| Notes |
[spark1.FTW]
Eleanor Comis Cummings was born in 1793/94 in Virginia, most
likely Henry County, and she died about 1862. Her parents were
Joseph Cummings and Rosanna Collier Medley Seibers. She was
first married to James Hill, son of Thomas Hill and Catherine
Shropshire and brother to Elijah Hill who married her sister
Sarah Catherine Cummings. James Hill died from wounds
sustained while fighting in the Battle of New Orleans (January
1815) on January 12, 1815. This was a battle of the War of
1812 in which Andrew Jackson's troops defeated the British
after the peace treaty was signed on December 24, 1814, ending
the war of 1812. James Hill & Eleanor were the parents of
four children at this time and she was left a young widow with
four small children to raise. While she was yet unmarried, she
had an illegitimate daughter by one Thomas Ripley and the
father of this daughter was hauled into court by James' father
Thomas Hill, and was forced to pay child support for his
daughter. After about three years Thomas Ripley disappears
from the area and no one knew where he had gone. Because of
the scandal, Thomas Hill went to court to obtain custody of
his four grandchildren by his late son, James. He won the
court case.
Eleanor then married about 1819-1820 to Thomas Bryant Sparkman.
The 1820 & 1830 census records of White County show that
the daughter of Eleanor & Thomas Ripley is living in the
home of Thomas Bryant Sparkman, and we can only assume that
she more than likely took the Sparkman name. Nothing more is
known about her.
It is interesting to note that Eleanor & Thomas Bryant
Sparkman's first child, Lewis Sparkman was married and lived
in White County for a time, before moving his family to Morgan
Co., Alabama where his grandson, U. S. Senator John J.
Sparkman was born in 1899.
REF: White County Court Records
Tax Lists White County 1816,1817,1818
Eleanor's sister Mary married William Sparkman who was a
brother of Thomas Bryant Sparkman, the husband of Eleanor.
Also their sister, Sarah Catherine Cummings was the mother of
Malissa Hill who married the son of Eleanor and Thomas,
"Squire" George Sparkman.
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