Extensive research by Stephenson family historian, Karen (Campe) Mateyka, discovered that William Starr was born in Rome, NY. From there, additional searches provided material on his family.
Son of Samuel Starr and Brittania Easton, William Elihu Starr was a young child of seven, when his father died and his widowed mother married Dr. Erastus Brown. Dr. and Mrs. Brown, William and his two sisters, and his half brother William Tyler, moved to Upper Alton, Illinois Territory, circa 1817. William Starr's uncle, lawyer Rufus Easton, was appointed the first postmaster of St. Louis in 1805; Easton was also the founder of Alton. Perhaps it was Easton's influence that brought William Starr and the Brown family to Upper Alton.
William Elihu Starr married Elvira Amanda Stephenson on 26 Apr 1827 in Edwardsville, IL; copy of wedding announcement to right. By 1840 the couple had four children. The oldest child would be a young 14 when William Elihu died in 1843. Only two of the children survived to adulthood: William Henry Geyer and James S. Attorney James S. Starr handled some legal issues for brother William Henry Geyer Starr and himself in 1851-1852 Edwardsville. William Henry was in CA by 1850 and married by 1855. James S. was living with his mother and step-father, Elvira and William Maddox, in 1870. No additional information on James S. has been located. A reference to the Dorsett Seal and its connection to James Starr remains a mystery. Barely into his teens when his father died, William Henry Geyer Starr went west as a young man, married, and descendants survive to this day.
William E. Starr's obituary provided no information on place of burial. His mother, Brittania (Easton) Starr Brown, died in Upper Alton or Alton on 28 Aug 1822. One of the early members of the Presbyterian Church in Alton, her resting place remains unknown (Brink 1882: 295). Perhaps William Starr was buried at the side of his mother, but more than likely he was buried in Lusk Cemetery. His half-brother, William Salisbury Brown, died eight years after William Elihu Starr and rests in Lusk Cemetery.
Researcher Karen (Campe) Mateyka provided the information on Elvira Stephenson - William Starr marriage and subsequent marriages of widow, Elvira, to Enoch Wall and William Maddox. The Stephenson house, photos to right, built by William Elihu's in-laws in Edwardsville, IL, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional information on the Stephenson family and house by Mateyka is available at the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson homepage: http://www.stephensonhouse.org/
Son of Samuel Starr and Brittania Easton, William Elihu Starr was a young child of seven, when his father died and his widowed mother married Dr. Erastus Brown. Dr. and Mrs. Brown, William and his two sisters, and his half brother William Tyler, moved to Upper Alton, Illinois Territory, circa 1817. William Starr's uncle, lawyer Rufus Easton, was appointed the first postmaster of St. Louis in 1805; Easton was also the founder of Alton. Perhaps it was Easton's influence that brought William Starr and the Brown family to Upper Alton.
William Elihu Starr married Elvira Amanda Stephenson on 26 Apr 1827 in Edwardsville, IL; copy of wedding announcement to right. By 1840 the couple had four children. The oldest child would be a young 14 when William Elihu died in 1843. Only two of the children survived to adulthood: William Henry Geyer and James S. Attorney James S. Starr handled some legal issues for brother William Henry Geyer Starr and himself in 1851-1852 Edwardsville. William Henry was in CA by 1850 and married by 1855. James S. was living with his mother and step-father, Elvira and William Maddox, in 1870. No additional information on James S. has been located. A reference to the Dorsett Seal and its connection to James Starr remains a mystery. Barely into his teens when his father died, William Henry Geyer Starr went west as a young man, married, and descendants survive to this day.
William E. Starr's obituary provided no information on place of burial. His mother, Brittania (Easton) Starr Brown, died in Upper Alton or Alton on 28 Aug 1822. One of the early members of the Presbyterian Church in Alton, her resting place remains unknown (Brink 1882: 295). Perhaps William Starr was buried at the side of his mother, but more than likely he was buried in Lusk Cemetery. His half-brother, William Salisbury Brown, died eight years after William Elihu Starr and rests in Lusk Cemetery.
Researcher Karen (Campe) Mateyka provided the information on Elvira Stephenson - William Starr marriage and subsequent marriages of widow, Elvira, to Enoch Wall and William Maddox. The Stephenson house, photos to right, built by William Elihu's in-laws in Edwardsville, IL, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional information on the Stephenson family and house by Mateyka is available at the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson homepage: http://www.stephensonhouse.org/
Extensive research by Stephenson family historian, Karen (Campe) Mateyka, discovered that William Starr was born in Rome, NY. From there, additional searches provided material on his family.
Son of Samuel Starr and Brittania Easton, William Elihu Starr was a young child of seven, when his father died and his widowed mother married Dr. Erastus Brown. Dr. and Mrs. Brown, William and his two sisters, and his half brother William Tyler, moved to Upper Alton, Illinois Territory, circa 1817. William Starr's uncle, lawyer Rufus Easton, was appointed the first postmaster of St. Louis in 1805; Easton was also the founder of Alton. Perhaps it was Easton's influence that brought William Starr and the Brown family to Upper Alton.
William Elihu Starr married Elvira Amanda Stephenson on 26 Apr 1827 in Edwardsville, IL; copy of wedding announcement to right. By 1840 the couple had four children. The oldest child would be a young 14 when William Elihu died in 1843. Only two of the children survived to adulthood: William Henry Geyer and James S. Attorney James S. Starr handled some legal issues for brother William Henry Geyer Starr and himself in 1851-1852 Edwardsville. William Henry was in CA by 1850 and married by 1855. James S. was living with his mother and step-father, Elvira and William Maddox, in 1870. No additional information on James S. has been located. A reference to the Dorsett Seal and its connection to James Starr remains a mystery. Barely into his teens when his father died, William Henry Geyer Starr went west as a young man, married, and descendants survive to this day.
William E. Starr's obituary provided no information on place of burial. His mother, Brittania (Easton) Starr Brown, died in Upper Alton or Alton on 28 Aug 1822. One of the early members of the Presbyterian Church in Alton, her resting place remains unknown (Brink 1882: 295). Perhaps William Starr was buried at the side of his mother, but more than likely he was buried in Lusk Cemetery. His half-brother, William Salisbury Brown, died eight years after William Elihu Starr and rests in Lusk Cemetery.
Researcher Karen (Campe) Mateyka provided the information on Elvira Stephenson - William Starr marriage and subsequent marriages of widow, Elvira, to Enoch Wall and William Maddox. The Stephenson house, photos to right, built by William Elihu's in-laws in Edwardsville, IL, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional information on the Stephenson family and house by Mateyka is available at the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson homepage: http://www.stephensonhouse.org/
Son of Samuel Starr and Brittania Easton, William Elihu Starr was a young child of seven, when his father died and his widowed mother married Dr. Erastus Brown. Dr. and Mrs. Brown, William and his two sisters, and his half brother William Tyler, moved to Upper Alton, Illinois Territory, circa 1817. William Starr's uncle, lawyer Rufus Easton, was appointed the first postmaster of St. Louis in 1805; Easton was also the founder of Alton. Perhaps it was Easton's influence that brought William Starr and the Brown family to Upper Alton.
William Elihu Starr married Elvira Amanda Stephenson on 26 Apr 1827 in Edwardsville, IL; copy of wedding announcement to right. By 1840 the couple had four children. The oldest child would be a young 14 when William Elihu died in 1843. Only two of the children survived to adulthood: William Henry Geyer and James S. Attorney James S. Starr handled some legal issues for brother William Henry Geyer Starr and himself in 1851-1852 Edwardsville. William Henry was in CA by 1850 and married by 1855. James S. was living with his mother and step-father, Elvira and William Maddox, in 1870. No additional information on James S. has been located. A reference to the Dorsett Seal and its connection to James Starr remains a mystery. Barely into his teens when his father died, William Henry Geyer Starr went west as a young man, married, and descendants survive to this day.
William E. Starr's obituary provided no information on place of burial. His mother, Brittania (Easton) Starr Brown, died in Upper Alton or Alton on 28 Aug 1822. One of the early members of the Presbyterian Church in Alton, her resting place remains unknown (Brink 1882: 295). Perhaps William Starr was buried at the side of his mother, but more than likely he was buried in Lusk Cemetery. His half-brother, William Salisbury Brown, died eight years after William Elihu Starr and rests in Lusk Cemetery.
Researcher Karen (Campe) Mateyka provided the information on Elvira Stephenson - William Starr marriage and subsequent marriages of widow, Elvira, to Enoch Wall and William Maddox. The Stephenson house, photos to right, built by William Elihu's in-laws in Edwardsville, IL, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional information on the Stephenson family and house by Mateyka is available at the Colonel Benjamin Stephenson homepage: http://www.stephensonhouse.org/
