Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 54.djvu/114

 Cattle’ is in the Mappin Art Gallery at Sheffield. His picture of ‘Sheep-washing, Postwick Grove, Norwich,’ has been engraved in mezzotint by Alfred Skrimshire.

Stark died at Mornington Place, Hampstead Road, London, on 24 March 1859. His son, Arthur James Stark, is a landscape-painter of merit, who has exhibited at the Royal Academy and elsewhere since 1848.



STARK, WILLIAM (1740–1770), physician, born in Birmingham in July 1740, was the eldest son of Thomas Stark, a merchant of Manchester. He studied philosophy at Glasgow University, where he graduated M.A. in 1758, and then proceeded to Edinburgh, where he acquired the friendship of [q. v.] Thence he came to London in 1765, and devoted himself to the pursuit of medicine, entering as a pupil at St. George's Hospital. He studied anatomy under (1728–1773 [sic]) [q. v.], and employed himself in making experiments on the blood and other animal fluids. On 2 Sept. 1766 he graduated M.D. at Leyden, publishing his thesis, ‘Specimen Med. Inaug. septem Historias et Dissectiones Dysentericorum exhibens,’ Leyden, 1766, 4to. In June 1769 he began a series of experiments on diet, in which he was greatly encouraged by Sir [q. v.] The zeal with which he tried these experiments on his own person ruined his health, and on 23 Feb. 1770 he fell a victim to his enthusiasm.

‘The Works of the late William Stark … consisting of clinical and anatomical observations, with experiments dietetical and statical,’ were edited by [q. v.], London, 1788, 4to.



STARKE, MARIANA (1762?–1838), writer of guide-books, born about 1762, was daughter of Richard Starke by his wife Mary, daughter of Isaac Hughes of Banstead, Surrey. The father was for some time governor of Fort St. George in Madras, and later a resident at Epsom, Surrey. Mariana's early years were passed in India, where her keen observation of Anglo-Indian life afterwards afforded material for ‘The Sword of Peace, or a Voyage of Love,’ a comedy which was acted at the Haymarket Theatre on 9 Aug. 1788, with Miss Farren in the cast. It was published, Dublin, 1789, 8vo, and it was again played at Bath on 23 March 1809. Indian colour is also introduced into ‘The Widow of Malabar,’ a tragedy in three acts (Dublin, 1791, 8vo; London, 1791, 8vo; 3rd edit. 1791, 8vo). The epilogue was written by Miss Starke's nephew, R. J. Hughes Starke (d. at Dinard, Brittany, 1838). The tragedy was produced at Mrs. Crespigny's private theatre, Camberwell, and at Covent Garden Theatre in 1798. A third dramatic effort was ‘The Tournament,’ a tragedy, London, 1800. All were of slight interest.

A seven years' residence in Italy in attendance on a consumptive relative led Miss Starke to write ‘Letters from Italy’ (2 vols. London, 1800; 2nd edit. 1815; translated into German, 1802). While in Italy she became acquainted with the Dowager-countess Spencer, at whose suggestion she published ‘The Beauties of Carlo Maria Maggi Paraphrased,’ with sonnets of her own, Exeter, 1811, 8vo. Miss Starke had by that date removed to Exmouth, but she revisited Italy in 1817–19, and published ‘Travels on the Continent,’ London, 1820, 8vo, which was followed by her ‘Information and Directions for Travellers on the Continent’ (5th edit. London, 1824, 8vo; 6th edit. 1828; 7th edit. 1829; translated into French, Paris, 1826, 8vo). It was enlarged and republished as ‘Travels in Europe for the use of Travellers on the Continent and likewise in the Island of Sicily, to which is added an account of the Remains of Ancient Italy’ (8th edit. London, 1832, 8vo). These guide-books are carefully compiled, and proved useful forerunners of the labours of Murray and Baedeker. Miss Starke died at Milan, on a journey from Naples to England, in the spring of 1838, aged 76.



STARKEY, GEOFFREY (fl. 1440), compiler of the 'Promptorium Parvulorum.' [See .]

STARKEY, GEORGE (d. 1666), empiric, may be identical with George Starkey, born in 1606, son of John Starkey of 