Belle Starr’s Daughter Pearl Starr? – Or Not?

auction catablogueFed-Ex arrived today with my complimentary copies of the catalog for Wilbur Zink’s upcoming auction of his James-Younger Collection, conducted by Heritage Auctions. I was curious to see if Wilbur Zink’s image of Belle Starr is included.

The catalog is a collector’s item of its own.

Leafing through the catalog, one image popped out to immediately rivet my attention. It was Wilbur’s tintype of a young lady purported to be the daughter of Myra Maebelle Shirley, aka Belle Starr.

This image, identified as Pearl Starr, has generated quite of bit of controversy over the years. My book, Jesse James Soul Liberty, Vol. I displays the best-known image of Belle Starr. On an opposite page are pictures of other Shirley family members, primarily that of Emma Wren Shirley, who married Everett Elbert “Elo” James. Emma is pictured with her parents. The image of her father Paul Porter Shirley offers a third Shirley family image, by which to compare the picture claimed to be Pearl Shirley.

What do you think? Are those the eyes, lips, forehead, and ears of a Shirley?

Belle Starr and her Shirley family

Cover for Stray Leaves Daily
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Stray Leaves Daily

Stray Leaves Daily

Daily updates from the family of Frank & Jesse James with stories, photos, & two searchable genealog

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1 month ago
Stray Leaves Daily

VIDEO of the Clay County Board of Commissioners bestowing honor upon our James colleague & friend Charlies Broomfield. Recognition begins at 2:00 min. mark.

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Congratulations Charlie!!

2 months ago
Stray Leaves Daily

We have hints from the Clay County Archives in charge of James Farm in Kearney, Missouri, that a road leading to the farm will be renamed Charles Broomfield Rd. Charlie was a Clay County Commissioner who took an active role in arranging the sale and transfer of James Farm from the James family to Clay County. See MoreSee Less

We have hints from the Clay County Archives in charge of James Farm in Kearney, Missouri, that a road leading to the farm will be renamed Charles Broomfield Rd. Charlie was a Clay County Commissioner who took an active role in arranging the sale and transfer of James Farm from the James family to Clay County.Image attachment

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Cant say that I understand the significance of this.

4 months ago
Stray Leaves Daily

FIND-A-GRAVE BLUNDERS LEAVE JAMES FAMILY HOWLING . . . Can you spot the errata in this Find a Grave post for the grandfather of Frank & Jesse James? The most glaring deception is the photograph!

History tells us the photograph was invented about the time John M. James was dying. Neither history, nor the administrator of this posting, Charlotte Raley McConaha, can tell us is how photographic technology made its way from France to the distant American frontier to take a photo of John M. James, months before his demise.

Another imprecise miscalculation in this post is the attribution of the middle name “Martin” to John M. James. The name never has been proved by evidence. To guess the name is unreliable and wrong.
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FIND-A-GRAVE BLUNDERS LEAVE JAMES FAMILY HOWLING . . . Can you spot the errata in this Find a Grave post for the grandfather of Frank & Jesse James? The most glaring deception is the photograph!

History tells us the photograph was invented about the time John M. James was dying. Neither history, nor the administrator of this posting, Charlotte Raley McConaha, can tell us is how photographic technology made its way from France to the distant American frontier to take a photo of John M. James, months before his demise.

Another imprecise miscalculation in this post is the attribution of the middle name “Martin” to John M. James. The name never has been proved by evidence. To guess the name is unreliable and wrong.
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