James Starr

  General Notes:

James and Rachel came to Pa. in 1712 and settled in New Garden, Afterwards removing to the site of Phoenixville, Pa.

James Starr was a farmer in county Cavan, Ireland, but due to the many hardships by the Quakers there, he brought his family to Pa, where they could worship the way they wanted and live in peace.

James and Rachel made the long and tiresome journey with their two small children, Mary, born in 1701 and Joseph, born in 1710. They arrived in America to a vast wilderness which was inhabited by indians.

They presented a certificate from the Quaker Catterlough Monthly Metting in Ireland dated 4th mo 7th day 1712 to the Newak Meeting, which was later know as the Kennett Mtg. in Chester Co. Pa.



In 1713 James Starr bought land in New Garden, Twp; Chester Co. Pa from William Penn for 20 lbs. per 100 acres. Others buying land at the same time were Michael Lightfoot, brother of Margaret Lightfoot Starr, Joseph Hutton, stepbrother of Rachel Laybourne Starr, and Thomas Jackson. Many of them lived on their farms for several years before getting titles for their land.

In 1714 James Starr was chosen clerk of the Newark Meeting, however as other Quakers settle in the area they decided a new meeting place was needed, thus the New Garden Mtd. was established in 1718 with James being elected the clerk and overseer. He served until 1726

In 1731 James and Rachel left New Garden twp. and removed to the present site of Phoenixville, Pa, where he purchased 230 acres of the "Manovan Tract" from the widow of David Lloyd. The land was located at the junction of the French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It commenced on Main Bridge St. and the Fountain Inn, then crossing the north side of French Creek, eastward within a few feet of the water and back again to the canal ;Starr St in Phoenixville was named in honor of James Starr. He gave land at the corner of Church and Main Sts. for a burial ground which was to be held by the Starr family for as long as it was needed by them. An article written byh Samuel W. Pennypacker in the Annals of Schuylkill Twp. was that in the "Roades Field". The next respect to its antiquity was one at the northeast corner of Main and Church Sts., set apart as a family burying place by James Starr, the earliest settle in Phoenixville upon the south side of the creek.

Owning all the ground for a mile about him, he could well afford to give one acre to the dead, and probably thought as he separated it from the wilderness, that in this spot he and his children would rest until the final awakening. One after another of the Starr family passed away without leaving descendants to inherit their lands or their name and where the last of them had been carried to the family yard, the Briarean streets of a growing and busy town had stretched around and about it.

After a decline of the race for whom it was intended, it at first met with neglect and then became a kind of Potter's field, In it were buried the British who died or were killed in the neighborhood during the Revolutionary War, and the foreign workmen who perished from a fatal fever while digging the Schuylkill Canal.

This Cemetery has been removed to Maiden Creek, Pa a few years ago, an act of Assembly was obtained to untwist the slight knots tied by the will of James Starr. The story goes that when clearing the land to build a drygoods store upon the site of the burying place it was disclosed that a careless worker had thrown the bones together in a box and carted them away.

James Starr was chosen a member of the Board of commissioners by the Assy for the purpose of improving the navigation of the Schuylkill river, having as fellow commissioners, among others, were David Rittenhouse and Abraham Lincoln. The latter was probably the grandfather of Abraham Lincoln who later became president of the United States.

James is thought to have been the first setteler on the south side of French Creek and the first to make use of its water power. He built a saw mill, grist mill and a log cabin for the Miller.

In 1731 the business was placed under the control of his two sons, James and Moses Starr. The carried on the business for several years and finally rented it to Rowland Richards. In 1748 the Starr brothers sold the mill to Jacob Hilderband and Samuel Jones.

.
James Starr's Will:
Chester Co.
Dated October 2, 1749
Proved Mar 7, 1749

I James Starr of Charles Town in the county of Chester and province of Pennsylvania being of perfect senses and sound memory,but weak body and calling to mind the mortality of all of us, am now minded to settle my affairs and do make and constitute this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First I commit my soul to God that giveth and my body to be decently interred.

Item: I will to my dear and loving wife all my household goods except the bed and bedding I now lie on and my desk which I will to my son Samuel Starr.

Item: I will one half of the whole plantation (the rest of this line could not be read as the copy of the orginal will was folded at this point) to my dear wife and to her heirs and asigns during her natural life.

Item: I will all the other half of the plantation to my son Samuel together with half the housing on it and to his heirs and asign forever that is to say the whole plantation to him forever at her decease.


Item: I will all by stock both horses, mares and colts and cows, young cattle and sheep and crops in the ground and corn and foder in the barn together with half the wagon and half all the utensils of husbandry on the plantation to my dear wife.

Item: I will the other half of the wagon and the other half of all the utensils of husbandry to my son Samuel Starr and also my gun.

Item: I will all my bonds, bills and all manner of debts due to me to my wife. I also will the servant man and servant maid to my wife.

Item: I will to my son Joseph Starr, twenty shillings and no more.

Item: I will to my son John Starr, one pound and no more.
Item: I will to my son James Starr, one pound and no more.
Item: I will to my son Moses Starr, five pounds and no more.

Item: I will to my grandchild, Rachel Starr the sum of ten pounds to be put into interest for her into year after the date hereof to be paid to her at her marriage or at the age of eighteen years.

Item: I will to my son Richard Richerson and his wife Mary the sum of ten pounds.

Item: I will to my son Rees Williams and his wife Rachel the sum of ten pounds.

Item: My will is that all the leagiseys be paid in two years after the date here of and not till then.

Item: My dear and well beloved wife is to pay all the above leagiseys and lastly I will and appoint my dear wife and my son Joseph Starr sole executors at this my last will and testament given under my hand and seal this 2nd day of the 10th month one thousand seven hundred and forty nine (1749).

Signed sealed and delivered in the presents of: Signed
James Starr
Jacob Hilderbrand Note: the name James was
Bryan Keegan executed before the signing
Jeremiah Starr and sealing hereof.
Rachel Starr
Joseph Starr
(7th March 1749)

Philadelphia 7th March 1749 then personally appeared Jacob Hildebrand and Bryan Keegan two of the wittness to the forgoing will and on thier solemn affirmation according to law did declare and affirm they saw and heard James Starr testify for there in named sign, seal, publish, and declare the same will for and as his last will and testement and at the doing there of he was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and that Jeremiah Starr the other wittness thereof did also subscribe his name as a witness in the presence of and at the request of the testator.

Signed- Corma
Wm. Clumsted

Will recorded Philadelphia book 1 page 234 City Hall
.
Also see Rachel's will in her notes!!

  Research Notes:

STARR, JAMES. Charles Town, Co. of Chester, Pa. 12 mo. 2, 1749. March 7, 1749. J.234. Wife: ---. Children: Samuel, Joseph, John, James, Moses, Richard Richardson and wife Mary, Rees Williams and wife Rachel. Grandchild: Rachel Starr. Exec: Wife ---and Joseph Starr. Wit: Jacob Hildebrand, Bryan Keegan, Jer. Starr.

James married Rachel Laybourne on 22 Jun 1705. (Rachel Laybourne was born on 7 Aug 1686 in Black Hadleigh, County Durham, England and died in 1762.)