Stark ¾ Scotland and America

A Bull's head, erased a, r,

(Distilling blood, p, p, r):

Fortiorum fortia tacta.

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Officers

President

MoREAU J. StARK, North Plain, Conn.

Vice-Presidents

W. H. GEER, Yantic, Conn. R. F. D. 1.

CHARLES R. STARK, 44 Chapin Ave., Providence, R. I.

CHARLES S. JEWETT, North Lyme, Conn.

Secretary and Treasurer

MARY FANNY CLARK, Colchester, Conn.

Historian

CHARLES R. STARK, Providence, R. I.

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The Stark Family Association

THE Stark Family Association assembled for its thirteenth annual reunion at the Golden Spur Inn, East Lyme, Conn., Tuesday, Aug. 18th, 1908. The day was perfect and the friends began to gather early. We missed some who are usually with us, among the number our former historian, this being her first absence since the organization of the society. there were new friends to greet, whose names we were pleased to enroll as members of our association.

 If, as Plato said, the best thing that can be done for the people of a state is to make them acquainted with one another, the purpose of this gathering was very happily accomplished. Our Historian brought with him one or more volumes of genealogical records to which he refers in his report, and at our request, sketched for us the map showing the topography of the country about the old Stark homestead in Mystic.

A shore dinner was served at the noon hour.

At two-thirty the members met for business. The president gave us greeting. The minutes of the last

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meeting were then read, and with the treasurer's report voted upon and accepted. The deficit in the treasury was more than met by voluntary contribution. The historian's report followed. We were much interested to hear brief extracts from letters written by distant friends, to hear the account of the work the historian was doing as genealogist, and as he mentioned those removed from us by death, we felt our loss, and our deepest sympathy went out to those who daily miss their loved ones.

Letters of regret were noted from Mrs. Sterling P. Graves and Mr. and Mrs. N. F. Graves, Westmoreland, N. Y., friends; from Mrs. George W. Sherman of Santa Cruz, Cal.; Mrs. Anna S. Faris of Mt. Ayr, Iowa, and Mrs. Lucetta P. Boynton of Sycamore, Ill.

Officers for the coming year were then appointed and the meeting adjourned.

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Stark of Brooklyn, N. Y., expressed a cordial invitation to the association to meet with them at their summer residence in Mystic for some future reunion, thus making a trip to the locality of the old homestead of our ancestor, Aaron Stark, the Mystic settler, a possibility. This is much appreciated.

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Treasurer's Report

1907-1908

Balance in treasury Aug. 22, 1907..... $1.75

Received, membership fees............... 36.50

Received for 6 extra copies of Annual..  2.30

                                                      ¾¾¾ $40.60

Paid for printing membership tickets..   $1.25

Paid for printing Annual....................    34.30

Paid for one wood cut......................      2.00

Paid for stationary, post, exp., etc....      5.69

                                                      ¾¾¾ $52.04

                                                                  ¾¾¾

Deficit  ..........................................              $2.28

It is very much desired to obtain several copies of the 1906 Annual Report, as the Association has none on file. The secretary would be pleased to correspond with any who have extra copies.

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Report of the Historian

THIS present month of August is a specially favored time for Stark Family gatherings, the Wyoming Valley branch having held their reunion on the 12th and the "Franchers" ¾ mainly descendants of Lucy Stark ¾ met on the 15th inst. These meetings serve a useful purpose in spreading acquaintanceship, keeping alive the family feeling and in arousing an interest in the study of our family history. Some of the letters received during the year manifest this family feeling. Mrs. Harriet M. Stark Writes from Paris, Texas:

"We have received the small book containing the Association of the Stark Family. I would be glad to have the name of my husband added, as they are the Starks to which we belong and there seems to be others in the South and West. Rev. Oliver Porter Stark, the only son of Nathan Stark, and brother to Mrs. Mary Bailey of Whitehouse, N. J., was a minister and missionary of the Assembly's Board of New York, sent to the Choctaws in 1843, received his literary and

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part of his theological education at Princeton, N. J. The board employed him to take out some teachers. He was ordained to preach by the Indian Presbytery in 1849. He preached, kept up a school at Good Land until after the war, when he removed to Texas, where he built up a seminary for girls and young ladies. After thirteen years, his health being somewhat impaired, at the desire of many friends he returned to the nation, removed and rebuilt Spencer Academy, a large school for Indian boys. he worked faithfully among them until his death in March, 1885."*

B. G. Allen** of Palo Alto, Cal. writes: "I am very proud of our membership in the Stark Family association and regret very much that we cannot attend the annual meetings, but we want you to consider us their in spirit and that we are true born Americans of the good old patriotic kind of stock and entirely in sympathy with your every movement, for my wife, while being a "Native Daughter" of California, comes from the same God-fearing American stock, her father having been a pioneer of the early 50's in California. He crossed the plains twice with ox teams, bringing parts of his family and kinsfolk each time and their name "Ables" always and in all communities

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*Editor's Comment: Rev. O. P. Stark Lineage: Aaron¹, Aaron², Abiel³, Nathan⁴ married Anna Fitch, Nathan⁵ married Rebecca Palmer, Nathan⁶ married 1st. Mary Porter, Oliver Porter Stark⁷. Harriet M. Stark [1832-1910] was the second wife of Oliver Porter Stark. For more on Rev. O. P. Stark, click HERE.

**Editor's Comment: Benjamin Graves Allen Lineage: Aaron¹, Aaron², Abiel³, Nathan⁴ married Anna Fitch, Abiel⁵ married Molly Graves, Mary Stark⁶ married Benj. Graves, Mary Ann Graves⁷ married Elihu Allen, Benjamin Graves Allen⁸.

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stood for honor, sobriety, industry and brotherly love and the American flag was always conspicuous at their home on all public occasions, and while there is not so much "Yankee" in her as there is in me, there is just as much patriotism, and son, while we are so far away we want to be considered a part and parcel of the Stark Family Association. Hoping that the coming gathering may be your happiest and that God may shower his richest blessings on you all."

A letter from James R. Clark of Maunie, Illinois, states that he is compiling a "Clark, Fancher and Stark" Genealogy, and he seeks further information concerning Capt. John Stark of Pawlet, Vermont, who married Eunice Adams of Canterbury, Conn., April 16, 1764. The identity of Capt. John has been a source of much inquiry and has been complicated by the tradition that he was related to Gen. John of New Hampshire, but S. Judson and the late Benjamin Stark, who made exhaustive study of this subject, are agreed that he was descended from William Stark, William, Aaron.

Mr. Clark further says: "You asked me some time ago to contribute any matter of historical value, prior to the coming Stark Reunion. I thought at that

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time that I might be able to show up the connecting link between the New Hampshire and Virginia Stark lines, but am compelled to report that while each line traces back to Glasgow, Scotland, the common ancestor if any, has not been satisfactorily determined. The advent of the Virginia Starkes in America, evidently preceded by a few years that of the New Hampshire family. Another helper in this line of work, H. M. Stark, Esq., 110 State street, Boston, a descendant in the New Hampshire Stark line, has recently entered the field for the preparation of a genealogy of the New Hampshire Stark Family lines; he purposes extending his researches into Scotland to discover, if possible, the common ancestor of these two family lines. We trust he may also discover the common ancestor of all the American lines."

Mr. B. A. Sill writes from Manchester, Vt., for information concerning Josiah Haynes*, who married a daughter of Aaron Stark, and Mr. Elisha W. McGuire from New York is seeking his forbear, Miss Hannah Stark, who married Jonathan Whipple of Ledyard, Conn. A circular from Stark Brothers, the famous fruit raisers of Louisiana, Mo., addressed to "Judge James Stark's descendants" seems to identify

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*Editor's Comment: To learn more about Josiah Haynes/Heines and Elizabeth Stark, click HERE.

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them with the Virginia Starke's, although they have dropped the final "e" after the Connecticut family's custom.

In June last I enjoyed the privilege of visiting Mr. S. Judson Stark at West Pittston, Penn., and under his generous hospitality of visiting those places in the Wyoming Valley which are of such historical interest to our country and to our own Stark family. this valley was opened up by people from this section of Connecticut and some by the name Stark were among the early settlers. The Susquehanna Company was formed in July, 1753, and although jurisdiction over it's territory was given to Pennsylvania by degree of a Court of Commissioners held at Trenton, Dec. 30, 1782, meetings of the Company were held for many years afterward. An advertisement in the "Connecticut Gazette" Feb. 5, 1795, reads: "Take notice. The meeting of the Susquehanna Proprietors is to be holden in Preston, at John Crary's tavern, on the second Tuesday of February inst."

Christopher Stark, the progenitor of Judson, died in the Valley in 1777 ¾ the year before the massacre ¾ of old age, and his son, James, a soldier of the Continental line, died the same year of smallpox. We are

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told that his widow, Elizabeth Carey, on the day of the Massacre, when all seemed lost, saved herself by hiding in a field of corn, and upon finding that all of their buildings and contents were destroyed, she gathered what little she could, and taking her family of small children with her, came all the way afoot back to her old home in Dutchess County (New York). She arrived at her sister's house a picture of utter misery and destitution. She never rallied from this terrible experience, but died on Aug. 12, 1778. the names of two other sons of Christopher ¾ Aaron and Daniel ¾ are inscribed on the monument as among the slain, and Aaron, Jr., as among the survivors of that memorable 3rd of July, 1778.* There is a large branch of the family located in and about the Wyoming Valley, another located along the Hudson River, still another in Michigan, as well as the New London County family, who all claim descent from Aaron Stark of Groton. Mr. S. Judson Stark kindly placed at my disposal the results of his researches for more than thirty years into the family of Aaron and his descendants, contained in three manuscript volumes, together with a large number of letters. I have spent six weeks in classifying and arranging this material, and have now

¾¾

*Editor's Comment: Click HERE for more on the Wyoming Valley Massacre.

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a fairly good list of the first six generations, comprising more than fifteen hundred names. These have been placed in order of families, numbered consecutively and indexed, for easy reference. Some gaps need to be filled, but the last two generations (the seventh and eighth) are very incomplete, and these two will probably embrace more names than the preceding six. this is the nucleus for a very good sized volume, but if the Association considers the publication steps should be taken to secure, if possible, a reliable connection with the parent line in Scotland and also to work out a scheme for obtaining full particulars of the seventh and eighth generations, as any book should bring this descent at least down to that point.

With regret we hear of the death of Mrs. Mary (Stark) Bailey, a member of this Association, which occurred on May 7, 1908, at Whitehouse, N. J. She was the oldest daughter of Nathan and Mary (Porter) Stark, born May 5, 1824, married May 18, 1848, Rev. William Bailey. She resided with her daughter at the time of her death. Mrs. Bailey was the sister of Rev. Oliver Porter Stark, and of Mrs. Katherine (Stark) Tyler, wife of Rev. Charles M. Tyler, D. D. Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics and Philosophy

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of Religion in Cornell University.

Mrs. Jewett advises us of the death of her brother, Frederick Stark Fosdick, on April 8, 1908. He was the son of Frederick and Lucy Fosdick and grandson of Abial and Mary Griffing Stark. He was born April 13, 1858, and died April 8, 1908. He had always been active in town affairs, representing his town in the General Assembly in 1905. He was clerk of the Committee on Agriculture, also a member of the Executive Committee of the Farmer' Association, where he was an earnest worker, and was prominent in House debate. His wife was Mary Comstock, daughter of James L. Raymond of Lyme. He leaves no children.

Elsie Louise Stark died July 18, 1908, following an operation for appendicitis. She was the daughter of Joshua Warren and Mione Ely Stark. She was an unusually attractive child of sweet disposition and very much loved by all who knew her. She was ten years of age and her death occurred at the home of her parents in Lyme, Conn.

Mrs. Anna T. Faris corrects an error found on page eleven of the 1907 annual. She is the great-granddaughter of Capt. John Stark, who fell in the battle of Bennington and has her membership in the D. A. R. through him.

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Officers elected for 1908-1909

President.

MOREAU J. STARK, North Plain, Conn.

Vice-Presidents

W. H. GEER, Yantic, R. F. D. I.

S. E. ACKLEY, Chester, Conn.

CHARLES S. JEWETT, North Lyme, Conn.

Secretary and Treasurer

MARY FANNY CLARK, Colchester, Conn.

Historian

CHARLES R. STARK, Providence, R. I.

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History and Genealogy of the Stark

Family, Scotland and America

WE wish to call the attention of all members and others who are interested, to the above work, which is now being compiled by one of our members, Harold M. Stark of Boston, Mass., 110 State street.

Mr. Stark, through his researches and efforts, has accumulated to date more historical facts and records of the family than has any one else to our knowledge. His work has been confined chiefly to the Virginia and New Hampshire lines (of the latter he is a direct descendant), although he has given us valuable information on the Connecticut branch for this edition.

It is proposed to include his work and that of Mr. Charles R. Stark of Providence, R. I., which takes up the Connecticut branch, in one volume, publishing the genealogy of these three branches in one complete work. the value of it to posterity, beside its being interesting to all of us at this present time, is readily appreciated.

It is earnestly requested that every living descendant of the Virginia and New Hampshire lines forward

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to him at the earliest date possible their own family records as far back as it can be traced accurately with dates.

The compiler is one of our young, energetic members, and was born at Waddington, N. Y., Jan. 5, 1881, his parents removing to Wisconsin shortly after this date. He was brought up and educated out there, fitting himself at the University of Wisconsin for the profession of civil electrical engineering, which work he has followed with success, and after several years of practical experience took up the business end, locating in Boston.

Mr. Stark is admirably fitted in every way to bring about the successful completion of this valuable work, and the well wishes and co-operation of every member are with him. We sincerely trust that all members and others who can offer data and other assistance will do so at the earliest possible moment.

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MAP SHOWING HOMESTEAD OF AARON STARK, 1653

¾¾

Editor's comment: The above illustration was labeled as presented. However, the Homestead in Groton, New London County west of Old Mystic was not purchased until November 5, 1664 from Rev. William Thompson. In 1653, Aaron was still serving John Mason at the pleasure of the Particular Court of Connecticut as a result of one of Aaron's youthful indiscretions in 1642. While in the service of Mason, Aaron was assigned as Mason's caretaker of his Stonington Land grant in 1653, located east of the Mystic River. Further, this presentation of the homestead includes later purchases made by William Stark and Aaron Stark (Junior). The original property was mostly located approximately between the Wightman Burying ground and Burnets Corners. For more on this subject, click HERE.

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KATHERINE STARK TYLER

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Katherine Stark Tyler

MRS. Katherine Stark Tyler, daughter of Nathan Stark (who graduated at Yale College in 1812, and who was the grandson of Nathan Stark, who married Ann Fitch), is thus a direct descendant of Maj. Gen. John Mason, who was distinguished in the Pequot War and became Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of Connecticut.

Mrs. Tyler was born in New York City, in 1861, taught in the public schools of Brooklyn, New York City and Newark, N. J. Susequently she made a profession of vocal music; sang in Broadway Tabernacle and other metropolitan churches, and in 1883 was called to be a professor of music in Syracuse University, New York, which chair she held for seven years. She was a pupil of Federleen of New York and of Lamperti, Dresden. She spent a year in Berlin, Dresden and Leipsic, and on her return married, in 1892, Prof. Charles Mellen Tyler, D. D., a graduate of Yale, who received his degree from Yale and became a professor in the Department of Philosophy of Cornell University, and is now professor emeritus, retired on the Carnegie Foundation. Prof. Tyler is now a trustee of Cornell and librarian of the City Library of Ithaca, N. Y., where Mr. and Mrs. Tyler reside at "The Oaks."

¾¾

Editor's comment: Katherine (Stark) Tyler Lineage: Aaron¹, Aaron², Abiel³, Nathan⁴ married Anna Fitch, Nathan⁵ married Rebecca Palmer, Nathan⁶ married 2nd Mary A. Lowe, Katherine (Stark) Tyler⁷. Katherine Stark was the half-brother of Rev. Oliver Porter Stark.

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Benjamin Stark

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Hon. Benjamin Stark

BENJAMIN Stark was born in New Orleans, La., on June 26, 1820, though descended from old New England stock. He attended school at New London and was afterward graduated from the old-time academy at Hebron, then presided over by Rev. Mr. Strong. In 1835 he entered the counting house of the Hurlburts in New York City: in 1845 he went "round the horn" to California, then a province of Mexico, an oft repeated voyage. In 1848 he visited Hong Kong, returning to New York by way of Suez, Paris and London. Returning to California, this time by the Isthmus of Panama, he traded on the pacific Coast, in the Sandwich Islands, where our flag now flies, and erected a log trading house in Oregon, which was the first building on the ground where now stands the city of Portland.

In 1850 he abandoned commercial life, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. In 1852 he was a member of the first territorial Legislature of Oregon and identified himself with the history of that Western Empire State.

A member of the Legislature in 1860, he was appointed by the Governor in 1861 a Senator of the United States to fill a vacancy, thus becoming a member of the thirty-seventh Congress during '61 and '62. 

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After a residence of two years in Washington he removed his family to New London, which was his home the rest of his life.

On March 29, 1854, he married Elizabeth Molthrop, daughter of Capt. William E. Molthrop, then residing at Wapato, near Portland, Oregon. Of this marriage six children were born, four of whom are still living, residents of New London. Mrs. Stark died in 1881.

Mr. Stark was a Democrat from principle, a consistent and honest supporter of the politics of his party. He was frequently elected to city offices, and in 1874 represented New London in the General Assembly. 

He helped draft the city charter, consolidating the town and city governments of New London. he was a lover of the public schools, and for twenty-four years gave valuable assistance in their care and development as a member of the Board of Education. He was for many years supervisor of the Young ladies' High School, then President, later a trustee of the new young ladies' high school, the Williams Memorial Institute, and remained in office till his death.

Mr. Stark was a prominent member of the Episcopal church. He served as vestryman and warden at St. James' parish in his home city, and was a delegate to the Great Convention from 1871 until his decease.

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While a strict churchman, he possessed the greatest of all gifts, charity: he hope for and expected the day when all Christians should keep the unity of spirit in the bond of faith and there should be one Lord, one faith, one baptism. His last spoken word was "Peace."

He was many sided, well informed, perfect in memory, genial and courtly, in the way of the old school. His influence was the silent and potent example of a Christian gentleman. His death occurred Oct. 10, 1898.

(Aaron¹, William², William³, William⁴, Benjamin⁵, Benjamin⁶, Benjamin Stark⁷.)

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William D. Stark

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William D. Stark

WILLIAM D. Stark, son of Anson and Lydia Dodge, was born in Lyme, N. H., Oct. 27, 1835. He left New Hampshire about 1856 and went to Worchester, Mass., removing from there to live in Chicago for a time, but finally locating in Minnesota.

On June 6, 1858, he married Miss Carrie A. Fowler at Houston, Minn. She was the daughter of Rev. Josiah Fowler, who was born in Vermont, but migrated to the West. On her mother's side she was the granddaughter of Jessie Worden, one of Gen. Washington's body guard.

Mr. Stark, his father and four brothers were faithful defenders of our country during the Civil War, perhaps inheriting their patriotic spirit from Joseph Wilmarth, an ancestor, who was a pensioner of the Revolutionary War. Mr. Stark was one of the drum corps, who were among the first to enter the city when Richmond was taken, and his widow still has the fife on which he played at that time. His discharge paper, given at Madison, Wis., May 17, 1865, describes him as a private of Company B, 19th Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers, 26 years of age, five feet three inches high, fair complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair, and by occupation, when enrolled, a 

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carpenter. He was in engagements at Suffolk, Va., Bruce's Creek, N. C., Bermuda Hundred, Va., Petersburgh and Richmond R. R., Spring Creek, Va., Drury's Bluff, Va., sixty days before Petersburgh, Va., under constant fire in June, July, and August, 1864, and Richmond, Va., which he entered April 3, 1865. he was detailed as musician in August, 1862, and served as one to date of discharge.

Mr. and Mrs. Stark came to Missouri in 1869, and were in St. Louis about sixteen years. They journeyed together in happy and unbroken companionship forty-eight years. He died in Sparta, Ill., Dec. 6, 1906. They had one daughter, Luella Stark, born Nov. 8, 1859, at Rushford, Minn.; married in St. Louis June 27, 1883, to Frederick H. Williams of Orange, N. J. She died April 24, 1903, at Wheeling, W. Va., leaving two children, Ethel A. and Frederick Stark Williams, aged twenty-three and seventeen years, respectively.

By occupation Mr. Stark was a mechanical draughtsman and car builder. He had no special interest in politics, but in his views was Republican. he was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church. a prominent member of the Odd Fellows Society, and a member of the National Association of Civil War Musicians. He was a man of noble Christian character, respected and loved by all who knew him,

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Genealogy

(1).    Moses Stark, born Groton, Conn., June 17, 1716: married Elizabeth Holdredge May 29, 1739.

(2).    William, born Lyme, N. H., 1758.

(3).    Nathan, born Lyme, N. H., Dec. 24, 1785; married Beulah Wilmarth Oct. 24, 1809.

(4).    Anson, born Lyme, N. H., Feb. 11, 1813; married (1) Lydia Dodge, (2) Lucinda Clough.

(5).    William D., born Lyme, N. H., Oct. 27, 1835; married Carrie A. Fowler, June 6, 1858.

Moses Stark moved to Lyme, N. H., 1756.

Record furnished by H. M. Stark of Boston.

¾¾

Editor's comment: Moses was the son of William Stark (Junior) and Experience Lamb; Grandson of William Stark (Senior); and Great-grandson of Aaron Stark¹. A descendant of John Stark (son of Moses) ¾ brother of Nathan Stark who married Beulah Wilmarth ¾ is a member of the Stark Family Y-DNA Project. His genetic results revealed he is related to 17 other members of the project with genealogy suggesting they descend from Aaron Stark¹. For more information click HERE. The descendant of Moses Stark is identified as Kit #63737.

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Members of the Association

1908-1909

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Members and Friends Present

August 18, 1908

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