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    Starkey, James

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1857-58 (District 2)

    Party when first elected:  Democratic

    Counties Served:  Ramsey

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: ??/??/1818
    Birth Place:
    Birth County:
    Birth Country: England
    Date of Death: ??/??/1892
    Gender: Male
    Religion:
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul
    Occupation (when first elected): Captain, St. Paul Light Cavalry

    EDUCATION

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Military: St. Paul Light Cavalry, Minnesota Volunteer Miltia Company (Sunrise Expedition against the Chippewa Indians, Captain); 1857 to 18??
    School Board/Administration: St. Paul, Minnesota (Board of Education); 1857 to 1858
    Military: (United States Civil War, Captain); 186? to 186?

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse:
    Children:
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    He came to America in 1849 and settled in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1850.

    He was listed as a Democratic party candidate in the 1857 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 382)

    "At the first city (St. Paul) election he was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for police justice. The next year he was defeated by Alexander Ramsey for the office of mayor. (Minnesota in Three Centuries, p. 62)

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 735

    SESSIONS SERVED

    1st Legislative Session (1857-1858)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 02
    Elected: 10/13/1857
    Residence: Saint Paul
    Term of Office: 12/2/1857 to 12/6/1859
    Counties Represented: Ramsey
    Occupation: Captain, St. Paul Light Cavalry
    Party: Democratic Party Notes: He was listed as a Democratic party candidate in the 1857 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 382)
    Committees:
    • Banks (Chair)
    • Ways and Means
    Leadership Position: Speaker Pro Tempore
    Leadership Notes: He was elected as Speaker Pro Tem on December 2, 1857 during the House's temporary organization before the members were officially sworn in on December 3, 1857.
    Session Notes: He was sworn in on December 3, 1857. An 1858-59 session was not held due to the protracted session of 1857-58. (Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1872, p. 66) Thus, even though the first session was adjourned on August 12, 1858; the term end date for it is listed as the day before the second legislative session's start date.
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Photographs
    James Starkey of St. Paul, member of the First State Legislature (ca. 1858) From the Minnesota Historical Society's Visual Resources Database

    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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