Husband: Absalom SPARKS
Birthdate: Abt 1771
Birthplace: , Rowan, North Carolina, USA
Death date: Aft 1825
Place of death: , Pope, Arkansas, USA
Burial:
Father: Matthew SPARKS (1732-1793)
Mother: Sarah THOMPSON (Abt 1732-1831)

Marriage date: Abt 1790
Marriage place: , Franklin, Georgia, USA

Wife: Lydia ELSBERRY
Birthdate: Abt 1774
Birthplace: , Wilkes, North Carolina, USA
Death date: Deceased
Place of death:
Burial:
Father: Benjamin ELSBERRY (Abt 1740-????)
Mother: Francina ??? (Abt 1743-????)

CHILDREN

Child No. 1: Elsberry SPARKS
Sex: M
Birthdate: Abt 1791
Birthplace: , Franklin, Georgia, USA
Death date: Abt 1865
Place of death: , Johnson, Texas, USA
Burial:
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names: [1?] Mary ??? (1795-????) [2?] Olivia ??? (Abt 1810-????)

Child No. 2: Benjamin SPARKS
Sex: M
Birthdate: Abt 1793
Birthplace: , Franklin, Georgia, USA
Death date: Deceased
Place of death:
Burial:
Marriage date: 15 Jan 1814
Marriage place: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA
Spouses' names: Dicey TIDWELL (Abt 1795-????)

Child No. 3: Mary SPARKS
Sex: F
Birthdate: Abt 1795
Birthplace:
Death date: Deceased
Place of death:
Burial:
Marriage date: 12 Nov 1813
Marriage place: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA
Spouses' names: Allen MILLER (Abt 1790-????)

Child No. 4: Frances SPARKS
Sex: F
Birthdate: Abt 1796
Birthplace: , , Illinois, USA
Death date: Deceased
Place of death:
Burial:
Marriage date: 6 Jun 1814
Marriage place: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA
Spouses' names: Hiram TIDWELL (Abt 1795-????)

Child No. 5: Matthew SPARKS (1)
Sex: M
Birthdate: 1799
Birthplace: , , South Carolina, USA (2)
Death date: Aft 1849
Place of death: , Sabine, Texas, USA
Burial:
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names: Elizabeth ??? (1807-????) (3)

Child No. 6: Sarah SPARKS (4)
Sex: F
Birthdate: Abt 1799
Birthplace: (5)
Death date: Deceased
Place of death:
Burial:
Marriage date: 19 Nov 1813
Marriage place: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA (7)
Spouses' names: Lewis BOATWRIGHT (Abt 1795-????) (6)

Child No. 7: Willoughby SPARKS (8,9,10,11)
Sex: M
Birthdate: 1802
Birthplace: , Clarke, Georgia, USA (12)
Death date: Bet 1858 and 1863
Place of death: , , Texas, USA
Burial:
Marriage date: Cir 1824
Marriage place: , , Arkansas, USA
Spouses' names: Mary BOATWRIGHT (1809-After 1861) (13,14,15,16)

Child No. 8: Eady SPARKS
Sex: F
Birthdate: Abt 1806
Birthplace: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA
Death date: Abt 1849
Place of death: , Washington, Texas, USA
Burial:
Marriage date: 21 Apr 1838
Marriage place: , Nacogdoches, Texas, USA (17)
Spouses' names: Drury McGEE (Abt 1805-Bef 1906)

Child No. 9: Lydia SPARKS
Sex: F
Birthdate: Abt 1808
Birthplace: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA (18)
Death date: Abt 1868
Place of death: , Falls, Texas, USA
Burial:
Marriage date: Abt 1824
Marriage place:
Spouses' names: Friend BOATWRIGHT (Abt 1805-1848) (19)

Child No. 10: Absalom SPARKS Jr
Sex: M
Birthdate: Abt 1810
Birthplace: , Gallatin, Illinois, USA
Death date: Deceased
Place of death:
Burial:
Marriage date: 21 May 1840
Marriage place: , Sevier, Arkansas, USA
Spouses' names: Emaline THOMPSON (Abt 1815-????)
 
 
Documentation:
1. 1850 Federal Census, Texas, Sabine, pg 314B, hh #67. Matthew Sparks.
2. 1850 Federal Census, Texas, Sabine, pg 314B, hh #67. age 50, South Carolina.
3. 1850 Federal Census, Texas, Sabine, pg 314B, hh #67. Elizabeth Sparks.
4. Illinois County Marriages, 1810-1934 (FamilySearch.org), Boatwright, Lewis. to Salley Sparks.
5. 1830 Federal Census, Arkansas, Pope, pg 173. 30-40.
6. 1830 Federal Census, Arkansas, Pope, Lewis Boatright.
7. Illinois County Marriages, 1810-1934 (FamilySearch.org), Boatwright, Lewis. to Salley Sparks, 19 Nov 1813, Gallatin County.
8. Sparks Family Assn, Sparks Family Association Quarterly, Willoughby Sparks. This quarterly was published for almost 50 years.
9. 1850 Federal Census, Texas, Limestone, pg 785 (379A), d/f #369/369. Willibo Sparks.
10. Death Certificate, Smithers, Mrs Rachel #11234. William Sparks.
11. 1840 Federal Census, Arkansas, Hot Spring, pg 156. Willoby Sparks.
12. 1850 Federal Census, Texas, Limestone, pg 785 (379A), d/f #369/369. age 47, Georgia.
13. Sparks Family Assn, Sparks Family Association Quarterly, Willoughby Sparks. Mary Harrell.
14. Vernone, Tracy Ross, Mary Boatright. Mary Boatright.
15. 1850 Federal Census, Texas, Limestone, pg 785 (379A), d/f #369/369. Mary Sparks.
16. Death Certificate, Smithers, Mrs Rachel #11234. Boatwright.
17. Early Texas Marriages.
18. 1830 Federal Census, Arkansas, Pope, pg 174. 20-30.
19. The Handbook of Texas Online, Thomas Boateright. In 1833 Amy Boatwright and three of her sons, Thomas, Friend, and Richard, were back in Texas making applications for land grants. a joint project of The General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/

Notes:
* Matthew SPARKS
"Matthew Sparks, son of Absalom and Lydia (Elsberry) Sparks, was born about 1797 in South Carolina. He was probably named for his paternal grandfather, Matthew Sparks. He married Elizabeth ---, probably about 1824. She was born about 1807 in South Carolina. Matthew accompanied his parents to Arkansas where he joined his father and brothers in signing petitions to the President and Congress in 1821 and 1825. In 1829, he was listed on a special census taken by the Sheriff of Crawford County, Arkansas, but by 1830 he was in Pope County, Arkansas. With him were his wife and three sons.
  "Matthew Sparks was apparently a member of the group of Arkansas settlers that went to Texas in 1833. There he received a League of land adjoining the land of his brother-in-law, Friend Boatright, in what is now Lee County, Texas. He may also have been given the Headright Certificate for the land granted to his sister, Edy Sparks.
  "By 1840, Matthew Sparks had moved to Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, where he was listed with his wife and six children on the 1840 census. When the 1850 census was taken he was in neighboring Sabine County, Texas. All except two of his eight children had apparently left home. The two at home were Elizabeth Sparks, 10, and Nancy Sparks, 7. On August 31, 1850, Matthew Sparks sold his share of the estate of his sister, Edy Sparks. The consideration was $500 which may indicate that he had the actual possession of her Headright Certificate."

If there is no SOURCE, I have no PROOF! If the source is a PERSON, the information is HEARSAY.
Last Modified: 9 Sep 2019