MGC: http://books.google.co.za/books?id=dv4UAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA114&dq=Thomas+Sparke+Prior+Holy+Land&lr=&as_brr=3&cd=1#v=onepage&q=spark&f=false [Anny Markam m:1591 James Sparke at St. PleP]: . Will of Thomas Sparke 1572. [William Markham; Robert Markham + Lyom Markham]. [I suspect Lyom should read Lyon ?]. [Obscure Notes]: [William Markam. Lancelot Marcam, clerk, and Robert Marcam.]. Rose Collen my servant (EC). Bishop Fleetwood and Bishop Cosin. Lancelot Andrews, John Donne, Bishop Cosin. This is mainly looking into whoever Anny Markam might be. It seems her line would be associated with this Bishop Thomas Sparke in a close way. [Places: Greatham Durham, Holy Island]. Vicar of Greatham 1558: G. Wynter; 1581: R. Sparke. Bishop Thomas Sparke. Greatham Hospital. Hartlepool. http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/Transcriptions/DUR/GRE.html Coming to Greatham, this is clearly a hit for Sparke and many other surnames of interest. For this url, I can hardly begin to point out the number of close relationships here for Sparke to Markam etc. Make a huuuuge note: MARCHN (!!! !!! !!!). It seems from the start of this will, TS is mentioning people connected to Greatham. The name of Lancelot clearly comes in here. I am taking only serious few item from the list here, but look at the relationships: Marriages from the Greatham Registers (1564-1837): Before 1752 (in Britain) the year began on March 25th (Lady Day). Dates between January 1st and March 24th were therefore at the end of the year rather than the beginning. To avoid confusion, dates in this range are marked with an asterisk e.g. 12 Feb 1696*. Such dates are sometimes seen in the form 12 Feb 1696/7. 20 Oct 1564 Robert Peacock = Jain Sheaphard [***] 23 Jan 1565* William Laiborn = Elizabeth Hall [***] 16 Nov 1575 John Spark = Katheran Rawling 6 Feb 1575* John Spark = Isabell Richardson 8 May 1579 John Spark = Margeare Gent 16 Nov 1579 Roland Bailes = Phillis Vincent [***] 30 Apr 1581 John Talor = Helene Sheraton [***] 3 Feb 1582* Roger Sheaphard = Elizabeth Marchin [***] 15 Aug 1585 Rauf Marchn = Jain [***] 27 Nov 1586 Georg Harrison = Elizabeth Gent 21 Nov 1587 Georg Hubbock = Isabell Lambert 26 Oct 1589 John Robson = Elizabeth Marchn [***] 30 Nov 1589 Robert Hubbock = Margaret Peacock [***] 12 Jan 1590* Lawrence Bailes = Ann Spark [***] 1 Jun 1591 Richard Hudson = Allice Peacock [***] 12 Nov 1592 John Sheaphard = Grace Nicholson 16 Oct 1593 Richard Turbat = Elizabeth Marchn [***] 23 Oct 1593 John Lambert = Margaret Spark 24 Nov 1594 Richard Marchn = Margaret Weemes [***] 28 Nov 1594 Robert Talor = Margaret Grai [***] 11 Feb 1594* Robert Farrai = Ann Lee 9 Dec 1595 William Tomson = Cicilie Peacock 9 Jan 1595* Edward Talor = Eppie Grai 27 Apr 1596 Thomas Olivant = Jain Gent 24 Oct 1597 William Marchn = Cicilie Culli [***] [***] [***] 23 Nov 1597 John Ward = An Hall [***] 28 May 1598 Francis Harrison = Alice Hart 7 Nov 1598 Robert Sheaphard = Katheren Mowbrai 24 Aug 1600 Robert Hall = Agnes Whitton 8 Oct 1600 Nicholas Edgar = Margaret Done/Dove 27 Jan 1600* Charles Thomson = Jennet Grene 14 Sep 1601 John Cullie = Jenet Widriff [***] 13 Jun 1602 James Oliver = Isabell Collen [***] 13 Feb 1602* Thomas Barker = Margerie Robinson 28 Feb 1602* John Robson = Allice Green 5 Feb 1605* John Sparkes = Jennett Peacocke [***] 10 Feb 1606* John Talor = Elizabeth Hucheson [***] 9 Jun 1607 Rauff Sparkes = Jaine Bringes 26 Jun 1608 Mathew Currie = Allice Bailes [***] 10 May 1612 Lancelote Spark = Agnes Hall [***] 21 Jul 1612 John Errington = Elizabeth Spark 7 Nov 1613 John Yule = Agnes Sparke 12 May 1614 Lanclote Chapman = Margret Powle [***] 12 May 1616 George Archer = Elizabeth Yule 3 Nov 1616 Thomas Robson = Margaret Stevenson 3 Feb 1618* Thomas Huitson = Cicilie Tomson 12 Oct 1619 James Sheraton = Jenne Spark 25 Jun 1622 Antonie Hall = Isabell Hubbock 23 Dec 1622 William Spark = Elizabeth Wood 4 Feb 1622* William Spark = Margaret Watson 27 May 1623 Robert Johnson = Isabell Bailes 26 Oct 1623 Thomas Nicholson = Elizabeth Marcom [***] 10 Nov 1623 Mathew Currie = Helen Hodshon 5 Aug 1627 George Halle = Elizabeth Peacock [***] 19 Aug 1627 Richard Hall = Agnes Ruter 12 May 1629 William Warmouth = Margaret Markham [***] [***] [***] 17 Jul 1631 George Fenwicke = Ursula Joplin [***] 18 Oct 1631 George Oliver = Anne Sparke [***] 10 Nov 1636 John Cully = Ellen Atkinson [***] 3 Oct 1639 Lancelote Sparke = Jane Raynton [***] 14 Aug 1642 Henry Shepheard = Ann Sheraton 23 Jan 1643* Ambrose Litster = Anne Bankes 20 Dec 1659 William Porter = Margery Warmouth 9 Dec 1662 George Hubbocke = Nanne Huttson [***] 12 Jul 1664 Thomas Thomson = Frances Hall 16 Jan 1695* Abraham Sparke = Elizabeth Martine 13 May 1703 Richard Collen = Elizabeth Elstob [***] 18 May 1736 George Newton = Elizabeth Spark ================================= This MARCHIN seems to be the MARKH'M ones too. Remember DDM spelt his name: MARKHAN too. There is an incredible amount of inter-related families here. This is big for this line of Markham. You have to ask yourself is this [Shepard?] related to that of EC? : [3 Feb 1582* Roger Sheaphard = Elizabeth Marchin]. One would need to look into the baptismal records for this area of the tree to see if there are any James or Abraham Markhams around. - S.K.M. - [!!!] ======================