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Overview
Biographical Note
Scope and Content
Arrangement
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| Record Creator: | Starks, Desevignia |
| Title: | Desevignia Starks Papers |
| Dates: | 1825- 1879 |
| Abstract: | Desevignia Starks (1808-1887), American Minister, was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He preached throughout New York and Vermont. Record types include correspondence, Scripture text books, broadside handbills, advertisements, and financial matter. |
| Extent: | 0.45 cubic feet |
| Resource ID: | dumc.ms.4964 |
Desevignia Starks (1808- 1887), an American itinerant preacher, was born in Austerlitz, New York, on December 14, 1808. Starks was baptized and admitted as a church member in August 1829, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter he began leading prayer meetings, receiving his preaching license on November 20, 1830. He was admitted on trial at the 1831 New York Conference annual session and received Deacon's orders in 1833 and was ordained Elder in 1835 in Brooklyn by Bishop Hedding. He served the Lee Circuit (1830-1832), Barrington Circuit (1832-1834), Jefferson Circuit (1834), and Kortright Circuit (1835-1836). In 1837 he transferred to the Troy Conference and served New Lebanon (1837), Sand Lake Circuit (1838-1839), Washington Street - West Troy (1840-1841), Rensselaerville (1842), Greenwich (1843-1844), Plattsburg District Presiding Elder (1845-1848), Washington Avenue - Albany (1849), Saratoga District Presiding Elder (1850-1853), Washington Street - West Troy (1854-1855), Lansingburg (1856-1857), Pittsfield (1858-1859), Troy District Presiding Elder (1860-1863), Poultney District Presiding Elder (1864-1867), Hampton (1868-1870), North Granville (1871-1872), Clifton Park (1873-1874), Schaghticoke (1876-1877), and Crescent (1878-1879). He retired in 1880. As a preacher, Starks was known for his continuous revival work, especially earlier on in his ministry, and for his conversion of many people. Starks married Harriet Andrews on December 10, 1829 in Chatham, New York. He died on October 12, 1887, in Poultney, Vermont.
This collection includes letters, financial matter, Scripture text books, Prohibition handbills, and some other writings. There are four folders of letters which are written both by and to Starks and are dated between 1825 and 1879. The financial matter includes a folder of insurance policies from the 1860s, a certificate for a cemetery lot, and two account books as well as several miscellaneous bills and lists of debts. There are eight small text books of Scriptural passages used for weekly services. There is a folder of Prohibition handbills which advertise weekly anti-alcohol journals and organizations. Among the other writings are a folder of what appear to be sermons, a pastor's visiting book and two books of membership rolls, and three almanacs from the 1830s.
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
The collection is arranged by record type.
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, Desevignia Sparks Papers, Methodist Collection - Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call number as that is not a stable descriptor.
Copyright still owned by Drew. Permissions to publish must be directed to Drew.
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
| Call Number | Folder Title | Date(s) |
| 2139-5-7: 1 | Letters Folder 1 | 1825-1828 |
| 2139-5-7: 2 | Letters Folder 2 | 1831-1839 |
| 2139-5-7: 3 | Letters Folder 3 | 1840-1849 |
| 2139-5-7: 4 | Letters Folder 4 | 1877-1879 |
| 2139-5-7: 5 | Insurance Policies | 1860-1870 |
| 2139-5-7: 6 | Certificate for Cemetery Lot | 1857 |
| 2139-5-7: 7 | Miscellaneous Bills | 1822-1878 |
| 2139-5-7: 8 | Account Books | 1837-1863 |
| 2139-5-7: 9 | Meeting Minutes of Bible Society of Rensselaer County | 1842 |
| 2139-5-7: 10 | Sermons | n.d. |
| 2139-5-7: 11 | Pastor's Visiting Book and Membership Rolls | 1876-1879 |
| 2139-5-7: 12 | Almanacs | 1838-1849 |
| 2139-5-7: 13 | Text Books of Weekly Scripture Readings | 1832-1866 |
| 2139-5-7: 14 | Prohibition Handbills | 1873-1877 |
| 2139-5-7: 15 | Religious Advertisements | 1877-1878 |
