James Starr

(May 2, 1740 – November 20, 1830)

Originally from New London, Connecticut, James Starr was a member of the Connecticut militia and served in the French & Indian War. Afterward, he settled in Boston and worked as a cooper.          

Following the “destruction of the tea” on Griffin’s Wharf on December 16, 1773, Starr served at several engagements during the Revolutionary War. He was reportedly captured by the British during a naval battle and held in Nova Scotia. During a prison transfer to the infamous prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, Starr and other prisoners overcame the crew and commandeered the ship. Following the war, he settled in Jay, Maine, perhaps around the same time as fellow Boston Tea Party participant Jonathan Parker.

James Starr died in Jay, Maine, on November 20, 1830. He is buried in Jay Hill Cemetery in Jay, Maine.