Returning to the plantation, the 'Judge' confessed, 'Wife, I have sold the place.' (It was their custom to address each other as 'Wife' or 'Husband,' evidencing mutual respect). It being his first portentious decision without consulting her, she suggested he ask Mr. Bunn to release him from his commitment. He replied: 'I have given my word.' To honor his word, he sacrificed his home. (It has recently been found that the condition of 'Fifty thousand in gold, in cash' was a legend. There is on record in the Court House at Cedartown the detailed terms of payment, which was cash only.) Was it this "unfortunate" meeting that resulted in the family's moving from Georgia to Arkansas, and the seemingly premature death of Thomas H. Sparks?
Two vest pocket memorandum books kept by Thomas Hunter Sparks (now the property of Charles H. Smith), which came into possession of his son, William Daniel Sparks, after the death of his mother, Ann (Linton) Sparks, were recovered from the historic 1926 Florida flood, soaked and yellowed, at Punta Gorda, Florida. The entries vary from detail to sketchy and cover planting, reaping, selling, purchases, trips, produce left for stock and hogs, loans and repayments, and finally, references to his Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas investments. It is plantation life of a century ago and intriguing reading. The fact that three land scouting trips to Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas were made during the decade preceding the sale of the Cedar Valley Plantation suggests that the legendary element of surprise is pure fiction, unless the retention of "Cedar Valley" was also contemplated. No one is ieft who knows. Each trip had its distinctive flavor and is penned in infinite detail. Trips to Madison, Augusta, Richmond, and a resort spring in Tennessee are also recorded. In Richmond, slaves were bought, their names and prices paid being listed. The mid-western trips were made in mid-winter, requiring that he spend Christmas and New Years away from home. Expenditures are listed to the penny, newspapers and lemonade, paragoric and the three 'R's' (Radway's Ready Relief, 'A Sure Cure'). No item was too small to account for and none too large.
One diary records that on April 6, 1861, he, 25.2 Thomas H. Sparks, purchased from Michael Bozeman two tracts of land, totaling 2,240 acres in Clark County, Arkansas, for which he paid $12,000. Soon after this purchase, the family left the comforts of Cedar Valley to become pioneers in an expected "Promised Land." Upon arrival in Arkansas, they lived in a temporary house, remote from society. Sarah Jane Sparks, second child and eldest daughter, was in her fourteenth year and her younger brother, Thomas, in his twelfth. In order to attend school, it was necessary for them to go to Texas, a distance of 150 miles, where a school was taught by a Mr. Sparks (not related). The distance was covered on horseback, nights being spent with friends and acquaintances along the way. Of such was the maturity of youth in bygone days.
The Story of 25.2 Thomas Hunter Sparks (1814-1863), Continued