John William Stark was born in 1788, the eldest son of Caleb (1759-1838) and Sarah (McKinstry) Stark (1767-1839), who were married in 1787. Caleb was a businessman who owned several ships in the early years of the 19th century; by 1805, he had become involved in English and East Indian trade. From approximately 1807 to 1812, he was associated with his brother-in-law, John McKinstry (1769-1825) in a merchant firm bearing their names. Between 1812 and 1830, Caleb manufactured textiles in Pembroke, New Hampshire. He spent his later years pursing a land claim in Ohio, where he died. Caleb was the eldest son of John Stark (1728-1822), a general in the Revolutionary War and officer in the French and Indian Wars of the 1750s. Caleb, despite his youth, had joined his father at Bunker Hill and fought through the Revolution; he ended his military career as a Major.

John William Stark appears to have worked in Caleb's merchant business. He traveled and lived for some time in the West Indies. Despite impending hostilities, he received a British passport in 1812 allowing him to travel to Calcutta as supercargo on an American vessel. The passport was modified in 1813 by a Parole, which obligated him to remain in India for the duration of the war. He left India for America in September 1815. While in Calcutta, he worked as a supercargo and a merchant's buying and selling agent, which is the time period that this collection covers. He was well-known there for his purchasing expertise and honesty. In addition to his four stays in Calcutta, he worked in Canton between 1818 and 1820.

After his time overseas, John became a prosperous Boston merchant. He died unmarried in January 1836, leaving an estate of about $100,000, which was administered by Augustine Heard (1785-1868), a famous sea captain and merchant. John, his father Caleb, and other family members are buried near Caleb's home in Dunbarton, New Hampshire. John (1728-1822), his wife Molly, and others are in a graveyard in Manchester, New Hampshire, near the house that was built in approximately 1736 by John's (1728-1822) father, Archibald (1697-1758).