|
 It is said that the surname Stark means strong in German, and that inhabitants of Saxony bearing this name settled in Scotland and on an unknown island off the southern coast of England.
The Stark(s) family at Loxton are descended from Samuel Starks who was born at Culmstock, Devon in 1731 and John Starks, born about five miles from Culmstock at Burlescombe, Devon in 1732.
Samuel married Mary Burroughs at Compton Bishop, Somerset in 1765 and they had three children, Thomas, Mary and John. Samuel died at the neighbouring village of Christon in 1811.
John married Joan Burrows at Winscombe, Somerset in 1764. They also had three children, Isaac, John born in 1772, and Betty.
John Stark 1772-1860
John the second son of John and Joan Starks was a shoemaker. He had three wives, all of whom he married at Loxton. His first marriage in May 1796 was to Mary Starks, the daughter of Samuel and Mary Starks. His second wife was Mary Atwell in October 1803 and his third was Fanny Philips in May 1824. The first Mary had two children and the second had seven.
Hannah, the eldest child of John and Mary, did not marry and was described in the 1851 census as a pauper and water carrier. She died at Loxton in 1863. It is not known what happened to many of John's children but the youngest son, John, a labourer, married Hester and had six children. Three of these children were born at Compton Bishop and their fate is unknown. The second child to be called Elizabeth died at the age of 15, and baby Hester died at the age of 6 months. Charles, the youngest son, married Mary Ann Young at Loxton in 1875. They lived in Compton Bishop, then in Cross and finally settled in Weare. Charles' brother William stayed at Compton Bishop living at Honeysuckle Cottage.
For information or comments contact marion@loxtonsomerset.org.uk  or please drop a note in the visitors' book just to let us know that you have called. If you have an interest in the site and would like to be kept informed of any future additions, amendments etc., please subscribe to our mailing list by entering your e-mail address in the box on the homepage. You can always choose to unsubcribe later by making the necessary amendment to the selection and entering the e-mail address that you wish removed.
|
next