James H. Starry family correspondence, 1840-1850

Summary

Creator:

Starry family

Abstract:

This collection is made up of 35 letters and 1 envelope, primarily consisting of the correspondence of James H. Starry, his wife Nancy, friends, and relatives. The letters span from 1840 to 1850 and discuss a variety of topics, predominantly family issues and local happenings, with content on gender relations and roles, courtship, alcohol use and temperance, African Americans, slavery, and other subjects.

Extent:

36 items

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Ella Horwedel, November 2018

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection is made up of 35 letters and 1 envelope, primarily consisting of the correspondence of James H. Starry, his friends, and his relatives in Clarksville, Ohio, and Charlestown, Virginia (later West Virginia). The letters span from 1840 to 1850 and discuss a variety of topics, predominantly family issues and local happenings, with content on gender relations and roles, courtship, alcohol use and temperance, African Americans, slavery, and other subjects. Several letter-writers wrote with phonetic spelling.

The collection contains 23 letters to James Starry and 10 letters by him. James married Nancy Kelley and the two lived in Clarksville, Ohio. While in Ohio, he corresponded with siblings and others in Charlestown, and, while seeking work in Charlestown, James corresponded with his wife in Ohio. The bulk of the letters is between James and Nancy; other letters are between James, his sister Sally, his brothers Joseph and John, and his cousin Caroline.

One of the recurring discussions in the letters respects James Starry's drinking, his (and others') membership in the Sons of Temperance, and family distress about whether or not James abandoned or abused his wife Nancy. With long periods of silence from James and repeated delays in his returns home to Ohio, his family, the Wysongs, belabored Nancy with speculation about whether or not James abandoned her. She received letters in which James frustrated over what he felt were unfair accusations about him from the Wysongs and hoped that his wife would not interact with them. The letters between James and Nancy reveal a young mother's efforts and struggles to raise their child "Bub" (John Daniel Starry) while living with and near their families at times of James's absence. As a distant father, he regularly offered love to his son Bub, expressed firm disapproval of whipping him, and pleaded with Nancy to keep him safely away from the well and the street.

The letters also regard family issues, local happenings, births, marriages, and deaths in Clarksville and in Charlestown. Particularly compelling news included disputes that ended in gunfire (February 17, 1842) and stabbing (September 5, 1841; February 17, 1842); the hiring and sale of slaves in Charlestown (Undated, February 24); and perceptions of the holiday celebrations of black people in Charlestown (December 26, 1847). One letter to James from his mother-in-law Anna Kelley includes an anecdote about "old solsbery," who took a young woman "he raised" to a tavern. The young woman asked the landlord's daughters for the key to keep Salsberg out, but later the girls looked through the keyhole and saw the two of them in bed together; the landlord immediately demanded that they leave (January 30, 1848).

Biographical / Historical:

James H. Starry (Jim Starry) was born in Charlestown, Jefferson County, Virginia (later West Virginia), on November 18, 1818, to parents Elizabeth Wysong and Nicholas Starry. His siblings included John D. Starry, Joseph Starry, and Sally Starry. He married Nancy A. Kelley on October 24, 1843, and they had six sons. James H. Starry was the first silversmith in Clarksville, Ohio, living on a farm outside of town. In the Federal Censuses, he was listed as a farmer. James H. Starry outlived his wife by five years; he died on December 9, 1904, in Vernon, Clinton County, Ohio.

John D. Starry (J. D. or Jno. D.) was born in 1821, brother of James H. Starry. He was a physician and a surgeon for the 7th Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War. He died in Charlestown, Jefferson County, West Virginia, on April 28, 1899.

Joseph Starry (Jo Starry) was born in Charlestown, Jefferson County, Virginia (later West Virginia) in 1807, brother of James H. Starry. Joseph was Charlestown jailer and sheriff, according to the 1850 Federal Census. According to the 1880 Federal Census, he was a retired merchant. He married twice and had five children. Joseph Starry died in Charlestown, Jefferson County, West Virginia on March 4, 1893.

Sarah Starry (almost certainly Sally Starry) was born in Charlestown, Jefferson County, Virginia (later West Virginia) on November 9, 1828, younger sister of James H. Starry, John D. Starry, and Joseph Starry. The Starry family collection includes letters, almost certainly by Sarah Starry, signed "Sally." She died on January 15, 1911, in Charlestown, West Virginia.

Nancy A. Starry, née Kelley, was born in Vernon, Clinton County, Ohio around 1827. She married James H. Starry on October 24, 1843, at about age 16. She had six children. She lived in Ohio with her children and at her two brothers, Dan Kelley and Sam Kelley, whom she frequently referenced in her letters to her husband. She died on January 4, 1899.

Samuel Kelley was born on December 6, 1827, in Harrison, Hamilton County, Ohio. He was elder brother of Nancy Kelley and Daniel A. Kelley. He lived at times with Nancy, Daniel, and Nancy's children. He died on October 29, 1889, in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio.

Daniel Allen Kelley (D. A. Kelley) was born on November 26, 1831, in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio. He was the younger brother of Nancy Kelley and Samuel Kelley, and the son of Ann Kelley. He died on October 31, 1898, in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio.

Anna Kelley, née Anderson, was born on March 6, 1804, in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio. She was mother of Nancy, Daniel, and Samuel Kelley. She married John Kelley in 1823, at age 18, and they had five children together. She died on June 4, 1856, in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio.

The Wysongs are mentioned frequently in Nancy's correspondence with James Starry. The Wysongs were James's mother's family. Jacob (Jake) Wysong was also mentioned; he was brother of Elizabeth Wysong, James's mother.

Acquisition Information:

2016. M-6030.2 .

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Bibliography

The History of Clinton County, Ohio. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1882.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Alcoholism--Ohio--History--19th century.
Courtship--United States--History--19th century.
Desertion and non-support--United States.
Drinking of alcoholic beverages--Ohio--History--19th century.
Dysfunctional families--United States.
Farmers--Ohio--Clarksville.
Husband and wife--Ohio.
Sex crimes--Ohio--History--19th century.
Slavery--Virginia--Charlestown.
Teenage girls--Virginia.
Temperance--Ohio--Clarksville--History--19th century.
Temperance--Virginia--Charlestown--History--19th century.
Women--Ohio--Correspondence.
Women--Virginia--Correspondence.

Formats:

Letters (correspondence)

Names:

Sons of Temperance of North America.
Wysong family.
Kelly, Samuel C., 1827-1889.
Kelley, Anna, 1804-1856.
Kelley, Daniel A., 1831-1898.
Keys, James M.
Starry, James H., 1818-1904.
Starry, John D., 1821-1899.
Starry, Joseph, 1807-1893.
Starry, Nancy Kelley, ca. 1827-1899.
Starry, Sarah W. (Sally W.), 1828-1911.

Places:

Charlestown (Va.)
Virginia--Description and travel.