117:
place on 25 Sept. 1821, Burrows Honey did not receive clear title until 1823 for the south half and 1824 for the north half. The sale to Sparks, therefore, was not recorded at the county registry office until 20 June 1824. The confusion, which has led to considerable controversy among local historians over the purchase date, did not end there. Burrows Honey's title remained in doubt. As a result, Sparks repurchased the south 100 acres on 20 June 1826. Still there were doubts; Sparks made token payments of 5s. to John
Burrows Honey and to his wife for title to the full 200 acres on 6 May and 10 July 1830 respectively. Out of this tangle it appears the famous purchase was not made on the usually accepted date of 20 June 1826 but rather nearly five years earlier on 25 Sept. 1821, although the legal technicalities were not resolved until 1830.
133:
people with ready cash he also became Bytown's leading moneylender and often enough was able to regain land he had sold. For example, in
January 1832 he accepted a lot in payment of a debt of £75. In May 1832 Sparks sold an adjacent lot for £600. The nicest irony in all of Sparks' complex dealings came in July 1844 when he leased part of a town lot, 66 ft by 99 ft, for £200 to John Burrows.
188:
In 1827, the government had seized some of Sparks' holdings intending to construct a fortress to defend the new canal. Sparks challenged this appropriation of the land, between Bank Street and the Canal, which lay unused for years. He succeeded and was awarded a fortune of 27,000 pounds for the land.
124:
The 1826 date, however, has a fine touch of drama about it. Late in 1826 the decision was made to build the Rideau Canal through lot C. As the village of Bytown (Ottawa) sprang up around the canal terminus, Sparks became landlord for a whole community. Those months also saw Sparks cement the other
116:
Lot C would become Sparks' life, the basis of his fortune and status. Defending his right to the property would preoccupy him for much of his career. Indeed Sparks' difficulties over the lot began immediately. Burrows Honey, it appears, had sold land he did not own. Although the original sale took
180:
Sparks set out to encourage the establishment of commercial ventures on his property, which had proven to be poor farmland. Thus he established a market. While Ottawa remained a small town and commerce centered somewhat to the north of Sparks' holdings he became wealthy as a result of his land;
132:
It was in land that Sparks reaped the greatest dividends. He began to sell portions of lot C as early as 18 Dec. 1826 when he sold land west of the canal mouth for £200 an acre, the same land he had bought for 9s. 6d. an acre. Land sales and leases quickly made Sparks wealthy. As one of the few
189:
With this money he invested in enterprises across the region, and became a financier in the town. The Rideau Canal Act of
February 1827, by the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada expropriated 104 acres of Nicholas Sparks' land, not returned to him until 1847 or late 1849.
142:(then known as Biddy's Lane). While losing some of his land, this proved a benefit for Sparks as the location of the canal greatly increased the value of his other holdings. Sparks donated about 20 acres of land towards the canal's construction.
125:
foundation of his fortune. On 2 Nov. 1826 a marriage license was issued to Sparks and Sally
Olmstead, widow of Philemon Wright Jr. The marriage solidified Sparks' link with the leadership of the Ottawa timber trade.
683:
648:
69:(or by other accounts Ruggles' brother Philemon Jr.) at age twenty-four to voyage to Canada as a labourer in the Wright family's logging and farming enterprises in the location of modern
76:
On 25 September 1823, after saving his salary for several years, Sparks purchased 200 acres (0.8 km) of land - along with some food and chattels - on the south side of the
668:
653:
663:
146:
678:
169:, failed he donated the building to become Bytown's first city hall. In 1832, he donated some land at the northwest corner of his property to the
449:
269:
138:
The building of the final section of the canal saw the government expropriate the eastern section of his land, taking everything east of modern
578:
688:
658:
596:
552:
534:
516:
434:
673:
232:
174:
28:
80:. He purchased the lot from John Burrows Honey (later known as John Burrows), a surveyor. The land was lot C, concession C,
199:
202:. When the new city of Ottawa was created to replace Bytown in 1855, Sparks also served on its council until 1860.
108:. Sparks borrowed £95, to complete the transaction for land that today is in the central business core of Ottawa.
85:
158:
139:
192:
Around 1848, he had a street created through the center of his holdings; this would later be known as
643:
638:
205:
Sparks' descendants continued to be prominent citizens in Ottawa for many generations, for example
162:
182:
101:
444:
264:
618:
592:
574:
548:
530:
512:
486:
470:
430:
222:
506:
558:
494:
170:
81:
46:
17:
93:
89:
66:
58:
632:
227:
210:
193:
166:
84:, which covered much of what is today downtown Ottawa stretching from what is today
73:. By 1819 he was traveling to Montreal and Quebec, purchasing supplies for Wright.
206:
154:
97:
77:
42:
150:
105:
562:
498:
181:
further enhanced after 1857, with the selection of Ottawa as the capital of
622:
490:
474:
70:
62:
38:
145:
Sparks also donated land for civic buildings. He donated land for
45:
who owned most of the lands in the present day commercial core of
319:
317:
315:
313:
311:
200:
In 1847, he became a member of Bytown's first town council
37:(1794–27 February 1862) was an early landholder of
213:. Today there are many Sparks still living in Ottawa.
427:
684:Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
65:and came to Canada in 1816. He was recruited by
649:Settlers of the National Capital Region (Canada)
529:, Belleville, Ontario: Mika Publishing Company,
323:
8:
196:, one of Ottawa's central commercial areas.
669:Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec
617:, Ottawa historical information Institute,
92:in the south. It stretched west to modern
27:For the Alabama political candidate, see
469:, Ottawa: Haig and Haig Publishing Co.,
96:and extended eastwards further than the
450:Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
270:Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
258:
256:
254:
252:
250:
248:
244:
173:and that is still the site of Ottawa's
654:Canadian people of Anglo-Irish descent
511:, Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press,
505:Keshen, Jeff; St-Onge, Nicole (2001),
483:Robert Randall and the Le Breton Flats
383:
371:
359:
104:. South of his land was the land of
7:
664:19th-century Canadian businesspeople
407:
395:
347:
335:
302:
290:
111:Historian Michael S. Cross wrote:
57:Sparks was born in Darrah parish,
25:
527:Bytown: The Early Days of Ottawa
233:Christ Church Cathedral (Ottawa)
147:St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
29:Nick Sparks (Alabama politician)
679:Politicians from County Wexford
525:Mika, Nick & Helma (1982),
485:, Ottawa: James Hope and Sons,
100:(to Waller) into what is today
587:Woods, Shirley E. Jr. (1980),
571:Ottawa: An Illustrated History
1:
591:, Toronto: Doubleday Canada,
589:Ottawa: The Capital of Canada
425:Bond, Courtney C. J. (1984),
467:Ottawa: City of the Big Ears
209:spearheaded the creation of
705:
689:Immigrants to Lower Canada
547:, Ottawa: Mortimer Press,
443:Cross, Michael S. (1976).
263:Cross, Michael S. (1976).
26:
659:Province of Canada people
481:Hill, Hamnett P. (1919),
324:Keshen & St-Onge 2001
161:, unable to compete with
569:Taylor, John H. (1986),
508:Ottawa: Making a Capital
429:, Windsor Publications,
18:Nicholas Sparks (Ottawa)
674:Ottawa city councillors
613:Brault, Lucien (1946),
545:Recollections of Bytown
175:Christ Church Cathedral
543:Scott, R. W. (1911),
465:Haig, Robert (1975),
615:Ottawa Old and New
607:Additional Reading
183:Province of Canada
580:978-0-88862-981-4
445:"Nicholas Sparks"
326:, pp. 74–75.
265:"Nicholas Sparks"
223:History of Ottawa
86:Wellington Street
16:(Redirected from
696:
625:
601:
583:
565:
539:
521:
501:
477:
461:
459:
457:
439:
411:
405:
399:
393:
387:
381:
375:
369:
363:
357:
351:
345:
339:
333:
327:
321:
306:
300:
294:
288:
282:
281:
279:
277:
260:
159:West Ward Market
149:, and for a new
88:in the north to
21:
704:
703:
699:
698:
697:
695:
694:
693:
629:
628:
612:
604:
599:
586:
581:
568:
555:
542:
537:
524:
519:
504:
480:
464:
455:
453:
442:
437:
424:
415:
414:
406:
402:
394:
390:
382:
378:
370:
366:
358:
354:
346:
342:
334:
330:
322:
309:
301:
297:
289:
285:
275:
273:
262:
261:
246:
241:
219:
171:Anglican Church
82:Nepean Township
55:
47:Downtown Ottawa
35:Nicholas Sparks
32:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
702:
700:
692:
691:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
651:
646:
641:
631:
630:
627:
626:
609:
608:
603:
602:
597:
584:
579:
573:, J. Lorimer,
566:
553:
540:
535:
522:
517:
502:
478:
462:
440:
435:
421:
413:
412:
400:
398:, pp. 85.
388:
386:, pp. 15.
376:
374:, pp. 52.
364:
352:
350:, pp. 36.
340:
328:
307:
305:, pp. 53.
295:
293:, pp. 28.
283:
243:
242:
240:
237:
236:
235:
230:
225:
218:
215:
136:
135:
128:
127:
120:
119:
94:Bronson Avenue
90:Laurier Avenue
67:Ruggles Wright
59:County Wexford
54:
51:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
701:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
636:
634:
624:
620:
616:
611:
610:
606:
605:
600:
598:0-385-14722-8
594:
590:
585:
582:
576:
572:
567:
564:
560:
556:
554:0-665-76366-2
550:
546:
541:
538:
536:0-919303-60-9
532:
528:
523:
520:
518:0-7766-0521-6
514:
510:
509:
503:
500:
496:
492:
488:
484:
479:
476:
472:
468:
463:
452:
451:
446:
441:
438:
436:0-89781-111-9
432:
428:
423:
422:
420:
419:
409:
404:
401:
397:
392:
389:
385:
380:
377:
373:
368:
365:
362:, pp. 5.
361:
356:
353:
349:
344:
341:
338:, pp. 6.
337:
332:
329:
325:
320:
318:
316:
314:
312:
308:
304:
299:
296:
292:
287:
284:
272:
271:
266:
259:
257:
255:
253:
251:
249:
245:
238:
234:
231:
229:
228:Sparks Street
226:
224:
221:
220:
216:
214:
212:
211:Gatineau Park
208:
203:
201:
197:
195:
194:Sparks Street
190:
186:
184:
178:
176:
172:
168:
167:Byward Market
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
143:
141:
134:
130:
129:
126:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
112:
109:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
74:
72:
68:
64:
60:
52:
50:
48:
44:
40:
36:
30:
19:
614:
588:
570:
544:
526:
507:
482:
466:
454:. Retrieved
448:
426:
418:Bibliography
417:
416:
403:
391:
379:
367:
355:
343:
331:
298:
286:
274:. Retrieved
268:
207:Percy Sparks
204:
198:
191:
187:
179:
157:. When his
155:fire station
144:
140:Elgin Street
137:
131:
123:
115:
110:
98:Rideau Canal
78:Ottawa River
75:
56:
43:Upper Canada
34:
33:
644:1862 deaths
639:1794 births
384:Taylor 1986
151:court house
633:Categories
456:11 January
372:Woods 1980
360:Scott 1911
276:11 January
239:References
163:Lower Town
106:Colonel By
102:Sandy Hill
563:24388430M
499:24156410M
408:Haig 1975
396:Mika 1982
348:Bond 1984
336:Hill 1919
303:Haig 1975
291:Bond 1984
53:Biography
217:See also
71:Gatineau
623:2947504
491:7654867
475:9184321
63:Ireland
621:
595:
577:
561:
551:
533:
515:
497:
489:
473:
433:
39:Bytown
619:OCLC
593:ISBN
575:ISBN
549:ISBN
531:ISBN
513:ISBN
487:OCLC
471:OCLC
458:2011
431:ISBN
278:2011
153:and
165:'s
61:in
635::
559:OL
557:,
495:OL
493:,
447:.
310:^
267:.
247:^
185:.
177:.
49:.
41:,
460:.
410:.
280:.
31:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.