August 20, 2023
Pages 518-525
Whole Number 32
70.1.1 JEREMIAH SPARKS, SR., ca. 1765-1840
OF FRANKLIN AND MORGAN COUNTIES, GEORGIA
For a number of years, your editor, with the help of several members of the Association, has been gathering information on that branch of the Sparks family which lived in Franklin County, Georgia, during the late 1700's and early 1800's. Because this branch of the family was large and because several members who were contemporaries had the same forenames, research has been difficult. The present sketch deals primarily with just one member of this family and his descendants--70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., who moved from Franklin County to Morgan County, Georgia, where he died in 1840.
There were two men named Jeremiah Sparks living in Franklin County around 1800. They were closely related, but the degree of that relationship has not been determined. Various records have been found pertaining to each Jeremiah; because one consistently signed with a mark while the other signed his full name, it is possible to distinguish between them when their signatures appear on documents.
The 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr. with whom we are concerned in this sketch was the one who signed his name in his own hand, and he was frequently referred to either as "Sr." or "Esq." in the records, while the other Jeremiah was often referred to as "Jr.:
70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., was born between ca. 1760 (his age on the 1830 census was given as between 60 and 70), while Jeremiah Sparks, Jr., was slightly younger. It is not believed that Jeremiah, Jr., however, could have been the son of Jeremiah, Sr.; the designations "Sr." and "Jr." appear to have been used merely to distinguish the elder Jeremiah from the younger Jeremiah. This was a common practice.
Whereas the subject of this sketch, 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., moved from Franklin County to Morgan County, Georgia, 70.2.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Jr., moved to Gwinnett County, Georgia. He was listed in that county on the census of 1820 with a large family.
Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., probably was born in either Virginia or North Carolina. We know that he served as a soldier in the American Revolution because when his name was drawn in Georgia's "Fifth Land Lottery" in 1827 he was designated as being a Revolutionary Soldier. He was probably the Jeremiah Sparks whose name appears on the Revolutionary War Army Accounts in North Carolina as being a resident of Salisbury District (Salisbury District included the area which later comprised Rockingham County where we know Jeremiah lived during the latter part of the 1780's.)
The earliest record of Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., which we have found thus far is a deed dated May 13, 1785, by which he purchased from 70.1 Thomas and Margaret Sparks of Guilford County, North Carolina, a tract of land containing 402 acres. This land was located in that part of Guilford County which was cut off and became Rockingham County shortly after Jeremiah purchased his tract. He paid 50 pounds for this land, which was described in the deed as being "on the waters of Lick fork of Hogans Creek it being the survey or Tract of Land he [Thomas Sparks] now live on as will appear by a Deed bearing Date March lst 1780 containing by estimation fours hundred and two acres to wit Beginning at a white oak on John Thrashers line Running South one hundred and fifty poles to a black Jack thence west one hundred and fifty poles to a white oak thence North two hundred and sixty poles to a post oak on Mullens line to a Beach on the bank of the creek thence East one hundred and fifty poles to the Beginning." The witnesses to this deed were William Bethell and Isham Hancock, This tract was a part of a 452 acre tract granted to Thomas Sparks in 1780. Thomas Sparks sold the remaining 50 acres to Joseph McClain in 1786. (For abstracts of all the early Sparks deeds in Rockingham County, see William Perry Johnson's "Sparkses of Rockingham County, North Carolina" in the September, 1956, issue of The Sparks Quarterly, pp. 162-64. Whole No. 15.
In all probability, Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., was closely related to the Thomas Sparks from whom he bought this land. Perhaps Jeremiah was the son of Thomas Sparks. It is also quite possible that Thomas Sparks belonged to the Sparks family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and that he moved to North Carolina with his family ca. 1780. (Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and Rockingham County, North Carolina, adjoin each other.) See William Perry Johnson's "The Sparks Family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia" in the Quarterly of September, 1955, Whole No. 11 and of the March, 1956, issue, Whole No. 13).
Shortly after selling their land in Rockingham County, N.C., 70.1 Thomas and Margaret Sparks moved to Franklin County, Georgia.
On November 10, 1787, 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., sold 200 acres of the tract of 402 acres which he had purchased in 1785 to William Bethell for 120 pounds (whereas he had paid Thomas Sparks only 50 pounds for the entire tract of 402 acres two years earlier). In this deed, Jeremiah' s wife was called "Mary". The place of residence of Jeremiah and Mary was left blank in this deed, probably meaning they either had moved, or were about to move, away from Rockinghain County. Jeremiah signed his name in full while Mary signed by mark. (For a description of this land, see page 163 of the September, 1956, issue of the Quarterly, Whole No. 15.
On December 12, 1788, Jeremiah and his wife, Mary, sold the remaining 202 acres of their tract of land in Rockingham County, N.C., to William Bethell for 100 pounds. In this deed, Jeremiah and Mary were identified as "of Franklin County, Georgia." Jeremiah again signed his name while Mary signed by mark. (For a description of this tract, see page 163 of the Quarterly, Whole No.15).
Thus we know that 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., and his wife, Mary MNU, moved from Rockingham County, N.C., to Franklin County, Ga., ca. 1787-88. One other Sparks is known to have lived in Rockingham County and later in Franklin County, Ga. His name was 70.1.2 Thomas Sparks, Jr., and was a son of 70.1 Thomas and Margaret. On February 22, 1797, Thomas Sparks, Jr., purchased 108 acres of land in Rockingham County, N.C., from William Bethell. On August 25, 1798, 70.1.2 Thomas Sparks, Jr., "and wife Elizabeth" sold this same land to Jeremiah Odell and moved shortly thereafter to Franklin County, Ga. When the first land lottery was held in Georgia in 1805 to distribute land formerly held by the Creek Indians, Thomas, Jr., was listed in those records as "Thomas, son of Thomas.:
The earliest record pertaining to Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., in Franklin County which we have found thus far is dated August 15, 1790. On that date, Jeremiah Sparks and Thomas Sparks, Sr., were both chosen as jurors. On this record, Jeremiah's name was given as "Jere Sparks," and on later records he frequently used this abbreviation in his signature. On May 5, 1793, he was listed as an Ensign of the 4th Company of Franklin County Militia.
Unfortunately, the early records of Franklin County, Ga., are fragmentary. The earliest tax list for the county which has been found is dated 1798. Among the land owners were listed the following Sparkses:
| Name | Acres | Value | No. Dwelling House | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70.1.1 Jermh Sparks | 350 | $250 | 1 | $50 |
| 70.2.1 Jermh Sparks, Jr. | 100 | $ 80 | 1 | $30 |
| James Sparkes | 132 | $130 | 1 | $30 |
| Thomas Sparkes | 50 | $ 90 | 1 | $40 |
| 70.1.4 Elijah Sparkes | 198 | $150 | 1 | $40 |
The first Jeremiah, with 350 acres, is the one with whom we are concerned in this sketch. On the tax lists of 1802 and 1803, he was listed as "Jeremiah Sparks, Esq.:
He was a slave-owner, and sometime prior to 1797 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace in Franklin County. An early marriage which he performed as Justice of the Peace was discovered by chance recently in a War of 1812 pension application made by Louisa (Odom) Manasco of Walker County, Alabama, in 1853. Mrs. Manasco stated in her application that she and her husband had been married in Franklin County, Ga., on November 4, 1797, by Jeremiah Sparks, J.P. No systematic search has been made for documents on record in Franklin County which Jeremiah signed as Justice of the Peace. We have obtained photostats of all the Sparks deeds on record in the county, however, and on a number of these his signature appears. For instance, on January 27, 1801, Jeremiah Sparks, Jr., purchased 100 acres of land from Daniel Morgan and on the following day, January 28, 1801, Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., signed a sworn statement attached to the deed--his signature appears as "Jerre Sparks J.P.:
No deeds have been found in Franklin County by which Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., purchased land, although he was taxed for 350 acres in 1798 and for 340 acres in 1802. In 1802, he obtained a grant of 200 acres from the state of Georgia. On December 13, 1805, he sold what seems to have been his total estate at that time in Franklin County, consisting of 300 acres "on both forks of Eastnollee Creek." This deed of sale reveals that Jeremiah had purchased 100 acres of this tract from William Hay, and that the other 200 acres comprised his grant from the state. The entire tract, according to this deed, adjoined land owned by Elijah Sparks and Daniel Morgan. The deed was witnessed by Tho. D. Sparks and Jn. Smith. Jeremiah sold this land to Thomas Sparks for $200. (This was probably the Thomas Sparks, Jr., mentioned earlier, although when Thomas sold this same land in 1824 to Elijah Sparks (Book BB, pp. 55-6) his wife's name was given as Sarah rather than Elizabeth, apparently indicating a second marriage. 70.1.4 Elijah Sparks, mentioned earlier in this sketch, was probably a brother of Jeremiah, Sr.; he was born ca. 1770 and died in 1831 or 1832. Elijah Sparks married Judith Humphries.
Following are the known children of Elijah and Judith:
70.1.4.1 William I. (or J.) Sparks, born ca. 1796, married in 1822 Naomi Prickett, and moved to Fayette County, Alabama;
70.1.4.2 Sarah Sparks, born ca. 1800, married Thomas R. Williams;
70.1.4.3 Amelia Sparks, born June 15, 1803, married John Bryson Word;
70.1.4.4 Thomas K. Sparks, born ca. 1807, married 1826 Elizabeth J. Wyly;
70.1.4.5 Malinda Sparks, born ca. 1810, married Benajah Williams in 1830;
70.1.4.6 Mary Sparks, or Polly, married Jesse Carter Hooper; and
70.1.4.7 Daughter Sparks who married Matthew Robertson.
In 1805 was held the first land lottery in Georgia to dispose of vast tracts of land formerly occupied by the Creek Indians. Names were drawn from a list of citizens who had registered in 1803, These lists have been preserved and show that there were seven citizens of Georgia named Sparks living in Franklin County, as follows:
70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr.
70.1.2 Thomas Sparks (The older)
70.1.2.x Thomas Sparks (Son of Thomas)
70.1.3 James Sparks
70.1.4 Elijah Sparks
70.2.x Jeremiah Sparks
Thomas Sparks (The younger)
All of these except the last, "Thomas Sparks, The younger", were heads of families (entitled to two draws). In the lottery of 1805, two Sparkses from Franklin County were lucky--Elijah Sparks drew Lot No, 93 in the 5th District consisting of 202 1/2 acres located in Baldwin County which he sold to William Swife for $500 on December 10, 1805 (Morgan County Deed Book A, p. 4). The other lucky Sparks was one of the Jeremiahs, but the record does not make clear which one; he drew Lot No, 18 in the 2nd District, consisting of 202 1/2 acres also located in Baldwin County (in the section which later became Putnam County).
Exactly when Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., moved from Franklin County is not known. We know he was there as late as February 3, 1806, when he witnessed a deed. Morgan County was created in 1807 from Baldwin County. On June 3, 1811, Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the 280th District in Morgan County. He was reappointed on January 30, 1813, and on January 13, 1817. On July 8, 1811, he purchased a 202 1/2 acre tract (Lot 204, District 20) in Morgan County from John Shephard of Clarke County for $500 (Deed Book C, p. 227). The land was located on Hard Labour Creek. The deed was witnessed by Martin P. Sparks and Edmund Brantley. On November 2, 1815, Jeremiah purchased one-fourth of Lot 187, 5th District, located on Long Branch Creek in Morgan County from John Coggin for $130 (Book E, p. 280). Two days later he purchased from John Weaver another quarter of this same tract for $105 (Book E, p. 201). On November 24, 1815, Jeremiah purchased Lot 240, District 20, containing 202? acres, from Rebecca Patch for $20 (Book E, p. 67).
Throughout his life in Morgan County, 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., was closely associated with 25. Martin Peeples Sparks, born July 18, 1786. How these two men were related has not been determined, although 25. Martin P. may have been Jeremiah's son. (See the Quarterly of March, 1958, Whole No. 21 for data on Martin P. Sparks and his family.)
The earliest tax list on which Jeremiah's name appears in Morgan County is that of 1812. He was listed as owning two tracts in that settion of the county (20th District) which had been part of Baldwin County prior to 1807. One consisted of 165 acres and the other of 202 1/2 acres. He probably purchased the latter from someone who had drawn the lot in 1805. The next available tax list for Morgan County is the one for 1818. It shows Jeremiah Sparks as owning 235 acres on Hard Labour Creek in the 20th District of Morgan County. He was also listed as owning 202 1/2 acres on Buck Creek in the 19th District of Wilkinson County and 202? acres on Borygal Creek in the 6th District of Wilkinson County, Georgia.
When the 1820 census of Morgan County was taken, Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., was listed by name and was enumerated as a male over 45 years and the owner of eight slaves. In his family was also living one male between 10 and 16 years and one female over 45. On the 1830 census, which enumerated families in considerably greater detail with regard to age groups than did the census of 1820, Jeremiah was listed as between 60 and 70 years, with one female also aged between 60 and 70, and 12 slaves.
Since only the head of the family was listed by name in these early census records, we can never be sure of the identity of other members of a family. It would seem probable, however, that the female listed in 1820 and 1830 was Jeremiah's wife-perhaps his second wife if Mary had died before he moved to Morgan County.
As noted earlier, Jeremiah drew two lots in the land lottery of 1827. Both of these were located in Lee County, Georgia, one in the 1st District and the other in the 20th District. He was designated as "R.S." in this lottery, meaning "Revolutionary Soldier.:
Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., lived to be about 75 years old. On October 11, 1839, he made his will which is on record in Morgan County and reads as follows:
In the name of God Amen. I, Jeremiah Sparks, being of sound mind and disposing memory do make ordian [sic] and publish this my last will and testament.
Item 1st. I wish all my just debts paid.
Item 2nd. I will and bequeath to my son, Carter W. Sparks, at my death five negroes, to-wit: A man named Dick, a girl named Ann, a boy named Adam, and Nancy and Amelia, both girls. I further give to my son C. W. Sparks, two more negroes. Sall, a woman and Wilson, a yellow boy, the latter being given extra as more than I gave my other children.Item 3rd. I will to my daughter Malinda Arnould five negroes, to-wit: Lend, a man, Dilly, a woman and her child Mahaley, Beaney,a young woman, and Spencer, a boy for her use and at her death to be equally divided between the heirs of her body.
Item 4th. I will to my daughter Milly Crane, five negroes, to-wit: Rheany, a woman; Berry, a man; Sealy, a woman; Henry, a boy and Easter, a woman, to have and to hold during her life and at her death to be equally divided between the heirs of her body.
Item 5th. I will to my grandchildren, the children of my deceased daughter, Nancy Crane, all the negroes which I loaned to my daughter, Nancy Crane, in her life to be equally divided between them. I further will each of them one hundred dollars apiece.
Item 6th. I will to my grandson, Joshua Patrick, one hundred dollars to be paid out of the first money collected.
Item 7th. I will to my grandson, Ezekiel Partee, one hundred dollars, if he lives to be twenty-one years old.
Item 8th. I will all the rest due of my estate to be equally divided between my son, C. W. Sparks and my daughters, Malinda Arnold, Milley Crane and the children of deceased daughter Nancy Crane, they drawing the moiety which there Mother would be entitled to if in life.
Item 9th. I hereby appoint C. W. Sparks and Jas. B. Arnold my Executors to carry this my last will into Execution. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 11 of October, 1839.
Jeremiah Sparks
Test. J. Gerdine Johnston
Elijah E. Jones J.I.C.
The above will was submitted for probate at a sitting of the Inferior Court of Morgan County on January 4, 1841, Elijah E. Jones swearing that he had witnessed the will and that the deceased had been "of sound mind and disposing memory" at the time he signed the will. It would appear from the date of probate that Jeremiah Sparks had died late in 1840. His name was not listed on the census of that year.
Our only record of the children of 70.1.1 Jeremiah Sparks, Sr., is that contained in his will. Nothing is known of the two grandsons mentioned, Joshua Patrick and Ezekiel Partee, although in 1857 and 1858 the latter signed receipts for his share of his grandfather's estate. Following is the information we have been able to gather on the four children listed by name in Jeremiah's will:
70.1.1.1 Milly (or Emily) Sparks, daughter of Jeremiah, was born ca. 1790. In his will, Jeremiah left five slaves to his daughter Milly. In the later settlement of the estate, Milly's husband was identified as Abijah Crain of Van Buren County, Tenn. On the 1850 census of Van Buren County, Abijah Crain was listed as a Minister of Gospel, aged 65, born in North Carolina. His wife's name was given as Emily (probably a variation of Milly) aged 60, born in Georgia. A large number of persons named Crain were living near each other in Van Buren County, Tenn,, in 1850, and several were probably sons of Abijah and Milly. One known son was
70.1.1.1.1 Martin P. Crain, aged 27 (born ca. 1823), who was surely a namesake of 25. Martin Peeples Sparks. Living nearby.
70.1.1.1.2 Oliver C. Crain born ca. 1825. Living next door to Abijah in 1850 was
70.1.1.1.3 Sparks Crain, aged 20 (born ca. 1830), whose name appears in another record as Jeremiah Sparks Crain.70.1.1.2 Malinda Sparks, daughter of Jeremiah, was married in Morgan County on August 13, 1816, to James B. Arnold. Little is known of this family, James B. Arnold was listed on the 1840 census of Morgan County as between 40 and 50 years of age and his wife was listed as between 30 and 40 (thus Malinda appears to have been born between 1800 and 1810). From the 1840 census it would appear that they had eleven children.
70.1.1.3 Nancy Sparks, daughter of Jeremiah, died before 1839. In his will, Jeremiah speaks of Nancy as deceased and left her share of his estate to her children. From the papers settling his estate, it appears that Nancy had married Stephen Crain, and that they had had the following children:
70.1.1.3.1 John D. Crain,
70.1.1.3.2 William Crain,
70.1.1.3.3 Abijah Crain,
70.1.1.3.4 Dixon Crain,
70.1.1.3.5 Bethel Crain,
70.1.1.3.6 Jerry Sparks Crain was a resident of Osage County, Missouri, in 1844;
70.1.1.3.7 Stephen Crain.The others were residents of Tippah County, Mississippi.
70.1.1.4 Carter Walton Sparks, the only son mentioned in Jeremiah's will, was born May 28, 1797, and died July 7, 1877. Throughout his life, Carter W. Sparks was closely associated with Martin Peeples Sparks, and it is the belief of a number of descendants that they were brothers. (See the Quarterly of March, 1958, Whole No. 21.) If this was their relationship, it is difficult to understand why Jeremiah made no mention of Martin in his will. It is true that Martin P. Sparks had died two years prior to the date on which Jeremiah made his will, but since Jeremiah was so careful to refer to the children of his deceased daughter in his will, and to two other grandchildren, it would seem that he would have referred likewise to Martin's son, Thomas Hunter Sparks, had Martin actually been his son.
Carter Walton Sparks married Susan Cade Whatley, who was born February 8, 1803, and died February 10, 1876. Both were buried in the Cave Spring, Georgia, Cemetery. Susan C. Whatley is said to have been a niece of Elizabeth Whatley, wife of Martin P. Sparks. It is believed that Susan was the daughter of William K. Whatley, for when the latter's will was filed in Morgan County, Ga., on January 10, 1823, Carter Sparks was given a slave named Nat valued at $300.
Carter Walton Sparks was listed on the 1830 census of Morgan County with his wife and two daughters, both under five years. In the 1832 land lottery he "drew" 384 acres of Cherokee land, bit it is not known in what county this was located, although he later settled in Floyd County. The military records of Georgia indicate that he was a militia captain in Morgan County from 1824 to 1831 and a major from 1831 to 1833. by 1835, Carter W. Sparks had moved to Alabama, for a deed dated August 6, 1835, which is recorded in Morgan County, records the sale of a lot in Morgan County to Martha Fowley by Carter Sparks. In this deed, Carter was identified as being of Benton County, Alabama. 25. Martin P. Sparks and 25.2 Thomas H. Sparks both witnessed the deed. (Thomas H. was a son of Martin P.)
How long Carter W. Sparks remained in Alabama is not known--only one Alabama record has been found pertaining to him: In the Huntsville, Alabama, Democrat of October 7, 1835, it is stated that the Committee of Vigilance had met at Springville in St. Clair County, Ala., and that Carter W. Sparks was one of those who attended. by 1840 he had returned to Georgia and was living near Cave Spring in Floyd County. According to the census of 1840, he was the owner of seven slaves. He continued to live in Floyd County for the remainder of his life and by the time of the Civil War had become a prosperous plantation owner. The 1860 census valued his real estate at $6,000 and his personal property at $22,000. He owned a total of 23 slaves at that time.
Carter W. Sparks took an interest in all educational institutions of his area. He supported a Deaf and Dumb Institute and, according to some of the early records, boarded a number of the male students in his home. He was one of the early trustees of the Hearn School.
Like other Southern aristocrats, Carter W. Sparks lost most of his property during the Civil War. Before the war began, however, he sold his plantation to two of his sons-in-law, A. T. Harper and Alfred J. King. When the 1870 census was taken, his total property was valued at only $700. He died on July 7, 1877. He did not leave a will.
Carter W. and Susan (Whatley) Sparks were the parents of the following children:
70.1.1.4.1 Frances Sparks, born prior to 1830, married Thomas Blackman (or Blackborn). They had a son named Sparks Blackman (or Blackborn) born ca. 1847. by 1850, Frances had died and on the census of that year her husband and son were living with Carter W. Sparks.
70.1.1.4.2 Tabitha Sparks was born in December, 1829, and died on October 29, 1860, at the age of 30 years and 10 months. She was living in Floyd County, Georgia, at the time of her death. She married Alexander King who was born in 1819 in Floyd County and died in 1895 in Atlanta. They were the parents of the following children:
70.1.1.4.2.1 Jack King.
70.1.1.4.2.2 Samuel Stephens King, who died October 7, 1899, at the age of 48 years. He married Miss Eva Wright of Floyd County.
70.1.1.4.2.3 A. J. King, Jr.
70.1.1.4.2.4 Frances King, born April 23, 1853, died May 25, 1914. She married (first) Judge Francis Kirby, by whom she had one daughter,1.4.2.4.1 May Kirby, who died in November, 1947.
Frances married (second) W. R. Dimmock by whom she had one son,
1.4.2.4.2 Avery Miller Dimmock, born November 11, 1893, in Atlanta, Georgia.
70.1.1.4.3 Mary Sparks, born ca. 1833; married (first) Col. Abbott of Atlanta, (second) a Dr. Columbus Smith of Atlanta.
70.1.1.4.4 Elizabeth Sparks, born ca. 1835, married September 28, 1852, Alexander T. Harper of Cave Spring. He was born March 25, 1832. They had children named:
70.1.1.4.4.1 Bessie Harper
70.1.1.4.4.2 Armstead Harper
70.1.1.4.4.3 Ella Harper
70.1.1.4.4.4 Fannie Harper
70.1.1.4.4.5 Grace Harper
70.1.1.4.4.6 Mattie Harper.70.1.1.4.5 William Martin Sparks, born July 9, 1836, died July 19, 1896, at Cedartown, Georgia. He married Mary Elizabeth Phillipps at Cedartown on December 25, 1875. She was a daughter of William and Carolyne (Brooks) Phillipps, and was born September 8, 1854, and died July 29, 1896, near Cedartown. They were the parents of the following children, all born at Cedartovm, Georgia:
70.1.1.4.5.1 Dabney P. Sparks, born September 7, 1876, died April 5, 1956.
70.1.1.4.5.2 Eugenia Sparks, born April 25, 1876, died February 10, 1888.
70.1.1.4.5.3 Elizabeth Sparks, born January 24, 1880, died 1960.
70.1.1.4.5.4 Thomas C. Sparks, born March 9, 1883.
70.1.1.4.5.5 William Sparks, born August 26, 1886, died April 30, 1954.
70.1.1.4.5.6 Hugh B. Sparks, born August 25, 1887, died September 17, 1887.70.1.1.4.6 Rebecca Sparks, born December 29, 1837, died June 15, 1901. She married Prof. John Randolph Seals, born July 27, 1822, died March 12, 1900. Both were buried in Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. They were the parents of the following children:
70.1.1.4.6.1 Mary Seals, unmarried.
70.1.1.4.6.2 Claude C. Seals, born October 8, 1861, died January 18, 1908, unmarried.
70.1.1.4.6.3 Thomas Albert Seals, born December 20, 1863, died August 22, 1897. With his brother Claude he established the Seals Brothers, a music business selling pianos and organs, which later became known as Seals Pianos Co. In 1892 Seals Hall was the cultural center of Birmingham, where all lectures and concerts were presented. For years this Hall served a vital need for the growing community. Thomas Albert Seals married Ettie Harris, daughter of Dr. Bruce and Emily (Denson) Harris. They had two children:70.1.1.4.6.3.1 Mildred Rebecca Seals, and
70.1.1.4.6.3.2 Alberta Seals.70.1.1.4.6.4 Medora Seals, born 1865, married William Henry Wyatt. They had one son, Henry Wyatt, Jr., who had a son who died young.
70.1.1.4.6.5 Robert Lee Seals, born February 12, 1868, died June 11, 1935. He came from Georgia as a young man and worked with his older brothers in the music business. Shortly after Albert's death, Claude retired from the usiness and Robert continued the operation. Since then the Seals Piano Co. was known as "Alabama's Oldest Piano House." He married Julia Longstreet Blackwell of Morgan County, Ala., daughter of Augustus and Eleanor (Collier) Blackwell. They had the following children:70.1.1.4.6.5.1 Vivian Blackwell Seals
70.1.1.4.6.5.2 Robert Haywood Seals
70.1.1.4.6.5.3 Thomas Albert Seals
70.1.1.4.6.5.4 Eleanor Rebecca Seals
70.1.1.4.6.5.5 Jack Raymond Seals
70.1.1.4.6.5.6 John A. Seals70.1.1.4.6.6 Annie Seals, born 1871, died 1929; married (first) John Parks Dawson, born September 9, 1870, died December 8, 1903; (second) Dr. Frank L. Whitman, born 1876, died 1935. by her first husband, she had the following children:
70.1.1.4.6.6.1 Dora Dawson, married Joseph Rowoll;
70.1.1.4.6.6.2 John Randolph Dawson, unmarried;
70.1.1.4.6.6.3 Bessie Dawson, married Dr. Mark Butler.70.1.1.4.6.7 Herbert M. Seals, born May 30, 1874, died October 28, 1934, unmarried.
70.1.1.4.6.8 Susie Seals, married William Wyatt, her brother-in-law; they had two children:70.1.1.4.6.8.1 Rebecca Wyatt, married Joseph Isbell
70.1.1.4.6.8.2 Joseph WyattSusie Seals married (second) Dr. Kirksey of Kentucky; and (third) Lee Kinsman of North Carolina. She died in 1958.
70.1.1.4.6.9 Nell Seals, born September 6, 1881, died July 19, 1950. She married (first) John K. Warren; (second) William J. Pratt; (third) Charles W. Chambers of Colorado Springs, CO. No children.
70.1.1.4.7 Eugenia Sparks was born ca. 1840. Her name was given as Clara on the 1850 census. She married John Green and had a son named Wallace Green.
70.1.1.4.8 Susan Ella Sparks, born ca. 1842. She married Poleman King of Cave Spring. No children.
70.1.1.4.9 Thomas Carter Sparks, born ca. 1844. He married Fannie Shropshire. They had children named:70.1.1.4.9.1 LaMarch Sparks
70.1.1.4.9.2 Cade Sparks
70.1.1.4.9.3 Marion Sparks
70.1.1.4.9.4 King Sparks
70.1.1.4.9.5 Jimmy Sparks