An Overlooked Couple: John Starkey and Mary Monroe (52 Ancestors #47 & 48)

(Bending my own “rules” here regarding the 52 Ancestors challenge. I’m purposefully combining John Starkey and Mary Monroe since we are oh-so-close to the end and I’m running out of days to catch up!)

As I was preparing this post on my 3rd-great-grandparents John Starkey and Mary Monroe, I realized that I have pretty much overlooked them in my research. (Yes, I’m hanging my head in shame.) Part of it is because I found them in my early days of tracing my family tree. It seems like we don’t revisit those early discoveries often enough. I think that another part is that I allowed myself to ignore them because of their connection with Licking County, Ohio. Licking County can be tough to research in, due to a major courthouse fire in 1875.

That having been said, I’m fortunate with John and Mary, as their marriage record survived that fire.

FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, John Starkey and Polly Monroe marriage, Licking County marriage vol. 1, p. 258.

FamilySearch.org, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997, John Starkey and Polly Monroe marriage, Licking County marriage vol. 1, p. 258.

Did you catch the part in the lower left-hand corner? “Father present.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t give his name. For that matter, it doesn’t specify whose father. Was it John’s or Mary’s? Both of them would have been of legal age in 1827, so why was it noted that the father was present? Who is John W. Patterson? Is he a minister or a justice of the peace? If he’s a minister, what church is he with — and do they have records?

John and Mary lived in Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio in 1830,1)John Starkey household, 1830 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 418. just a couple of households away from John’s mother Elizabeth. I need to take a closer look at Thorn Township and the surrounding area. Who are the Monroes? Can I connect them with Mary?

Mary is last enumerated in the 1860 census.2)John Starkey household, 1860 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, p. 123, nos. 899/872. By 1870, John was married to Martha Harris Orr (who, coincidentally, is my 3rd-great-grandmother on another line).

Looks like I have a good puzzle to work on in the new year.

References   [ + ]

1. John Starkey household, 1830 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, page 418.
2. John Starkey household, 1860 U.S. census, Thorn Township, Perry County, Ohio, p. 123, nos. 899/872.

2 thoughts on “An Overlooked Couple: John Starkey and Mary Monroe (52 Ancestors #47 & 48)

  1. church

    John W Patterson was a minister of the Baptist faith. If you read Licking County History he came in about 1810 with the 1st church being Welsh Particular Church. Lots of the names are called Primitive Baptist church in Licking, Muskingum and Perry Countries in Ohio after a while. He died in in 1844 and is buried at Hupp Cemetery in Franklin Twp. Licking County Ohio on a hill above the Friendship near Linnville Baptist Church . He married many people from May 1810 until 1828 per the Licking County marriage books including your John Starkey and Polly Monroe. I do not know why no marriages after that date can I find unless those books were burnt in the Licking County courthouse fires.

    Reply
    1. Amy Johnson Crow Post author

      Thanks for all of that info! I haven’t had a chance to research the minister — this definitely helps!

      Reply

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