From his tombstone in the Wightman Burying Ground we get the date of death of William Stark, and from the records of the First Congregational Church in Stonington we find that William Stark, with his wife Elizabeth and their two sons William and Christopher, united with that church June 19, 1698, and their daughter Phebe, July 6, 1701. The name of Daniel [another of their sons--EWS] does not appear on the record, he no doubt being a younger son born after his father had become affiliated with the Baptist Church in Groton.The Stark Family Association Yearbook for the year 1929-30 reports the burning of the old parsonage at Mystic, Conn. at midnight, Wednesday, July 3, 1929.This church, the first Baptist Church in Connecticut, was formed in 1705 in the house of William Stark, and he was its principal benefactor. He gave the land for a meeting house and burying ground, also twenty acres to his pastor, Rev. Valentine Wightman. The house built on this land, though sadly out of repair, was still standing in 1925. Among the grantees named in the deed to the church in March, 1717/8, are the following by the name of Stark: John Stark, Stephen Stark, Aaron Stark, William Stark, Jr., Abiel Stark, and Christopher Stark. The deed is signed Sergeant William Stark. He was the first deacon of the church, and of him it was said that "he was a man of good estate, a godly man, and one who hated persecution."