October 7, 2023

Pages 1831-1832
Whole Number 94

In the Quarterly of June 1959, pp. 382-394, Whole No. 26, we published a record of the descendants of 1.2.5.1.7 Solomon Sparks, Jr., and his wife Charity of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Solomon Sparks, Jr., who died in 1817, was a son of 1.2.5.1 Solomon and Sarah Sparks who moved from Frederick County, Maryland, to North Carolina, settling near Salisbury in Rowan County, in 1753. Solomon Sparks, Jr., lived his entire life in Wilkes County, N.C., near the boundary between Wilkes and Surry Counties; he was a farmer by occupation. by his wife, Charity, he had six sons:

1.2.5.1.7.1 George Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.2 Solomon Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.3 William Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.4 Samuel Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.5 Jonathan Sparks, and
1.2.5.1.7.6 Joseph Sparks.

1.2.5.1.7.1 George Sparks, believed to have been the oldest son, was born ca. 1788. He married Delila MNU ca. 1806. Prior to 1830, George and Delila, with their ten children, migrated from Wilkes County, N.C., to Randolph County, Indiana. An eleventh child (Correction: 13th), Mary Ellen Sparks, was born in Indiana. Later the family moved to Wells County, Indiana, where George Sparks died in 1843. The children of George and Delila Sparks were:

1.2.5.1.7.1.1 Dicey Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.2 Aaron Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.3 Elizabeth Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.4 Sarah Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.5 Faribee (Phereby) Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.6 Lydia Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.7 Matilda Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.8 George Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.9 Solomon Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.10 Jane Sparks
1.2.5.1.7.1.11 Abel Sparks,
1.2.5.1.7.1.12 Delila Sparks, and
1.2.5.1.7.1.13 Mary Ellen Sparks.

At the time the above mentioned article was published, we had very little information regarding Mary Ellen Sparks, youngest daughter of George and Delila. Recently a granddaughter of Mary Ellen joined the Association and has supplied us with information about her. We are grateful to Florence Norris DeSelms (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.), for this information and for loaning us the original of the photograph appearing just below (on page 1832).

1.2.5.1.7.1.13 Mary Ellen Sparks (whose nickname was Molly), daughter of George and Delila Sparks, was born January 30, 1832, in Indiana. She married Elias Wilcoxson in Wells County, Indiana, on December 6, 1851 (Marriage Book 2, p. 90). Elias Wilcoxson served in the Civil War (Company K, 75th Indiana Infantry) and later received a pension. According to his application, Elias Wilcoxson was born May 6, 1830, in Surry County, N.C., although a family Bible record gives the year as 1829. Like the Sparks family, his parents, Jesse and Sarah Elizabeth (Denny) Wilcoxson, moved from North Carolina to Randolph County, Ind., then to Wells County. He died on February 4, 1913, at Pentwater, Michigan, in the home of his brother, James C. Wilcoxson. There is some confusion regarding the date of death of Mary Ellen (Sparks) Wilcoxson. According to family records, she died on February 12, 1913, in Wells County, Ind., but according to the pension application of Elias Wilcoxson, he married (as his second wife) Margaret Dewitt on March 1, 1889, in Wells County. A claim for reimbursement for care and medical service during Elias Wilcoxson's last illness states that both of his wives were dead.

The family Bible that belonged to Charles A. Wilcoxson (son of Elias and Mary Ellen (Sparks) Wilcoxson, is now owned by Mrs. Hazel Crabill, daughter of Charles A. Wilcoxson of Warsaw, Ind. In it is a list of the children of Elias and Marry Ellen (Sparks) Wilcoxson, as follows:

1.2.5.1.7.1.13.1 Solomon Wilcoxson, born December 31, 1852.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.2 William Wilcoxson, born September 22, 1854, died December 17, 1940.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.3 Henry Wilcoxson, born 3 February 1857, died June 14, 1938.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.4 Daniel Wilcoxson, born August 23, 1859, died July 14, 1933.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.5 Johnnie Wilcoxson, born May 10, 1862, died in infancy.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.6 Sarah Wilcoxson, born January 23, ----, died early.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.7 Amos ["Jack"] Wilcoxson, born September 16, 1867.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.8 Alexander ["Alec"] Wilcoxson, born January 30, 1869, died June 13, 1908.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.9 Charles A. Wilcoxson, born February 4, 1871, died December 23, 1939.
1.2.5.1.7.1.13.10 Mary Ellen Wilcoxson, born April 2, 1872, died September 27, 1906. Mary Ellen Wilcoxson married Marion Warden Norris on May 22, 1893. They were the parents of

1.2.5.1.7.1.13.10.1 Florence N. DeSelms who has furnished us with this information.

The original of the above photograph is owned by Florence DeSelms. " Mrs. DeSelms has identified the lady standing (in the center) as Mary Ellen (Sparks) Wilcoxson, daughter of George and Delila Sparks, who was born in 1832.
On the back is printed "Markle, Ind. M.C. Walker, (photographer).
Judging from her probable age, it would seem that this photograph was taken sometime in the 1870's. We have not been able to identify the two older ladies sitting and holding their Bibles, but it seems quite possible that they were two of Mary Ellen's older sisters. We hope that someone will be able to identify them.

[Webmaster Note: I have no idea why this data is stuck in the middle of a different branch of the family! So I moved it to the end of this article. Perhaps the original author got these Jonathans and Solomons confused??]

Speculation on the parentage of Jonathan Sparks who married Rachel Swaim.

A Jonathan Sparks married Rachel Swaim in November, 1817, in Surry County, North Carolina (marriage bond dated November 26, 1817; William Sparks, bondsman) and was living in Surry County when the 1820 census was taken, aged 26 to 45, with his wife who was between 16 and 26, with two sons and one daughter under 10.

[Webmaster:]

Possibilities:
1.2.5.1.7.5 Jonathan Sparks, born in 1800.
1.2.5.8 Jonathan Sparks, married in 1819.
1.2.5.1.1.6 Jonathan Sparks, born in 1792.

[Webmaster:

1.2.5.1.7.5 Jonathan Sparks, born in 1800, son of 1.2.5.1.7 Solomon and Charity Sparks. Likely this would not be him, as he probably was not married when his father died December 18, 1817.

1.2.5.8 Jonathan Sparks, son of 1.2.5 Joseph and Mary Sparks, was listed on the 1820 census of Wilkes County, North Carolina, aged 18 to 26, with his wife, aged 16 to 18, and one son under 10. This Jonathan Sparks must have married ca. 1818. He could have married at the end of 1817. Marriage to Rachel Swaim is more likely than the one above.

1.2.5.1.1.6 Jonathan Sparks, son of 1.2.5.1.1 Joseph Sparks (d.1820) was born in 1792. This is most likely the Jonathan who married Rachel Swaim. This marriage is reported in Whole No. 72.

These two Jonathan Sparkses were probably first cousins. Which one was the son of 1.2.5.1 Solomon and Charity is difficult to determine, although probably it was the one in Wilkes County. What became of him is not known--he was not listed on the subsequent Wilkes County records.

The 1.2.5.1.7.5 Jonathan Sparks who married Rachel Swaim was probably a son of 1.2.5.1.7 John and Sarah Shores Sparks. [NOTE: False].

by 1840 this 1.2.5.1.7.5 Jonathan Sparks had moved to Franklin County, Tennessee and was still there in 1850.

On the 1850 census of Franklin County, a 1.2.5.1.7.2 1.2.5.1.1.5 Solomon Sparks, aged 60, with his wife Susan, aged 48, and family, is listed as living near Jonathan and Sarah Sparks. This Solomon Sparks was probably also a son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks; his children, as listed on the 1850 census were:

Mary E. Sparks,
George Sparks,
John Sparks,
Hannah Sparks,
Carroll Sparks,
Peter Sparks,
Jane Sparks,
Alfred Sparks, and
Lucinda Sparks.

1.2.5.1.1.5.1 Nancy C. Sparks, aged 20, born ca. 1830
1.2.5.1.1.5.2 George Sparks aged 19, born ca. 1831
1.2.5.1.1.5.3 John Sparks aged 17, born ca. 1833
1.2.5.1.1.5.4 Hannah Sparks aged 16, born ca. 1834
1.2.5.1.1.5.5 Carroll Sparks aged 14, born ca. 1836
1.2.5.1.1.5.6 Peter Sparks aged 10, born ca. 1840
1.2.5.1.1.5.7 Jane Sparks aged 8, born ca. 1842
1.2.5.1.1.5.8 Alfred Sparks aged 7, born ca. 1843
1.2.5.1.1.5.9 Lucinda Sparks aged 4, born ca. 1846

From the census records of 1850 and 1860, it would appear that 1.2.5.1.1.6 Jonathan and Rachel (Swaim) Sparks had the following children born between 1828 and 1843:

1.2.5.1.1.6.1 Jacob Sparks,
1.2.5.1.1.6.2 Cynthia Sparks,
1.2.5.1.1.6.3 Isabella Sparks,
1.2.5.1.1.6.4 Jane Sparks,
1.2.5.1.1.6.5 John C. Sparks,
1.2.5.1.1.6.6 Edward Sparks, and
1.2.5.1.1.6.7 Sarah F Sparks.

There were doubtless older children who had left home by 1850, born between 1817 and 1828.

Return to the Original Article: DESCENDANTS OF 1.2.5.1.7 SOLOMON SPARKS, JR., (DIED 1817)
and HIS WIFE CHARITY
of WILKES COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

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