Robbin Starr’s Pay Stub
Robbin Starr served in the Continental Army. He redeemed his pay bond to buy his freedom.
A boy was born in Guinea, Africa, in the 1750s. He was kidnapped and shipped to America, enslaved by the Starr family of Danbury, CT, and given the name Robbin Starr. In 1777, he joined the Continental Army. Upon his discharge in 1783, he received the Badge of Merit – a distinction that recognized “bravery, fidelity and good conduct.”
For his first four years in the army, Starr remained enslaved, but nonetheless he received a wage. The hole cut in the bond indicates that he redeemed the note and received his pay. On February 8, 1781, with £40 earned from his military service, Starr purchased his freedom.
After the war, Starr left Danbury, moved to Sharon, CT, married a woman named Lily, had a son named Abel, and lived the balance of his life as a free man.
Robbin Starr’s pay bond is in the personal collection of John Mills, who has researched the Starr family. It is currently on display at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
Credits
Robbin Starr’s pay stub is in the personal collection of John Mills, who has researched the Starr family. It is currently on display at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History in Hartford.