Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

STARKEY The English surname, Stark, Starkie, Starke or Starkey, is of considerable antiquity. There were several pioneers of the name in Massachusetts. Robert Starkey settled in Concord, Mass., and died there Oct. 28, 1646, his inventory being dated Oct. 28, 1646. George Starkey was of Lynn or Malden; in 1646 was of Harvard College and visited London to study the plague. Another Robert Starkey, a mariner, lived in Boston, had a son Robert Jr., a printer and bookseller of Fleet street, Boston, and with the son the male line became extinct. John Starkey was of Boston in 1667, mentioned below. (I) John Starkey, immigrant ancestor, was born, probably in England, in 1638, according to a deposition made Dec. 25, 1677, stating his age as thirty-nine. A lineal descendant states that he came from Standish, Lancashire. The family is numerous in that town and vicinity. He was admitted a freeman Dec. 15, 1674. He was a clothier or weaver by trade. He mortgaged land at Malden, April 8, 1674, to Dr. Samuel Brackenbury, who released it in 1675. Starkey bought a house at Malden (Mystic side, Charlestown), Oct. 11, 1675, of John Ridgway and Nov. 18, 1676, of John Ridgeway Sr. and John Ridgway Jr. more real estate at Malden. He bought three acres of Robert Cawley, Dec. 17, 1679, also at Malden and had a grant of marsh land. The Ridgways were from Pemaquid and may have been related. At any rate we find him in Pemaquid, May 11, 1689, one of the eight signers of a petition asking that Lieut. James Weems be left in command of the fort. He was captured by the Indians Aug. 2, 1689, while he was along on the opposite side of the Point from the fort. Moxas, in command of a hundred Penobscot Indians, compelled the prisoner to give information in regard to affairs at the fort. Then at broad noonday the Indians surpsied the garrison when no scouts were on duty and forced Lieut. Weems to surrender, making terms of capitulation which were kept, as several years later Lieut. Weems, then living in New York, presented a petition for pay due him and his men for services at this fort. No record of the fate of John Starkey has been found. Of his family it is probable that as his lands lay near the fort they were among those who were embarked in Mr. Pateshall's sloop and carried to Boston. That there must have been more than one is proved by the claim of Tryall Newbury, of Malden, in behalf of the heirs of John Starkey to one hundred and four acres of land lying within the bounds of Jamestown on Pemaquid Neck, adjoining the homestead of Richard Murren, and also to twenty acres of meadow at Pemaquid. This land was bounded in part by land of William Case, who married Mary Starkey. The same land was sold Dec. 19, 1716, by Andrew Starkey, of Attleborough, Mass., to James White, of Attleborough. And we find no other surviving sons of Starkey than this Andrew, mentioned below. Children: 1. John, born Sept. 23, 1667. 2. Mary. 3. Sarah, born April 1, 1671. 4. Experience, born Feb. 3, 1672. 5. Martha, born March 25, 1674. 6. Andrew, mentioned below. (II) Andrew, son of John (1) Starkey, was born in Malden or Pemaquid about 1680. He removed from Pemaquid to the old home of the family in Malden and thence to Attleborough, Mass. He deeded the land he inherited from his father at Pemaquid to James White as stated, there being no trace of other heirs to this property at that time, 1716. He married, at Malden, in 1708, Mehitable, daughter of Samuel and Mehitable Waite, of Malden. She was born Dec. 22, 1686, and died in 1717. He married (second) Feb. 2, 1717-18, Katherine, b. Feb. 7, 1694, daughter of Alexander and Sarah (Woodcock) Balcom. Children: 1. Mehitable, born May, 1709, married July 17, 1730, William, son of John and Ruth (Edwards) Waite; no children. 2. John, born July, 1712, mentioned below. 3. Jason, born Dec. 12, 1717. 4. Jemima, born April 11, 1722, married Elijah Farrington, of Wrentham. 5. Andrew Jr., born March 13, 1726-27, married 1748, Sybil Fisher, of Norton; children: i. Amos, married Miriam Thomas; ii. Sybil; iii. Andrew 3d; iv. Mary; v. Deborah; vi. Eleanor. 6. Thomas, mentioned below. (III) John (2), son of Andrew Starkey, was born July, 1712, at Attleborough. He married Feb. 2, 1734, at Attleborough, Amy, born July 15, 1715, daughter of Captain Joseph and Judith (Peck) Capron. Children: 1. John Jr., born March 6, 1736-37, died Oct. 29, 1739. 2. Lois. 3. Nathan or Nathaniel, of Attleborough. 4. William, born 1742, married Sarah Martin; their son William, b. Oct. 21, 1765, settled at Troy, New Hampshire. 5. Mehitable, married Nov. 12, 1768, Nehemiah Claflin. 6. John Jr., born March 13, 1745-46, married Mary Godding and lived at Troy, N. H. 7. Enoch, born July 29, 1748, married Betsey Blackington; settled in Troy and Swansea, N. H. 8. Peter, had nine children; settled with brothers Enoch, Benjamin and Jsoeph at Troy; was a soldier in the revolution. 9. Chloe. 10. Benjamin, died at Troy, unmarried. 11. Joseph, born at Attleborough, removed to Richmond, N. H. about 1766; was a soldier in the revolution; married July 23, 1778, Waitstill Morse, six children. (III) Thomas, son of Andrew Starkey, was born at Attleborough, May 22, 1733, married Aug. 30, 1755, Rebecca, b. Feb. 1, 1734, daughter of Jonathan and Rebecca (Moses) Capron. Children, b. at Attleborough: 1. Rebecca, born Nov. 18, 1756. 2. Chloe, born Aug. 6, 1757, died Oct. 28, 1798. 3. Thomas Jr., born Nov. 25, 1759. 4. Oliver, born June 18, 1762. 5. Chloe, born Aug. 6, 1764. 6. Abel, born Feb. 21, 1767. 7. Moses, removed to Vassalborough, Maine, where through the influence of a local movement he joined a Society of Friends and became a preacher; married (first) April 4, 1796, Eunice, daughter of John Taber, of Vassalborough; (second) Jennet Warren; had twelve children. 8. Henry, mentioned below. Thomas Starkey was a soldier in the revolution, a private in Capt. Richardson's compnay (No. 12) of Attleborough, hired for "the grand campaign of all" for three years or during the war. He and Lieut. Alexander Foster hired James Lowd in their stead. Starkey was also in Capt. Stephen Richardson's company in 1777, Col. George Williams' regiment. He was also in Capt. Alexander Foster's company, Col. Thomas Carpenter's regiment in 1778; and in Capt. Foster's company, Col. Isaac Dean's regiment in 1780. Almost every man of the Starkey family fought in the revolution. We have mention here of all the Starkeys of adult age living at the time of the revolution. (IV) Henry (1), son or nephew of Thomas Starkey, was born about 1770. He settled in Wiscasset, Maine, married and had at least two children, born in Wiscasset. 1. Henry, mentioned below. 2. Frank. (V) Henry (2), son of Henry Starkey (1), was born in Wiscasset in 1810, and died in the prime of life in 1836 at Woolwich, Maine. He was a fisherman and farmer. He was a member of the Congregational church. He married Joanna Partridge, probably a descendant of John Partridge of Medfield, Mass., many of whose descendants lived in Maine. Children: 1. Elizabeth, married Osacr Woodbury, of Milford, Mass. 2. William Henry, mentioned below. 3. Sarah, married Albert Forest and lives in Milford. (VI) William Henry, son of Henry (2) Starkey, was born at Woolwich, Maine, July 31, 1833. He was educated in the public schools of his native town. At the age of fifteen he made his first voyage as able seaman on the ship "Genoa" to New Orleans, Louisiana. He followed the sea constantly from that time, rising in rank from time to time until in 1857 he became master mariner in command of the ship "Rine." He had command of twelve other vessels in succession, afterward, and continued in active life as a sea captin until 1899, when he retired. In his forty-two years as captain he never lost a man or a ship. He had a wide and varied experience at sea and is one of the best known skippers of the state. He has made his home in Bath, Maine. He is a member of the Universalist church. Capt. Starkey enjoys the best of health and has lost none of his cheery good nature and kindliness in his later years. He is generous to those in want and helpful to those in need of sympathy and encouragement, a man of countless friends. He married in 1862, Apphia Jane, born Nov. 18, 1841, died March 24, 1905, daughter of Samuel Pruington, of West Bath, Maine. No children.