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Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Some Later Stearns Families of Massachusetts -Part 2.
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 18:46:52 EDT
Stearns Families
Source: Genealogical & Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State
of Massachusetts by William Richard Cutter & William Frederick Adams.
p.138 Part 2.
STEARNS GENEALOGY.
(I) Charles Stearns, the immigrant, was admitted freeman May 6, 1646 at
Salem,
Massachusetts. On March 15, 1648, he bought of Edward Lamb of Watertown, a
house
and eight acres of land and three other lots. On the same day he purchased of
John Fiske six acres of upland. Isaac Stearns, in his Will dated June 14,
1661,
mentions Charles Stearns as "my kinsman," and bequeaths him ten pounds.
Samuel
Hosier also bequeathed to him ten pounds, but without stating any
relationship.
January 6, 1681, he was elected Constable, or tax gatherer of Watertown, but
re-'
fused to take the oath; and the same year he sold his land in Watertown to
his
son, Samuel. It is supposed that soon after this, Charles Stearns with his
son,
Shubael Stearns, moved to that part of Lynn called Lynn End, now the town of
Lynnfield, Mass. Charles Stearns married Hannah, whose surname does not
appear,
June 30, 1651, and was buried July 2, 1651. He married (2) June 22, 1654,
Rebecca
Gibson, dau. of John & Rebecca Gibson of Cambridge, Mass. The births of the
two
children of Charles and Rebecca are recorded at Cambridge, but she was a
member
of the Watertown church, February, 1689. The seven children of this marriage
were:
1. Samuel Stearns
2. Shubael Stearns
3. John Stearns
4. Isaac Stearns
5. Charles Stearns
6. Rebecca Stearns
7. Martha Stearns.
(II) Shubael Stearns, 2nd son of Charles Stearns & wife Rebecca (Gibson)
Stearns,
was born September 20, 1655 at Cambridge, Mass. He was a member of the Narra-
gansett Expedition. After marriage he settled at Lynn, probably near the
border
of Reading. No record of his marriage has been discovered, but "Mary Upton of
Reading, Mass., married Shubael Stearns of Lynn." Whether this Shubael or a
descendant is not known. Samuel Trail, aged ninety-five and upwards,
testified
that he remembered Shubael Stearns of Lynn, who came from Watertown and was
in
the army. Shubael's Will dated November 19, 1733, was proved Sept 2, 1734. He
had nine children:
1. Shubael Stearns
2. Samuel Stearns
3. Hannah Stearns
4. Mary Stearns
5. John Stearns
6. Ebenezer Stearns
7. Martha Stearns
8. Eleanor Stearns
9. Rebecca Stearns.
(III). Samuel Stearns, son of Shubael and Mary (Upton) Stearns was born Sept
12,
1685. He removed about 1715 to Sutton, Mass., where his son, Thomas Stearns
was
born, then he returned to Lynn, where he died suddenly Dec. 20, 1759 aged 74
yrs.
He m. (1) (intentions of marriage published April 7, 1711) Sarah Burnap,
dau. of
a Scotch minister of Marblehead, Mass. She died Aug. 6, 1724 and he m. (2)
April
14, 1725, Tabitha Bryant of Reading, who died Dec. 13, 1758. Seven children
were
born of his first wife, Sarah Burnap:
1. Timothy Stearns.
2. Samuel Stearns.
3. Sarah Stearns.
4. Thomas Stearns.
5. Rebecca Stearns
6. Isaac Stearns
7. Benjamin Stearns.
(IV). Thomas Stearns, 3rd son of Samuel and Sarah (Burnap) Stearns, was born
at
Sutton, Mass., Dec. 22, 1717. His first and second children were born at
Lynn, the
next seven at Lunenburg, Mass. Leaving Lunenburg he resided at Fitchburg a
short
time and then went to Leominster where he died Feb 5, 1811, eminent for his
Christian virtues. He belonged to Capt. Samuel Hunt's company from Aug 13th
to
Dec 13th, 1755. He m. November 4, 1740, Lydia Mansfield, dau. of Daniel
Mansfield.
She died Feb. 26, 1791. They had eleven children:
1. Thomas Stearns who died young.
2. Lydia Stearns who died young.
3. Sarah Stearns, died.
4. Thomas Stearns (again)
5. Daniel Stearns
6. Lydia Stearns
7. Charles Stearns
8. Sarah Stearns (again)
9. Rebecca Stearns.
10. Timothy Stearns.
11. Anna Stearns.
p.140
(V). Rev. Charles Stearns (2) fourth son of Thomas & Lydia (Mansfield)
Stearns,
was born July 19, 1753 at Lunenburg, Mass. He grad. at Harvard College in
1773;
received the degree of D.D. from Harvard Coll. in 1810; was a Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts & Sciences; was ordained Pastor of the
Congregational
Church of Lincoln, November 7, 1781; died there July 26, 1826. He was also
Pre-
ceptor of the noted Liberal School at Lincoln. "Dr. Charles Stearns was in
the
University over 45 years, preached his last sermon the 1st Sunday in July,
1826
and died on the 26th of the same month. His monument was erected by the town
which
was then one parish. He was a man of high ability, deeply reverenced by his
people;
a man who refused to enter into the controversy between Trinitarian and
Unitarian Congregationalists, exchanging freely with those of both opinions
until
his death. The following extract from "The Gambrel-roofed House, by Oliver
Wendell
Holmes, speaks for itself:
"The middle-aged and young men have left comparatively faint impressions on
my
memory, but how grandly the procession of the old clergymen who filled our
pulpit
from time to time and passed the day under our roof, marches before my
closed eyes!
"At their head, the most venerable, David Osgood, the majestic minister of
Medford,
with massive front and shaggy, overshadowing eyebrows; following in the
train, mild-eyed John Foster of Brighton, with the lambent aurora of a smile
above
his pleasant mouth which not even the "Sabbath" could subdue to the true
Levitical
aspect; and bulky Charles Stearns of Lincoln, author of "The Ladies
Philosophy of
Love." A Poem, 1797. (How I stared at him, he was the first living person
ever
pointed out to me as a poet!); and Thaddeus Mason Harris of Dorchester."
Mr. Stearns was a scholar of high attainments and was offered the Presidency
of
Harvard College, but declined it, regarding it as his duty to remain with his
parish in Lincoln, which was then paying him a salary of four hundred
dollars a
year. He married, January 7, 1782, Susanna Cowdry of Reading, Mass., by
whom he
had six sons and five daughters:
1. Susannah Stearns
2. Charles Stearns
3. Thomas Stearns
4. Julia Stearns
5. Sarah Stearns
6. Elizabeth Frances Stearns
7. William Lawrence Stearns
8. Daniel Mansfield Stearns
9. Rebecca Stearns
10. Samuel Stearns
11. Edwin Stearns
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
To be continued Part 3.
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