STARR of Mulberry Fork, Georgia STARR of Mulberry Fork.htm

Mystery STARRs of Northeastern Georgia

Compiled March 2009 by Linda Sparks Starr


Three of four unlinked STARR males appear in the earliest records for Wilkes County, Georgia; all four then appear in the earliest records for counties created from the original Wilkes. Thus perhaps without physically moving themselves, each found himself in a different county as new boundary lines were drawn. They disappear from Georgia records in the early 1800s. Over the years other researchers have tried to link them to groups in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. To this compiler’s knowledge, none have succeeded in locating the needed documents. The specific relationship, if any, between these four is unknown; neither is their relationship, if any, to Henry Starr (1752-1821). His original Georgia homestead remains in Wilkes County to this day.

JOHN

John is the first STARR to make an appearance in Wilkes County records. [Davis, Papers, p. 292-3] He and several others signed an undated petition requesting the General Assembly continue granting title to vacant lands under the Headright system. Acreage was determined by the number, ages and status of people in the household of the person seeking the grant. This favored the poor farmers who wanted land to support their family, but couldn’t get the needed currency to purchase from land speculators.

The first extant tax returns for Wilkes County are for the year 1785. That year John Starr appears in Elsberry’s District with 1 poll, 150 acres in Wilkes County and 200 acres in Franklin County. [Hollingsworth; Hudson vol. 1 p. 43] This tax district took in much of present day Oglethorpe and Madison counties. In 1787 John and James were living in Capt. Nelson’s District which, Hudson noted, was created after receipt of the 1786 tax returns. This geographically smaller district took in "all the area north of the South Fork of the Broad River …" [Hudson vol. 1 p. 181] John was taxed that year on 260 acres in Wilkes County. In 1788 John received a land grant for 200 acres in Franklin County. [Lucas citing Bk QQQ p. 551] This is the same 200 acres he paid taxes on in 1785. In 1790 John received a second land grant, this time for 300 acres, also located in Franklin County. [Ibid citing Bk TTT p. 615] Wilkes County tax records for 1790 shows John Starr in Capt. Nelson’s District with 360 acres in Wilkes County. Christopher Starr is listed among the defaulters in this same tax district. [Hudson vol. 1 p. 257] That year this tax district fell into the newly created Elbert County; the area where John lived became Madison County in 1811. The 1790 tax records for Elbert County shows John and James Starr were living in Capt. John Tweedle’s tax district. [Hudson, Elbert Co.]

It seems curious that John is found in more Franklin County (formed 1784) records than in Wilkes County. Even though he clearly resided in Wilkes County, and regularly added to his Wilkes County land holdings, the only entry for John in the Wilkes County deeds books is mention of his corner in a boundary line description to land located in Franklin County. [Farmer p. 376 citing Wilkes Co. Deeds Book MM p. 165 dated 27 March 1793] 1 January 1793 John and his wife Sarah of Franklin County sold the 200 acre tract (1788 grant) to Peter Williamson for 40 pounds. [Acker p. 63 citing Franklin Co. Deed Bk KK p. 73] Then 6 October 1794 John Starr "of Georgia" sold their remaining 300 acre tract (1790 grant) in Franklin County to Samuel Gardner of South Carolina for 10 pounds. [Acker p. 86 citing Franklin Deed Bk L p. 43] Later deeds defined the tract Williamson purchased as on the South Fork of Broad River and the tract purchased by Gardner as on Grove Fork of Broad River. Broad River is the boundary line between several northeastern Georgia counties.

JAMES

This compiler has located only three records (all tax lists) for this James Starr; two are in Wilkes County and the other in Elbert County. John’s name is on the same lists, but the two names are not in consecutive order. In 1787 James (taxpayer #55) is listed between Jno Kilgore and Jno Rogers. Rogers owned 1070 acres in Wilkes County; neither Kilgore nor James Starr were charged with a tax on land. John Starr appears on this list as taxpayer #52. [Hudson vol. 1 p. 181] In 1790 #45 James is again listed with several others who didn’t own property; the nearest large land owner was tax payer #41 Samuel Nelson. John Starr was taxpayer #67 that year. [Hudson vol. 1 p. 255] Hudson used this same list (taxpayer numbers for John and James are the same) for his 1790 census of Elbert County. 

CHRISTOPHER

Christopher Starr appears as a defaultor in the same 1790 Wilkes County tax list which John and James were on. [Hudson vol. 1 p. 257] The Hollingsworth card file shows Christopher as grantee in 1792 on an Elbert County, Georgia deed; the tract was on Broad River and the grantor was Philip Conway. [Hollingsworth file LDS film #1528061 Card 5] Christopher and his wife Mary then sold 250 acres, adjacent Jas. Patton, John Darden and Wm Dudley to Thomas Connolley 1 March 1797. [Ibid Card 6 citing Hist. Coll. Vol. 3 p. 211] The phrase "all of Elbert County" following the grantors and grantee and "for £75" were added to this 1797 deed by another abstractor. [McIntosh citing Elbert Deed Bk D, folio 42]

JOSEPH

William Stewart begins: "#354 Joseph Starr A Revolutionary soldier, settled along the Mulberry Fork near Abednedgo Moore, shortly after Moore arrived with a group in the summer of 1786, at what became Franklin Co. and later Jackson Co." [Stewart p.310] Abednego Moore is discussed under #334 Patience Moore. [Ibid p. 80-81] Stewart attempts to make a case for a close association between Joseph and John Starr and these Moores; but his stated details within the specific reasons for doing so don’t always agree. Joseph is not in the index to: Hudson’s compilation of Wilkes County tax records; Davidson’s two volume work on Wilkes County; Davis’ collection of the remaining Wilkes County papers. Additionally, Stewart’s arrival date for Joseph (1786) is after John and Henry’s first appearances in the records.

The name "Joe Starr" is mentioned in two stories relating to the early history of Jackson County, Georgia; but, an estimated date of either event cannot be made. One story describes Joe as an old bachelor which may explain the lack of records on him. The other story mentions arrows made during King Philips War that had passed down to Joe through his family. This points to a possible connection between Joseph and the New England Starrs. Jackson County was created in 1796 from part of Franklin County. The name "Joseph Starr" is also found in Walton County, created in 1818 from part of the former Creek Indian lands. An early history of the county may give us the best clue for Joseph’s origins: "Among those who settled (1786) on Tallassee Shoals of the Oconee River (three miles north of Winder) was Joseph Starr of Effingham County, Georgia." [Sams p. 38] Effingham County was created in 1777 from original parishes. Otherwise, this Joseph is as elusive as the above James.

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

Note: Emphasis on POSSIBLE – no direct evidence has been found (to the knowledge of this compiler) linking any of the above individuals to either of these groups. Hopefully someone will find something useful here.

Rosemary Woodson, deceased, wondered if some or all the above individuals were members of a group she had traced from Washington County, Maryland to Kentucky: "I have an interesting will record for HENRY Starr who "taken up arms in the united States native country [War of 1812] thought it necessary to ordain a will & testament. If I should never return. [Executors] my trusty & beloved friend Alex Dumond, Peter Hufner, [to] heirs of my dec'd brother CHRISTOPHER Starr (paid to widow), JOHN Starr's sons by names of THOMAS and DAVID, a son of JOSEPH in Butler Co. Ohio, Milford twp and youngest to come of age. Dated August 22, 1813. Proved June 1816 Fayette Co KY." Based on this compiler’s personal experience, the given name Christopher is rare in STARR families. That’s the only reason this is included here.

In the late 1980s-early 1990s Gwen Loveridge and Joan Starr shared bits and pieces of information on this next family; hopefully this compiler put it all together correctly. John Starr (born about 1788 in Georgia) appears on the 1820 Jackson County, Indiana census. He was in Tippicanoe County by 1830 and in Warren County, Indiana by 1836. His first three children were married in Warren Co. in 1838; he was in Van Buren County, Missouri by 1840. He died March 1850 at Lone Oak Township, Bates County, Missouri. His wife, elsewhere identified as Hannah (Osborne), was the head of household that year. Their children:

1. James born 14 Nov 1814 Jackson Co. IN died 25 Feb 1901 Lincoln, Ark married 16 Feb 1838 Belinda Clem

2. Sarah born 22 Apr 1817 Jackson Co. IN died 2 Oct 1876 Siloam Springs (Benton Co.) Ark married 22 Apr 1838 Williamsport (Warren Co) Ind. John Clem

3. Anna born 25 Nov 1819 Jackson Co. IN died 12 Oct 1899 Bourbon Co. KS married 17 May 1838 Williamsport, Ind. Enoch Osborne

4. Rebecca born 1822 Jackson Co. IN

5. Dorinda born ca1826 Tippecanoe Co. IN

6. John Osborne born 19 May 1827 Tippecanoe Co., IN died 19 Nov 1878 Bates Co., MO married 1847 Frances May Rinehart

7. Stephen C. born 12 Aug 1831 Tippecanoe Co. IN died 21 Jan 1924 Vancouver (Clark Co.) WA married ca1860 in MO Nancy Rinehart

8. Lydia born ca1836 Warren Co. IN

SOURCES

Acker, Martha Walters. Deeds of Franklin County, Georgia 1784-1826 1976, Southern Historical Press, SC.

Davidson, Grace Gillam. Early Records of Georgia, vol. 1 and 2: Wilkes County Southern Historical Press, Inc. 1992 reprint. Greenville, SC

Davis, Robert S. Jr. compiler. Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution 1979

Davis, Robert Scott Jr. compiler. The Wilkes County Papers 1773-1833 Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1983

Everton Publishers. The Handybook for Genealogists, 9th edition. Logan, Utah 1999

Hollingsworth, Leon S. LDS: Gen. Card File #1528061 (restricted) STARR in possession of the R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, Atlanta, GA

Farmer, Michal Martin. Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Books A-VV: 1784-1806 Dallas, TX 1996

Hudson, Frank Parker, compiler. A 1790 Census of Elbert County GA Atlanta, GA

Hudson, Frank Parker, compiler. Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records 1785-1805 in two volumes. Atlanta, GA 1996

Lucas, Rev. Silas Emmett Jr. Index to Headright & Bounty Grants of Georgia 1756-1909 Southern Historical Press, SC. 1970. Original records are located Surveyors General Office, Archives & Records Bldg, Secretary of State.

McIntosh, John H. compiler. History of Elbert County, Georgia 1790-1935 with Supplement 1735-1939 by DAR. Cherokee Publishing Co., Atlanta 1983.

Sams, Anita B. Wayfarers in Walton: A History of Walton County, Georgia 1818-1967, 1967. Monroe Foundation.

Stewart, William C. compiler. Gone to Georgia: Jackson and Gwinnett Counties and Their Neighbors in the Western Migration 1965. Special publication of the National Genealogical Society, #30.

Warren, Mary B. compiler. Chronicles of Wilkes County, Georgia from Washington Newspapers 1889-1898 1978.