Origins of The Starritt Family
There are different views as to the origins of the
Starritt family and there now is no exact way of finding out which one is
correct. However, the most likely origins of the family and what seems to be
most generally accepted by descendants around the world is that they were of
French Protestant origin.
In the 16th century a strong reformation movement in the
Catholic Church took place directed against some aspects of the Church as it
was then dominated from Rome. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Erasmus and Henry
VIII in England were all reformers in their own country. John Calvin led his
reformed Christians in very simple services and in a very austere style and
it is from this branch of the reformation that the French Protestants,
called the Huguenots became very powerful in France in the late 16th
century, being led by the Bourbon family. In 1572 the Catholics of Paris
headed by the Guises family slaughtered the Protestants and persecution soon
spread throughout France. This slaughter occurred on St. Bartholemews day
and has been known by this name since. It is thought that the Starritt
family with many other Protestant families fled France as the persecutions
continued. These Protestants then moved to Holland, or the Netherlands,
where there was also a strong Protestant movement.
How long they stayed in Holland is not known, but because
of the warring within Holland at the time it is unlikely that they stayed
very long. From Holland they then moved to Scotland and from there on to
Ireland, presumably to Kilwary as tenant farmers during the plantation of
Ulster.
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