As he approached and entered his eighties, it is clear Edward Starbuck was taking a smaller part in public affairs. He had worked hard to make his businesses successful, to serve his community, and to accumulate land, thus becoming economically comfortable. During his last decade of life, Edward passed most or all his remaining land on to his children. He also stepped back from Nantucket responsibilities. There are references to a “Mr. Starbuck” who had town duties in the 1680s but it is difficult to tell if those referenced Edward, who would have been in his seventies and eighties, or Nathaniel, who would have been in his forties and fifties. Either could be a Mr. Starbuck.
Edward continued to witness deeds and make land agreements through the 1680s. Along with several others, he gave up commonage space to John Trott.[1] A “Mr. Starbuck” was appointed town trustee in 1690, but it’s more likely that was Nathaniel as Edward was eighty-five by then and passed away just eight months later.[2]
Before Leaving Dover
Long before moving to Nantucket, Edward and Katherine sold land to Joseph Austin (some of which passed to Humphrey Varney) and to Peter Coffin. On each occasion, the land appeared to be a wedding gift from the Starbucks to their new sons-in-law. Edward also sold land to Thomas Broughton and gave land to his son Nathaniel, before leaving Dover.
Joseph Austin and Humphrey Varney
In 1696, the town records of Dover documented a 1652 transfer of forty acres of land along the Back River from Edward Starbuck to Joseph Austin.[3] That document appears to have more to do with certifying twenty acres of that land being in the hands of Joseph’s eldest son, Thomas Austin. There were few details on the original 1652 agreement other than stating twenty of the forty acres were along the Back River.
A 1664 land agreement was also entered into the deeds in 1696. It stated that after Joseph Austin’s death, Edward Starbuck entrusted twenty of Joseph’s acres to Humphrey Varney and his wife Sarah.[4] Sarah was the daughter of Edward Starbuck and widow of Joseph Austin. It was unusual to have the land pass back to Edward, if it did, and Edward wasn’t just certifying land he had given to Joseph passed to Humphrey though Sarah’s dower right. The land may have functioned like a loan or a trust for Sarah which was held by Edward, making it his to give again.[5] Joseph’s 1662 will detailed nothing specific about his real estate, but his inventory included several parcels of land, including one of a parcel on the Back River for thirty acres ( p. 1, 2, 3).[6]
Peter Coffin
Edward and Katherine Starbuck’s first grant to Peter Coffin was in 1653 (p. 1 & 2).[7] This transfer took place a couple years before Peter married their daughter, Abigail. On the 6th and 9th of March 1660, Edward and Katherine sold their dwelling house and the twenty-five adjoining acres with their timber, fences, and whatever else was on the property to Peter Coffin.[8] In 1678 a question must have been raised about Peter Coffin’s ownership of the land, buildings, and goods. That year another deed was written specifying Peter had legally received some of the property on the occasion of marrying Edward’s daughter, Abigail, and paid for the rest.[9]
Thomas Broughton
In 1656, Edward sold one quarter of his interest in a sawmill on the Cochecho to Thomas Broughton (p. 1 & 2).[10] That transaction wasn’t entered into the Dover records until 1659. Edward’s imminent departure may have prompted the men to get the deed recorded.
Nathaniel Starbuck
By 1656, Edward had given forty-six acres to his son, Nathaniel.[11] The original transfer was not recorded, but was mentioned in a town record as gift land adjoining 200 acres the town of Dover granted Nathaniel. In 1661, Nathaniel sold the property he’d received from his father and other properties he purchased to his brother-in-law, Peter Coffin, likely in preparation for moving to Nantucket with his father, mother, and unmarried younger siblings.[12]
On Nantucket
Various land sharing agreements, property divisions, and deeds brought Edward Starbuck significant land holdings on Nantucket. As one of the original shareholders, he was entitled to land ownership and commonage use, as recorded in several documents.
William Gayer
In 1674, Edward deeded half of all his property and accommodations on Nantucket to his son-in-law, William Gayer (transcription).[13] William and Edward’s daughter, Dorcas, had been married for a year or two at that point and had one child. Edward acquired additional land after that.[14] In 1677 he again sold land to William and Dorcas, but this time it included half of his house lot, which had already been divided (p. 1 & transcription, p. 2).[15] Edward continued to accumulate land in various divisions and transfers (p. 1 & 2).[16] His health may have been failing as he moved into his eighties. In both 1684 (transcription) and 1686 (transcription) he gave what appeared to be the remainder of his land, the other half of his houselot and the house itself to Nathaniel, his only surviving son.[17] It would be another five years before Edward passed, but he transferred no other property after 1686 and had no will. By transferring his house and houselot to Nathaniel, he essentially gave up the rest of his worldly goods, quite possibly in return for Nathaniel and his family caring for him in his remaining years.
Final record
The only vital record on Edward in New England is his death entry in the Nantucket (aka Sherborn) town records.[18] In an entry dated 4 Mar 1690/91, it stated “Edward Starbuck Departed this Life the 4th of the 12 mo. 1690 aged 86 years.
Although Edward’s property and several land features bearing his name would live on in the records as references in land documents and as boundaries in deeds, this statement was the final record made on his life. He left a legacy of contributions to both Dover and Nantucket and a heritage of integrity and hard work to his family.
[1] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 2: 42, Edward Starbuck, 1682, FHL film 906,232, item 2, image 169/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 11 February 2022).
Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 69, Edward Starbuck, 1683, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 94/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022).
[2] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 56, Mr. Starbuck, 1690, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 38/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022).
Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, intentions of marriage, publishments, and deaths, ca 1662-1835: 4, death of Edward Starbuck, 1690/1 FHL film 906,220, item 1 image 10/257, digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 February 2022). Also in FHL collection of Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital & town Records.
[3] Dover, New Hampshire, Town Records 1647-1753; digitized images, City of Dover, NH (https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/finance/city-clerk-tax-collection/historic-dover-records/ : accessed 10 August 2021), 117.
[4] Dover, New Hampshire, Town Records 1647-1753; digitized images, City of Dover, NH (https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/finance/city-clerk-tax-collection/historic-dover-records/ : accessed 10 August 2021), 114.
“Rockingham County, New Hampshire deeds,” database with images, Ava (www.ava.fidlar.com : accessed 9 June 2022), Edward Starbuck 11 May 1664 deed entered 1696.
[5] Another 1696 entry, this time in the Rockingham County deeds, showed Humphrey sold land to William Brackstone. The deed did not specify the amount of land and was not recorded in the deeds until 1699. It’s possible Humphrey’s desire to sell land prompted the creation of the records which showed the passage of ownership from the Starbucks to Joseph Austin and then to Humphrey and the certification that twenty acres of Joseph Austin’s land had gone to his eldest son, Thomas.
[6] “New Hampshire, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1643-1982,” database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 July 2022), Joseph Austin, 1663 p. 1, 2, 3.
[7] “Rockingham County, NH deeds,” database with images, Ava (www.ava.fidlar.com : accessed 9 Jun 2022), Edward Starbuck 1653-07-20. p. 1 & 2. The grant was for the upper waterfalls on the Cochecho and a section of timber nearby, which was was half of Edward’s own grant from the town of Dover.
[8] “Rockingham County, NH deeds,” database with images, Ava (www.ava.fidlar.com : accessed 9 Jun 2022), Edward Starbuck, 1660-03-06 and 1660-03-09.
[9] “Rockingham County, NH deeds,” database, Ava (www.ava.fidlar.com : accessed 9 Jun 2022), Edward Starbuck, 1678-06-19. p. 1–2.
[10] “Rockingham County, NH deeds,” database, Ava (www.ava.fidlar.com : accessed 9 Jun 2022), Edward Starbuck, 1659-07-04 p. 1–2.
[11] Dover, New Hampshire, Town Records 1647-1753; digitized images, City of Dover, NH (https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/finance/city-clerk-tax-collection/historic-dover-records/ : accessed 10 August 2021), 66.
[12] Essex Institute, “Old Norfolk County Records,” The Essex Antiquarian 3 (1899): 142; image copy, American Ancestors (www.americanancestors.org : accessed 6 April 2022).
[13] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 2: 6, Edward Starbuck, 1674, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 130; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022). Transcription
[14] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 2: 8, Edward Starbuck, 1674, FHL film 906,232, item 2, image 132/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 8 February 2022).
[15] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 2: 18-1, Edward Starbuck, 1677, FHL film 906,232, item 2, image 142/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 8 February 2022). Transcription for p. 1 & p. 2.
[16] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 44, Edward Starbuck, 1678, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 31/621 & pt. 2; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022).
Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 41, Edward Starbuck, 1678, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 80/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022).
Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 47, Edward Starbuck, 1680, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 83/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022).
[17] Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 70, Edward Starbuck, 1683/84, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 95/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022). Transcription
Nantucket, Massachusetts, Deed Book 1: 99, Edward Starbuck, 1685/86, FHL film 906,232, item 1, image 109/621; digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 January 2022). Transcription
[18] Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Births, marriages, intentions of marriage, publishments, and deaths, ca 1662-1835: 4, death of Edward Starbuck, 1690/1 FHL film 906,220, item 1 image 10/257, digital images, Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 February 2022). Also in FHL collection of Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital & town Records.
