William Sparke

Sir William Sparke was an English-born judge in Ireland, whose memorial can still be seen in St. Audoen's Church, Dublin.

Career

He was born in Suffolk. He studied law at Thavie's Inn, and then Lincoln's Inn. He was called to the Bar in 1594. He appears to have lived in Ireland for some years in the 1590s. Joan Sparke, who died in Dublin in 1596, and was the wife of Stephen Sedgrave of Dublin, was clearly a close relative, possibly a sister, of William. There is a memorial to Joan and Stephen in St. Audoen's Church, adjoining William's own.
He was sent back to Ireland as a justice of the Court of King's Bench in 1610. He was an extra justice, appointed to help clear the large backlog of work which had built up, and in the hope that, unlike some of his colleagues, he would be willing to go on assize. He was quickly made fourth justice of the King's Bench, with an assurance of becoming second justice in due course. A fresh patent of appointment was issued to him in 1615, presumably to confirm his status as a permanent judge.
He attended several sessions of the Parliament of Ireland of 1613–15, to act as legal adviser to the Irish House of Lords, as was customary for High Court judges at the time.
He was knighted by the Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1619, and granted a coat of arms. He joined the King's Inns and was its Treasurer in 1620–21. He died in 1623, and was remembered as a learned and upright judge.

The Sparke Memorial

He married firstly Elizabeth Hales, and secondly Mary Bryce or Brice, daughter of John Bryce, Mayor of Dublin 1605–6, and widow of John Hoey, Sergeant-at-arms in Ireland, and of Roger Downton.
It was Mary who erected the memorial to William, which can still be seen in the North Nave of St Audoen's Church, Cornmarket, Dublin. The memorial features a pediment and Corinthian columns; Mary is shown kneeling beside William. Other figures on the memorial represent Mary's first husband John Hoey and her parents, John Bryce and Katherine Sedgrave. A memorial to Joan Sparke, who was probably William's sister, and her husband Stephen Sedgrave stands side by side with Sparke Memorial.