Goals:
Family Tree DNA is one of several laboratories engaged in the commercial collection and testing of Y-DNA. In collaboration with Family Tree DNA, the Stark Family Y-DNA Project is asking all males with variants of the above surname Stark to join our project. Our purpose is to use the results of the Y-DNA test to define and separate the various families with these surnames into groups. The direction of the project will be to then compare these test results to the genealogical research and prepare reports as enough participants become available to define these family groups. These goals are mostly accomplished by individuals being tested to 12, 25, or 37 markers . By joining a surname project, Family Tree DNA offers discounts on the cost of the Y-DNA kits and testing.

The Stark Surname
In Scotland, the family name is an old one. In the words of Sir George Mackenzie (1636-1691), a legend, then nearly 200 years old, proclaimed one origin of the name in Scotland.

"Stark, beareth azur, a chevron, argent, between three acorns in chief, or, and bull's head erased of ye 2nd base. Those of ye name are descended on one John Muirhead, 2nd son of ye Lord of Lachop, who at hunting in ye forest of Cumbernauld, one day seeing King James ye IV in hazard of his life by a bull hotly pursued by ye hounds stept in between ye King and ye bull, and gripping ye bull by ye horns and by his great strength almost tore ye head from it for which he was called Stark and his posteritie after him and bears ye rugged bull's head in their arms. Ye old sword of ye family has on it "Stark, alias Muirhead."

The origins of the Stark surname in North America began with the arrival of Aaron Stark in New England between 1630 and 1637 — most likely from Scotland or England. He was born about 1608 and died in 1685 in New London County, Connecticut. His service in the Pequot War under Captain John Mason in May of 1637, is the first record we have of him in Connecticut. He eventually settled in New London County, Connecticut in a region that later became Groton Township. Aaron Stark had three sons named Aaron Stark (Junior), John Stark, and William Stark (Senior). John Stark had no sons to whom he could have passed his surname. William Stark (Senior) and Aaron Stark (Junior) had numerous male descendants; many living today who carry the surname Stark.

About 75 to 100 years after the arrival of Aaron Stark in Connecticut, three men with the surnames Stark and Starke arrived in New Hampshire and Virginia. Their names were Dr. Richard Starke of Virginia, James Stark of Stafford County, Virginia, and Archibald Stark of New Hampshire (the father of General John Stark of Revolutionary War fame). The genealogical research has not been able to determine if these three men were related. However, independent research of each has suggested their ancestral home could have been in or near Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.

As Stark pioneers began to move westward, descendants of the progenitors of these four early arrivals in North America became mixed in the records as they settled in the same regions. In some instances, some of the descendants of Aaron Stark began to spell their name "Starks." This occurred most often in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Northeastern New York where the descendants of Archibald lived. Some spelled the name Starke and were descendants of Dr. Richard Starke. About 1732, descendants of William Stark (Senior) — son of Aaron Stark — moved to New Jersey and later migrated into Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and later into Kentucky and Indiana. At about the same time, descendants of James Stark of Stafford County, Virginia moved into these same regions. As occurred in the Northeast, these families also became mixed in the records.

In later years, many German immigrants arrived, having the surnames Stark, Starks, Starke, Starkes, and Stork. These would be new lines, having arrived anywhere between 1750 and the present. Within this time frame, more recent arrivals came from Great Britain.

In 1896, the Stark Family Association was created for the purpose of collecting and preserving the genealogy of the early arrivals to North America. From 1903 to 1952, an annual yearbook was published by the Association on the activities and research of it's many members located throughout the United States and Canada. In 1927, Charles R. Stark compiled a genealogy based on the Association's research entitled; "The Aaron Stark Family, Seven Generations of the Family of Aaron Stark of Groton, Connecticut." This publication recorded 2,171 descendants of Aaron. Today, the number of descendants recorded has grown to approximately 15,000.

In 2002, an excellent genealogy of the family of General John Stark entitled "The Family of General John Stark (1728-1822)" was published by Jane Stark Maney, which has a large collection of the descendants of Archibald Stark. Another publication entitled "James Stark of Stafford County, Virginia and His Descendants" was compiled by Mary Kathryn Harris and Mary Iva Jean Jorgensen.

Although there is a wealth of genealogical research available on these families, we do not as yet know where Aaron Stark lived in Scotland; nor do we have proof he came from England. While the Genealogy suggests Dr. Richard Starke, James Stark, and Archibald Stark have their origins in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, documentation has not been found which positively records they were relatives. Further more, many Aaron Stark family researchers believe Aaron was related to the New Hampshire family.

The male Y-chromosome is handed down from father to son relatively unchanged through the generations. A comparison of the Y-DNA of two males with the same surname can determine their relatedness to each other. Groups of males with the same surname so tested and compared can define family groups and establish a probability they have a most recent common ancestor within the time frame that surnames were adopted in Western Europe (about the 13th and 14th centuries).

Genealogical research combined with Y-DNA testing can often determine and verify a most recent common ancestor of a group of males who have been found to be related. Because subtle mutations will occur over the generations, some family branches can often (but not always) be defined or verified — provided the genealogy is known and accurate. As the genealogical research of these families is being developed, Y-DNA test can often assist in furthering and refining the direction of the research.

Those who have participated in the Stark Family Y-DNA Project have come from many different lines of descent and nine unrelated groups of project participants have evolved. As presented above, families with the surname Stark, Starks, and Starke settled in New Hampshire, Virginia, and Connecticut. The Stark Family Y-DNA Project has clearly verified the Connecticut Stark families were not related to the New Hampshire and Virginia families; and these test have further suggested there is a measure of relatedness of the New Hampshire families to the Virginia families; although the identity of their common ancestor is not known.

This is an example of the benefits of combining genealogical research with Y-DNA testing. Even if a person doesn’t know their ancestry, a Y-DNA test may reveal their relatedness to one or more of the participants in this project.

A Word of Caution
Be aware that your test results could have an unexpected outcome. Some comparisons may vary by two or three markers which could be representative of lines of descent that are either older or younger than the currently observed lineages. The most difficult unexpected outcomes to explain are those in which a participant is not related as expected. These are classified as unrecorded "non-paternal events." Types of non-paternal events could be; pregnancy outside a marriage; adoption; man takes the Stark name when he marries a Stark daughter; Stark man marries a pregnant woman whose husband died; wife who was a Stark chooses to give her children her surname; clerical errors assigning the surname Stark to the wrong person. These are a few examples of unrecorded non-paternal events.

Some may not want to see a result indicating a “non-paternal event” — but we are all legal Starks and a small sample size could be misleading. Therefore, remember, as more participants join the project along your line of descent, the mystery could be resolved; or you and others related to you will have defined a new Stark family group.

Y-DNA Test Kit Cost
Blood test are not needed to provide a Y-DNA sample for testing. A cotton swap is provided in the Y-DNA Kit you receive from FTDNA. You swap the inside of your cheek per the kit instructions and return the kit to FTDNA. 

When a new participant joins the project, you can order Y-DNA kits from Family Tree DNA to test your Y-DNA over the 12 marker, 25 marker, or 37 marker sequence. The project group rates are as follows:

Y-DNA12 - Male 12 marker Paternal Test - $99
Y-DNA25 - Male 25 Marker Paternal Test - $148
Y-DNA37 - Male 37 Marker Paternal Test - $189

Suppose, after ordering Y-DNA12, one finds there is a mismatch of one to another person or group in the project database and you would like to be tested to 25 or 37 markers. FTDNA offers "upgrades" which will test your kit sample over the additional markers (the test subject does not have to provide another kit sample for the upgrade).

The cost of upgrades are as follows:

Upgrade of Y-DNA12 to 25 markers --- $49 --- Total cost after upgrade: $99 plus $49 equals $148.
Upgrade of Y-DNA25 to 37 markers --- $49 --- Total cost after upgrade: $148 plus $49 equals $197.
Upgrade of Y-DNA12 to 37 markers --- $99 --- Total cost after upgrade: $99 plus $99 equals $198.

The cost to upgrade Y-DNA12 to 25 markers would be the same as the cost of ordering the Y-DNA25 test kit ($148); the total cost to upgrade Y-DNA25 to 37 markers would be $197 ($8 more than the Y-DNA37 kit); and the total cost to upgrade Y-DNA12 to 37 markers would be $198 ($9 more than the Y-DNA 37 kit). All of the above are project group rates offered by FTDNA.

If you’re a male or know a male with one of the above variants of the surname Stark, we urge you to join the project by clicking on the “Request to join this group” link in the upper left of this page. This will take you to a FTDNA Stark Family Project order form where you can place an order for one of the above.

Donations to a General Fund for the Project
At this time, I would like to announce the establishment of a general fund for the purpose of recruiting new participants and upgrading kits to additional markers,. Using the Family Tree DNA General Fund system is preferable for the collection of donations to the “Project Fund” than having individuals maintain such a fund. Further, most people will feel more comfortable donating to a General Fund held by an organization than by an individual or individuals. You can go directly to the Family Tree DNA general fund contribution form by clicking on "Contribute to the Surname Project Fund" located in the left-hand column of this web page.

Donations can be made in any currency, via credit card or PayPal. US Dollar checks are also accepted. Memorial donations can also be made. If you click on PayPal, be sure and enter at the top of the Credit information page the project for which the donation applies. Our Project name is “Stark FamilyTree DNA Project.“

If many of you are like myself and do not feel comfortable making a donation on line with your credit card, you can print the form and mail it with your donation to:

Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
Attention: (Stark FamilyTree DNA Project Fund)
1919 North Loop West, Suite 432
Houston, Texas 77008, USA

Be sure and designate on the form that your donation is for the Stark FamilyTree DNA Project.

Donations of any size will be welcome and can add up quickly. The general fund can be used to recruit key individuals or finance upgrades of 12 marker kits to 25 or 37 markers. In addition, for those interested in finding their ancestral country, raising donations to test males in this country would be one of the better approaches to finding a match. These are some of the benefits of having a general fund with FTDNA.

Links:
If you would like to learn more about the activities of the Stark Family Y-DNA Project, we suggest the following:

Click HERE to go to the Administrator's Home Page maintained by Clovis LaFleur.

Click HERE for member information and genealogy.

Click HERE for test results.

Click HERE for news and analysis.

See Sheila Schmutz's Stark Lines of Descent

Gene Stark’s website

Goals:
Family Tree DNA is one of several laboratories engaged in the commercial collection and testing of Y-DNA. In collaboration with Family Tree DNA, the Stark Family Y-DNA Project is asking all males with variants of the above surname Stark to join our project. Our purpose is to use the results of the Y-DNA test to define and separate the various families with these surnames into groups. The direction of the project will be to then compare these test results to the genealogical research and prepare reports as enough participants become available to define these family groups. These goals are mostly accomplished by individuals being tested to 12, 25, or 37 markers . By joining a surname project, Family Tree DNA offers discounts on the cost of the Y-DNA kits and testing.

The Stark Surname
In Scotland, the family name is an old one. In the words of Sir George Mackenzie (1636-1691), a legend, then nearly 200 years old, proclaimed one origin of the name in Scotland.

"Stark, beareth azur, a chevron, argent, between three acorns in chief, or, and bull's head erased of ye 2nd base. Those of ye name are descended on one John Muirhead, 2nd son of ye Lord of Lachop, who at hunting in ye forest of Cumbernauld, one day seeing King James ye IV in hazard of his life by a bull hotly pursued by ye hounds stept in between ye King and ye bull, and gripping ye bull by ye horns and by his great strength almost tore ye head from it for which he was called Stark and his posteritie after him and bears ye rugged bull's head in their arms. Ye old sword of ye family has on it "Stark, alias Muirhead."

The origins of the Stark surname in North America began with the arrival of Aaron Stark in New England between 1630 and 1637 — most likely from Scotland or England. He was born about 1608 and died in 1685 in New London County, Connecticut. His service in the Pequot War under Captain John Mason in May of 1637, is the first record we have of him in Connecticut. He eventually settled in New London County, Connecticut in a region that later became Groton Township. Aaron Stark had three sons named Aaron Stark (Junior), John Stark, and William Stark (Senior). John Stark had no sons to whom he could have passed his surname. William Stark (Senior) and Aaron Stark (Junior) had numerous male descendants; many living today who carry the surname Stark.

About 75 to 100 years after the arrival of Aaron Stark in Connecticut, three men with the surnames Stark and Starke arrived in New Hampshire and Virginia. Their names were Dr. Richard Starke of Virginia, James Stark of Stafford County, Virginia, and Archibald Stark of New Hampshire (the father of General John Stark of Revolutionary War fame). The genealogical research has not been able to determine if these three men were related. However, independent research of each has suggested their ancestral home could have been in or near Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.

As Stark pioneers began to move westward, descendants of the progenitors of these four early arrivals in North America became mixed in the records as they settled in the same regions. In some instances, some of the descendants of Aaron Stark began to spell their name "Starks." This occurred most often in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Northeastern New York where the descendants of Archibald lived. Some spelled the name Starke and were descendants of Dr. Richard Starke. About 1732, descendants of William Stark (Senior) — son of Aaron Stark — moved to New Jersey and later migrated into Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and later into Kentucky and Indiana. At about the same time, descendants of James Stark of Stafford County, Virginia moved into these same regions. As occurred in the Northeast, these families also became mixed in the records.

In later years, many German immigrants arrived, having the surnames Stark, Starks, Starke, Starkes, and Stork. These would be new lines, having arrived anywhere between 1750 and the present. Within this time frame, more recent arrivals came from Great Britain.

In 1896, the Stark Family Association was created for the purpose of collecting and preserving the genealogy of the early arrivals to North America. From 1903 to 1952, an annual yearbook was published by the Association on the activities and research of it's many members located throughout the United States and Canada. In 1927, Charles R. Stark compiled a genealogy based on the Association's research entitled; "The Aaron Stark Family, Seven Generations of the Family of Aaron Stark of Groton, Connecticut." This publication recorded 2,171 descendants of Aaron. Today, the number of descendants recorded has grown to approximately 15,000.

In 2002, an excellent genealogy of the family of General John Stark entitled "The Family of General John Stark (1728-1822)" was published by Jane Stark Maney, which has a large collection of the descendants of Archibald Stark. Another publication entitled "James Stark of Stafford County, Virginia and His Descendants" was compiled by Mary Kathryn Harris and Mary Iva Jean Jorgensen.

Although there is a wealth of genealogical research available on these families, we do not as yet know where Aaron Stark lived in Scotland; nor do we have proof he came from England. While the Genealogy suggests Dr. Richard Starke, James Stark, and Archibald Stark have their origins in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, documentation has not been found which positively records they were relatives. Further more, many Aaron Stark family researchers believe Aaron was related to the New Hampshire family.

The male Y-chromosome is handed down from father to son relatively unchanged through the generations. A comparison of the Y-DNA of two males with the same surname can determine their relatedness to each other. Groups of males with the same surname so tested and compared can define family groups and establish a probability they have a most recent common ancestor within the time frame that surnames were adopted in Western Europe (about the 13th and 14th centuries).

Genealogical research combined with Y-DNA testing can often determine and verify a most recent common ancestor of a group of males who have been found to be related. Because subtle mutations will occur over the generations, some family branches can often (but not always) be defined or verified — provided the genealogy is known and accurate. As the genealogical research of these families is being developed, Y-DNA test can often assist in furthering and refining the direction of the research.

Those who have participated in the Stark Family Y-DNA Project have come from many different lines of descent and nine unrelated groups of project participants have evolved. As presented above, families with the surname Stark, Starks, and Starke settled in New Hampshire, Virginia, and Connecticut. The Stark Family Y-DNA Project has clearly verified the Connecticut Stark families were not related to the New Hampshire and Virginia families; and these test have further suggested there is a measure of relatedness of the New Hampshire families to the Virginia families; although the identity of their common ancestor is not known.

This is an example of the benefits of combining genealogical research with Y-DNA testing. Even if a person doesn’t know their ancestry, a Y-DNA test may reveal their relatedness to one or more of the participants in this project.

A Word of Caution
Be aware that your test results could have an unexpected outcome. Some comparisons may vary by two or three markers which could be representative of lines of descent that are either older or younger than the currently observed lineages. The most difficult unexpected outcomes to explain are those in which a participant is not related as expected. These are classified as unrecorded "non-paternal events." Types of non-paternal events could be; pregnancy outside a marriage; adoption; man takes the Stark name when he marries a Stark daughter; Stark man marries a pregnant woman whose husband died; wife who was a Stark chooses to give her children her surname; clerical errors assigning the surname Stark to the wrong person. These are a few examples of unrecorded non-paternal events.

Some may not want to see a result indicating a “non-paternal event” — but we are all legal Starks and a small sample size could be misleading. Therefore, remember, as more participants join the project along your line of descent, the mystery could be resolved; or you and others related to you will have defined a new Stark family group.

Y-DNA Test Kit Cost
Blood test are not needed to provide a Y-DNA sample for testing. A cotton swap is provided in the Y-DNA Kit you receive from FTDNA. You swap the inside of your cheek per the kit instructions and return the kit to FTDNA. 

When a new participant joins the project, you can order Y-DNA kits from Family Tree DNA to test your Y-DNA over the 12 marker, 25 marker, or 37 marker sequence. The project group rates are as follows:

Y-DNA12 - Male 12 marker Paternal Test - $99
Y-DNA25 - Male 25 Marker Paternal Test - $148
Y-DNA37 - Male 37 Marker Paternal Test - $189

Suppose, after ordering Y-DNA12, one finds there is a mismatch of one to another person or group in the project database and you would like to be tested to 25 or 37 markers. FTDNA offers "upgrades" which will test your kit sample over the additional markers (the test subject does not have to provide another kit sample for the upgrade).

The cost of upgrades are as follows:

Upgrade of Y-DNA12 to 25 markers --- $49 --- Total cost after upgrade: $99 plus $49 equals $148.
Upgrade of Y-DNA25 to 37 markers --- $49 --- Total cost after upgrade: $148 plus $49 equals $197.
Upgrade of Y-DNA12 to 37 markers --- $99 --- Total cost after upgrade: $99 plus $99 equals $198.

The cost to upgrade Y-DNA12 to 25 markers would be the same as the cost of ordering the Y-DNA25 test kit ($148); the total cost to upgrade Y-DNA25 to 37 markers would be $197 ($8 more than the Y-DNA37 kit); and the total cost to upgrade Y-DNA12 to 37 markers would be $198 ($9 more than the Y-DNA 37 kit). All of the above are project group rates offered by FTDNA.

If you’re a male or know a male with one of the above variants of the surname Stark, we urge you to join the project by clicking on the “Request to join this group” link in the upper left of this page. This will take you to a FTDNA Stark Family Project order form where you can place an order for one of the above.

Donations to a General Fund for the Project
At this time, I would like to announce the establishment of a general fund for the purpose of recruiting new participants and upgrading kits to additional markers,. Using the Family Tree DNA General Fund system is preferable for the collection of donations to the “Project Fund” than having individuals maintain such a fund. Further, most people will feel more comfortable donating to a General Fund held by an organization than by an individual or individuals. You can go directly to the Family Tree DNA general fund contribution form by clicking on "Contribute to the Surname Project Fund" located in the left-hand column of this web page.

Donations can be made in any currency, via credit card or PayPal. US Dollar checks are also accepted. Memorial donations can also be made. If you click on PayPal, be sure and enter at the top of the Credit information page the project for which the donation applies. Our Project name is “Stark FamilyTree DNA Project.“

If many of you are like myself and do not feel comfortable making a donation on line with your credit card, you can print the form and mail it with your donation to:

Family Tree DNA - Genealogy by Genetics, Ltd.
World Headquarters
Attention: (Stark FamilyTree DNA Project Fund)
1919 North Loop West, Suite 432
Houston, Texas 77008, USA

Be sure and designate on the form that your donation is for the Stark FamilyTree DNA Project.

Donations of any size will be welcome and can add up quickly. The general fund can be used to recruit key individuals or finance upgrades of 12 marker kits to 25 or 37 markers. In addition, for those interested in finding their ancestral country, raising donations to test males in this country would be one of the better approaches to finding a match. These are some of the benefits of having a general fund with FTDNA.

Links:
If you would like to learn more about the activities of the Stark Family Y-DNA Project, we suggest the following:

Click HERE to go to the Administrator's Home Page maintained by Clovis LaFleur.

Click HERE for member information and genealogy.

Click HERE for test results.

Click HERE for news and analysis.

See Sheila Schmutz's Stark Lines of Descent

Gene Stark’s website