Fonds MG 1 volumes 886A, 2625-2632. - Prat, Starr family fonds

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Prat, Starr family fonds

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Fonds

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MG 1 volumes 886A, 2625-2632.

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  • 1760-1986, predominant 1831-[196-] (Creation)
    Creator
    Prat (family)

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Physical description

1.4 m of textual records and other material

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Biographical history

Samuel Prat (ca. 1829-1892) came to Nova Scotia from England in 1846 and was a station master for the Dominion Atlantic Railway. In 1857 he married Elizabeth Duport Morse (1835-1913) and they had five children who survived to adulthood: Annie Louisa (1861-1960), Rupert (b. 1863), Charlotte Elizabeth (b. 1865), Minnie Sophia (1868-1901), and May Rosina (1872-1965). Annie was an artist, poet, and the first dean of women at Kings College from 1917 to 1920. Following her graduation from the Art Institute of Chicago, Annie moved to New York City to open a studio with her sisters Minnie and May, who had apprenticed there as bookbinders. From 1899 to ca. 1903 the sisters operated Primrose Bindery in New York. Minnie won international recognition for her binding and was awarded a silver medal at the Paris Exposition in 1900. She died of typhoid fever the following year at Wolfville, N.S. Annie and May subsequently returned to Nova Scotia. May married Richard Sydney Starr in 1904 and they operated the family farm and orchard, "Willow Bank", at Starrs Point. The couple had two children: Charles ("Harry") (1905-1990) and Charlotte ("Sally") (d. 1983).

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Biographical history

Samuel Starr (1728-1799) of Norwich, Conn. came to Nova Scotia in 1759 with a small group of New England settlers who became known as the Planters, and was joined by his brother David three years later. Starr began a farm and orchard on a plot of land between the Canard and Cornwallis Rivers which became known as Starrs Point. He also served in various positions in the local militia and government, including first major for the Kings County militia (appointed 1781). Starr had four children with his first wife Abigail Leffingwell (1725-1768), whom he married at Norwich in 1749: Abigail (b. 1751), m. Timothy McCartney; Hannah (b. 1752), m. Benjamin Fox; John (b. 1754); and Joseph (1757-1840), m. Joanna Starr (1758-1847). Joseph and Joanna had eight children: Charles (1788-ca. 1850); Lavinia (1789-1811), m. David Starr at Halifax in 1811; Samuel (b. 1790), m. Susanna Cox in 1822; Sarah (b. 1793), m. Samuel Sharp; Abigail (b. 1795), m. Rev. Arthur McNutt; Christopher (1797-1870), m. 1835 Susanna Harrington (d. 1870); Richard Starr (1799-1885), m. Tamar Troop in 1829. Richard and Tamar's son Charles Richard Henry (d. 1933) was the father of Richard Sydney Starr. Richard Sydney Starr married May Rosina Prat on 11 June 1904 and they had two children, Charlotte Evelina (Sally) and Charles Harry (Harry).

Custodial history

The majority of material was donated by Harry Starr, son of Richard and May Starr, in 1985. Mr. Starr accumulated his family records from a variety of sources over time and distributed the records between Acadia University Archives and The Public Archives of Nova Scotia. Additional items were donated to PANS by Mrs. Eric Starr, Dartmouth, N.S. in the following year.

Scope and content

Fonds consists of records relating to the Prat and Starr families of Annapolis County and Kings County, N.S. Fonds contains family and business correspondence, accounts, deeds and other legal and court records, newspaper clippings, genealogical notes, scrapbooks, poems, pamphlets, photographs, sketchbooks, and watercolours. Photographs primarily depict family members, relatives, friends, and residences and also contains scenes of various Nova Scotia towns. Drawings and watercolours, most of which were painted by Annie L. Prat, depict Nova Scotia flora and fungi. Most of the Prat material in the fonds was created by sisters Annie L. Prat, Minnie Prat, and May Prat Starr, while the Starr material represents five generations of family members. Other related families and individuals represented in the fonds include the Morse, Moore, Wilcox, and Boehner families, Bliss Carman, Charles G.D. Roberts, Charles Stayner, and Dorothy Cornell.

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Item level inventory available. Website exhibit available.

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Artifacts were received with the fonds.

Physical description

Also includes: ca. 1000 photographs, ca. 300 drawings and watercolours, 15 poster prints, 3 maps.

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Women of Nova Scotia

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