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'"Shall we know each other there?"

Let us know each other here.

DISCUSSION OF THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN THE EARLY PERMANENT

STARK SETTLERS IN AMERICA

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Considered herein in the order of the time of their settlement.

While the conclusions herein reached have been deduced from what seems to be reliable records and the "Coat of Arms" and its Motto "Fortiorum Fortia Facta," common to all, similar heir-looms, etc., etc. we cannot vouch for their absolute correctness in all particulars, but we believe them to be substantially correct.

"Woe to him whose daring hand profanes

The honored heir-looms of his ancestors." – Moir.

First: Aaron Stark's arrival in America preceded the dates of the other permanent Stark settlers by some fifty-seven to eighty years. He was born in 1608. These dates place him in from two to three generations earlier than the other Stark emigrant settlers, which fact precludes any information or reference in his records concerning the others; and a like omission concerning him occurs in the records of

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the others. That they all had a common Scotch ancestor, however, is not questioned.*

Aaron Stark came to Connecticut as early or earlier than 1637, in which year he enlisted and served as a soldier in the Pequot Indian War under Capt. John Mason. Nothing definite as to whence he came or of the year of his arrival in America is known. It has been conjectured, however, that he may have been brought to America by Capt. Mason to whom he may have been bound for a term of years, a common form of apprenticeship in the years and centuries past.

Second: John Stark of Virginia, son or grandson of Thomas Stark and wife Sarah of London, England. He was a merchant of New Kent, Va., and on Oct. 28, 1684 patented 484 acres of land on the Matapony River, adjoining a large body of land belonging to his wife's people who were earlier settlers there. Her maiden name was Anne Wyatt. John Stark's father or grandfather as the case may have been, Thomas Stark, a marine merchant and trader, had previously invested in land in the vicinity but never settled there.**

John Stark's arrival in Virginia was prior to 1684. His relationship to the other emigrant Stark settlers is not now known; but the contiguity of settlement on the part of Dr. Richard Stark and family a few

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* Y-DNA evidence has clearly revealed the Descendants of Aaron Stark are not related to the descendants of the other Stark Families mentioned in this article. It is quite possible Aaron's ancestor was not Scottish, but of English or German Descent.

** Questionable? No source information. Needs more research.

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years later is suggestive of some kinship between them.*

Third: Dr. Richard Stark of Virginia had been a merchant and a physician of Glasgow, Scotland, and a Surgeon of a Scotch regiment of soldiers. He was probably a brother of John (?) Stark who was likewise a merchant of Glasgow. The Doctor with his wife, Rebecca, and their five children, William, Mary, Catharine, Richard, Jr., and James, and another boy, James Stark**, all born in or near Glasgow, settled in York Co.. Virginia, about the year 1700. The Doctor died there about the year 1704. After his death, the name of the additional boy, James Stark, disappeared from the records of the Doctor's family, and of the locality. From the various happenings we conclude that the extra boy, James Stark in the Doctor's family, was a son of the Doctor's brother John (?) of Glasgow, who had bound him to the Doctor for a term of years, for his service, support and education and especially for the acquirement of a Doctor's profession under the Doctor's instruction. But the Doctor's death terminated the contract before its completion, when the boy at the age of nine or ten years was returned to his parents in Glasgow where he was educated along with his brothers in the University of that city.

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* Interesting but not proven. Y-DNA results suggest the possibility Richard had a brother, but no evidence has been found to confirm.

** Also interesting for the Y-DNA results suggests the possibility Richard could have been an Uncle of James Stark of Stafford Co., VA. or closely related in some other way. As above, no evidence or source evidence available.

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Children of John(?) Stark (given name not fully determined) of Dumbarton and Glasgow, Scotland and later of Londonderry, Ireland:*

Fourth: Archibald Stark, son of John (?), born Oct. 1693, married Eleanor Nichols. a Scotch girl living at Londonderry, Ireland, about 1716. They came to America in 1720 and settled in N. H. in 1721. Their children were: Anna, Col. William, Gen. John, Lt. Samuel, Lt. Archibald Jr., Mary and Jean.

Fifth: John Stark, son of John (?) born 1697, married Elizabeth Nichols, sister of Eleanor Nichols-living at Londonderry, Ireland. They settled in New Hampshire at a later date than his brother, Archibald. Their children were Justin, Grace, Phoebe, Tryphena, Willard, Lewis, Martha and John Jr.

Sixth: James Stark, son of John (?), born about 1695, married Elizabeth Thornton of Londonderry, Ireland. She was of Welsh descent and presumably an elder sister of Mathew Thornton** who was born in 1714, and whose parents in 1717 settled in

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* This list of children for John (?) Stark is  questionable and seem to not be supported by the evidence, especially as they relate to Archibald Stark. It is quite possible James Stark, b. 1695 could have been the son of a man named John Stark, although evidence has not been found at this time. DNA evidence suggests tested descendants of Archibald and James are related. However, the genetic distance of these descendants suggests the common ancestor may have lived three to five generations earlier and Archibald and James most likely were not brothers.

** Harris & Jorgenson questioned this relationship. They reported no association was found between the Starks and Thorntons either in Ireland or in the early years in America.  They questioned whether the name Thornton is correct.

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Massachusetts where he grew to manhood, and became Dr. Mathew Thornton; he settled at Londonderry, New Hampshire, where he began the practice of medicine, and ultimately was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence from New Hampshire.

James Stark and wife after their marriage are said to have first settled in his native city of Glasgow, Scotland, where eight children were born to them, when he and his family removed in 1730 to Stafford Co., Va., where seven more children were born to them. He is supposed to have been the additional boy, James Stark*, of the family of Dr. Richard Stark. Their children were John, James, Thomas, Jeremiah, William, Mary, Susannah, Elizabeth, Sarah, Jane, Ann, Benjamin, Donald, Isabel and Lydia.

Conclusions.

First: That Dr. Richard Stark of York Co., Va. was an uncle of Archibald and John Stark of New Hampshire, and of James Stark of Stafford Co., Va.**

Second: That the children of each family were first cousins of the children of the other two families.***

Remarks.

Various conjectures concerning the relationship of the early emigrant Stark settlers in America have

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* See page 19 comment.

** Dr. Richard Stark may have been an Uncle of James, but it is doubtful he was an Uncle of Archibald. They were more likely to have been distant cousins. 

*** More likely to be true for Richard and James but not likely for Archibald; that is, cousins, but not first cousins.

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been given the writer at different times by different persons. Among these suggestions were the following; That Dr. Richard Stark was the father of Archibald and John of New Hampshire.

This is confuted by the records of Archibald's brothers and sisters, three of whom were born after Dr. Richard Stark's death.*

It has also been suggested that the extra boy, James Stark, in the family of Dr. Richard Stark, was a younger brother of the Doctor. But the wide difference in their ages renders that conclusion improbable.*

Respectfully submitted,

JAMES R. CLARK,

Maunie, Ill.

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* Reasonable conclusions.