Page
i
Volume 4
Descendants of Jonathan Stark & Sarah Lacock;
The Kentucky Stark Families
By
Clovis LaFleur
Present day map of the region near
Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky showing James Rogers
Tithable district boundary ( and location of Rogers
Station). Shaded region approximate area where Jonathan’s
descendants lived from 1785 to 1792. Rogers Station was
located west of Bardstown at the present day junction of
US Highway 62 and Ben Irvin Road.
|
Page
ii
By
Clovis LaFleur
Copyright
© 2007-2009
______________
All Rights Reserved
By posting this copyright it is
my intention to date this material. Reproduction of
portions of this text will be discouraged if I do
not receive credit and credit is not given to those,
past and present, who have made major contributions
to our knowledge of the Stark Families presented in
this publication.
Dedication
I
do not claim what is presented in this publication is
perfect or complete. What is being presented is a summary of
the diligent efforts of many dedicated genealogists who have
been able to gather material from the past with but one
objective; to be true to the facts as they were found and to
preserve the history of the Stark genealogical line unless
it be lost forever. My contribution has been to compile that
research which is related to the origins of six brothers
with the surname Stark who lived in Nelson County, Kentucky.
Early researchers like Charles R. Stark, Walter O. Shriner,
Virginia Shriner, Roy Harding, and many others started us
down this path of discovery — their only desire —
to gather and preserve this family history with the hope
younger generations would add to and build on the foundation
they started.
I
would like to thank W. O. "Bo" Stark and Donn Neal
for lending their skills in editing to the final production
of this publication. Their suggestions are greatly
appreciated. Contributors in time, material, and research
were Gwen Boyer Bjorkman, Pauline Stark Moore, Pat Mount,
Donn Neal and W. O. "Bo" Stark. Without their
encouragement and willingness to share their research, this
publication would not have been possible.
Clovis
LaFleur
October
2009
|
Page
iii
Preface:
Kentucky Links to New London County, Connecticut Stark Families
Introduction
March
3, 1715/16, the following deed transaction was recorded in
Groton, New London County, Connecticut:
To
all Christian people to whom this present deed of Gift may
come William Stark of Groton in ye county of New London in
Conecticut Collony in New England Senior sendeth Greeting
know ye that I ye abovesd William Stark for ye good will and
kinder affection I bear to my son William Stark Junr and my
Granchild Jonathan Stark both of Groton in ye County of New
London aforesd have fully freely and absolutely given
granted aliened ensealled and confirmed unto William Stark
Jun aforesd a certain tract of land during his naturall life
and then to my grandchild Jonathan Stark....
[Groton
Deed Book 1, pages 341 & 342]
The
Groton Town Records report one Jonathan Stark was born to
William Stark (Junior) and Experience Lamb on December 10, 1712.
About four years later, the above deed allowed Jonathan’s
father, William (Junior,) to use and improve the described
property during his lifetime —
but prevented him from
selling the property. As the deed specified, Jonathan Stark
became the owner of the property after William (Junior) was
deceased.
Jonathan
is mentioned twice more as living in Groton; once in 1733 on a
deed referencing the above property; and May 5, 1736, when he
sold the property his grandfather had given to him. Volume 1 of
the Aaron Stark Chronicles has provided documented
evidence William Stark (Senior) was the son of Aaron Stark
(1608-1685) and, therefore, confirms Jonathan Stark was the
great-grandson of Aaron Stark (1608-1685). After May 5, 1736,
Jonathan Stark disappears from the Groton Records at the age of
23. What became of Jonathan? In 1927, in his publication
entitled The Aaron Stark Family, Seven Generations,
Charles R. Stark reported Jonathan was born on the above given
date to William (Junior) and Experience Lamb; but had no further
comment on this person. Could Jonathan have had issue? If so,
where was he living after 1736? Perhaps we can answer these
questions by examining the movements of a group of Stark
brothers living in Kentucky as early as 1784.
The
Nelson County, Kentucky Stark Brothers
Roy
B. Hardin reported the following in his 1952 manuscript entitled
The Early Stark Families In Vernon Township, Washington
County, Indiana:
As
early as 1784, six Stark brothers had settled on Forman’s
Creek in Nelson County, Kentucky. Those men were: (1)
Jonathan Stark with wife Margaret; (2) Christopher Stark
with wife Martha Vinyard; (3) James Stark with wife Mary
Howell; (4) Daniel Stark with wife Elizabeth Wells; (5)
Joseph Stark with wife Hannah; and (6) John Stark. These men
were in Washington County, Pennsylvania during the
Revolution.
Jonathan
was a Baptist preacher. Christopher, James, and Daniel
served in the Washington County (PA) militia. These brothers
later settled in Shelby County and Henry Counties, Kentucky.
We know old Christopher Stark and old Daniel Stark were in
Virginia as early as 1775, for their names appear on
Virginia Militia Roll of soldiers. With them served Stephen
Vineyard. Some genealogists claim that the Vineyard family
came directly to Virginia from England. One Jonathan Stark
and wife Mary, who lived in Clay County, Indiana, in 1850,
stated he was 77 years old and was born in Virginia. Hence
this Jonathan was born in Virginia in 1773.
The
descendants of these men have been well documented by Mr. Hardin
and genealogy researchers Mary Virginia (Cuppy) Shriner and
husband, Walter O. Shriner. Like Mr. Hardin, Mrs. Shriner was a
descendant of the above mentioned Christopher Stark. What did
they and others have to say about the Stark ancestry of these
men?
The
Stark Brothers Speculated Origins by Genealogical Researchers
Roy
B. Hardin had these comments:
The
Stark families do not descend from General John Stark of New
Hampshire and Bennington fame. Mr Howard P. Moore of New
York City has written a complete genealogy of the General
John Stark family that shows this. The Stark families of
which I write descend from a still older immigrant family.
It appears that the Veron Township Stark families descended
from either Aaron Stark who settled in Groton, Connecticut,
as early as 1653, or from James Stark of Stafford County,
Virginia, who came from Scotland and who died in Stafford
County, Virginia in 1754.
Although
the reference to Aaron Stark is promising, Mr. Hardin was not
able to establish a documented link to the Groton Stark
families.
|
Page
iv
In
1927, Charles R. Stark’s publication entitled, The Aaron
Stark Family, Seven Generations (page 20) reported a
genealogy that mistakenly suggested the six Stark brothers were
children of Christopher Stark (Junior), born in Groton in 1728.
In the 1942 Stark Family Association Yearbook, Mrs.
Shriner published an article entitled, "Some Lost
Branches of the Aaron Stark Family" that referenced
this genealogy. In her opening paragraph, she wrote:
"As
early as 1774, three young brothers by the name of Stark
married and migrated to what is now Amwell Township,
Washington County, Pennsylvania. This frontier district was
claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania until 1782. These
Stark Brothers were James, Christopher, and Daniel, and
following the Revolution, all three moved their families to
Kentucky. There is considerable evidence which indicates
that these Stark Brothers were originally from Dutchess
County, New York, and were quite likely the sons of
Christopher Stark, No. 86, A. S. F." [A. S. F. stands
for Aaron Stark Family, the above referenced text by Charles
R. Stark.]
Overlooked
were Mrs. Shriner's comments the following year in an article
entitled "Further Comments on Some Lost Branches of the
Aaron Stark Family." In paragraph five of this article,
Mrs. Shriner questioned the accuracy of her 1942 article:
"It
now appears that the James, Christopher , and Daniel of the
Lost Branches were more likely to have been the grandsons of
William Stark, No. 17 {In A. S. F. text} than grandsons of
Christopher Stark, No. 18......Since the older children of
the three Stark men in Lost Branches were born about 1770,
it would indicate that the three brothers were born no later
than 1750, which would make them almost too old to have been
the sons of Christopher Stark, No. 86, who was born in 1728.
Could not these three brothers have been the sons of
Jonathan Stark, No. 76...?"
Mrs.
Shriner’s 1943 question, which suggests the Kentucky brothers
may have been sons of Jonathan Stark and grandsons of William
Stark (Junior) and Experience Lamb, effectively corrected her
article of the year before, but too few researchers noticed and
the brothers ancestry continued to go unanswered.
In
1985, Mary Kathryn Harris and Mary Iva Jean Jorgensen compiled
and published a genealogy entitled James Stark of Stafford
County, Virginia And His Descendants. They had these
comments in Volume 1, page 1269:
Anyone
searching for Starks in KY has probably noticed the many
Starks around the Nelson Co., KY area. The ancestors of
these Starks were James Stark who married Mary Howell,
daughter of Abner Howell; Daniel Stark who married Elizabeth
(Wells?); Christopher Stark who married Martha Venard/Vinyard;
Joseph Stark who married Hannah; John Stark; Jonathan Who
married Margaret Ball; and Sarah who married Rev. William
Wood....many articles, manuscripts and books have been
written about the Nelson Co. KY Starks and their origins,
most claiming Aaron Stark of Connecticut as their ancestor.
Many of the statements that have been made are not
documented. After a diligent search of all available
records, some members of this family are doubting that they
are, indeed, of the Aaron Stark lineage through William
Stark and Experience lamb.
Each
researcher mentions a connection to the Groton, Connecticut
Stark families, but could not state with certainty this was
fact. Can genetic evaluations of descendants of the Kentucky
Stark brothers narrow the search for their ancestors?
Genetic
Evidence: Were the Brothers Descendants of Aaron Stark?
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 the time to their
most recent common ancestor. Groups of males with the same
surname so tested and compared can define direct male descendant
branches; establishing a probability they have a common ancestor
who lived after the usage of surnames became common in Europe in
the 13th and 14th centuries. Considering
that one generation is about 25 years or more, the year 1500
would be the approximate equivalent of about 20 generations
prior to the present generations. Those males with the surname
Stark who have been genealogically proven to be descendants of
Aaron Stark are descendants of two of his sons —
Aaron
Stark II [1654-1701] and William Stark, Sr. [1664-1730]. It
is known with certainty that Aaron Stark lived approximately
between the years 1608 and 1685 —
well after the
establishment of surnames in Europe.
Men
with the surname Stark have submitted their Y-DNA for genetic
testing. Many of those submitting genetic material for
evaluation are variously descendants of the brothers James,
John, Joseph, Christopher, and Daniel. When compared to each
other, they have been found to genetically have a common
ancestor who lived within the last 20 generations. Other Stark
males have been tested; their genealogical research suggesting
they are members of different descendant branches that share
Aaron Stark [1608-1685] as a common ancestor. These genetic
comparisons of different descendant branches to each other
reveal there is a greater than 90% probability they all share
Aaron Stark [1608-1685] as a common ancestor. The descendants of
the Kentucky Stark brothers —
when compared to this group
— were found to also genetically share a common ancestor
within the same time frame; suggesting they are also descendants
of Aaron Stark.
Many
earlier researchers attempted to link the Kentucky Stark
brothers to the New Hampshire Stark families, of which General
John Stark of Revolutionary War fame was a member. The genetic
contrast between male descendants of the New Hampshire families
and male descendants of Aaron Stark was so great it was
determined they could not have shared a common ancestor within
thousands of years. Also tested were descendants of James Stark
of Stafford County, Virginia. When descendants of James were
genetically compared to descendants of Aaron; the results also
suggests they could not have shared a common ancestor within
thousands of years.
|
Page
v
Therefore,
the lack of genetic differences observed between descendants of
the Kentucky Brothers and known descendants of Aaron Stark —
provides
authentication the brothers were descendants of Aaron as well.
While
there has been considerable speculation on the ancestry of the
Kentucky Stark brothers, no conclusive genealogical evidence had
been found that substantiates their origins. Taken together,
however, each of the genealogical researchers have evidence that
suggests the brothers; (1) arrived in Kentucky from Washington
County, Pennsylvania; and (2) most likely were living in
Virginia before the move to Pennsylvania. The H & J
researchers even suggested the brothers could have been
descendants of one Jonathan Stark —
reported in the Sussex
Co., New Jersey Probate Records of 1765.
On
Jan. 20, 1765 the administration of the estate of Jonathan
Stark of Hardwick Sussex Co. NJ was recorded. Jonathan Stark
had been a wheelwright and died intestate. The
administrators were Sarah Stark (widow) and James Stark. The
fellow bondsman was Joseph Lacock. Also in Sussex Co. NJ is
the will of Joseph Lacock dated Aug. 27, 1760. He mentions a
wife (not named) and children John, Nathan, Joseph, Sarah,
Elizabeth, Henry, and William. The executors were sons
Joseph and William and the witnesses were Edward Pigot,
Jeames Stark, and Henry Corsley. A fellow bondsman, most
times, was either a relative or a very close friend. Even
though Joseph Lacock named a daughter Sarah in his will, her
surname (either Lacock or a married name) was not mentioned.
That Joseph Lacock had adult children at the time of his
death in 1760 is evident as he named sons Joseph and William
as executors. It is not known if the James Stark who was the
administrator of the estate of Jonathan Stark in 1765 is the
same person as the James Stark who witnessed the will of
Joseph Laycock in 1760. [H
& J comments, page 1270, Volume 1]
Assuming
James Stark mentioned in the two Wills was the same person and
was also the above Stark brother with the given name James —
could
Jonathan Stark of Sussex County and Jonathan Stark of Groton be
the same person? The genetic analysis certainly validates
— within a reasonable probability range — that
descendants of the brothers share Aaron Stark as a common
ancestor with others who are known descendants of Aaron. Given
the genetic evidence; there is a genealogical line of
descent connecting these brothers to Aaron; the topic of
our next discussion. [Continued Next Page]
Lineage
of DNA Tested Descendants of Jonathan Stark [1712-1764]
The
Genealogical Table shows the direct male line
from each member known to be a descendant of Jonathan Stark, the first
common ancestor of all of these participants. Genetic
comparisons to individuals in other branches reveal each
are related and share Aaron Stark [1608-1685], as
a common ancestor. |
ID |
Panels
Mismatches |
Gen 0 |
Gen 1 |
Gen 2 |
Gen 3 |
Gen 4 |
Gen 5 |
Gen 6 |
Gen 7 |
Gen 8 |
Gen 9 |
Gen 10 |
Gen 11 |
Gen 12 |
A |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(0)/(0) |
----- |
----- |
76234 |
Father |
Samuel
G.
1888-1967 |
James M.
1824-1905 |
Moses
1793-1860 |
Jonathan
J.
1778-1850 |
James
1741-1821 |
Jonathan
1712-1764 |
William
Jr.
1690-1736 |
William
Sr.
1664-1730 |
Aaron
I
1608-1685 |
B |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(0)/(0)
|
98044 |
Father |
John
E.
1904-1971 |
George
H.
1882-1948 |
Samuel
R.
1858-1911 |
Thompson
1827-???? |
C |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(1)/(0)
|
----- |
----- |
78077 |
Father |
William
F.
1848-1929 |
Carroll
B.
1821-1891 |
Enoch
1794-1864 |
D |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(0)/(1)
|
----- |
48711 |
Father |
William
A.
1905-1959 |
Jona'
E.
1882-1935 |
Simeon E.
1858-1893 |
Elisha
S.
1811-1870
|
Abraham
1781-1857 |
Daniel
1746-1810 |
E |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(0)/(1)
|
----- |
119763 |
Father |
Max
W.
1896-1971 |
William
H.
1855-1917 |
Simeon S.
1822-1893
|
Jesse A.
1802-1877 |
E1 |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(0)/(0) |
|
165568 |
Father |
James
V.
1871-1924 |
James
A.
1849-1933 |
F |
P1/P2/P3
(1)/(0)/(0)
|
----- |
9Z5ZG |
Father |
Robert
L.
1897-???? |
Walter
1871-1898 |
Rice
A.
1821-1900 |
William
1804-1879 |
G |
P1/P2
(0)/(0)
|
----- |
----- |
16335 |
Father |
Elmore
M.
1892-1979 |
Israel
M.
1857-1936 |
Jona'
A.
1815-1880
|
Jona'
D.
1768-1828 |
H |
P1/P2/P3
(0)/(0)/(0)
|
----- |
80860 |
Father |
John
Harold
1907-1956 |
Marion
G.
1868-1918 |
John
Henry
1832-1915 |
Christopher
1802-1862
|
James
V.
1773-1853
|
Christopher
1747-1807 |
I |
P1/P2
(0)/(0)
|
----- |
----- |
74961 |
Father |
Wesley
1894-1951 |
John
W.
1844-1894 |
John
A.
1811-1874
|
Benjamin
1783-1831
|
John
1756-1841 |
J |
P1/P2/P3
(1)/(0)/(0)
|
----- |
----- |
----- |
115456 |
Father |
Harry
L.
1879-1968 |
Bethuel G.
1840-1908 |
Caleb
1793-1876 |
Joseph
1746-1807 |
Genetic Results
Table
|
Panel 1 (1-12) Haplotype |
Panel 2 (13-25) Haplotype |
Panel
3 (26-37) Haplotype |
Marker
# |
Marker # |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37 |
Common
Ancestor
Sons
of
Aaron
I
|
Kit # |
3
9
3
|
3
9
0
|
1
9
|
3
9
1
|
3
8
5
a
|
3
8
5
b
|
4
2
6
|
3
8
8
|
4
3
9
|
3
8
9
-
1
|
3
9
2
|
3
8
9
-
2
|
4
5
8
|
4
5
9
a
|
4
5
9
b
|
4
5
5
|
4
5
4
|
4
4
7
|
4
3
7
|
4
4
8
|
4
4
9
|
4
6
4
a
|
4
6
4
b
|
4
6
4
c
|
4
6
4
d
|
4
6
0
|
G
A
T
A
H
4
|
Y
C
A
I
I
a
|
Y
C
A
I
I
b
|
4
5
6
|
6
0
7
|
5
7
6
|
5
7
0
|
C
D
Y
a
|
C
D
Y
b
|
4
4
2
|
4
3
8
|
Ancestral
Haplotype (Aaron I)
|
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
A |
76234
|
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
B |
98044 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
C |
78077 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
30 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
D |
48711 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
37 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
E |
119763 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
35 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
E1 |
165568 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
1F |
9Z5ZG |
12 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
12 |
12 |
G |
16335 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H |
80860 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
I |
74961 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J |
115456 |
13 |
24 |
14 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
12 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
29 |
16 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
14 |
19 |
29 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
11 |
11 |
19 |
22 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
17 |
36 |
38 |
12 |
12 |
1) |
9Z5ZG
(F) was Tested
by Sorenson Molecular Genetics Foundation. The white background cells in
Panel 3 indicate
these markers were not available for comparison to the FTDNA markers. |
|
Genetic
Results Table Explanation
The
Genetic Results Table presents the allele
values available over 37 DYS Markers for each of the members. Cells
in the first two columns identify the participant and correspond
to the same letters and ID numbers in the Genealogy Table. A
Mutation
occurs in a DYS Marker column when an allele value differs
from the most
common allele value in that column (excluding
the ancestral haplotype allele values). For example,
in Panel 1 (Markers 1 thru 12), all of the allele values in the Marker 2 (DYS-390)
column are 24 —
resulting in no observed mutations in this column.
However, in the Marker 1 (DYS-393) column, the allele value 13
occurs more often than the allele value 12. Therefore, Member F —
having the allele value 12 in the Marker 1 column
—
has his Marker 1 allele value highlighted in
yellow;
indicating he has a DYS-393 mutation relative to the more
common allele value of 13. By observation, notice A, B, E1, and
H all agree with the Ancestral Haplotype; that is, they have no
mutations over the 37 markers. Aaron Stark [1608-1685] most likely had
the same values at these markers
— passed
unchanged through the generations to these participants. |
|
Page
vi
Chapter
1 Summary -
The Kentucky Stark
Brothers - New Jersey to Pennsylvania - 1760-1785
Chapter
1 will present detailed genealogical evidence the brothers
living in Kentucky by 1785 were sons of the above Jonathan Stark
and Sarah Lacock and were grandsons of Joseph Lacock.
In
1783, the Supply Tax List for Washington County, Pennsylvania
reported six men with the surname Stark. Living in Fallowfield
Township was James Stark, owning 140 acres of land. Living close
by but not owning land were Daniel Stark, Christopher Stark and
Jonathan Stark. Living on property sharing a border with the
property of James Stark was Reverend William Woods, his 349
acres bordered by Sugar Camp Run, a tributary of Pigeon Creek.
Living in Amwell Township were Joseph Stark, owning 240 acres,
and John Stark, owning no property. These six men were brothers
and Reverend William Woods was their brother-in-law, married to
their sister, Sarah Stark. Most likely in the the year 1783, the
mother of this Stark family, Sarah Lacock, was living with her
daughter, Sarah (Stark) Woods.
James
Stark, Daniel Stark, and Christopher Stark participated in
Dunmore's War and were paid for their efforts at Fort Pitt in
October of 1775. From 1781 to 1783, all of their names were
listed on the Muster and Class Rolls for Washington County after
its creation in March of 1781. James, Daniel, and Christopher
were reported to be members of the "Rangers of the
Frontier" from 1777 to 1783, although they may have
actually been serving in the Washington County militia after the
county was created in 1781. All of the men named in the 1783 tax
list participated in the Revolutionary War along with others
with the surnames Howell, Vineyard, and Lacock.
These
men with the surname Stark were all born in New Jersey and were
living in Sussex County from 1750 to 1765. Except for Jonathan
Stark, they were residents of Loudoun County, Virginia by 1767.
While Jonathan continued to remain in New Jersey until 1777, his
brothers had departed from Loudoun County by 1772. Although not
known with certainty, they may have been living near the
Monongahela River as early as 1774, near or with William Wood.
They were children of Jonathan Stark and Sarah Lacock (who was
the sister of Joseph Lacock and William Lacock, both residents
of Washington County). Joseph was the father of General Abner
Lacock (1770-1837), a cousin of the Stark brothers. [Source: The
Lacock Family of Washington County, Pennsylvania, by Raymond
Martin Bell & Irene Putnum Lignian, Washington,
Pennsylvania, 1986. Page 3.]
We
have provided genetic evidence descendants of five of the Stark
brothers of Nelson County, Kentucky were descendants of Aaron
Stark [1608-1685] of Groton, New London County, Connecticut.
Based on the above presented material, we can say with
confidence they were sons of Jonathan Stark and Sarah Lacock of
Sussex County, New Jersey. Because the brothers are descendants
of Aaron, their father, Jonathan, was also a descendant of
Aaron.
The
genealogical evidence has provided proof Jonathan Stark, born in
Groton, New London County, Connecticut December 10, 1712, was
the son of William Stark (Junior) and Experience Lamb and a
great-grandson of Aaron Stark. It now remains to demonstrate
these two men with the given name Jonathan and surname Stark
were one and the same person.
Jonathan
Stark of Connecticut & Jonathan Stark of New Jersey; The
Same Person?
Jonathan
Stark first appears in the New Jersey records in 1734, when he
was a witness to a deed transaction for Mary Insley of
Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey.[1] If this was
Jonathan Stark of Groton, why would he suddenly appear in New
Jersey in 1734?
Charles
R. Stark had these comments of interest to this discussion:
"Aaron Stark was formerly of Groton, where he was named
as one of the grantees in the deed of William Stark, Sr. to the
First Baptist Church Mar. 24, 1717/18. About 1730 or 1732, John
Culver, Jr. conducted a party to New Jersey, where they settled
at a place called Schooley's Mountain. It is supposed that Aaron
Stark was one of this company, as on May 29, 1744, he was of
Roxbury [Flanders], Morris County, New Jersey."[2]
There is documented evidence Aaron Stark had departed
Connecticut before September of 1734 and was living in New
Jersey. A deed dated September 7, 1734, states: "Aaron
Stark of ye Black River in ye County of Hunterdon East Jersey
for 220L paid by Jonathan Collver formerly of Groton now
Resident in Black River and in the County of Hunterdon, sold,
20A, in Groton upon a place known by ye name of Fort Hill
..."[3]
New
London residents with the surnames Lamb, Tuttle, Burrow, Salmon,
Mann, Owen, and Stark were followers of John Rogers who had died
in 1721. Their small religious sect, led by John Culver, was
known as the Rogerenes. They left New London County in 1732,
bound for New Jersey -- most likely due to religious persecution
in Connecticut. They settled on the east slope of Schooley's
Mountain; referred to "Colverites" by their neighbors.
Three years later they removed to Monmouth County, where they
remained eleven years, after which they returned to live on the
summit and western slope of Schooley's Mountain.[4]
Historical
Author Theodore F. Wolfe had these comments about the Rogerenes
in New Jersey: "The sect (Rogerenes) had been founded in
New London in 1674, by John Rogers, who passed most of his
subsequent life in prison, and, as persecutions by the church
authorities began almost immediately, it is not improbable that
this New Jersey community may have made their exodus by the
beginning of the eighteenth century. Why they chose this
comparatively rough tract of land for their settlement in
preference to the more level and more easily cleared and
cultivated lands of the plain bordering the nearby Alamatong
(the Indian name for the Black River) will never be known."[4]
__________
1) |
Carol
S. Stark, Starks and Lacocks of Sussex County New
Jersey, Loudoun County, Virginia, & Washington
County, Pennsylvania (Gresham, Oregon, 1997). |
2) |
Charles
R. Stark, The Aaron Stark Family; Seven Generations
of the Descendants of Aaron Stark of Groton,
Connecticut, Boston, Massachusetts, 1927. |
3) |
Groton,
New London County, Connecticut Deed Records, Book 3,
pages 160-161. |
4) |
Theodore
F. Wolfe, The History of Morris County, Lewis
Publishing Company, 1914. Chapter 18,
The Rogerenes
First Whites in Roxbury Township. |
|
Page
vii
However,
suppose Jonathan Stark of New Jersey was the son of Aaron Stark,
reported as individual #37 in the Charles R. Stark
publication.[1] According to it, Jonathan Stark (son of Aaron,
individual #101) married Margaret Ball on March 14, 1765. Many
researchers of this couple report their marriage occurred in
Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, on this same date.
Chapter 1 will provide evidence Jonathan Stark who married
Margaret Ball was not a son of Aaron Stark, as reported in
Charles R. Stark’s genealogy —
but was actually the son
of Jonathan Stark and Sarah Lacock of Sussex County, New Jersey
From
all indications, after 1750 (and perhaps before then), there was
one Jonathan Stark living in the region of New Jersey known as
Hardwick Township. From 1713 to 1738, the region was within the
bounds of Hunterdon County, and it became part of Morris County
in 1738. The present-day township of Hardwick, which was
incorporated on January 22, 1750, included the present-day
townships of Frelinghuysen and Allamuchy in Warren County and
Hackettstown and Green in Sussex County. Recognizing the
hardship of traveling to Morristown for court business, the
legislature created Sussex County from part of Morris County on
June 8, 1753.
Jonathan
owned a gristmill in Hunterdon County in 1750. Research has
discovered his advertisement to sell or let a mill, located in
Bethlehem Township, just across the Delaware River from
Pennsylvania.[2]
Morris
County, New Jersey, was created March 15, 1738/39, having been
divided from Hunterdon County. Morris County itself would later
be subdivided to create Sussex and Warren Counties. Schooley's
Mountain was located in Roxbury Township, created in 1740 from
Morris Township. The 1734 deed described Aaron Stark as a
resident of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, suggesting Aaron was a
member of the Rogerene movement. If Jonathan’s cousin, Aaron
Stark, had moved to New Jersey about or before 1734, then it
would not be unreasonable to suggest Jonathan Stark of Groton
moved to New Jersey at the same time and was the same Jonathan
Stark who witnessed the deed of Mary Insley.
Further
evidence of residence in the region was suggested in Morgan
Edwards 1770 publication entitled, Edward's Materials Towards
a History of the Baptists. Researcher Carol S. Stark had
these observations after reviewing Morgan’s comments: "That
about the year 1754 that Jonathan Start & his wife Sarah
were members of the Bethlehem [in Hunterdon County] Baptist
Church, which was the name of the township where it existed. In
1763, fourteen persons formed a church at Knollton [Sussex
County]. Three of these people were Joseph Lacock and Jonathan
Start and his wife Sarah. There was no Start family in Sussex
Co., associated with Joseph Laycock. This was Jonathan &
Sarah Stark. The Knollton land was a gift from the Rev. Henry
Crossley. Henry was a witness to the will of Joseph Laycock who
died in 1760. Another witness to this will was James Stark."[3]
Therefore, the Jonathan Stark family and the Joseph Lacock
family appear to have had common interest from 1754 to 1760.
Although
no record of marriage has been found for Jonathan Stark and
Sarah Lacock, there is other evidence to show that they were man
and wife. In 1986, Raymond Martin Bell published a booklet
entitled, The Lacock Family of Washington County,
Pennsylvania. Bell related to origins of this family: "The
Lacocks apparently originated in New Jersey. The first record is
that of Joseph Lacock in Burlington County in 1711. In 1714, he
was in Middlesex County, in 1715 in the Woodbridge militia. He
is likely the Joseph Lacock who died in Hardwick Township,
Sussex County between August 27, 1760, when his will was
written, and October 8, 1760, when it was probated. He named
children John, Nathan, Joseph, Sarah, Elizabeth, Henry, and
William. A wife is mentioned, but not named. His son, Henry,
died about the same time, for a bond was issued in his estate
September 28, 1760. "[4]
If
Mr. Bell had correctly connected these families, then the Lacock
family was living in or near Woodbridge by 1734; the same place
Jonathan Stark witnessed the Mary Insley deed transaction.
Joseph Lacock's Will was witnessed by James Stark in 1760;
providing proof he was an adult of at least 21 years of age at
the time. On January 3, 1765, the same James Stark was named
(with his mother, Sarah) as administrator of the estate of
Jonathan Stark of Hardwick Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.
A fellow bondsman was Joseph Lacock, the brother of the widow,
Sarah (Lacock) Stark.
In
summary, despite the lack of any document stating that Jonathan
Stark of Groton moved to New Jersey, there is enough
circumstantial evidence for us to consider this event to have
been highly likely. Jonathan disappears from the Connecticut
records at about the same time the name Jonathan Stark appears
in New Jersey. We know that —
genetically —
Jonathan Stark of Sussex County was most certainly a descendant
of the Groton Stark family. We know that his son James was born
before 1739. There is only one Jonathan Stark living in Groton,
born in 1712, that could have had a son born within this time
interval. Therefore, we must come to the conclusion Jonathan
Stark of Groton and Jonathan Stark of New Jersey were the same
person.
Let
us now chronicle the adventures of his sons from New Jersey to
Kentucky.
__________
1) |
Charles
R. Stark, The Aaron Stark Family; Seven Generations
of the Descendants of Aaron Stark of Groton,
Connecticut, Boston, Massachusetts, 1927.
|
2) |
Stark,
Starks and Lacocks of Sussex County [Author’s
comment: According to the research of Carol S.
Stark, this was Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County,
New Jersey and was not in Bethlehem Township, Bucks
County, Pennsylvania. A letter from the Bucks County
Genealogical Society to Carol S. Stark dated February
18, 1990, and signed by Roberta Daymon reported, "Terry
McNealy put the Stark reference in his book (Index to
Bucks County, Reference in Pennsylvania Gazette) because
the river that feeds into the Delaware River was
referred to as the Little Delaware".
Bethlehem City is about 10-15 miles from the real
Delaware River, then in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Jonathan’s advertisement states his property was one
mile from the river in Bethlehem.]
|
3) |
Morgan
Edwards, Edward's Materials Towards a History of the
Baptists, Reprinted Heritage Papers; Danielsville,
Georgia, 1984. Volume 1, page 118. [Author’s
Comment: Originally published about 1770.] |
4) |
Raymond
Martin Bell and Irene Putnam Ligian,
The Lacock
Family of Washington County, Pennsylvania, based on
research by Walter Byron Lacock 1897-1974, Washington,
Pennsylvania, 1986, page 2. |
|
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Copyright
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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