Allen line: John Havens Starr 1808-1873

It seems that most people think their life is boring.  "Nothing to see here, folks.  Move along>" they would tell us, then as now.  (Did you ever try writing your own autobiography?  Nothing to see here, folks.)  I'm pretty sure that our stern, Presbyterian ancestor would say the same thing.  And yet, what could be boring about following a man born in Connecticut, who lived his early life in frontier Ohio and then moved on to frontier Iowa?  What could be boring about watching a man as he grieves the loss of a son in the Civil War?  What could be boring about watching a man whose dreams may have been bigger than he could deliver?  Was he a failure, or a fraud, or a man like so many, who reached for the stars and didn't quite get there?

John Havens Starr was born December 31, 1803 (I think the date found in a printed history is incorrect, because his family had already moved on to Ohio by 1809.  The 1809 date was probably a typo, or perhaps a misreading of the original entry) in Groton, Connecticut.  His grandfather, John Starr, and his great grandfather, Thomas Starr, had also been born there but his own father, John Starr, was born in Nova Scotia while John the grandfather was building a life there prior to the Revolutionary War.  When that war broke out, the family moved back to Groton, and resumed life there. 

Except, John the grandfather was given land in Ohio twice, in compensation for the land he lost in Nova Scotia and also for the serious wound he had sustained in the battle of Groton Heights.  John the father and his wife, Elizabeth "Betsey" Chester Havens, and probably two siblings traveled with the family when John the grandfather went to Ohio to claim his lands in Franklin County, Ohio.  John the father would have been a wonderful help to his father, who had lost the use of his right arm, and our John grew up in Franklin County, on land that is now part of Columbus, Ohio.  John was among the oldest of the children, as more and more siblings arrived, so he learned quickly a sense of responsibility. 

The Starr family were staunch Presbyterians and were some of the founding fathers of the first church there.  John Starr, possibly the father, was in charge of Sunday school there for many years, and probably had influence beyond the local church.  It took a while for our John to marry.  We don't know if that was because of family obligations, or because, like others in our family, he was waiting for the right woman, one who loved God as much as he did.  He was 36 years old when he married Clarissa Falley in Granville, Licking County, Ohio.  She was the daughter of Samuel and Ruth Root Falley, and she was 27 at the time of the marriage. 

These relatively late ages for their marriage have caused some to speculate that John had been married earlier, but I find no documentation for that.  I've seen a tree that gives a wedding date of September 27, 1827 to John Havens Starr and Almira "Myra" Falley.  I've not been able to locate a record that support that, but if true, then this couple had several children together before Myra died.  Myra was probably a cousin of Clarissa's.  There is a monument to her in the Sand Hill Cemetery at Tipton, Iowa, showing a death date of December 28, 1838 and listing her husband as John H. Starr.  So despite the lack of a marriage record (put down on must find list), I now think this wife is likely correct and there is more to the story.  Was John in Iowa as early as 1838, and did he then go back to Ohio to marry Clarissa?  John and Myra appear to have had five children, of whom only two survived.

Our couple, John and Clarissa, are not visible in the 1840 census.  However, his parents by then are north of Columbus, in Bloomingrove, Richland County, and it's possible that they are included on the census of Samuel Falley in Granville in 1840.  By 1850, they are in Cedar County, Iowa.  Puzzling on the list of names in the household are Havens Starr, age 22, school teacher, and Anson Starr, age 18, farmer.  Who are these young men?  They were clearly born before John and Clarissa's marriage.  Was John married previously, in a county that didn't yet keep records, or are these perhaps nephews?  I sure hope someone reading this has an answer for this question!  In addition, there are also Myra, John C. Francis R. and Eunice F Starr, all of whom appear to be John and Clarissa's children, and all of whom were born in Ohio.  That must have been quite a trick, traveling with four young children, whether by boat or by wagon, all the way from Ohio to Iowa!  I would consider that story not likely to be at all boring, although probably Clarissa would have more to say about it than John would. 

We know that John was quickly involved in the Presbyterian church there.  By 1854 he was trying to get an "Academy" started, for Presbyterian students, and he even offered some of his land in Tipton to build on.  Those dreams did not come true, but it does show his dedication to his church and his God.  The 1860 census gives us an extra blessing.  We have a "Non-population" schedule for him, showing the activities and assets of his farm.  At that time, he owned 460 acres, half of it improved.  the cash value was 90000, and the value of his equipment and implemnts was $900.  He had 4 horses, 6 milch cows, 4 other cattle, 2 swine, with the value of live stock given as $500.  In the year 1859, the farm had produced 600 bushels of wheat, 2300 bushels of Indian corn, and 300 bushels of oats.  Compared to others on the page, he was doing pretty well as a farmer. 

John could probably take pride in contributing some of his crops for the war effort, as the Civil War began.  He also sent his son, John Calvin Starr, off to war.  As mentioned in an earlier column, John Calvin died in Thibodeaux, Louisiana of some kind of "brain fever", perhaps meningitis.  It must have been a horrible shock to his parents, but one that all too many parents felt during those years.

John continued on.  In the 1870 census, he and Clarissa are living in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa, with 19 year old Mary and 38 year old Anson.  The value of his real estate is $2500 and his personal property $300,  This is the last time we see John, until his death on March 13, 1873.  Clarissa died on April 4, 1875, and that is when the fight over the remaining family assets took place.  I've written of that earlier. 

So, what was John's life?  Boring, fascinating, salt of the earth?  I would call him courageous, moral, and probably stern.  His son in law, John Wilson Knott, had some unkind things to say about him, mostly promises not kept.  It appears to me that the family fortune went downhill and he was probably unable to fulfill his promises, although he made them with every good intention.  It would be interesting to study the economics of that area during the 1860s to see if other families suffered the same economic woes, or if perhaps John was so overcome with grief that he was unable to cope when he needed to cope.  There is still much to know about this ancestor, but here's a start, anyway. 

Our line of descent is:

John H Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants