Thomas Sparrow (abt. 1668 - bef. 1718)

Born about 1668 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Ann (Burgess) Sparrow — married 8 Jun 1697 in Anne Arundel County

Husband of Sophia (Richardson) Sparrow — married 28 Nov 1698 in All Hallows Church, Anne Arundel County

Husband of Anne (West) Sellman — married about 1707 (to 1717) in Westminster Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland

Descendants

Died before 9 Oct 1718 before about age 50 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland [uncertain]

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Biography

Thomas is the son of Thomas Sparrow and Elizabeth Sparrow nee Kinsey. He was born before 1674, probably nearer 1668. Thomas was married three times.

Thomas Sparrow received a parcel called Sparrows Addition, by patent dated 28 May 1675, lying on Road River, north by Sparrows Line and Nettleford Branch, south to Squirrel Neck, containing 100 acres. Thomas Sparrow sold a parcel to Thomas Francis of Anne Arundel County, gent., a part of the land called Sparrows Rest, and part of Sparrows Addition containing 146 acres, now known as Locust Neck. By assignment from George Yate, Thomas Frances had due him 42 acres of the 1200 acre. In consideration of the sume of 7500 pounds of tobacco. An original grant to Thomas Frances, gent, on 10 September 1674, the parcel called Frances his Addition. The notes above were extracted from a deed dated 20 September 1690, in which Mary Frances, the sole executor of the last will and testament of Thomas Frances, late of Anne Arundel County, gent. deceased, for £56, made a grant to Thomas Sparrow of Anne Arundel County, gent.. [From “Abstracts of Land Records, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Volume II” edited by Rosemary B.Dodd and Patricia M.Bausell] [Anne Arundel County, Maryland Deeds Book WT1, p 20.] [The Sparrows of Sparrows Point, by Margaret W Sparrow in Maryland Historical Magazine]

Beginning as a merchant in Annapolis, he developed plantations of over 3000 acres in North Carolina. In 1706 he held one of the original plots in the new town of Bath. With hurricanes, yellow-fever, epidemics, the danger of drought, occasional Indian uprisings, and pirate Blackbeard’s raids, life in North Carolina was insecure. In 1711 he joined the Cary Rebellion, whose leaders were called traitors and hunted up and down the coast until wiser authorities in England gave them back their freedom in 1713. In addition to the plantation at Patapsico, possibly 1000 acres of woody swampy terrain, he inherited 300 acres on Calvert Cliffs and the Patapsco lands called Kinsey Situate from his mother in 1716. He also inherited land from each of his wives.

Thomas married Ann, daughter of William and Visula Burges on 08 Jun 1697 at Westminster Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland. She was born 7 October 1680, daughter of Colonel William and Ursula, and died a month or so after the marriage on 25 July 1697. “Here lyeth interred ye body of Anne the wife of Thomas Sparrow, daughter of William Burgess and Ursulla his wife who was born on Thursday the 7th of October 1680, married on Tuesday ye 8th June 1697, sickened the 25th day of ye same month and dyed ye 25th of July 1697.”

Secondly Thomas married Sapharia or Sophia Richardson on 28 November 1698 at All Hallows Church, Anne Arundel, Maryland. She was born 2 September 1680, daughter of Colonel William Richardson and Elizabeth Ewen. Sophia died by 29 Jan 1705 when Thomas provided for his minor children Thomas 1699 and Solomon 1701 by contract with William Cole and Daniel Richardson to provide meat, drink, clothes,lodging and education for fifteen years in return for a lease of 21 years of Sparrows Rest. [AALR, WT 2:310-311] William Coale and Daniel Richardson were his sister’s husband and his wife’s nephew.

The estate of William Richardson of AA dated 27 July 1699 to Thomas Sparrow for wife Sophia daughter of testator. Deed of 30 Sept 1700 from Thomas Sparrow and wife Saphia to James Lewis, "By his LWT, William Richardson gave this land to his daughter Saphia Richardson, since the death of her father, Saphia Richardson married Thomas Sparrow. Deed 21 Aug 1703 from Thomas Sparrow and Saphia his wife to John Gresham Jun. Tract called" Francis Addition". In 1705 Thomas Sparrow of Anne Arundel County leased to William Cole and Daniel Richardson for £100 wool per year for 15 years and supply said Thomas Sparrow's two children, Thomas and Solomon with meat, drink, cloathes, lodging, and shall cause children to be educated in such school learning as can conveniently be procured in the province of Maryland, the track "Sparrow Rest" and all the tract "Sparrows Addition" contain 690 acres. Deed dated 21 August 1703 from Thomas Sparrow and Sophia to John Gresham junior, tract called Francis Addition.

Lastly Thomas was married to Anne West before 1707. Anne was born 12 February 1685 at Accomac, Virginia, a daughter of Colonel John West and Matilda of Accomac County, Va., and she married secondly William Sellman on 9 October 1718 at All Hallows parish, South River, Anne Arundel and had six children baptised there before she died 1 May 1749 as Madam Ann Sellman leaving legacies to daughter Matilda Burgess and grandson West Burgess.

Thomas died in 1718. His will was made 15 June 1713 when he was “intending to take a voyage” and “not knowng how God may please to dispose of me and calling to mind the uncertainties of this life”, but he lived many more years and had additional children not named in the will. It was proved 12 May 1719 [Maryland Wills 15 : 101]

He left two wills, one in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and the other in Bath County, North Carolina. The former was made on 10 June 1713 and proved 12 May 1719. The latter was made on 20 May 1717 and proved 29 May 1717. Thomas Sparrow of Anne Arundel Co gives sons Solomon and John "Crany Island" North Carolina, son Kensey 145 acres of "Sparrows" Rest, bought of Mary Frances, sold by Testators father to Thos. Francis. If son die during minority sd land to pass to unborn child if a son eles to son Solmon and if he die at minority then to son Thomas,

These wills mention sons Solomon, John, Thomas and Kinsey, and daughters Elizabeth and Matilda, and devise his children his property including tracts of land in both Anne Arundel County and in Bath County. His North Carolina property included holdings in Dereham’s Creek and on Dividing Creek as well as a lot in the town of Bath. Sparrow noted in the will that the lot in Bath Town fronted on land belonging to a Simon Alderson. [Mike Marshall on the Sparrow Forum] Thomas Sparrow, a merchant of Maryland, had been listed as an out of town purchaser of lots in Bath Town, Beaufort County, North Carolina.

To son Kensey and unborn child if a son land in Dereham’s Creek in Pamplicoe, North Carolina. To son ground in Bathtown, Pamplicoe being front of Simon Alderson’s and bought of him. To son John a lot adjoining this said front. To daughters Elizabeth and Matilda land on Dividing Creek in Pamlicoe, North Carolina, wife Anne and brother-in-law Captain Richard Jones. The unborn child was Scarborough Sparrow.

• Sparrow the Pyrate • • Maryland archival records to follow indicate that after his escape from Maryland in 1705, Richard Clarke was said to have made his way to the Neuse River area in North Carolina.[1] Donald G. Shomatte in Pirates on the Chesapeake, states that “In the late summer of 1705 five men outlawed in Maryland on charges of high treason seized the West River sloop ‘Little Hannah’ and were ‘suspected to be going on a Pyratical design’ The villains included one Thomas Sparrow; a Philadelphia mariner named John Stapes; John Taylor, described as a tall, thin brown man; a flaxen-haired youth of middle stature and clean complexion called Sterritt. The leader of the band was a notorious desperado named Richard Clark from the South River region of Anne Arundel County.”

The rumor mill back in Anne Arundel County claimed that when Clarke reached Carolina he obtained 600 acres of land and passed himself off as a respectable merchant in the Neuse River area of North Carolina. Testimony in this article shows that Clarke’s accomplice, Welles, was directed by him to meet a certain Captain Smith on the Neuse River. Another link to this area is Thomas Sparrow, who helped Clarke escape on the “Little Hanna.” He is almost certainly the same Thomas Sparrow, merchant of Maryland, who appeared on many deeds and other records in the area starting in September 1706.[2] [3] In 1705, the year Clarke fled to North Carolina, Thomas Sparrow, who had recently become a widower, leased two Anne Arundel tracks (690 acre), "Sparrow Rest" and "Sparrow’s Addition," for a term of 15 years to kinsmen William Cole and to Daniel Richardson[4] They were asked to provide Thomas Sparrow's two children, Thomas and Solomon “with meat, drink, cloathes, lodging, and shall cause children to be educated in such school learning as can conveniently be procured in the province of Maryland.” It certainly sounds like Sparrow was planning to be away for a long time…say in North Carolina. In 1719, upon his death, Thomas Sparrow willed his Neuse River properties to these same sons[5] --fv schultz

Sources

• "Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970" Deed dated 20 September 1690, from “Abstracts of Land Records, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Volume II” edited by Rosemary B.Dodd and Patricia M.Bausell. Anne Arundel County, Maryland Deeds Book WT1, p 20. The Sparrows of Sparrows Point, by Margaret W Sparrow in Maryland Historical Magazine. Monumental Inscription. AALR, WT 2:310-311. Maryland Wills 15 : 101. Mike Marshall on the Sparrow Forum. Research by Ruth A Tydings.

• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
• [1]This area is near present day Morehead City, New Bern and Beaufort. In the early 1700’s it was fertile ground for privateering and often frequented by Black Beard.

[2]Beaufort County, NC - Land & Deed Records. Beaufort County Deed Book – Book 1 - part 1, page 112, 129, 147.

[3]"History of Beaufort County" quoted by Bill Sparrow: ollie1@erols.com -3/11/98

[4]On October 21, 1701 Anne Arundel Co. Records indicate that William Cole gave “ to my cousin Solomon Sparrow son of my brother Thos. Sparrow and Saphia his wife one cow.” Thomas Sparrow was married to Sappharia Richardson (daughter of William Richardson and Elizabeth Ewen.

[5]Descendants of Thomas Sparrow: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdannear/firstfam/sparrow/fowsrc.htm CatherineZeidleradded this on 17 Aug 2012 paracleteftworiginally submitted this to Sparrows of Maryland 1649 - 2011 on 5 May 2011