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Major William Starling was born 4 Sep 1756 in King William County, Colony of Virginia, the son of William Starling and Jane Gordon. His father, William Starling, was born 1726 in Stoppelsey Hall, Bedfordshire, England. William the elder immigrated to Virginia in 1740 and died in 1756 in King William County, Virginia. William’s mother, Jane Gordon, was born in 1730 in Scotland and died in 1763 in King William County. William was raised by his neighbor Col. William Lyne of King and Queen County, Virginia.
He married Susanna (Lyne) Starling, younger sister of Col. William Lyne, in 1774.
William and Susanna had eleven children who were named and born as follows:
Soon after their marriage the family moved to Mecklenburg County, Virginia, where they lived for many years. William was a merchant and also served as High Sheriff of the county. During his term of office in 1794, he won considerable reputation for coolness and courage by the arrest of a notorious and dangerous character, who had long been the dread and annoyance of the whole country, and who, upon the occasion referred to, had ridden into the courtyard heavily armed, and, with insolent bravado, defied the officers and dared them arrest him.
William was an officer in the Mecklenburg County Militia during the Revolutionary War, and is a DAR Patriot Ancestor.
In 1794, he removed to Kentucky and settled on a farm near Harrodsburgh, in Mercer County. He had purchased lands before coming there, but lost them through the conflicting and uncertain titles that were characteristic of those days, and which, for many years thereafter, were the source of much trouble and litigation, until the Legislature, by a few general and sweeping acts, quieted the titles and confirmed the possession to the fortunate holders. Mr. Starling, in addition to his large landed interest, was the owner of a great many slaves, and engaged in mercantile pursuits at Harrodsburgh on an extensive scale, having branches of his house in Henderson and Frankfort.
He represented Mercer County in the Kentucky Legislature, and, according to the document under the seal of the State, was appointed Assistant Judge for his district December 18th, 1806. He died December 25th, 1826 in Springfield, Washington, Kentucky, United States, and is buried in Cemetery Hill Cemetery, Springfield, Washington County, Kentucky, USA. His wife, Susanna Lyne, died in 1802.
William was an officer in the Mecklenburg County Militia during the Revolutionary War. [1]
He was recommended as 1st Lieutenant of the Mecklenburg County Militia on December 10, 1781. He served as Major of the Mecklenburg County Militia from December 9, 1782, and was promoted to Colonel of the 2nd Mecklenburg County Militia Regiment on October 6, 1787.
During the war he served on the Mecklenburg County in the following ways:
He also actively supported the army by donating provisions. Records show that on April 9, 1782 he donated: 300 cwt of beef; provided wagonage for Suffolk to South Quay; and provided service of wagon and team to collect provisions found by the public.
From The Sterling Genealogy: volume 2 : William Sterling of Haverhill, Massachusetts: The Starling Family of Virginia and Kentucky:
Shortly after his marriage, William removed to Boydtown, Mecklenburg Co., Va., where they lived for many years, and where he was a merchant and extensive slave-owner. He was appointed sheriff of Mecklenburg county, Mar. 16, 1793. In 1794, he removed to Mercer county, Kentucky, and settled on a farm near Harrodsburg. He became a large landholder, taking with him from Virginia thirty-seven slaves.
In a "memorandum of the ages of negro children, born since William Starling's marriage," are found seventy-nine.[2]
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Categories: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Slave Owners | Mercer County, Kentucky, Slave Owners | USBH Heritage Exchange, Needs Slaves Identified | King William County, Virginia, Starling Name Study | Kentucky, Starling Name Study | Mecklenburg County Militia, Virginia Militia, American Revolution | NSDAR Patriot Ancestors