Reginald Ford Sparkes (June 27, 1906 – January 1990) was an educator, writer and political figure in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. He represented

St. Barbe St. Barbe is an List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, unincorporated settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located on the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland near Pigeon Cove (some ...

in the

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is the Unicameralism, unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It meets in the Confederation Build ...

from 1949 to 1956. Sparkes was the first speaker for the House of Assembly after Newfoundland became part of Canada.

Biography

He was born in

Jackson's Arm Jackson's Arm is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on White Bay. It was settled by John Wicks of Christchurch, England, around 1870. The Post Office was established in 1892 and the first Postmistress was Beli ...

Newfoundland Colony Newfoundland Colony was an English and, later, British colony established in 1610 on the island of Newfoundland off the Atlantic coast of Canada, in what is now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. That followed decades of sporadic English ...

the son of Isaac Sparkes and Roseanna Ford, and was educated there, at

Bishop Feild College Bishop Feild College (originally Church of England Academy; formerly Church of England College and Bishop Feild Elementary; currently Bishop Feild School), founded in 1844, is a school in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfou ...

and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. He taught in Trinity Bay and

Change Islands Change Islands is an outport community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The community spans two small islands of the same name which lie off the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland between Notre Dame Bay and the La ...

. In 1936, he became a supervisor inspector for west coast schools in Newfoundland. Sparkes married Hannah Bugden. He retired from politics in 1956 and became manager of the

Newfoundland Savings Bank Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

, later taken over by the

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...

. In 1967, he retired to Hallstown, North River. He died in 1990.

Publications

* ''The Winds Softly Sigh'' published in 1981 *''Sense and Nonsense'' published in 1989 , selections from his weekly column written under the name Jonathan Miles, ''A Countryman's Notebook''

References

* Speakers of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Writers from Newfoundland and Labrador 1906 births 1990 deaths Canadian educators Bishop Feild School alumni {{Newfoundland-politician-stub