The Sparks family I began to realise as I researched my own
family line seemed to have a common link if we go back far enough all leads seem
to point to Chester on the Border of North Wales and
England.
In the counties of Dorset Somerset Devon & Cornwall the four counties that make up what we commonly call the SouthWest Country as apposed to the rest of the English counties.
We can trace certainly some if not all the Sparks family and its Variant names to the Plymouth family of John Sparke who was originally from near Chester.
If we look at the counties of the South West leading up from Plymouth in Cornwall way down in the South East travelling up to Brixham through to Exeter we find a proliferation of Sparks Families all along the route of the coast.
The Start of the Culm valley just at Exeter travelling up to its head in the Blackdown hills near Churchstanton and Clayhiden shows a large grouping of Sparks families along its route most of the Sparks Families of the Southwest are along this route.
Although isolated families are to the North giving an impression that they arrived in the North Devon area in single units.
A large group of Sparks Families live in and around Brixham this was a large fishing port so most of the Sparks families were employed in the fishing industry and deep see cargo shipping the following is part of their history on the Groups page two pages will be found a list of Sparks families of Brixham and the Variant names who they married when born ect so on this page only will be the seamen bearing our name unfortunately we have no further information on these seamen if anyone has any information that could be included on this page please email us and we will add the information..
The Salem
A sailing Ketch of 48 tons built in Brixham about1896 Owner and Skipper was John Henry
Spark Fished in the English
Channel
The Lyra
A sailing cutter converted to a ketch of 45 Tons
Owner and Skipper Walter S Furneaux fished In the English Channel
The Furneaux family had a connection with the Sparks Family Unfortunately the Lyra was run down
by a steam ship the Heathbank All hands were
lost
The crew who were lost Owner Skipper : Walter Furneaux
2nd Hand : Samuel Tucker
3rd Hand Apprentice : William Giles
Cook : Edward Tucker
and a boy named Hill, the stepson to the 2nd hand Samuel.Tucker he had only
gone along for the ride.
The Dilegence 27 Tons owner and Skipper Sparks
it had two crew Bassett and Sparks son of the master fished in the English Channel. The Vesper 46 tons 1870
owned by Elliot John Sparks age
27 was the Master also on board as part of the crew was George Sparks age
16 Fished South Coast of Devon
The Sabrina 33 Tons Gempton Sparks owner ?
master was Samuel Sparks fished North Sea. The Cygnet 44 Tons owner Jeffrey Drew of New Road Brixam18 july1883 John Sparks age 45 master of High Street Brixham The Crew John Harris Master Mariner
age35 George
Blackmore age 30 Mate William Rowse age 18 Boy
The Hirindell 1869 Barque of 164 tons owner Bartlett of Brixham Master was John Furneaux Sparks
sailed to America leaving 20th July 1886 crew signed articles to
serve on voyage to Swansea thence to Tenerife and Cape de Ferd Rio Janerio
and any other port or ports in the Brazils North Or South America the West
Indies and the Mediterranean and to make International voyages to and from
any of the above ports and back to a final port or ports of discharge of
cargo in the united Kingdom and the continent of Europe and the Baltic sea
the crew to be paid off in the United Kingdom voyage not to exceed two
years.
The Crew Of the
Hirindell John Furneaux Sparks Master of Brixham B C Elliott age 24 Mate of Brixham Stephen Clark age 29 Boatswain of Brixham. George Silly age 33 A B of Brixham I Holliday
age 25 A.B of Selby. James Pomeroy age 19 A.B of Selby John Dyer
age 14 boy. Of Selby.. William Ogilvy cook of Glasgow Thomas Darling age 32 seaman of Picton.
David Phillips age 26 of Jersey
The Spelling
in the log is as written by John Furneaux Sparks Almost all is correct showing that he was a well
educated man
Allowing for the style speech of that time
LOG Of The Hirindell March 10th Wednesday 1869 place of occurrence Swansea James Halliday AB seaman joined ship
this day not as for articles appointed John Sparks Master W C Elliot Mate. March 10th 1869 place of occurrence Swansea William Ogilvey Cook joined
ship this day not as for articles appointed John Sparks Master W.C Elliot
mate. July 8th 1869. place of occurrence
Rio de Janerio William
Ogilvy cook deserted at this port he took all is clothes John f Sparks Master W C Elliot mate. July 15th.
1869 place of occurrence
Rio de Janeiro Ship being cleared
ready for sea not been able to procure substitute for deserter untill this
morn 9am Consul not upon signed at ship chandlers Thomas Darling in place
of W. Ogilvey John
F Sparks master W C Elliot Mate. Sept 11th 1869 place of occurrence New York James Pomeroy A B
Seaman deserted at this port & we are informed joined the American
navy John f Sparks master W C
Elliot Mate. Sept 17th 1869 New York Stephen
Clark Boatswain Deserted at this port this day & took is clothes. John f Sparks Master W C Elliot mate. Novbr. 15th 1869 place of occurrence Pernambucco Brazil James Halliday absent from ship whole
this day without leave since liberty Afternoon of the 14th John
F Sparks Master W C Elliot Mate. Novbr 16th 1869 James Halliday absent this day no knowledge of is whereabouts
or Cause Noon reported is absence to Consul. 4 PM he Returned to ship in a quiet manner without
opining Reason John f Sparks master W C Elliot Mate. March 13
1870 2pm place of occurrence Latt 17%.40S Long
38% N Weather very Squally us obliged often in watch? To
forver? Royal as all small sails in them mate saw Requiste to have Royal
Traveller truched? Of Grease as he kept catching about 1pm in my presence I
heard him tells Gustave Hammerland when he was relieved from helm to go up
& grease the Royal Traveller & to Touch the Topmast as he came
down. No objection made then nor expected would be After which me & Mate entered the cabin. Near 2 PM mate went on check & travellers
Main Rigging when quite unexpected the said Gustave Hammerland Bawled out
to him from the helm I am not going to grease that traveller to day you
Boga as you ( flip my lips you are a ol////)? Not fit to mention Mate told
him Quietly to mind the helm & to speak to him when relieved from helm. With Difficulty he could get him to stop his abusive
Tongue. Thereof after I came up & talked Gustave over he
acknowledged the aforesaid and other false excuses that it was to humbug
him & that he would wont that I have sent him & that he did not
come here to do such work Sundays & the consequences he did not care
for. This said Gustave Hammerland shipped as extra? AB abouts
double to what he is conne//////? To perform or his services worth This statement was said to him in Presence of ////////////? Watch & mate before
arriving to Pernambucco 18th March 1870. He made excuses & denied som of the abuses while at
helm what he acknowledged to me after occurrence John F Sparks Master
W C Elliot Mate
When we look at the log John Sparks the master first gave
Gustave Hammerland ability for seamanship as very good then crossed it out and
put Middling probably a reflection on his disobeying the order to grease the
Royal traveller while at sea.
How many of us I wonder would have done any different do not
forget it was pitch dark One o clock in the morning in the midst of a squall
rain hammering down the ship pitching with the masts swaying left and right
poor old Gustave had been on helm duty for hours he must have been exhausted
and looking forwards to his bunk
Then comes an order to climb the rigging and grease the
sliding traveller of the Royals and to do the same to the topsails gear I
should imagine a daunting task in such weather and gusting windy conditions
there is no other mention of punishment for that he could have been flogged.
Maybe John Sparks secretly had sympathy for the man being
given that order in those weather conditions and let him off with a reprimand
any other punishment would have been logged
Other Mariners
Working out of
Brixham
with
Family Names
The Sparks family in other localities married into various families. We think that it might be of some use if we include these families who,s names we found in our research of the Brixham Mariners it does not claim a relationship.
Blackmore, Tucker. Pearsey, Knight, Ackland,
furneaux, Hawkins, Moore, Salter
Alfred & Arthur Reg. Bideford 1891 No. 56543 of 41 Tons owner Blackmore master was Short.