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This website designed by Clovis LaFleur
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Welcome to the Aaron Stark Family Chronicles Home Page
Aaron Stark [1608-1685] was born in England or Scotland and migrated to New England after 1630 and before May of 1637; eventually settling in the area which later became known as Groton, New London County, Connecticut. These pages are dedicated to his family and all of his known descendants and is based on the research of many past and present researchers. I do not claim this work is either perfect or complete. It represents the best information available at the time of publication. It is my hope these chronicles will complement and expand the earlier efforts of such notable Stark Family Genealogists as S. Judson Stark, Charles Rathbone Stark, Helen Stark, Walter Owens Shriner, and his wife, Mary Virginia Cuppy. "The Aaron Stark Family Chronicles" is my interpretation of the history of Aaron Stark and his descendants based on an analysis of documented and historical events having relevance to their day in history. While I am sure there will be those who will challenge and offer differing interpretations, I do not have the time left nor the energy to engage in a discussion of "meaningless criticism" of these pages. I do welcome the opportunity to engage in a meaningful discussion of my interpretation from those who have found errors, omissions, or who have "a reasonable criticism" of my interpretation. I reserve the right to decide what is "a reasonable criticism." For those whose criticism I reject, I can only suggest you publish your own interpretation of the Aaron Stark Family History. My research began several years ago with the publication entitled, "The Aaron Stark Family, Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aaron Stark of Groton, Connecticut," by Charles R. Stark, published in 1927 by Wright and Potter of Boston, Massachusetts. Charles R. Stark was a Historian for the Stark Family Association (active from 1895 to 1952), a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, a member of the Rhode Island Historical Society, and a member of the New London County, Connecticut Historical Society. He understood his genealogical publication, when examined by future Stark Family Genealogists, was but a place to begin. He made no claims to the perfection of his work and challenged those to follow to continue to refine the family genealogy and preserve its history with these words: "What is here presented is only what by diligent effort we have been able to gather from the past, with one object in view, viz., to be true to the facts as we found them, and to preserve to those of the name who shall follow us a knowledge of the Stark genealogical line, a large part of which unless so gathered and preserved must soon be lost forever. Let us hope that some younger member of the family will build on the foundation here laid a work complete to date." This web site will examine the Stark Family genealogy in the same spirit: expand beyond his seven generations; correct some organizational errors related to some descendant families in the first seven generations; and carry forward the descendants of other families where his compilation could not continue. As would be expected in these circumstances, many theories have blossomed, leading to rather strong opinions on the origins and organization of many family branches. I hope this website will be useful in your search for your Stark ancestors — and you will review my genealogical interpretations with an open mind. Clovis LaFleur July 21, 2006 <mailto:clafleur1@austin.rr.com>
Searchable Genealogical Database I have a searchable database entitled, "The Descendants of Aaron Stark [1608 - 1685]," which is hosted by Rootsweb.com on their WorldConnect Project website. This database is a compilation of approximately 15,000 individuals who descend from Aaron Stark. Click [HERE] to go to this database if you so desire.
DNA Program
Those males with the surname Stark who have participated in the Aaron Stark Genetic Program are descendants of two brothers — Aaron Stark II [1654-1701] and William Stark, Sr. [1664-1730] — sons of Aaron Stark [1608-1685]. It is known with certainty that Aaron Stark lived approximately between the years 1608 and 1685 - well after the establishment of surnames in Europe. Therefore, the combination of genealogical research and genetic data makes this program an excellent candidate for Y-DNA analysis. The male Y-chromosome is handed down from father to son relatively unchanged through the generations. A comparison of the Y-DNA of two males with the same surname can determine their relatedness to each other. Groups of males with the same surname so tested and compared can define family groups and establish a probability they have a most recent common ancestor within the time frame that surnames were adopted in Western Europe (about the 13th and 14th centuries). Those who have participated in the Stark Family Y-DNA Project have been found to be descendants of nine unrelated families with the surname Stark. The majority of the participants are descendants of families that settled in New Hampshire, Virginia, and Connecticut. Contrary to the beliefs of some researchers, the Stark Family Y-DNA Project has clearly verified the descendants of Aaron Stark are not related to the descendants of the New Hampshire and Virginia families; and these test have further suggested there is a measure of relatedness of the New Hampshire families to the Virginia families. To see an analysis of those participants in Y-DNA Project who are descendants of Aaron Stark [1608-1685], either click on the above "DNA Program Summary" or click HERE.
Table of Contents The website has been divided into Volumes devoted to various branches of the family. Clicking on a Volume navigation bar above will transport you to the Table of Contents of the selected volume. In addition, navigation links are provided to a Photo Album and Links to other websites. The following is a brief description of the content of each Volume. These publications are dedicated to our patriarch, Aaron Stark [1608-1685], who arrived in Connecticut about 1630 from England and eventually settled in New London County, Connecticut in the community that would later become Groton Township (1705). This Volume describes the life and times of the first three generations of the Aaron Stark Family. Included are biographies of Aaron Stark [1608-1685], Aaron Stark (Junior), William Stark (Senior) [1664-1730], and other accounts of their children and grandchildren. Volume 2: Migration to New York, Indiana & Other Places These pages are dedicated to Christopher Stark, Sr. and his family who would remove to Dutchess County, New York from Connecticut about 1758. This Volume describes the hardships of the move, the families tragic migration to the Wyoming Valley [Near present day Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania], and their return to Dutchess County after the 1778 Wyoming Valley Massacre that occurred during the Revolutionary War. Volume 3: The Newton County, Texas Stark Families, Their Ancestors & Descendants The text in this volume has been produced from a book with the above title compiled by Clovis LaFleur and Pauline Stark Moore. These pages are dedicated to the ancestors and descendants of Daniel R. Stark, son of Asahel Stark who had four children named William Hawley Stark, Sarah Mariah Stark, Prudence Jane Stark, and Esahl "Asa" Lafitte Stark. The Volume will prove their origins back to Asahel Stark and provide details of their eventual move to Texas from Indiana and Louisiana. In this Volume will be presented not only those descendants named Stark, but descendants of Prudence Jane Stark who married William Herrin, Sarah Mariah Stark who married John Taylor Lewis, and Nancy Jane Lewis who married James Herrin. Volume 4: The Kentucky Branch of Aaron Stark's Descendants These pages are dedicated to the Kentucky Branch of Aaron Stark's descendants. The Old Stark Family Association, formed about 1895 and active to about 1950, described a group of brothers arriving in Kentucky around 1785 as the "Lost Stark branches." Their names were Jonathan, James, John, Joseph, Christopher, and Daniel Stark. Through the years, there has been considerable debate on their origins and their possible connection to Aaron Stark of Connecticut. Many descendants of these brothers believed they were descended from General John Stark of Revolutionary War fame. This Volume attempts to resolve these issues and illustrate these brothers were the sons of Jonathan Stark and Sarah Laycock of New Jersey and will reveal Jonathan Stark was the son of William Stark, Jr. and Experience Lamb, grandson of William Stark, Sr. and Elizabeth Unknown, and great grandson of Aaron Stark [1608-1685] of Connecticut.
Without the past research of Charles Rathbone Stark (Photo), Helen Stark, J. Judson Stark, and Walter Owens Shriner and his spouse Virginia "Cuppy" Shriner and the dedication of many present day researchers who contributed material, time, and effort to the creation of these pages, this website would not have been feasible. Without their efforts, we wouldn't have known where to begin our research of the descendants of Aaron Stark, our American patriarch who was the first to arrive in New England from the old world. I would like to thank Mary (Burns) Stark, who did so much of the initial research on the Stark Families of Texas, Pauline Stark Moore, who continues her research and adds to Mary's efforts every day, and Neal Lowe, whose research made the connection of the Newton County, Texas Starks to their New York ancestors and eventually to Aaron Stark of Connecticut. Without the encouragement, research, and assistance of Donn Neal, Gwen Boyer Bjorkman, Sharon Reck, Carolyn Smith and many others, the many "Lost Stark Families of Kentucky" may never have been found and my thanks to them for providing me with insight into the everyday lives of Aaron Stark and his family in Colonial Connecticut. And finally, this text is dedicated in particular to the memory of Charles Rathbone Stark, pictured to the left, whose book, published in 1927 titled “The Aaron Stark Family, Seven Generations”, was the beginning of this journey into the past. His compilation of the descendants of Aaron Stark, an ambitious undertaking for 1927, was instrumental to our research and contributed to much of the material presented on this website and presented in the above mentioned searchable database located on the WorldConnect Project. I further dedicate these pages to all future Stark family researchers who will improve on these pages, already obsolete as they are being written, and produce research of their own which will surpass these humble efforts to preserve the history of Aaron Stark and his descendants. Clovis LaFleur, November, 2001 [End of Home Page] [Top Of Page]
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Other than that work created by other acknowledged contributors or sources, the articles and genealogical data presented in this publication were derived from the research of Clovis LaFleur; Copyright © 2007. All rights are reserved. The use of any material on these pages by others will be discouraged if the named contributors, sources, or Clovis LaFleur have not been acknowledged. Disclaimer This publication and the data presented is the work of Clovis LaFleur. However, some of the content presented has been derived from the research and publicly available information of others and may not have been verified. You are responsible for the validation of all data and sources reported and should not presume the material presented is correct or complete.
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