STARKEY, Michael (Grimwade p.669)

[MCB]

He married Sarah Frances Marks at St Leonard, Shoreditch in 1808; both were from that parish.
He entered maker’s marks at Goldsmiths Hall in 1809 and 1822 from North Street, City Road.
The christening records of daughter Louisa in 1817 and Jane in 1819 at St Luke Finsbury show the North Street address and their father as a silversmith.
The christening record of son Josiah at St Leonard, Shoreditch in 1827 shows his parents’ address as Wood Street and his father as a cow keeper
Matters seemed to have improved by 1834 when he entered his third maker’s mark from Cowper Street, City Road.
The 1841 UK Census record for Princes Road, Lambeth shows him aged 55 years and living on his own means.
His death was recorded in the Lambeth register in 1843.

[PRB]

Michael Starkey is the son of John Starkey and Sarah nee Fordham of Upper Hall, Moreton, Essex. He was born 15 Sep 1782 and was baptised in the Chipping Ongar non-conformist Church 21 Nov 1782. His apprenticeship admission papers as a turner to John Bull were signed 2nd Nov 1796 - his father John was deceased that year. On the 11 Dec 1800 his apprenticeship was transferred 'Afterward to Wit 11 Dec 1800 Turner to Thomas Johnson Citizen, Goldsmith for the remainder of the Term'. He was admitted 7 Nov 1810 to the Freedom of the City of London. His apprentice paper is available on Ancestry but the reverse side is not indexed - use forward button to read it which gives the information re transfer and Freedom of City dates.

Michael had four brothers who were also in the goldsmith/silversmith trades.

William Starkey born 22 Mar 1787 is recorded as:
Starkey William 1812
Spectaclemakers’
Son of John late of Morton Essex Decd Free by Redemption 13 April when at 75 Cheapside Goldsmith
He was buried 1 Apr 1814 in Bunhill Fields burial ground - from his address it appears he was living with his brother Michael at the time of his death.

Edward Starkey born 29 Nov 1789 . First record I have found of him is 'Morning Chronicle - Monday 09 August 1824 - Partnerships dissolved - Francis Moore and Edward Starkey of No 89 St Martins Lane, Jewellers and silversmiths'. He was in partnership with a Simpson in 1847.
He died 'The Times - 9 Nov 1850 -
On the 8th last, Mr Edward Starkey of No 29 Hatton Gardens.
D/C - St Pancras 1/257'

Joseph Fordham Starkey was born 29 Jan 1792. The earliest record I have of his occupation is 5 Feb 1830 - Described as trading with John Linnit or Linnett as Starkey & Co, Gold and silver lacemen in two Sun Insurance policies dated 5 Feb 1830 and 17 Sep 1830. He traded as a Gold Laceman at 5 Old Bond St, Hanover Square and died 16 Jan 1859.

Benjamin Starkey born 29 Jan 1792 (twin brother to the above Joseph) is recorded as being a journeyman jeweller of 15 Judd St St Pancras. He died 1855.

No apprenticeship records have been found for these four brothers of Michael Starkey. It appears that his eldest child, William Marks Starkey was also a silversmith. I do not have a birth or baptism for him nor a marriage. He was born c1809 and would have been the eldest child of Michael and his wife nee Sarah Frances Marks. He was buried 31 Oct 1835 Bunhill Fields from his father's address in Cowper Street (previously called North St). In 9 Sep 1838 a son William Marks Starkey was baptsied at St Botolph's Bishopsgate - mother was Jane Starkey and father's occupation given as silversmith and date of birth was recorded as 1 Jan 1835, New York. The son's marriage certificate in 1854 records his father as being William Marks Starkey, Deceased, Silversmith.

The two youngest sons of Michael's brother Henry Starkey born 4 Aug 1780 also went into the trade with their uncle. They were Robert Starkey born 1821 and Samuel Fordham Starkey born 1824 and a son Samuel bc 1803 of Michael's brother Sameul Starkey (born 1781 and baptised at Roothing, Essex) was admitted as a Freeman 5 Mar 1829 and traded at 3 East St Hoxton and later lived Holland House, Clapton Pond. He retired from business 1858.

[buckler]

Very many thanks for taking the time to share this information PRB. The data on the brothers, none of whom seem to have had registered marks is especially useful .
The two recorded burials at Bunhill Fields is significant, as it was a major site for non- conformist interments , although it looks as if the Starkeys also used C of E churches as well. Although St Lukes, Old Street was well into non-conformist territory at the period.

[MCB]

His second master was probably the Thomas Johnson identified by Grimwade on page 562 of his book. As with Michael Starkey he had connections with Essex. His father Benjamin lived in Braintree at the time Thomas signed his indentures in 1782. He also had connections with Bunhill Row entering his second mark at Goldsmiths Hall in 1800 from Blue Anchor Alley, Bunhill Row.

[PRB]

Re Samuel Starkey - nephew of Michael Starkey.
I believe I have found his death as per the following items from newspapers:

Kentish Independent 09 April 1864 page 8 of 8 - On the 28th Ult, suddenly, at Plumstead Railway Station, Mr Samuel Starkey in his 62nd year.

London Evening Standard 07 April 1864 page 6 of 8 stated he was late of Denmark Hill, Camberwell.

In the 1861 census his son lived at 9 Grove Hill Camberwell which is a short distance from Denmark Hill Railway Station. His age matches the time we belive he was born and there has been no record of him in any census returns since 1851 although his 2nd wife stated she was married in the 1861 census - she was in the household of her son-in-law from her first marriage.

London Standard 31 Mar 1856 Pg 4 - On the 27 inst, at the church of St Johns, Hackney, Samuel Starkey Esq of Holland House to Ann, widow of the late Edward Augustus Cory MD


I also recently found the following entry but have not yet had it searched at National Archives as they have advised they are unable to scan it for me due to the nature of the files:
http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/GreenwichRoyal.html
National Archives UK
ADM 73/350/83 1728-1870
Samuel Starkey. When admitted to Greenwich Hospital School: 24 July 1812.
Parents' names: Samuel and Amy Starkey.
Applicant aged 9 years on 24 July 1812.


He was born around 1803.
There are Indentures in 1818 as the son of Samuel Starkey, mariner of Spitalfields, to be the apprentice of Thomas Mayfield, jeweller of Staining Lane (Grimwade p.382).
He married Martha Holland (born 1803) at Christ Church, Spitalfields in 1827; both were of that parish.
Requests for freedom of the City of London in 1852-3 by two of his sons Samuel and Alfred show he was granted his own freedom as a Goldsmith in 1829.
In the same year he entered a maker’s mark at Goldsmiths Hall as a goldworker at Hoxton and also notified a change of address to 9 Queen’s Square, Aldersgate Street.
Their first child was christened at Christ Church in 1829, the record showing he was a jeweller from Pelham Street.
Records of christenings of a further four children 1832-37 at St Bartholomew the Great show he was still a jeweller at 9 Queen’s Square.
In 1837 he notified Goldsmiths Hall of a change of address to 18 King Street and a further christening record at St Bartholomew the Great in 1838 confirms the change.
The 1841 UK Census records him still a jeweller at King Street where he continued to be in 1843 as shown by Indentures for John Spink, son of Daniel Edgar Spink jeweller of 2 Gracechurch Street (Grimwade p.358), to be his apprentice.
Martha Starkey died in 1844.
The 1851 UK Census records show his address as Holland House, Clapton Road, Hackney as a proprietor of houses.
Volume I page 130 of The Directory of Gold & Silversmiths Jewellers & Allied Traders by John Culme records that, along with his son Alfred, from 1855 until his retirement in 1858 he was a partner in Duplack & Co, jewellers of 1 New Basinghall Street.
No record of his death has so far been traced.