John Spark

John Spark (* around 1673; † between December 7, 1706 and January 2, 1707) was an English politician who was elected three times as a member of the House of Commons .

Origin and youth

John Spark came from a family who had lived in Plymouth since the mid-16th century . He was a son of his father of the same name, John Spark, and his wife Duglas Eliot, a daughter of John Eliot of Port Eliot in Cornwall. He studied from November 1689 at Queens' College , Cambridge.

Political activity

As the candidate of his cousin, the country nobleman John Speccot , Spark ran successfully for the Borough of Newport in Cornwall in the general election in December 1701 . In the House of Commons he was a Tory in the opposition to the government. He was re-elected for Newport in the 1702 and 1705 elections.

Inheritance and death

After the childless death of his cousin Speccot in June 1705, Spark surprisingly became his principal heir, inheriting property in south-west England with annual income of around £ 6,500. On September 17, 1706, he married the wealthy heiress Diana Rolle, a daughter of John Rolle of Stevenstone House in Devon . She brought a dowry of £ 12,000 into the marriage. However, he made his will on December 7, 1706 and died before January 2, 1707. Since he had died childless, he bequeathed the property to his uncle William Spark .

Web links

• Eveline Cruickshanks, Stuart Handley: SPARK, John (c.1673-1707), of Plymouth, Devon (History of Parliament Online, Ref Volumes: 1690-1715)