Evidence in the provincial papers of the Pennsylvania archives and other early land, tax, and chuch records indicate, that the Starchers were in and around Pennsylvania and Bucks County as early as the 1690's.  It is believed that the name Starcher was originally Startzer, an old German family name traced to the Ruhr Valley in Germany.  The name has been americanized over the years to Statser, Statzer, and finally to Starcher, with many spelling variations in between.  Other correspondents reported that the name was pronounced Stautzer by the old folks, long after it was spelled Starcher. However, to date, no records have been uncovered to tie our known and proven Starchers back to the 1690's  It is felt, that desendants of these first Starchers migrated westward along the "Great Wagon Road", which was carved out of the wilderness stretching from Philadelphia, to Fort Pitt on the Ohio River.  Upon reaching the Cumberland valley in Bedford County, PA they settled for a time, acquired land and reared families.  The earliest records of the Starchers in Bedford County are the county tax records of land holders.  A Jacob Starcher paid his taxes in Colerain Township and Martin Starcher paid taxes in Turkeyfoot Township for the years of 1773 and 1774.  This Jacob is believed to be , and is hereinafter referred to, as being one and the same as our Jacob I.  He may have remained in Bedford County as his decendants migrated on to the south.  Martin Starcher removed to Virginia, where he died in Washington County, of wounds in 1780.  A Jacob Starcher, who we assume was the son of Jacob I of Bedford County, and who we refer to as Jacob II in this genealogy, obviously removed southward to Hampshire County, Virginia, as his oldest son Jacob (Jacob III) was born there in 1768.  In 1783, Jacob II acquired a 400 acre land grant on Hackers Creek, in what was then Monongalia County, later Harrison County, but now is Lewis County, West Virginia.  A study of United States Census, tends to indicate that Jacob Starcher II died in Kanawha County, Virginia, sometime between the census taken in 1810 and 1820.  The last record of Jacob II in Harrison County, VA was a land transaction, in which he and his wife, Barbara deeded by indenture a 90-acre tract of his orginial land grant to John Starcher.  Jacob II did not appear on the 1800 census, for the many counties checked, which is not uncommon because that census was very incomplete.  His grave site has not been found nor identified and in all probability is lost forever.

Five sons are attributed to Jacob Starcher II:  Jacob III, Philip, Jesse, Daniel and Abraham, however possibly a sixth son, John, should also be counted.  No definite ties could be established, even though association existed in the same area in Harrison County.  Both Jacob II and his son, Jacob III sold land to John when they were preparing to depart Harrison County.  Surely Jacob must have had daughters born during the gaps in time between the births of his sons, but no daughters have been identified.