Person:Thomas Starr (14)

Documented events in his life were:

1. Will; 10 Mar 1593/94; New Romney, Kent, Eng 2. The Will of Thomas Starr, Mayor of New Romney, co. Kent, dated 10 Mar 1593/4, was proved 19 Jan 1594/5. IN THE NAME OF GOD amen the x daye of March Anno Dni 1593 and in the Sixe and thirtith yeare of the Reigne of our soveraigne Ladye Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England ffrance and Ireland defendor of the faith I THOMAS STARRE Maior of the towne and port of Newe Romney in the Countie of Kent beinge sick in bodye but of good and perfect rememberaunce I thanke allmightie god do ordeyne and make this my testament and last Will in manner and forme following first I comend my soule to my mercifull god and my bodye to the ground item I will and give to the poore people of new Romney viz viii d to be distributed unto them by my execurixe item I do give and bequeath to either of my Daughters Agnes Starre and Katherine Starre Thirtie pooundes apeece of them to be paid to be paid [sic] unto them at theire seuerall ages of twentye yeares and one of them to be thothers heire Provied alwais and my will is that yf it shall please god my said daughters Anges and Katherine or eyther of them sall atteyne to theire said ages or age of twentie yeares duringe the life of me the said Thomas Starre that then theire said seuerall porcions of thirtie poundes by me as aforesaid severally given shall be paid untio them or her so beinge of thage of twenty yeares wthin one whole yeare next after my decease and not before. All the residue of my coodes chattell plat and howshold stuffe whatsoe ever my debts legacies and ffuneral paid and discharged I do give and bequeathe to Agnes Starr nowe my wife whome I ordeyne and make sole executrix of this my testament and last will And my will and mid is that she my said execurtix shall bring up my said daughters untill they seuerally come to their said ages of xxtle yeares And further my will and mind is that yf my said wife shall marie againe after my decease that he that shall marie with her shall putt in good bonds to my overseer wth suerties for the payment of my said twoe Daughters portions as is aforesaid and fore the pforming of this my Testament and last will ideam I doe make and ordeyne Edward Marksted of newe Romney aforesaid overseer of this my testament and last will and I give him for his paynes vis viiid As towchinge the disposinge of my howse landes tenemente and Annuities this is the last will of me the said Thomas Starr made the daye and yeare aforesaid first I will and giue unto the said Agnes Starr my wife full and absolute power and authoritie to bargayn Alien and sell the howse wch I nowe dwell in, in New Romney aftresaid and all the gardens Closes and Backsides thereunto belonging or anywise appertayning will all and singular thappurtenaunces conteyning by estimation one acres and halfe acres of land scituat in Newe Romney aforesaid any time durine twe whole years next after the day of my decease for the most and best value and price she can. And I will ang giue unto her the said Anges my wife the said howse and all other the premisses wth theire appurtenaunce untill the same be sold during the said two yeares as is aforesaid. And all the monnye for the wch the said howse and other the premisses shal be sould, I do will and give unto the said Agnes my wife and Thomas Starr my sonne equally to be devided betwene them And whereas William Thurbarne of newe Romney aforesaid by his dede intended have given graunted and confirmed unto me the said Tomas Starre and to mine heires for ever one Anuitie or yearely rent of eight poundes issuing out of certaine parcells of the landes of hym the said William Thurbarne as by the dede thereof more a large appereth I doe will wive and bequeath the said Anuity or yearly Rend of viiill and the dede thereoof wth evidences and bonds that concerne the same unto the said Agnes Starr my wife and to her heires and assignes for ever on Conditcon that the said Agnes Starre my wife paie or cause to be paid untio the said Agnes Starr and Katheryne Starr and to either of them their executors or assignes the seueral legacies of Thirtie poundes a pece before herein given and bequeathed to them in manner and forme as before is lymyted for the payment thereof. But if the said Agnes Starr my wife shall not pay to my said daughters in maner and forme aforesaid theire seuerall legacies of thirtie pountds Then I will and give the said Anuitie or yearely rent of eight poundes and all dedes and bonds concerning the same unto the said Angnes Starr and Katherine Starr my daughters to their heires and assinges for ever anything herin before written to the contraty in any wise not withstanding. Witness this my testament and last Will Jonh Mynk William Kemp and Thomas Hele.

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Two books provide an excellent genealogy of the Starr family.

A History of the Starr Family, of New England, from the Ancestor, Dr. Comfort Starr, of Ashford, County of Kent, England, who emigrated to Boston, Mass., in 1635; containing the names of 6766 of his descendants and the record and history of 1794 families. By Burgis Pratt Starr. Hartford, Conn.: The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co. Print. 1897. Leather bound.

Ballou, Hosea S. Early Starrs in Kent and New England. Bost: Starr Family Association, 1944. First edition. Octavo, 141 pages. This genealogy is the compilation of a series of articles on the forebears of the Starr family in this country and England prepared for and published in The New England Historical & Genealogical Register between the years 1935 and 1944. Early allied Starr families include: Rouse - Morley - Maynard - Gay - Eaton - Sabin - Dana - Mors - Hyde - Woodward - Franklin - Ball - Cutt - Ballou - Prince - Waldron - Eyre - Penhallow - Moore - Pierce - Leach - Treadwell.

The first four chapters detail the English ancestry. The balance of the chapters include: Dr. Comfort Starr Arrives in New England; Dr Comfort Starr’s Home in Boston; Dr Comfort Starr’s Practice in Cambridge; The Mill Pond Corporation; Real Estate Holdings about Boston; Dr Thomas Starr in the Pequot War; Cause of the Pequot War; Dr Comfort Starr’s Holdings in Plymouth; Relations with Indian Sachems; The Will of Dr Comfort Starr; Monhegan Island Episode; Early Influences on Dr Comfort Starr; Dr Comfort Starr Memorials; Dr Thomas Starr in Duxbury; Dr Thomas Starr in Yarmouth and Charlestown; The Parentage of Rachel Starr; The Starr Family in Connecticut; and the Formation of the Starr Family Association. No index.

This very lengthy book was written as a sequel to the leather-bound book. Attached to a reproduction of this book is a telegram sent to Henry Starr in 1921 by the author. These books are the property of Patricia Starr Newquist.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME

The authority Beardsley notes that the name Starr was well-known in the Canterbury Precincts in 1273. Prior to that, indications become increasingly clear that several spellings - STAIR, STORRS, STEERS - are variations of Starr, and possibly STOUR was the original name of the land from the river nearby, as the Starrs were of the Landed Gentry in England, , and the custorn was to acquire the name of the land.