Person Page 177

Moses Starr, son of James and Rachel Laybourne Starr, was born 21 Dec 1720 in London Grove Twp. Chester Co., PA. He removed at the age of eleven with his parents in 1731 to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He lived on the Starr farm in the Manavon tract, became a miller, and operated a mill with his brother James Starr but sold the business in 1748 to Samuel Jones and Jacob Hilderbrand.

The Quaker records show that Moses and his brother Samuel were admonished for "disunity" ----- perhaps not attending church ---- and on September 20, 1754, they were read out of Quaker Meeting. They became Methodists. Moses and his first wife had difficulties and parted. Quaker records in Chester Co., PA tell of his first marriage and difficulties.

Moses Starr was married first in a Quaker Meeting in Chester Co. to Sarah Davis, born in 1718. Some sources say they were married in 1745 at East Town, PA. Supposedly there are Quaker records of this first marriage and of a disagreement between Moses Starr, his wife and her father. The marriage must have been dissolved. Later there are Quaker records showing Moses and a brother were dismissed in 1754 and by 1755 Moses was no longer a member of the Quaker Meeting. This must have been when he went to New Jersey and married his second wife, Margaret Quattelbaum, probably around 1755/56.

It is not certain where in New Jersey Moses and Margaret lived. Some think he lived in Somerset Co., however, there was a Moses Starr on a list of travern owners in Hunterdon Co., N.J. It is believed that most of their children were probably born in Bridgewater Twp., Somerset Co., Cumberland Co., or Hunterdon Co., N.J.

Moses Starr then moved to central Pennsylvania near Honey Grove and a gap in the Tuscorora Mountains (Juniata County), where he bought land. There are a few tax records for Moses Starr. They sold their land in 1794. Their son John Starr, then living in Hampshire Co., Virginia (now West Virginia.) was a witness to the deed. It is not known what happened to Moses and Margaret Starr. They probably went to Hampshire County to live as most of their children had moved there.

Moses and Margaret Quattelbaum Starr were the parents of nine children.

1830 -- gave age of 60 - 70

1840 -- gave age of 70 - 80.

Obituary -- The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky; Friday, 18 MAY 1962, p.2 (Newspapers.com):

Ira C. Huff, 78, Oil Producer, Dies

Ira C. Huff, Sr., who worked in the oil business in Kentucky for 63 years, died at 8:05 p.m. yesterday at Jewish Hospital. Huff, 78, was a native of Van Buren, Ind.

Huff, 308 W. Whitney, was an independent oil producer. In recent years he had commuted between here and Daviess County where he had interests. In the 1920's, he had an oil business in Lexington.

Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Winabeth H. Gibson; a son, Ira C. Huff, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio; a sister, Mrs. Gertrude Scott, Marion, Ind., and two brothers, Earl Huff, Tulsa, Okla., and Charles Huff, Van Buren.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Ratterman's, 2815 S. Fourth. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.

James and Rachel came to Pennsylvania in 1712 and settled in New Garden. Afterwards they removed to the site of Phoenixville, Pa.

James Starr was a farmer in county Cavan, Ireland, but due to the many hardships by the Quakers there, he brought his family to PA, where they could worship the way they wanted and live in peace.

James and Rachel made the long and tiresome journey with their two small children, Mary, born in 1701 and Joseph, born in 1710. They arrived in America to a vast wilderness which was inhabited only by Indians.

They presented a certificate from the Quaker Catterlough Monthly Meeting in Ireland dated 4th mo 7th day 1712 to the Newark Meeting, which was later know as the Kennett Meeting in Chester Co., PA.

Records are at the Newgarden Monthly Meeting.

In 1713 James Starr bought land in New Garden, Twp., Chester Co. Pa from William Penn for 20 lbs. per 100 acres. Others buying land at the same time were Michael Lightfoot, brother of Margaret Lightfoot Starr, Joseph Hutton, stepbrother of Rachel Laybourne Starr, and Thomas Jackson. Many of them lived on their farms for several years before getting titles for their land.

In 1714 James Starr was chosen clerk of the Newark Meeting, however as other Quakers settles in the area they decided a new meeting place was needed, thus the New Garden Mtd. was established in 1718 with James being elected the clerk and overseer. He served until 1726

In 1731 James and Rachel left New Garden Twp. and removed to the present site of Phoenixville, PA, where he purchased 230 acres of the "Manovan Tract" from the widow of David Lloyd. The land was located at the junction of the French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It commenced on Main Bridge St. and the Fountain Inn, then crossing the north side of French Creek, eastward within a few feet of the water and back again to the canal; Starr St. in Phoenixville was named in honor of James Starr. He gave land at the corner of Church and Main St. for a burial ground which was to be held by the Starr family for as long as it was needed by them. It is mentioned in article written by Samuel W. Pennypacker in the Annals of Schuylkill Twp.

Owning all the ground for a mile about him, he could well afford to give one acre to the dead, and probably thought as he separated it from the wilderness, that in this spot he and his children would rest until the final awakening. One after another of the Starr family passed away without leaving descendants to inherit their lands or their name and when the last of them had been carried to the family yard, the streets of a growing and busy town had stretched around and about it.

After a decline of the race for whom it was intended, it at first met with neglect and then became a kind of Potter's field. In it were buried the British who died or were killed in the neighborhood during the Revolutionary War, and the foreign workmen who perished from a fatal fever while digging the Schuylkill Canal.

This Cemetery was been removed to Maiden Creek, PA, and an act of Assembly was obtained to untwist the slight knots tied by the will of James Starr. The story goes that when clearing the land to build a drygoods store upon the site of the burying place it was disclosed that a careless worker had thrown the bones together in a box and carted them away.

James Starr was chosen a member of the Board of commissioners by the Assembly for the purpose of improving the navigation of the Schuylkill river, having as fellow commissioners, among others, were David Rittenhouse and Abraham Lincoln. The latter was probably the grandfather of Abraham Lincoln who later became president of the United States.

James is thought to have been the first setteler on the south side of French Creek and the first to make use of its water power. He built a saw mill, grist mill and a log cabin for the Miller.

In 1731 the business was placed under the control of his two sons, James and Moses Starr. They carried on the business for several years and finally rented it to Rowland Richards. In 1748 the Starr brothers sold the mill to Jacob Hilderband and Samuel Jones.

James Starr's Will:

Chester Co.

I James Starr of Charles Town in the county of Chester and province of Pennsylvania being of perfect senses and sound memory, but weak body and calling to mind the mortality of all of us, am now minded to settle my affairs and do make and constitute this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

First I commit my soul to God that giveth and my body to be decently interred.

Item: I will to my dear and loving wife all my household goods except the bed and bedding I now lie on and my desk which I will to my son Samuel Starr.

Item: I will one half of the whole plantation (the rest of this line could not be read as the copy of the orginal will was folded at this point) to my dear wife and to her heirs and asigns during her natural life.

Item: I will all the other half of the plantation to my son Samuel together with half the housing on it and to his heirs and asign forever that is to say the whole plantation to him forever at her decease.

Item: I will all my stock both horses, mares and colts and cows, young cattle and sheep and crops in the ground and corn and foder in the barn together with half the wagon and half all the utensils of husbandry on the plantation to my dear wife.

Item: I will the other half of the wagon and the other half of all the utensils of husbandry to my son Samuel Starr and also my gun.

Item: I will all my bonds, bills and all manner of debts due to me to my wife. I also will the servant man and servant maid to my wife.

Item: I will to my son Joseph Starr, twenty shillings and no more.

Item: I will to my son John Starr, one pound and no more.

Item: I will to my son James Starr, one pound and no more.

Item: I will to my son Moses Starr, five pounds and no more.

Item: I will to my grandchild, Rachel Starr the sum of ten pounds to be put into interest for her into year after the date hereof to be paid to her at her marriage or at the age of eighteen years.

Item: I will to my son Richard Richerson and his wife Mary the sum of ten pounds.

Item: I will to my son Rees Williams and his wife Rachel the sum of ten pounds.

Item: My will is that all the leagiseys be paid in two years after the date here of and not till then.

Item: My dear and well beloved wife is to pay all the above leagiseys and lastly I will and appoint my dear wife and my son Joseph Starr sole executors at this my last will and testament given under my hand and seal this 2nd day of the 10th month one thousand seven hundred and forty nine (1749).

Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of: Signed

James Starr

Jacob Hilderbrand Note: the name James was

Bryan Keegan executed before the signing

Jeremiah Starr and sealing hereof.

Rachel Starr

Joseph Starr

(7th March 1749)

Philadelphia 7th March 1749 then personally appeared Jacob Hildebrand and Bryan Keegan two of the wittness to the forgoing will and on thier solemn affirmation according to law did declare and affirm they saw and heard James Starr testify for there in named sign, seal, publish, and declare the same will for and as his last will and testament and at the doing there of he was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and that Jeremiah Starr the other witness thereof did also subscribe his name as a witness in the presence of and at the request of the testator.

Signed- Corma

Wm. Clumsted

Will recorded Philadelphia book 1 page 234 City Hall

Also see Rachel's will in her notes

James was the first Starr to emigrate to the United States. He arrived in 1712.

"Immigration of Irish Quakers to PA" by Albert C. Myers, p328-29

"History of Chester & Delaware Co, PA" by Gilbert Cope, p570

Records of Kennett Monthly Meeting, Soc. of Friends, PA - p132 [FHL #562,992]

Birthdate: "10 mo, 28, 1676" in Old Style (Quaker) notation

Marr date: "6mo, 22, 1705"

Occupation: Farmer in Co. Cavan, Ireland

Residence: To US 1712

Settled in New Garden Twp, Chester Co, PA

To Phoenixville, Charlestown Twp, Chester Co, PA - 1731

Religion: Member of Soc. of Friends in Ireland

Recd w/wife on cert from Catterbaugh, Ire. - "4, 7, 1712"

Appointed Clerk of Kennett Meeting - 5mo, 1713 - & Overseer 1714

Clerk of New Garden Meeting. 1718-1726 (when Meeting first established)

Marriage place: His brother was marr at Ballytore Mtg, Co. Kildare, Ireland

Will of Rachel -- see her notes.

Will of Rachel Starr

Chester Co., Pa

Dated February 7, 1762

Proved October 22, 1762

In the name of God, Amen, whereas I Rachel Starr of Charles Township, Chester Co. and Province of Pennsylvania (Widow) Being weak of body, but of sound and perfect memory, do this seventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred sixty two make and publish this my last will and testament, thereby utterly dis-annulling and revokeing all other or former wills by me made whatsoever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Starr my large Bible and one quarter of all my other books.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son______ one quarter of all my books as aforesaid.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my sons James Starr and Moses Starr the other half of my books to be equally divided between them.

Item: I order that all my wearing apparel of every kind be equally divided between my four daughter-in-laws.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter-in-law Rebecca Starr six silver teaspoons and my silver tea tongs and my blue and white silk handerchief.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter-in-law Hanna Starr, my small tea kettle and my large tea pot, six tea spoons and my silver bodkin.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son-in-law Richard Richardson the sum of five shillings.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Rachel the sum of five shillings.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my grand-daughter, Rebecca Starr daughter of my son Joseph my warming pan.

I order that all my other goods be sold and the money_______ together with all the other money I am________of to be equally divided between my grandchildren namely, Joseph Starr son of James Starr. Samuel Starr, Issac Starr, Rebecca Starr, Mary Starr, and Rachel Starr, children of my son Joseph. John Starr, James Starr, Thomas Starr, and Mary Starr, children of my son John. Sarah Starr, Rachel Starr,and Hannah Starr, children of my son James, and the children of my son Moses by his last wife. Elizabeth Williams, James Williams and Rachel Williams children of my daughter Rachel.

I order that my daughter Rachel's children before mentioned shares be left in the hands of my executors to be paid them when they come of age with lawfull interest for the same to commence from two years after my decease.

I order that the shares belonging to my grandchildren, the children of my sons Joseph Starr, John Starr, and James Starr be paid to their respective fathers in two years as aforesaid for the use of the children before mentions and that the shares belonging to my son Moses's children be paid him in two years as aforesaid for the use of his children aforesaid if called for without interest but if the said Moses Starr should not call for or recover the said shares hereby bequeathed to his children in the space of two years as before mentioned, that then I do order that the money shall be left in the hands of my executors until such time as it shall be legally demanded without interest, and lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my loving sons Joseph Starr, and James Starr, my sole excecutors to see that this my last will and testament be performed in all respects according to the true intent and meaning thereof in witness whereof I do here my set my hand and seal the date first above written.

signed

Rachel Starr

Signed, sealed,published and pronounced to be her last will and testament in the presence of us:

William Lewis

William__?___

Jonathan Coats

Philadelphia, 22nd of October 1762

Then personally appeared Willam_______, Jonathan Coats, two of the witnesses to the foregoing will and on their solemn affirmation according to law did declare they saw and heard Rachel Starr the testa therein named, signed, seal, publish and declare the same will for and as her last will and testament and that at the doing thereof she was of sound mind, memory and understanding to the best of their knowledge.

signed

Coram-

Wm. Clumsted

Will recorded Philadelphia book M page 378 City Hall.