JOSHSTAR Joshua STARR, son of Henry and Mary by Linda Sparks Starr and Lynn White OCT 1997 According to _The Roster of TX Daughters Revolutionary Ancestors_, 1976 Bicentennial Edition, Joshua was born in Maryland, 17 OCT 1778; he married Fenton MELEAR. This "uncited" information was submitted by Marguerite (Starr) Crain #542197 who also contributed to the STARR genealogy _They Followed the Sun_, published Dallas, TX 1971. [Afterwards TFS] The other compiler / editor was Janell (Turner) Wenzel. TFS corroborates the above in formation, but without documentation. Joshua's 81 year old daughter, Sarah D. (Starr) POYNER gave her father's birthplace as South Carolina on the 1880 Dale Co. AL cen- sus and her mother's as VA. Lynn found similar information in a paper titled STARR in the Jack Ladson Library, Vidalia, GA. "John and Henry Starr were living in Wilkes Co. GA in 1785. It seems they had come from VA via NC. The first one to come to Fayette Co. from Wilkes Co. was Benjamin Starr." The paper goes on to report on "brother" Benjamin's offspring. The above "John" is the one who located in Franklin/Elbert Co. I believe I have evidence that John was in GA a couple years before Henry. John (and Joseph below) will be covered in my future "Other GA STARRs" report. According to _Methodist Preachers in GA 1783-1900_ by Lawrence Harold: Joshua STARR (10-17-1778 - 10-22-1822) d. Wilkes Co. GA; moved to Wikes Co. GA when 7 or 8 years old & established the first permanent Methodist Church in GA at Mulberry Fork prior to 1800 in an area then called Starr's Hill; m/ Fenton MELEAR (8-15- 1777 - 9-8-1836); child, James R.; No. Conference Record." Accord- ing to "brother" Benjamin's tombstone, they were in Wilkes Co. by 29 JAN 1785; assuming the information on Joshua's age is correct, they arrived fall 1784. I believe the reference to Mulberry Fork is incorrect. According to _Wilkes Co. GA Tax Records, 1785-1805_, by Frank Parker Hud- son, 1996: "Mulberry Fork is a tributary of the Oconee River and located in Franklin, later Jackson, County." This is confirmed by _Gone to GA_, by William C. Stewart, 1965, page 310: 354. STARR: Joseph Starr, a Revolutionary soldier, settled along the Mulberry Fork near Abednego Moore shortly after the lat- ter arrived with a group in the summer of 1786 in what became Franklin County and later Jackson County. In 1785 John Starr was taxed in the Elsberry list in Wilkes County (later Elbert County) with land in Franklin County. On June 24, 1802, John Starr and William Moore jointly purchased 344 acres on Mulberry Fork. While untraced, both these family names formerly are found in Bedford County VA. In 1820, the STARR family is found in Chatham, Morgan, Greene and Wilkes Counties. [Abednego Moore appears in Jackson Co. records early 1800s. STARRs are not found in Bedford records until early 1800s -- as far as I've determined at least.] Deed and tax records for Henry Starr "mostly" identify him with Kettle Creek; there are one or two early references to him or "just" STARR on Indian Creek. According to Hudson, there are two Indian Creeks in early Wilkes County: one was in later Jackson Co. and one in the area of Wilkes that became Oglethorpe -- about midway between John and Henry Starr. As far as I remember, I've never seen Henry's name associated with Mulberry Fork outside these two references. My SPARKS and TRAYLOR lines lived in those other counties, so I have done a little research in them. The location of Starr's Hill is easy. I plan to send a map with the following locations as soon as I complete it and corner my son to help with the scanner. Per _Chronicles of Wilkes Co. GA_, edited by Mary B. Warren, [Boyd Pub: Milledgeville GA has it in reprint], page 158: "I will now say something of the history of Liberty Church (North Liberty) where Hopewell Presbytery first met. ... the church fell into disuse ... between 1815 and 1822, the congrega- tion rallied, reorganized and built another church at Kettle Creek, called Starr's Hill. ... They called the church at Starrs' Hill, Salem, but the organization was merely a continua- tion of that at Liberty." In 1989 we located the Rev. War Kettle Creek battlesite. There is an "old" Phillips Baptist Church on highway #44, also known as the Greensboro Road, which "runs" southwest from "town" Washington, also known as "Washington Wilkes". The church is a bit East of the north/south highway #77. An historic marker says the church was named for an early PHILLIPS family who settled in the area. I don't remember if it was called "Phillips Mill Church" or simply Phillips Baptist Church; at the time I didn't think the specific name was all that important. Tombstones in the adjacent cemetery date it as contemporary with this report. The map I'll send clearly shows a church located due south of "War Hill", another name for the Kettle Creek Battle Site. Thanks to Joshua descendant Henry Bookout, we can pinpoint the probable MELEAR homestead as well. Quoting from _Taliaferro Co. GA: Records and Notes_, by Alvin Mell Lunceford Jr., Rep. Co. Spartanburg, SC, 1988, page 4: One branch of the road went directly north through what is now the Edgewood community to cross the Little River by ford just a mile or so east of the confluence of the North and South Forks of that river. Lemuel MELEAR, who lived on the south bank of the river, would obtain a license to build a toll bridge just east of this crossing in 1827 ... Alexander Street in Crawfordville marks the southern end of this old road, which went north and continued across the Little River to near the site of Joel Phillips' grist mill, farther in Wilkes Co." Page 15 places the church "Salem in eastern Taliaferro." Taliaferro Co. was created three years after Joshua's death; the only STARR in the index to this book is Benjamin who served as a Justice of Peace here before moving west. Kettle Creek flows into the "main" Little River east of where the North and South forks converge which has to be near the Malear Bridge. Henry's source, [the Daniel Chapter 10, pp 441-457 of "Chronicles of Wilkes County" at University of GA at Athens Library] includes the above but adds: "This compiler was unsuccessful when he tried to locate a record where a STARR transferred land to the church. It was discovered, however that several STARR families owned land from Greensboro Road south toward Little River. ... The site was also pointed out to this compiler in NOV 1988 by Mr. Aubrey Hack- ney, who lived on Hackney Road in the Tryone Community and had lived in this area most of his life. The site of Starr Hill was in the southwest quarter of the intersection of Greensboro Road and the Malayar's (Malear's) Bridge Road. Malear's Bridge Road deadends at Greensboro Road almost directly in front of Phillips Mill Baptist Church. From there, it runs south to Little River, crossing the river on a ford about a mile east of the confluence of the South Fork and the North Fork of Little River..." [We turned north at the first or second county road east of the church, went a mile or so, turned back west and finally south into a farmer's field to get to the battle site; without the topographical map and rusty direction signs, I doubt we would have located it.] Returning to TFS, page 71: Joshua was born October 17, 1778 and moved to Wilkes County, GA with his parents when he was only about seven or eight years old. He married Fenton MELEAR who was born August 15, 1777, the daughter of Richard and Martha Melear; she was the sister of Hannah who married Joshua's brother, Samuel. As far as we are able to determine, all of Henry and Mary Starr's children were Methodist, but it was Joshua, his sons and his grandsons, who left a distinguished mark in the advancement of Methodism through the South. The first permanent Methodist church in GA was established on Mulberry Fork in Wilkes County before 1800. This was the area of Starr's Hill, the settlement of our Starrs. This may have been their introduction to Methodism; they very likely were Anglicans before moving to GA. Nevertheless, Joshua was a Methodist minis- ter in Wilkes County, and all five of his sons who grew to maturity became ministers and took the Methodist doctrine to AL; then some of them and their sons took it to TX. All of his children were born in Wilkes County. Joshua died in Wilkes County October 22, 1822 and Fenton died September 8, 1836. The following incomplete list of their descendants has been contributed by: Mrs. Frank Raynor Starr, wife of Frank Raynor, Post Office Box 38, Sledge, Mississippi. _Information on Some GA Pioneers_ by Luther, page 179 cor- roborates Richard as father of Fenton. Proof is found page 17, under "Division of Property--Deeds of Gift, etc" located in Of- fice of Superior Court Clerk, Wilkes Co. GA per _Early GA Wills and Settlements of Estates, Wilkes Co._, by Sarah Quinn Smith, Clearfield Co., Inc Baltimore, 1992: "Richard MELEAR to daughter Fenton STARR, gift 1812. (Deeds YY, page 618) [Note, the Farmer book cited below stops after Deed Book VV.] Per _Early Records of GA: Wilkes Co. GA_, in two vol. by Grace Gillam Davidson, 1932; reprint Southern Hist Pr, SC, 1992. The following in vol. 1: Joshua witnessed will Henry HURLEY 23 SEP 1811. As "friend" he was appointed executor of estate Jacob HINDLEY per will dated 31 MAY 1816. He and brother Samuel wit- nessed the 25 AUG 1817 will of brother Asa D. who appointed his wife Rhoda and brothers Benjamin and Elijah excrs. He and the widow Elizabeth MILLER were appointed Admrs estate John P. Miller in 1813. In 1817 he was appointed guardian of minor children (Polly and Betsy), orphans of Daniel ARNOLD dec'd. Joshua was eligible for 2 draws in the GA Lottery of 1803; he qualified as a resident of GA for the past 12 months and had a wife and "legitimate" children. In 1806 he was eligible for 2 draws again, thus proving he resided in GA the past three years and was still married. Per vol 2: He, William ROBERTSON and David SIMPSON were appointed executors of estate John OGLETREE per his will dated 5 MAY 1820. Joshua's will is found on page 107, Will Book HH. "To wife Fenta Starr for life or widowhood, 123 acres whereon I now live, stock etc. At death or marriage to be sold and equally divided among all my children, not named. Wife and Isaiah T. IRVIN Excrs. Signed 18 OCT 1822, Probated 4 NOV 1822. Jas. DOROUGH, John FAVOR, Barsheba WRIGHT, test. [I skipped over the guardianship returns "by" Joshua Starr in vol. 1 amd records reporting his death, thus need for appointment of "new" guardians in vol ii.] Joshua's name is not in the index to _Wilkes Co. GA Deed Books A-VV, 1784-1806_, by Michal Martin Farmer, Dallas, TX 1996. It appears one time in Robert Davis, _The Wilkes Co. Papers 1773 1883_, SoHistPr, SC 1983, page 313. This says there are microfilmed copies of loose estate papers in the GA Dept. History and Archives for Asa and Joshua, located on Reel No. 242-12, 1722 and 1723. I believe that's all I have on Joshua Starr except for Hudson's Tax records; everyone should have a copy of this file -- if not, let me know. I have only bits and pieces on individual children except for TFS which may or may not be complete or accurate. With that in mind, I'll use it to list his children with dates and spouses, then follow with corroboration, corrections and addi- tions as far as I have it. I'm double-checking my typing on spelling of surnames and dates from TFS; I leave it to Joshua's descendants to check for accuracy. I will list "number" of children, but refrain from typing in more specific information on his grandchildren to keep this within constraints of some mail- servers; for many, no children are mentioned. Lynn, Stacey and Henry -- this is all TFS has on Sallie and Barsheba. 1. Sallie Darley b. 11-22-1799 m. John PAYMER 12-18-1817. 2. William Henry b. 3-28-1801 d. in TX in 1887. He married Mahala Bird; he was a Methodist minister. [I've penciled in his deathdate as 28 JUL 1864, Smith Co. TX.] 14 chn are named. 3. Richard Capel b. 2-3-1803 d. 5-15-1809. 4. Martha Hardwick b. 11-11-1804 m. William J. SAPPINGTON 5. John Wesley b. 8-7-1806 d. 2-2-1870 Bibb Co. AL. He m. Hannah MILLER in 1824; they had 12 children. He was the most widely known Methodist minister. An article titled "Heroes of the Cross: History of John Wesley Starr" by F. S. Moseley, found in the Green County Democrat, is quoted. Another arti- cle about the wife of John Wesley Starr, by Mrs. Sydney Starr is also quoted. 6. James Russell b. 4-25-1808 d. 7-17-1840 Chambers Co. AL. He m. Phoebe REYNOLDS (7-4-1804 - 5-4-1891) in 1825 in Henry Co. GA. He was a Methodist minister; they are buried in Roxanna Cemetery in Lee Co. AL. 7 children are named. 7. Barsheba b. 6-21-1810 m. Samuell OGLETREE in Wilkes Co. GA. 8. Joshua b. 10-1-1811 m. Martha HARRIS and moved to TX. He was a Methodist minister, in Montgomery Co. AL before 1840. He settled in Smith Co. TX, giving land for the township named Starrville where he was a resident in 1860. Information for the last child was provided by Mrs. Nancy S. Fincher, 335 Julia St., El Dorado, Arkansas. 9. Polly [another descendent told me Mary Pauline] b. 10-10-1813 d. 9-2-1883 Union Co. AR. She m. 3-7-1832 Henry Co. GA, Elihue CRAWFORD (1-25-1812 Morgan Co. GA - 8-12-1884). They are buried First Methodist Cemetery, El Dorado. 10 chn. Further information on children: Barsheba (Starr) Ogletree's obit is found in my Brinton.asc file. Henry Bookout is a direct descendant. _Methodist Preachers in GA_ provides information on several STARR ministers. David Elder Starr is grandson and Wil- liam D. Starr is son of "brother" Benjamin and Charlotte (Pinkston) Starr. STARR, James R. (4-25-1808 - 7-16-1840) b. Wilkes Co. GA; d. AL m./1825 Henry Co. GA Phoebe Reynolds; 1829 moved to Troup Co. GA; 1833 LE; 1834 moved to Chambers Co. AL; 1837 LP AL; son of Rev. Joshua Starr. No GA Conference Record. STARR, John Wesley (8-7-1806 - 2-24- 1870) b. Wilkes Co. GA; cvt age 14; m/DEC 1824 Hannah MILLER; 1825 Class-Leader; d. Bibb Co. AL; 12 chn. 9-17-1830 LP; 1833 OT; 1835-6 FC; 1837 Elder. GA Conference: 1833 LaGrange (Columbus Co); 1834 Talbotton; 1835 Zebulon; 1835-6 Thomaston (Macon); 1836-8 Madison (Athens). AL Conference: 1839 40 Irwinton (Irwinton); 1841-44 PE Montgomery Dist; 1845-6 Lafayette (Montgomery); 1847 Crawford; 1848 Sup; 1849 Oak Bowery FC, Agt; 1850 Crawford; 1851 Talladega (Talladega); 1852-3 Lafayette (Montgomery); 1854-5 Summerfield (Summerfield); 1856-8 PE Tuskaloosa Dist; 1859-60 PE Summerfield Dist; 1861 PE Greensboro Dist; 1862 Randolph (Summerfield); 1864 Sup. Mobile Conf: 1865 Bibb Co. Iron-Works (Summerfield); 1866 Mahans. AL Conf: 1867 Sup. Sallie Darley is actually "Sarah" and she married John W. POYNER. [We can't blame TFS too much for Davidson transcribed the Wilkes Co. Marriage record as "John PAYMEN to Sally STARR 18 DEC 1817" vol. 2.] She is the one who gives Joshua's birth as SC on the 1880 AL census. Descendant Lynn (Atkinson) White sent documenta- tion for Lynn's admission to Daughters of 1812 on this couple. Paraphrasing Sarah's affidavit dated 6 FEB 1880: she was 80 years old, the widow of John W. POYNER, private in the GA Militia, drafted at Washington-Wilkes GA. Her husband at the time of his enlistment was 18 years old, a farmer born in NC, 5 feet, 8 inches tall with black hair and eyes, but of fair complexion. They were married (near) the town Washington 18 DEC 1817. From Wilkes Co. they moved to Henry Co., then to Troop and then Cham- bers Co. AL. From there they moved to Henry Co. AL; she now resides in Dale Co. John W. Poyner died at Eufalua, AL 10 FEB 1867. The marriage and their family comes from pages of the family Bible which Sarah sent to Nat'l Archives to qualify for John's pension. Lynn also provided a copy of the "Heroes of the Cross" article, located in the AL Christian Advocate, page 10, 13 DEC 1955 issue. It names Rev. John Wesley Starr as son of Joshua Starr of Wilkes Co. GA and gives birthdate for J.W. as 7 AUG 1806 in Wilkes Co. He joined the church in 1820 and was invested to preach in GA 17 SEP 1830. It also corroborates his marriage to Hannah MILLER. MARTHA H. Starr m. William J. Sappington 6 DEC 1821, per page 228, "First Marriage Book 1806-1834" as abstracted by Davidson, vol. 2. They were married by Nicholas Powers M.G. In the space left, I want to provide clues for further research. I will forego the few citations I have for the "gist" is more im- portant right now. Henry sent the following last April from a book on John WRIGHT and Sarah GOODE: John WRIGHT married secondly, in Wilkes Co. GA 29 SEP 1808 Bathsheba MALEAR. "Several Wilkes Co. records show the SLATON, WRIGHT and STARR families associated ... but none revealed her connection, if any, to the STARR or the MALEAR family. Starr and Malear families were often named in Wilkes Co. records (around 1800-1835) dealing with property in the Kettle Creek and Little River areas. When Joshua STARR made his Wilkes Co. will 18 OCT 1822 (proved 4 NOV 1822) Barsheba Wright was a witness. On 28 NOV 1815 in Wilkes Co. a license was issued for Samuel STARR to marry Hannah MALEAR. The ceremony was performed by Wm Evens 30 NOV 1815." This next is from a letter to me dated 25 MAY 1995 from Claire S. Schmidt in answer to my query about her SAPPINGTON line. My inter- est in the SAPPINGTONS is two-fold. William, the only STARR living in MD mid-1700s, was in Capt. SAPPINGTON's Militia Co. 1748. Then in Wilkes Co. GA, a SAPPINGTON appears in either the estate papers of Shadrack Pinkston or had something to do with Faddy JARRETT's estate -- Shadrack's widow having married 2ndly Faddy Jarrett. "Richard SAPPINGTON (25 JUL 1763 - 8 JAN 1838) is my direct ances- tor. He was married to Rebecca JARRETT (11 DEC 1765-18 AUG 1848), the daughter of Fadda Jarrett and Altha (Alathia) Pinkston on 1 DEC 1785. [She errs here; her ancestor was dau of Faddy's first wife whose name I've never seen. His children were all grown when he married Athaliza (Carrell) Pinkston c1797.] They had 13 children. Number 9 William Jarrett SAPPINGTON (27 SEP 1800 - 30 JAN 1882) married Martha HARDWICK Starr (14 NOV 1804 - 17 JUL 1875) on 6 DEC 1821. Her father was Rev. Joshua Starr and I have a scratched note that his wife was Fenton (Fenta Malear) dau of Richard Malear and Patty HARDWICK, dau of Robert Hardwick. This last note is not my handwriting, and I have no idea who might have put it there. I believe it to be accurate, however, knowing where the chart has been and only knowledgeable hands would have inserted that... Richard SAPPINGTON was the son of John Sappington Jr. (6 FEB 1735/6 - 13 FEB 1765) who married Ann EVERETT (b. 1735, married Nicholas RIDGELY after John Sappington Jr. died and she d. 29 FEB 1804) in 1757. John and Ann had four children. John SAPPINGTON Sr. (1701 - JAN 1768) married Sarah SHERBERT (1706 - before 1768), dau of John Sherbert and Mary FOWLER. They had seven children that I know of. Nathaniel SAPPINGTON (abt 1660s - 2 MAY 1713), wife Mary (aft 1672 - 2 MAY 1713) had four sons and at least one daughter: Nathaniel, James, Thomas, John, Sarah. ALL Sappingtons in America come from these. (James died, unmarried in 1713.) I can not help you with the Capt. Thomas Sappington because I have not pursed that. There is much, much more in our SAPPINGTONS of America his tory records. The historian is Mary Ellen Sappington Good, 2809 Mills Road, Prescott MI 48756. With a short advance phone call or letter, she will have all of the boxed, filed materials avail- able for any family researcher. If she can answer the Capt. Thomas Sappington question, she will be glad to do so by mail." She also passed along the name of an "extremely competent SAP- PINGTON researcher who descends directly from Wm Jarrett Sap- pington: Miss Gayle Sappington, P.O. Box 91, Berea, OH 44017 (216-234-0780). I think I wrote her, but don't know where to begin looking in folders for her reply. This is all the information I located on Rev. Joshua Starr, son of Henry and Mary and brother of "my" Benjamin Franklin Starr. However, if I find more when going through other folders, I'll certainly forward it to the group. The three direct descendants of Joshua that I'm aware of in this group are: Henry Bookout, Lynn White and Stacey Chadwick.