Frederick Starnes Sr. (abt. 1700 - bef. 1779)

Born about 1700 in Alzey, Kurfürstentum Pfalz, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Goldman) Starnes — married about 1721 in New York [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 18 May 1779 before about age 79 in Washington County, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Birth: Date: Ca 1700

Place: Alzey, Palatinate, Germany^[1][2]

Frederick Staring/Starnes/Starns/Stearns was born near the village of Alzey, in the Palatine region of what is now Germany c. 1700. He came with his father Adam, and uncles, Nicholas and Valentine (and various unnamed members of their families) to Rotterdam, then to London, then arrived in New York in 1710.

He married Mary Goldman, a daughter of Conrad Goldman, another Palatine immigrant. They were in NY as late as 1733, spent a brief time with her brothers in Pennsylvania, and arrived in Virginia around 1740. While it is not known for certain, it is believed that Frederick and his wife Mary are buried in this cemetery, near the site of their homeplace. Descendants placed a marker here in his memory in the 1990s.

Frederick wrote his will in 1779 in Washington County, Virginia. The will was accepted for probate 18 May 1779.

Burial: Sulphur Springs Cemetery, Sulphur Springs Heights, Smyth County, Virginia ^[3]

I can't verify all of the facts, but I'm leaving this here because I find the Starnes history interesting. This is a profile about Frederick Starnes who came to NY from Germany in 1710 and eventually settled in Virginia. -GK

Source: https://www.geni.com/people/Frederick-Staring-I/6000000009993162091

Frederick Starnes immigrated to America in 1710. Leaving in June of 1709, he sailed for London. On Aug 6, 1709, he arrived and on Aug 13, 1709. After months of waiting he boarded a ship on Dec 25, 1709. He arrived in New York on Jan 14, 1710. The ship was then quarantined due to typhus. He was held on board and then moved to Nutten Island on June 20, 1710.

Frederick Starnes married Mary Goldman in 1722 in New York. She was the daughter of Conrad Goldman. They settled in New York where their children were born. Years later they moved to Pennsylvania and then south to Virginia. Frederick was wounded by Indians in 1740 and again in 1755 while harvesting grain. He died in 1774 at the age of 74.

His occupation was listed as a Grain Farmer.

Frederick Starnes (Staring, Starn, Starns) was born ca. 1700 in Alzey Germany. Around the age of 9, young Frederick began his journey to America with his father, Johann Adam Staring and his uncles, Johann Nicholas and Valentine Staring.

In May or June of 1709, the Staring family arranged passage for their families and packed their meager belongings. They boarded a barge that was bound for Rotterdam.

The voyage down the Rhine River took just over three weeks and finally they reached Rotterdam. The Staring family stayed only a month or so in Rotterdam before leaving on or about August 6, 1709 and set sail for Blackheath in London.

Here the family would be forced to live in such deplorable conditions. The Palatine immigrants were subjected to sleeping anywhere that provided shelter and took up residence inside several warehouses and even military tents that were issued by the Board of Ordnance.

There was no work to be found. Even though the Palatine immigrants were know to be willing, robust workers. They were totally dependant upon the government. Most of the inhabitants of London distrusted the Germans but there were several who felt sorry for them and wanted to help. Some residents would bring leftover food, clothing they could afford to give away and other items that would help substain the struggling Palatine people. There is no doubt this helped our Staring family survive.

A number of proposals were brought before Queen Anne on what to do with the 3,000 or so Palatines. Colonel Robert Hunter, the newly appointed gorernor of New York and New Jersey, proposed on September 9, 1709 that the Palatine immigrants be sent to New York and be employed in the production of tar and pitch for the Royal Navy. The Board of Trade approved the proposal in only three days. They were extremely happy to see the burdensome Palatines leave London.

Finally, on Christmas Day, 1709, 10 ships arrived on the Thames to take the Palatines to New York. Boarding began that night. Due to confusion in berthing and provisioning, and amendments to the ship's charter, the ships would not set sail. The Staring family had high hopes of being in New York in 8 to 10 weeks.

This delay was extended when the ministry of Queen Anne advised her that a proposed subsistence and work contract was needed to protect her against charges of unprecendented charity by her enemies. The contract was drawn up but was not signed by the Queen. Further delaying the travels to the new world.

Then on April 10, 1710, after spending 4 months on these cramped, vermin infested vessels, the Starings and 3,000 of their countrymen, set sail for the New York Harbor. It is believed that while on this journey, Frederick's mother died on the high seas before reaching the American shore. She could have been one of the 446 Palatines who Governor Hunter reported as dead by the end of July 1710.

The six weeks that was estimated to arrive in New York actually took eight. In total, our Staring ancestors spent 6 months aboard the ship. Four and a half months in the ships on the Thames River and another two months sailing to America.

On June 14, 1710, our Staring ancestors arrived in the harbor of New York. Once in New York, Frederick and the Staring family lived on the Hudson River at Livingston Manor.

Next, on April 23, 1711, the family moved to Livingston Manor's West Camp Palatine settlement on the west bank of the Hudson River, which is 40 miles south of Albany, NY. This site is still called the "Villiage of West Camp, NY."

From here the Starings and other Palatine family left West Camp and set out for "Schonhare" on March 1713. The family settled down at Gerlachsdorf.

Immediately, they began working on their cabins which were generally small, one-room cabins with earthen floors and animal skins covering the door openings. Gerlachsdorf was named for Johann Christopher Gerlach who was a former listmaster for the tar making in one of the West Camp settlements.

Governor Hunter was not fond of the Palatine immigrants. He considered them all to be troublemakers and always opposed them settling in Schoharie. On the other hand, all of the Palatines distrusted Gov. Hunter and the New York government. Our ancestors were lucky. Eventually a new New York Governor, William Burnet, was instructed in London to provide the Palatines suitable land. With this request, the Governor arranged for them to obtain Indian land in the Mohawk Valley.

These lands would be divided up into 100-acre lots. On the 28th day of March, 1723, 92 individuals were assigned these lots. At this date, Frederick had reached maturity, married Mary Goldman and fathered a son, Valentine (1722). In the Burnetfield Patents, we get a glimpse of his name in a record for the first time.

Frederick received lot #24. Valentine recieve lot #6 which was adjacent to his fathers. Thirty acres of Frederick's lot is now the center of the town of Herkimer, including the park where the S.T.A. erected a monument in 1998.

For about 20 or so years, Frederick and Mary Goldman Starnes lived in New York and raised seven children: Valentine Starns, born ca. 1722; Frederick Starns II, born ca. 1724; Leonard Starns, born ca. 1726; Joseph Starns, born ca. 1730; Adam Starns, born ca. 1732; Thomas Starns, born ca. 1734 and a daughter Sarah Starns, born ca. 1738. These seven children would contribute to our American history and assist in its defense.

Our American patriarch assisted in the defense, responsibility, and preservation of the American Colonies. "On November 17, 1733, he was appointed Ensign in the Militia of Albany Co., New York, by Governor William Crosby." (Governor William Crosby's "List of Officers of the Militia for Albany County, November 17, 1733"). Frederick lived in West Camp, NY from about 1710 to 1712. Then the family settled down in the Schoharie and German Flatts area of New York from around 1713 to 1741.

Eventually Frederick and Mary decided to migrate south into Pennsylvania and took up residence along the Juanita River around 1741 and lived there until 1743. Today, this would be the small town of Mexico, PA.

Next, Frederick moved himself and the family into the New River area of Virginia in Augusta County. In the first Augusta County survey book there is an entry with the date 30th October 1746, "A survey of 500 acres for Col. Patton on the west side of Woods River, known by the name of "the old Starnes place'." This record proves that Frederick was one of the first settlers on the New River.

Mary's brother, Jacob Goldman died in the summer of 1750. In August of the same year, Frederick was named executor of his brother-in-law's estate. Mary had refused to administer the estate and the will was probated on May 26, 1751.

Sources

1. ↑ Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Author: - Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2009.
2. ↑ Annals of Southwest Virginia, 1769-1800 Author: - Summers, Lewis Preston. Annals of Southwest Virginia, 1769-1800. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996. Digital edition at Hathitrust
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #17701442 entered by Chérie Naegele on September 25, 2014

See also:

• Washington County, Will Book 1, p. 57 (FHL Film 7645887, Image 52); 22 August 1778 (written), 18 May 1779 (proved), Will of Frederick Starns of Washington Co.; Wife Mary; Son Jacob; Son David; “every child younger than him” (David); Estate to be divided “among all my children”; Executors: Conrad Kerlock, George Hise; Wit: Francis Bird, Jesse Bounds, Conrad Henninger.

• Washington County, Will Book 1, p. 33 (FHL Film 7645887, Image 40); 15 June 1779, Inventory of Frederick Starns performed by Elisha Dungan, Conrod Heniger, Jesse Bounds.

• Source: S88 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R1

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17701442/frederick-starnes: accessed 10 May 2023), memorial page for Frederick Starnes Sr. (1700–1775), Find a Grave Memorial ID 17701442, citing Sulphur Springs Cemetery, Sulphur Springs Heights, Smyth County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by John Field Pankow (contributor 46637223).

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Sandy Minder for creating WikiTree profile Starnes-397 through the import of Delong gedcom.ged on Apr 27, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Sandy and others.