January 15, 2022
Pages 1389-1391
Whole Number 73
CHURCH RECORDS OF ST. LUKE'S PARISH, CHURCH HILL
QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND
(Editor's Note: Old Chester Church. St. Paul's Parish, was probably the first church building on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and was probably built ca. 1640-50. As originally created, the parish embraced the area from the head of the Chester River southward to the Wye River and included portions of both Kent and Talbot Counties. The actual church building was located about a mile southwest of Centreville on the road to Queenstown.
The church building at Church Hill, Maryland, was built at least as early as 1716 as a chapel-of-ease for St. Paul's Parish; however, it was not until ca. 1728 that the General Assembly divided St. Paul's Parish and created a new parish to be called St. Luke's. Its southern boundary apparently was the Corsica River to the head of Three Bridges branch thence southeast across Tuckahoe River to Choptank River to the Province of Delaware.
Descendants of William Sparks apparently transferred their memberships from St. Paul's to St. Luke's when the latter was created in 1728-- in fact they probably had no choice in the matter since their land was now contained in the new parish. During the next two decades, marriages, births and deaths were recorded in the registers of St. Luke's and fortunately have been preserved.
John Frederick Dorman has made a careful search of the original records of births, marriages and deaths as recorded in St. Luke's Parish. Following are the entries pertaining to persons named Sparks. Here they have been arranged alphabetically for convenience. Items enclosed in brackets have been inserted from a heading in the record preceding the entry in question. The dates have been copied as they were written.
It should be recalled that prior to l752, England and her colonies still followed the Julian Calendar while most other European countries had changed to the Gregorian Calendar. The differences were two: the Julian Calendar was eleven days behind the Gregorian, and under the Julian Calendar the new year began on March 25. Thus, in the first entry below, Absolum Sparks was born, according to the Julian Calendar, in 1740 which began on March 25 and ended on the following March 24. According to the Gregorian Calendar, he would have been born on January 26,1741, rather than January 15, 1740. Sometimes in recording a date falling between January 1 and March 25, a clerk would add the Gregorian year. Thus, when the death of WM. Sparks Junr. was recorded, the date was given as "Janry 15th 1730/1." According to the Jutian Calendar, he died in 1730, but according to the Gregorian Calendar he died in 1731. During The years preceding 1752, it became increasingly common in the Colonies to celebrate January 1st as the new year and clerks would sometimes begin writing the new year after January 1st instead of waiting until March 25. This may be the explanation for Rachal D. Sparks's having been baptized on January 12, 1741, but whose birthdate appears to have been given as October 1731.
| page 14 | Absolum Sparks son to John and Sarah Sparks January 15 1740 [Baptized Apl. 19 1741] |
| page 12 | 1.2.4.2.3 Ann Sparks Daughter to 1.2.4.2 George and Sarah Sparks Jany the 8,1740 |
| page 4 | Benjamin Sparks adult [baptized] Apl. 22d 1738 |
| page 8 | 1.2.2.2.2 David Sparks Son of 1.2.2.2 Joseph and Eliza Sparks August 18 1737 |
| page 1 | 1.2.2.1.1 Elizabeth Sparks Daughter of 1.2.2.1 George and Eliz. Sparks, April 7, 17[?] |
| page 1 | 1.2.2.2.1.2 George Sparks Son of 1.2.2.1 George and Elizabeth Sparks October 7, 1738 |
| page 14 | James Sparks son to John and Rachel Sparks January 2 1741 [baptized September 25 1741] |
| page 18 | 1.2.2.3.3 Jemima Sparks Daughter to 1.2.2.3 Jonas and Mary Sparks November 10 [1741] [baptized May 16 1742] |
| page 29 | Jonas Hinson Wright son of Benjamin and Mary Sparks March 23 1751 |
| page 1 | 1.2.2.3.1 Lambert Sparks Son of 1.2.2.3 Jonas and Mary Sparks March 16, 173[?] |
| page 5 | Mary Sparks, daughter of John and Sarah Sparks January 30, 1738 |
| page 23 | Mary Sparks Daughter of John and Rachel Sparks May 11 [1744] [baptized 1744] |
| page 23 | 1.2.2.2.3 Mary Sparks Daughter of 1.2.2.2 Joseph and Eliz Sparks July 25, 1744 [baptized 1744] |
| page 13 | 1.2.2.3.2 Mary Ann Sparks, Daughter to 1.2.2.3 Jonas and Mary Sparks March 2, 1739 [baptized July 1740] |
| page 14 | Mary Ann Sparks D(aughter] to Benjn and Mary Sparks June 28 1741 [baptized September 25, 1741] |
| page 15 | 1.2.4.4.1 Rachel Sparks Daughter of 1.2.4.4 Millington and Mabel Sparks January 12, 1741 [baptized] Octor 1741 [?] |
| page 1 | 1.2.2.1.2 Rebecca Sparks, Daughter of 1.2.2.1 George and Eliz. Sparks May 16, 17[?] |
| page 5 | 1.2.4.2.2 Richard Sparks, Son of 1.2.4.2 George and Sarah Sparks September 8, 1738 |
| page 5 | 1.2.4.2.1 Sarah Sparks Daughter of 1.2.4.2 George and Sarah Sparks November 1,1733 |
| page 5 | Sarah Sparks daughter of John and Sarah Sparks January 30 [1738] |
| page 1 | 1.2.2.1.3 Thomas Sparks Son of 1.2.2.1 George and Elizabeth Sparks January 8, 1736 |
| page 13 | Uraly Sparks Daughter of 1.2.2.4 James and Rebecca Sparks, December 13 1741 [baptized] June 2 |
| page 3 | William Sparks Son of John and Rachel Sparks March 1, 1737 [baptized May 20] |
| page 4 | 1.2.5.10 William Sparks son of 1.2.5 Joseph and Mary Sparks, April 27, 1738 [baptized june 4 1738] |
| page 15 | WilliamSparks son of Solomon and Esther Sparks November 3, 1738 |
| page 29 | 1.2.2.4.2 William Sparks son of 1.2.2.4 James and Rebeccah Sparks June 4, 1751 |
Marriages from the Register of St. Luke's Parish,
Queen Anne's County, Maryland,1728-1860
| page 45 | Abigal Sparks and Henry Tippings [May] 18 [1737] pubi. [i.e. by publication of banns] |
| page 68 | Abner Sparks and Mary Ann Bolton, Augt 24 1758 [Put.] |
| page 59 | 1.2.4.10 Absolam Sparks and Elizabeth Brown, Novemr 17 1748 Lics. [i.e. by license rather than publication of banns] |
| page 68 | Araminta Sparks and James Daley April 20 1758 [pub.] |
| page 46 | Banjamin Sparks and Mary Baley May 18: 1738 [publ] |
| page 56 | 1.2.4.8 Caleb Sparks and Hanah O'Bryan, [March] 19 [1745] |
| page 69 | 1.2.2.2.2 David Sparks and Mary Tippins Febry 20, 1769 C Pub.] |
| page 63 | Edward Sparks and Rebecca Banks July 21 1752 [Lic.] |
| page 64 | Eliza. Sparks and John Sinott October 28 1755 [Lic.] |
| page 39b | 1.2.2.1 George Sparks and Elizabeth Rickets [September ] 14, 1729 |
| page 40 | 1.2.4.2 George Sparks and Sarah Salisbury, [Dec] 3, 1730 |
| page 45 | James Sparks and Eliz: Barkhurst, [February] 9 [1737] Publ |
| page 65 | John Sparks Junr and Catherine Hayse Janry 1 1756 [pub.] |
| page 40 | 1.2.2.3 Jonas Sparks and Mary Sinnot August 4 1731 |
| page 40 | Joseph Sparks and Elizabeth Kelly [Nov] 18 1731 |
| page 68 | Mary Sparks and William Wilkinson April 6 1758 Pub. |
| page 48 | 1.2.4.4 Millington Sparks and Mabel Ruth, Febry 9 [1740/1] |
| page 69 | Nathan Sparks and Eliza Bolton, Febry 20 1759 [pub.] |
| page 64 | Rachel Sparks and William Scott October 28 1755 [Lic.] |
| page 65 | Rhoda Sparks and James Linch June 2 1756 [pub.] |
| page 53 | Sarah Sparks and Thomas Vallintine Honey July the 10 [1743] |
| page 56 | Sarah Sparks and John Moor, June the 25 [1745] |
| page 57 | Sarah Sparks and John Offley Collins [Febry] 10 [1746/7] |
| page 70 | Sarah Sparks and Thomas Thompson Augt. 9 1759 Pub. |
| page 49 | Ursley Sparks and William Gregory, Decemr 22 [1741] |
| page 41 | William Sparks and Mary Courmon[?] [August] 24, 1732 |
| page 46 | William Sparks and Ellinor Brooks Augt 30: 1738 [publ] |
| page 71 | William Sparks [son] of Solo. (and) Anne E. Warham September 17 1816 |
Deaths from the Register of St. Luke's Parish
| Page 76 | Anne the wife of William Sparkes deced December 16 1730 |
| Page 76 | Wm.Sparks Junr. (1.4.1) Decd Janry 15th 1730/1 |
| Page 79 | Old John Sparks died April 19 Buried April 26 [1737] |
| Page 79 | Cornelia Sparks [died] Dr. 22 [Buried December] 29 [1737] |
(Note: The 1.2.4.1 William Sparks, Jr., who died on January 15, 1730/1, was a son of 1.2.4 John and Cornelia Sparks; he was called "junior" to distinguish him from his uncle, 1.2.1 William Sparks, born ca. 1674.)