Any good evidence for Valentia Sparke's parents (m. Christopher Branch, 1596)?

Question

Is there any good evidence for the parents of Valentia Sparke?  The main piece of evidence we have is a marriage record:

[1596] July 7 Leonall Branche of London, Gent. & Valentia Sparke of St Martin, Ludgate, sd City, Spr, dau. of [blank] Sparke, late of sd City, Draper, decd; Gen Lic.

So, she was married in the church of St Martin, Ludgate and her father's name on WT is Ludgate Sparke.  What are the odds?    

Other than one family tree that leads to another family tree, I haven't found evidence for her parents.  It does seem likely that she was descended from William Sparke, a draper of London whose will was written in 1504 (Link, Link), but he would be a few generations back.  There is also a John Sparke who was part of the Merchant Taylors Company in the mid 1500s (Link).  Even the Sparks Family Association doesn't know her lineage (Link).

I'm suspicious that this parentage was created because her purported mother, Lady Valentine Butler, has ancestry on WT to Edward I.  I'd be happy if this was all true, but I suspect it is not.

IF there is no actual evidence, other than wishful family trees, I suggest that Valentia Sparke be disconnected from her current parents.  Does someone here have additional info?

Comments

This article adds information:  Brayton, John Anderson. "Notes on the Ancestry of Valentia (Sparke) Branch, Mother of Christopher Branch," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 2002):293-298. Digital version at American Ancestors

Answer 1

Obviously her father wasn't called Ludgate as you realise.

I've searched for Spark(e) on the apprentice rolls here https://www.londonroll.org/search and there are only three entries for Drapers: William Spark - New Apprentice 1545, William Spark - Freeman 1555 and William Sparke - Master 1565. These are almost certainly the same person and I would therefore suggest the likely father of Valentia.

Apprentices couldn't marry so we should look for a marriage from 1555 onwards and a William Sparke married an Elizabeth Ratcliff 21 June 1562. Irritatingly it's not at the same church but at St Vedast, Foster Lane which is just the other side of St. Paul's. "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V52H-LY5 : 10 February 2018), William Sparke and Elizabeth Ratcliff, 21 Jun 1562; citing Saint Vedast Foster Lane And Saint Michael Le Querlo,London,London,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 942 B4HA V. 30

Of course this is just speculation, not proof. One mystery would be why Lionel and Valentia called their eldest son Richard when both parents' fathers were called William - although their second son on wikitree has a middle initial W. Their first daughter was Elizabeth which would fit.

Comments

Nice work, Matthew, especially on finding that livery resource.  Looks like you've found a prime candidate for her father.

Answer 2

Isn’t Ludgate the place of the debtors and destitute prison? Wonder if she was actually from family fallen on hard times.

Comments

No, St Martin's, Ludgate is just the name of her parish church. Ludgate is the street now called Ludgate Hill which ran from the gate itself up to St Paul's.