Molly Stark

Molly Stark, née Elizabeth Page (February 16, 1737 – June 29, 1814) was the wife of General John Stark, made famous by his battle cry during the American Revolutionary War. Described as "mother of 11 children, homemaker, patriot, and defender of the household", there are locations and landmarks named for her in at least four states. Biography Elizabeth Page was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1737, to Puritans Caleb Page and Elizabeth Merrill. Her father was "a successful merchant, militia captain, and surveyor." Her mother died when she was five, and she was adopted by her aunt, Ruth Wallingford, a widow with 10 children of her own. She spent 10 years with the Wallingfords, then returned to live with her father in Starkstown (current Dunbarton, New Hampshire) in 1752 at the age of 15. Her father owned slaves, which was not common in New Hampshire. She married John Stark on August 20, 1758; it was apparently John Stark who gave his wife the nickname of "Molly". Together they had 11 children, including their eldest son, Caleb Stark. Molly Stark gained historical notoriety due to her husband's battle call of "There are your enemies, the Red Coats and the Tories. They are ours, or this night Molly Stark sleeps a widow!" before engaging with the British and Hessian army in the Battle of Bennington. Stark is also known for her success as a nurse to her husband's troops during a smallpox epidemic and for opening their home as a hospital during the war. In late November 1778, she petitioned the New Hampshire Court "praying for leave to inoculate herself and family for the Small Pox," but her request was denied by authorities who feared it could spread the disease. She died on June 29, 1814, and was interred in Manchester, New Hampshire. Legacy Molly Stark's name remains in popular use on "a dizzying array of schools, parks, streets and businesses of every description bearing her name", "for reasons never fully explained by anyone".