Jonathan Stark & Sarah Lacock; Table of Contents

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      Volume 4: Descendants of Jonathan Stark & Sarah Lacock;
 The Kentucky Stark Families
 

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The Old Stark Family Association, formed about 1895 and active to about 1952, 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 links to  Aaron Stark of Connecticut. Many descendants of these brothers believe they are 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 Lacock 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 ConnecticutVolume 4 PDF File. File size is 2.84 megabytes.

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        Table of Contents        
    Title Page Copyright Dedication Preface Genetic Evidence Chapter 1 Summary    

Chapter 1: From New Jersey to Washington County, Pennsylvania - 1760-1785

Pages 1 thru 24

Chapter 7: Christopher Stark, Martha (Vineyard) Stark & Their Children

Pages 58 thru 67

Chapter 2: The Kentucky Years - A Narrative

Pages 25 thru 36

Chapter 8: Rev. William Wood, Sarah Stark & Their Children

Pages 68 thru 74

Chapter 3: The Life & Times of James Stark [1739-1821]

Pages 37 thru 43

Chapter 9: John Stark, Elizabeth Eddy & Their Children

Pages 75 thru 78

Chapter 4: Jonathan Stark [The Younger] & His Children

Pages 44 thru 47 Appendixes

Chapter 5: Daniel Stark, Elizabeth (Wells) Stark & Their Children

Pages 48 thru 54

Chapter 2 Appendix: The Stark Families & The Kentucky Emancipation Ministers

Pages 1 thru 3

Chapter 6: Joseph Stark & Children

Pages 55 thru 57

Chapter 6 Appendix: Decatur Co., IN Stark Families; A Genetic-Genealogy Analysis

Pages 1 thru 10

 

 

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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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.

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