A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667/Sparke (Michael), senior
SPARKE (MICHAEL), senior, bookseller in London. Blue Bible in Green Arbour Court, Old Bailey, 1616-53. Born at Eynsham, Oxfordshire, son of Richard Sparke, husbandman. Apprenticed for seven years to Simon Pauley, a citizen and stationer of London. Took up his freedom June 10th, 1610. Michael Sparke was William Prynne's publisher, and was condemned to stand in the pillory and pay a Issue of £500 for publishing Histrio-mastix. Michael Sparke was also a vigorous opponent of the monopolies, and was the author of a pamphlet entitled Scintilla, or a Light broken into Dark Warehouses, in which he drew attention to what he considered the excessive prices charged for books, particularly Bibles. Sparke at the same time imported Bibles from Holland, which he sold at cheaper rates than those printed in London. This pamphlet has been reprinted by Mr. Arber in the fourth volume of the Transcript (pp. 35 et seq.). He was also the author of a pamphlet entitled A Second Beacon fired by Scintilla … 1652, in which he gave many autobiographical details. Amongst the books he published were John Smith's History of Virginia, 1624; Captain Luke Foxe's North West Foxe, 1635; Mercator's Atlas 1635, and a devotional work with the quaint title Crums of Comfort. Michael Sparke lived at Hampstead, and died there on December 29th, 1653. By his will he left a bequest of a seal ring to William Prynne, Esq. He also left bequests to Constance Jones, Elizabeth Macock and Ellen Cotes, the widows of three printers who worked for him. His son Michael was for a time in partnership with him, but was killed in 1645. [P.C.C. 158, Alchin; Bibliographer, New York, December, 1902.]