| John Starkweather I |
John Starkweather was born 2 August 1646 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts, the son of Robert and Jeannette [Roberts]
Starkweather. He was baptized there 2 August 1646. John married Ann [--] in 1680-- who is said by a most improbable tradition to
be a descendant of the old Narragansett, King Philip. She died in Preston, Connecticut in 1727. John died 21 August 1703 in
Preston, Connecticut. Their early married life was spent in Ipswich, Mass., from whose records we excerpt the following:—
Ipswich Town-Record, “February 13, 1678. A list of the names of those þ’sons that have right of commonage acording to law &
order of this Towne. Starkweather for Appleton."
(This memorandum is also in "The Commoners Record," which contains the following:—
“1702. List of persons who have right to Comonage:
1. Lt. Coll. Jn Appleton
2. by his Father's entry to ye house Starkweather lived in Anno 1678.")
"May the 21st 1688. John Starkweather chosen keeper of the pound who shall have for his paines according to former usage."
The next choice of pound-keeper on record is :—
" Att a meeting of y e Select March 16th 169I And Tho Fossey is appoynted Pound Keeper for this year, who shall have two pence
per head for horses & grown cattle, but for calves sheep & swine shall have but one peny per head in money, for his paines & care
therein."
The first Preston, Conn., mention of John Starkweather is:—"1694 Agust 26 wee hose Names are under ritten doe thanck fully
exsept of Capt. Masons gift of Land .John Starkwether" (among others).
That gift of land was probably his beginning in life, and John Starkweather must have had strong qualities to have become the
public man that he did, starting, as he seems to have done, in such poverty.
On 22 Aug., 1698, John Starkweather was chosen a "list gatherer," as well as on 27 May, 1700; on 26 Dec, 1700, and on 8 Dec,
1701, he was chosen a " fence-viewer;" on Jan'y 5, 1698, and on Dec. 30, 1702, he was chosen a "select man;" he was one of the
three " selectmen " of Preston who in 1698 petitioned the Legislature of Connecticut to establish a church in the town; the 29th day
of Dec, 1699, he and Hopestill Tyler were chosen to "lay out the Buring place," it being "one acre of the ministry land;"the 8th day
of Dec, 1701, he and John Parke and William Billings were chosen " to take the ackount of the areredgs of dets in the towne;" the
24th day of Dec, 1702, he was chosen one of three "to dauid the Law books acording to the List;" on the 30th day of Dec, 1702,
he was chosen one of " a comiti to setle a schole in towne acording to Law;" and again on the 3d day of Feb'y, 170-f he("Mr
Starkweather," a title ever applied to him in the town-records) and " goodman branch, goodman Gears and goodman Lenerson " are
chosen a committee to see that the meeting-house be finished.
John Starkweather represented the town of Preston in the Legislature in 1702. He d. in Preston 21 Aug., 1703. A rude slab,
inscribed I. S., in the Preston city burying-ground marks his grave. "Mrs. Anna Starkweather" was received into full communion
14 April, 1706, by the church (Congregational) in the South Society of Preston (i. e. the now Preston City church). Said Anna, the
church records show, was disciplined 5 Oct., 1709 "for her being faulty by lying and obstinate therein." She confesses 28 Feb'y,
1711, and is forgiven by the church. The New London, Conn., Probate records and files show the following: —
Preston August 30, 1703 wee hose Names are under written having taken the invatary of Mr. John Starkwaber desaced. The
Inventory of the Estate of Mr. John Starkwather deceased August 21, 1703. Click Next for Estate of John Starkweather
Starkweather. He was baptized there 2 August 1646. John married Ann [--] in 1680-- who is said by a most improbable tradition to
be a descendant of the old Narragansett, King Philip. She died in Preston, Connecticut in 1727. John died 21 August 1703 in
Preston, Connecticut. Their early married life was spent in Ipswich, Mass., from whose records we excerpt the following:—
Ipswich Town-Record, “February 13, 1678. A list of the names of those þ’sons that have right of commonage acording to law &
order of this Towne. Starkweather for Appleton."
(This memorandum is also in "The Commoners Record," which contains the following:—
“1702. List of persons who have right to Comonage:
1. Lt. Coll. Jn Appleton
2. by his Father's entry to ye house Starkweather lived in Anno 1678.")
"May the 21st 1688. John Starkweather chosen keeper of the pound who shall have for his paines according to former usage."
The next choice of pound-keeper on record is :—
" Att a meeting of y e Select March 16th 169I And Tho Fossey is appoynted Pound Keeper for this year, who shall have two pence
per head for horses & grown cattle, but for calves sheep & swine shall have but one peny per head in money, for his paines & care
therein."
The first Preston, Conn., mention of John Starkweather is:—"1694 Agust 26 wee hose Names are under ritten doe thanck fully
exsept of Capt. Masons gift of Land .John Starkwether" (among others).
That gift of land was probably his beginning in life, and John Starkweather must have had strong qualities to have become the
public man that he did, starting, as he seems to have done, in such poverty.
On 22 Aug., 1698, John Starkweather was chosen a "list gatherer," as well as on 27 May, 1700; on 26 Dec, 1700, and on 8 Dec,
1701, he was chosen a " fence-viewer;" on Jan'y 5, 1698, and on Dec. 30, 1702, he was chosen a "select man;" he was one of the
three " selectmen " of Preston who in 1698 petitioned the Legislature of Connecticut to establish a church in the town; the 29th day
of Dec, 1699, he and Hopestill Tyler were chosen to "lay out the Buring place," it being "one acre of the ministry land;"the 8th day
of Dec, 1701, he and John Parke and William Billings were chosen " to take the ackount of the areredgs of dets in the towne;" the
24th day of Dec, 1702, he was chosen one of three "to dauid the Law books acording to the List;" on the 30th day of Dec, 1702,
he was chosen one of " a comiti to setle a schole in towne acording to Law;" and again on the 3d day of Feb'y, 170-f he("Mr
Starkweather," a title ever applied to him in the town-records) and " goodman branch, goodman Gears and goodman Lenerson " are
chosen a committee to see that the meeting-house be finished.
John Starkweather represented the town of Preston in the Legislature in 1702. He d. in Preston 21 Aug., 1703. A rude slab,
inscribed I. S., in the Preston city burying-ground marks his grave. "Mrs. Anna Starkweather" was received into full communion
14 April, 1706, by the church (Congregational) in the South Society of Preston (i. e. the now Preston City church). Said Anna, the
church records show, was disciplined 5 Oct., 1709 "for her being faulty by lying and obstinate therein." She confesses 28 Feb'y,
1711, and is forgiven by the church. The New London, Conn., Probate records and files show the following: —
Preston August 30, 1703 wee hose Names are under written having taken the invatary of Mr. John Starkwaber desaced. The
Inventory of the Estate of Mr. John Starkwather deceased August 21, 1703. Click Next for Estate of John Starkweather
This page was transcribed exactly as it appears in the following source. Some words appear misspelled however, were
transcribed as such.
A brief genealogical history of Robert Starkweather of Roxbury and Ipswich, Massachusetts : who was the original American
ancestor of all those bearing the name of Starkweather, and of his son, John Starkweather, of Ipswich, Mass. and Preston,
Conn., and of his descendants in various lines, 1640-1898 (1904)
Author: Starkweather, Carlton Lee, 1864-
Subject: Starkweather, Robert, d. 1674?; Starkweather, John, d. 1703; Starkweather family
Publisher: [Auburn, N.Y. : Press of Knapp, Peck & Thomson]
Language: English
Call number: DGP7169
Digitizing sponsor: Brigham Young University
Book contributor: Harold B. Lee Library
Collection: americana
Link to book at the Library of Congress
transcribed as such.
A brief genealogical history of Robert Starkweather of Roxbury and Ipswich, Massachusetts : who was the original American
ancestor of all those bearing the name of Starkweather, and of his son, John Starkweather, of Ipswich, Mass. and Preston,
Conn., and of his descendants in various lines, 1640-1898 (1904)
Author: Starkweather, Carlton Lee, 1864-
Subject: Starkweather, Robert, d. 1674?; Starkweather, John, d. 1703; Starkweather family
Publisher: [Auburn, N.Y. : Press of Knapp, Peck & Thomson]
Language: English
Call number: DGP7169
Digitizing sponsor: Brigham Young University
Book contributor: Harold B. Lee Library
Collection: americana
Link to book at the Library of Congress