Two other families with the surname Stark, neither related to Aaron Stark, arrived in America around 1720 to 1725. Aaron was not related to the family of General John Stark of Revolutionary War fame for this family did not arrive in America until around 1720 and settled in New Hampshire. Around 1725, James Stark arrived in Virginia from England. As the descendants of these three families with the surname Stark began to move west, they settled in the same areas which caused considerable confusion for Stark family researchers. However, it is important for future researchers who might use this book to know these three American Stark families can trace their origins to either Connecticut, New Hampshire, or Virginia and the research of the families to be discussed in this book have been proven to be descendants of Aaron Stark of Connecticut, the earliest to arrive in America with the surname Stark.

The four siblings mentioned were not related to John Thomas Stark, born December 19, 1821 in Preble County, Ohio and who died September 23, 1893 in Orange County, Texas. He was Captain of the Dreadnaughts, Company H, 13^th Texas Cavalry and became well known in Newton County as a result of his service in the Civil War. John Thomas moved from Ohio to Missouri with his parents and the family eventually arrived in Texas around 1840. They first settled in San Augustine County, Texas and then moved to Burkeville, Newton County, Texas in 1853, many years after the siblings arrived. Careful research by descendants of John Thomas Stark has proven he was descended from the above James Stark of Virginia.

The siblings were the children of Daniel R. Stark and Nancy Hawley who moved to Louisiana from Genesee County, New York in 1816 and were married before 1809 in New York. She was the daughter of Samuel Hawley, a veteran of the Revolutionary War from Massachusetts and a descendant of one of the early Hawley families who lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their oldest son, William Hawley Stark married first, Elizabeth Zachary, sister of Bennett Hiram Zachary, and second, Martha C. Whitman, daughter of Adam Whitman and Dorothy Richard. There youngest son, Asahel “Asa” Lafitte Stark, married first, Matilda Donaho, daughter of Daniel Donaho and Nancy Larimore, and married second, Hester Ann “Hettie” Ford, daughter of David Ford and Courtney Caraway.

Their daughter, Sarah Mariah Stark, married John Taylor Lewis, who was the son of Samuel S. Lewis. They were living in Texas as early as 1835 where they were listed in the census that year in the Mexican District of Bevil. They had a daughter named Nancy Jane Lewis who married James Herrin, descendants of this Herrin family being well known in Newton County. There youngest daughter, Prudence Jane Stark, was the second wife of William “Bill” Herrin and the above James Herrin was William’s son from a previous marriage. Prudence had a son named Edward Herrin who married Georgian Zachary, the granddaughter of Bennett Hiram Zachary. Many members of this Herrin family lived in the Devils Pocket region of Newton County until about 1908, and were living in Leesville, Louisiana by 1909. Their daughter, Maude Mae Herrin, married Pentecostal Minister Reverend Robert L. LaFleur who helped found many of the Pentecostal Churches in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana from 1910 to 1920. Other notable families to be discussed in this book will be Dougharty, Donoho, Zachary, Inman, Davis/Moore, Whitman and many others who married descendants of the four siblings.

The Authors make no claims all that will appear in this publication is accurate. We have strived to provide reliable sources when available and in many instances have had to rely on information and family histories supplied by others, which may or may not be correct. We hope the reader will recognize when we have speculated where the evidence was insufficient or circumstantial but could lead to the logical conclusions presented.

November 4, 2003