STARK: Rooted in History, Aaron of Groton, CT

11th Great Grandparents

Lambson-Smith Branches

Aaron Stark

Aaron was born circa 1608 in Scotland. It is believed that he immigrated to the colonies to fight in the Indian wars as early as 1630, but I found no proof of that date. It is more probable he arrived circa 1636-37. He was uneducated, unable to sign his name, and from his actions not a Puritan. Aaron was publicly "whipped at Winsor" Connecticut, and assigned to serve under Captain Mason for an incident occurring 1643. 

Colonial records document Aaron Starke/Stark crimes as early as 1639 in Hartford County, Connecticut. I believe this is the same Aaron Stark of Groton when he was about 31 years of age.

The public records of the Colony of Connecticut  record the disgusting crimes that Aaron Starke committed in the Colony, which included rape [page 28] and bestiality [page 55], and for whatever crime he was held responsible in 1643 that forced him into service under Captain Mason [page 84]. 

At 43 years of age, around 1651, Aaron married Sarah (1620-possibly 1685), her surname being lost to history, but possibly Fishe/Fish. Together they had seven children. Aaron became a freeman in 1669. Aaron died on or about Jun 1685 in Groton, Connecticut. Aaron is documented as a landholder in Groton in 1652.

Allyn, James H. Major John Mason's Great Island. Mystic, Conn.: Roy N Bohlander, 1976. 

 

Bodge, George M. King Philip's War, 1675-1676, Indians of North America--Wars 1600-1750, Neew England--History Colonial period, Ca. 1600-1775, Massachusetts__ Militia, Connecticut--Militia, genealogy. Boston, Mass.: Printed for the author, 1906. Page 443, 445.

Caulkins, Frances Manwaring, Griswold, Cecelia. History of New London, Connecticut, from the first survey of the coast in 1612 to 1860. New London: H.D. Utley, 1895. Pages 313-314.

Mason, John. Paul Royster, editor. A Brief History of the Pequot War.

The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut. Vol I. All volumes are found on the UCON/University of Connecticut website .

 

Murin, John M. "Things Fearful to Name: Bestiality in Colonial America." Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, Vol 65, 1998, p 23. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27774160. Accessed 22 Jul 2020.

 

Shepard, James. Connecticut Soldiers in the Pequot War of 1637. Meriden, Conn.: The Journal Publishing Co., 1913. Page 28. PDF download.

Stark, Charles. The Aaron Stark Family: Seven Generations of the Descendants of the Aaron stark of Groton, Connecticut. 1927.

 

Children of Aaron Starke/Stark and Sarah 

John (1652-1689)

Aaron (1654-1721)

Margaret (1658-1705)

Sarah (1660-1722)

Baby Stark (1663-1663)

William Stark Sr (1664-1739) ~ m. Elizabeth (surname lost to history)

Elizabeth (1667-1749)

William Stark Sr

William Stark Sr was born circa 1664 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut. He married circa 1688 to Elizabeth (1668-1730), her surname was lost to history, but presumed to be Halstead. 

William Stark Sr deeded to his pastor twenty acres of land and a house for the purpose of establishing a Baptist congregation in Groton. William died 8 Sep 1730 and is buried at Wightman Burying Ground in New London, Connecticut.

Stark, Charles Rathbone. Groton, Conn. 1705-1905. Stonington, Conn.: Palmer Press. Printed for the author. Pages 126-127.

  

Photo on left found on Find a Grave website. Elizabeth is believed to be buried at Wightman Burying Ground, also.  The photo was originally taken by Todd Travis between 1996-1998 and reads, "Here lieth the body of William Stark died Sept ye 8, 1730 in ye 66 year of his age." The photo was digitally enhanced by Clovis LaFleur, which I found on his website. LaFleur's website is full on amazing detailed, factual, and historical documentation and it is worth checking out.

Children of William Stark and Elizabeth

William Jr (1689-1743)

Christopher (1698-1778)

Phebe Stark (1700-1758) ~ m. 20 Jun 1724 to Thomas Walworth 

Daniel (1700-1758) 

John Winthrop Jr was influential in surveying Connecticut Colony, which along with territories in Rhode Island and New York had been Dutch settlements. John Winthrop Jr was the first Governor of Connecticut and brought the Walworths, whose son married Phoebe Stark, from England to Fisher's Island circa 1689. 

Walworth, Clarence A. Walworths of America; comprising five chapters of family history, with additional chapters of genealogy. Albany, N.Y.: Weed, 1897. Pages 154-159.

 

* Poly is mentioned in the above book only by name under James and Mary's children. Poly married Boaz Lambson and her brother, John, married Boaz's sister Sylvia Lambson.  

Descendants of Aaron Stark and Sarah

William Stark Sr ~ m. Elizabeth

Phebe Stark ~ m. Thomas Walworth

William L Walworth ~ m. Sarah Covell *2nd great grandmother was a daughter of the native Wamanoag tribe

James Walworth ~ m. Mary Rodgers

Polly Walworth ~ m. Boaz Lambson

Alfred Boaz Lambson ~ m. Sarah Bigler

Edna Lambson ~ m. Joseph Fielding Smith

Edna Melissa Smith ~ m. John Fife Bowman

John Hyrum Bowman ~ m. Rosetta Ellen Jackson

* For privacy reasons, I did not include my parents, children, siblings, or cousins