Asa Starkweather, II

Asa Starkweather was a native of New London, Conn., and a mechanic. He began business in New York City but was unsuccessful and settled here at the age of thirty-seven. In 1820, he was appointed one of the delegates to the State Constitutional Convention, in which he took an active part in debate, especially upon the appointing powers.

Mr Starkweather was not placed upon any committee and his views upon the various subjects brought before the convention, did not receive the approval of the majority. He appeared to be strongly in favor of centralization, and giving the right of suffrage only to property owners, and men of lucrative positions. He died on the 10th of August 1846, at the age of sixty-three years and eight months, and was buried in the old cemetery. His wife was Mary Robinson, who died in April 1862, in the seventy-ninth year of her age. Beside them lie Mrs Starkweather's father and mother, James and Sarah Robinson, who passed several years with their daughter, in her secluded home.

Source: History of Schoharie County, New York, 1713-1882: VOLUME 1, Published by Hertiage Books. By William E Roscoe, Section on "Town of Broome," page 139.

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He was recommended by Williams College of Mass. to John Livingston of Oak Hall, Greene county NY as a tutor, which position he secured, so he moved to Livinstonville, NY. In 1804 he was appointed Livingston's agent, which office he held until the death of Joh Livingston in 1815. That fall he went into the mercantile business but failed in 1818. he was appointed agent by three of the heirs of the Livingston property, which postiion he hels until 1835, when he move to Painted Post, Steuben co. NY where he went into the lumber business but was unsuccessful. He then moved to New York City, where he died.

Source: Genealogy History of Robert Starkweather of Roxbury and Ipswich, Mass....by Carlton Lee Starkweather M.D. 1904

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A relative of the Livingstons, he was sent to Schoharie in 1810 to look after their interests there and in adjacent Albany County. This non-blood relative is included because he was so highly regarded by Julius Dutton that he named a son after him (Asa Starkweather Dutton). Since Julius was the agent for the Livingstons in the area of Broome, it is likely that it was Asa Starkweather to whom he was immediately responsible.

Source: Letter by Henrietta Robinson Starkweather to Horace Devereaux: Table of Consanguinity, dated Dec 10, 1878. Original with Alace Humphreville, Lancaster, PA; GM Gilligan has a copy in Austin TX

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One of the two Schoharie delegates to the NYS Constitutional Convention of 1820/21 where he favored extending the franchise to only landed or otherwise wealthy men. An original Elder of Livingstonville Presbyterian Church.

Source: History of Schharie County NY 1713-1882, William E Roscoe, Pub. D. Mason & Co. , Syracuse NY (1882), pages 139 & 140