Calico Genealogy

(originally posted June 2011 on the blog The Briar Patch)

At the behest of another genealogical cousin of mine, I’ve decided to start a family history blog.  Bear with me, I am a complete novice at this.  

My main line of research is a family that grew up on Chincoteague Island off the coast of Virginia, the Jesters.  It’s patriarch, Charles Samuel Jester, originated in Kent County, Delaware in the early 1800’s and migrated to the island sometime before 1849 when he married Delilah Sharpley and started what I now refer to as “The Briar Patch” – with their eight children and the lines descending from them.   The island, tho seemingly large today to travel it’s tiny streets, wasn’t big enough to hold the various families that married into one another over and over again.  Just linking everyone is a headache waiting to happen some days for me.  One of my earlier goals was to do just that….link everyone within a given time period.  I couldn’t get past the A’s (Andrews specifically) without getting confused…he married WHO?  WHEN?…..again???  But it’s all in fun and it just tickles me to no end to fit the puzzle pieces together.

All this started back in the 1970’s, before the dawn of computers, with my great uncle, Leland Starkey.  He married into the family – not once, but twice!   Both his wives were sisters of my grandfather and Leland thought that since he had enough time served in the family (and enough time on his hands in retirement) that he’d put together a little book on the family history.  Where he left off…I picked up.   I’ve been working on this project for about 12 years now and actually wandered all over the island looking for gravestones, homes, churches, schools and the like.  This has been more of an adventure for me than serving in the military and wandering around the world for a few years.

The Jesters are my mom’s [maternal] side of the tree.   Then about five years ago, I started working on my dad’s side.  Even wrote my own little family history of that side of the briar patch and passed it out among my Starr cousins hoping someone would want to pick it up and run with it.  I’ve got too much to handle with the Jesters.   Dad’s side were Pennsylvania Quakers that migrated to Wilmington, Delaware and worked in the leather industry in the early to middle 1800’s.   But when the Civil War hit, two sons, Alonzo and Edward, put aside their Quaker beliefs and signed up.  Alonzo was my great great grandfather – and the one person I’d really like to meet on the other side someday.

My mom’s maternal side (McVey/Montgomery) has been fulfilling as well.  I’ve gotten back to the 1600’s with the McVeys (McVeigh originally).   But I haven’t had much time to work on my dad’s maternal side (Clark/Stetter).   I think the name [Clark] intimidated me being so popular as it is.  At least it isn’t Jones.  Oh, don’t worry….I do have Jones on my mom’s side.  My great grandmother was a Jones (her mother was the McVey) and I have the letters her nephew wrote to her while he served in WWII.   What I wouldn’t give to be able to find his grandson and see if he’d like to have them.   But finding the right Robert Jones in Wilmington, Delaware has been like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

Anyway, I’ve had the time of my life digging up the history of my various branches.  Met (well, not in person, yet) a bunch of cousins doing the same thing and we compare notes every once in awhile.   But, boy, I really enjoy this little hobby of mine. 

One of these days I’ll get my certification.  Until then….all this work is just practice!  But WHAT FUN!