Allen line: Thomas Starr 1668-1711

 I knew very little about Thomas Starr when I started writing this post, and my "usual sources" provided only a few bits and pieces of information about him.  He was notable only because he was a great grandson of Elder William and Mary Brewster, and was regarded pretty much as a "place marker" to prove a line of descent for those who wished to join a lineage society.  I found one or two brief mentions of his occupation, and that he owned or built at least one sloop, and I found speculation that he may have died in some sort of epidemic.  But then, I found his will, and suddenly, here is the man! Of course there is much more to be learned about Thomas, but here's a start:

Thomas Starr was born September 27, 1668 in New London, Connecticut, the son of Samuel and Hannah Brewster Starr.  The Starr family had been in New London for only a few years, probably, but Hannah's parents, Jonathan and Lucretia Brewster, had been there since about 1649.  New London had a deep port, and was a center for ship building and trade.  Thomas became a shipwright, and eventually an owner or part owner in a sloop, so he probably spent a good deal of time as a boy and a youth at the shipyards and docks.  He also attended school, because it was expected of Puritan boys, and because he had a Bible and other books in the inventory taken at this death.  Thomas had several siblings and it's fun to imagine the boys playing together as youngsters, along the exciting but dangerous shore.

Thomas married Mary Morgan (sometimes seen as Mercy, but her gravestone says Mary) on January 1, 1694 in New London. She was the daughter of Captain James and Mary Vine Morgan, who also had been New London residents for some years.  Thomas and Mary had at least eight children, and we are descended through daughter Mary and son Thomas.  Barbara Rogers in her blog "By the Sea" points out that Thomas and Mary were step siblings, as Mary's father had married Hannah Brewster Starr after the death of both James's wife Mary Vine, and Hannah's husband Samuel Starr. 

Thomas may not have ever moved from his family home, because Groton, the place of his death, was part of New London until 1705.  It was across the Thames River from New London, and it may have been difficult to always have access to New London's church services, school, government offices, and military protection.  So Groton it became.  

Thomas was a shipwright by trade, and probably a little more than that, as he had part ownership in a sloop, which was a small craft used primarily for coastal trading, at the time of his death.

Other than when his wife joined the church and records of baptisms of some of the children, we don't know much more about Thomas until he died.  His date of death is given as January 31, 1711/12.  There was an epidemic of what appears to be influenza that killed over 250 Connecticut residents about this time, primarily young and healthy men, and Thomas would have fit that group.  He was just 43 years old, and had no time to write a will.  (Hannah Brewster Starr Morgan and Captain James Morgan died at about the same time, so this disease, whatever it was, was wicked.)

Thomas's inventory, however, does tell us quite a bit.  The total value was about 664 pounds, which appears to have been respectable for that time and place.  His inventory reveals guns and ammunition, quite a few household goods, quite a few "carpenter's tools", his house and barns, another piece of land, farm animals, and, sadly, one (don't recognize the word) Indian woman and boy.  This last entry was valued at 35 pounds, which is more than his share of the sloop. We need to always be aware that yes, our New England ancestors may have been slave-holders.  The estate was carefully divided up by the administrators in 1715/16, and Mary signed with her mark.  Mary seems to have lived until 1765, after a second marriage to William Peabody in 1717.  

I've not found that Thomas served in any military units, although a lot of Connecticut men did, particularly in King William's War.  I would love to find his name somewhere on a military record, if he did serve outside the town.  I'd like to know how deep his involvement was in ship building.  Was this his career, or was it a side job done now and then?  And I'd sure love to hear some of the stories he must have been able to tell!

The line of descent is:

Thomas-Starr-Mary Morgan

Mary Starr-John Chester

Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge

Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens

Betsy Havens-John Starr

John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley

Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants

The other line is:

Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan

Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street

John Starr-Mary Sharp

John Starr-Betsy Havens (see above)