Jonathan is described as agent at Allen Mill (1804) & variously lead mill agent (1805), smelter (1807), agent (1812), agent at the smelt mill (1814). Jonathan was resident at Peasmeadows during this period – placing him probably at Allenheads smelt mill. H was born in 1781, the son of Jonathan Sparke and wife Margaret nee Tweddle at Peasmeadows, near Allenheads. Jonathan senr, (1745-1804) was also lead mill agent for 27 years, at Allenheads Smelt Mill until his death, 1804, aged 59 (of asthma).
Jonathan married Elizabeth Dryden on 9 Oct 1804 at Warden and their children were baptised from there between 1810 and 1814. It is possible that he was moved to the role of mill agent at Dukesfield in that year. He was certainly there by 1826, remaining at Dukesfield Hall until 1836 when he moved to Hill Top, Langley, presumably as part of the transfer of smelting from Dukesfield to the Blagill part of the Langley smelting mill complex. He was in Haydon Bridge village by 1851 and in Whittoes Hill, Haydon Bridge in 1861– possibly Gees Wood House (there in 1863), described as smelting /lead agent in the 1841- 61 census returns. His son John Tweddle Sparke (1814-60) worked as a smelt mill clerk at Dukesfield. In 1833 he moved to Allen Mill then on to Blagill Mill in 1835 as agent. By 1841 he had left the employ of the Beaumonts.
Jonathan died on 31 July 1866 at Haydon Bridge.
Jane Hughes
See also
Parish & Electoral registers
Census records
Newcastle Courant 3 Mar 1804 & 13 Oct 1804
Hexham Courant 8 August 1866
Stafford Linsley, The Life & Times of Thomas Dixon 1805-1871 (Hexham, Wagtail Press 2006)
