 1595 - 1671
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| Name |
Isaac Stearns |
| Born |
c. Sep 1595 |
Much Fordham, Essex, England  |
- John Threlfall in "50 Great Migration Colonists" places Isaac born about 1590 "of Higham" an adjacent parish to Nayland. Anderson "Winthrop Fleet" places Isaac born "by about 1597 (based on date of marriage)"
Data presented by John B. Threlfall gives the parentage of Isaac and baptism in Much Fordham, Essex, England.
|
| Christened |
03 Oct 1595 |
Much Fordham, Essex, England |
| Gender |
Male |
| Will |
14 Jun 1671 [1] |
- In his will, dated 14 June 1671 and proved in October 167 1, "Isack Sternes of Watertown' bequeathed to 'Mary, my beloved wife," his entire estate during widowhood (or if she remarries, dower rights); to 'my grandchildren, the children of my son John Sternes," 8O pound which, 'being added to what my son had formerly,' will make them up to a double portion; to son "Isaac Sternes' 70 pound to make up his portion; to son 'Samuel Sternes" 4O pound to make up his portion; to 'my grandchildren, the children of my daughter Mary, deceased," 35 pound, of which "my grandchild Isaac Lernot" is to get 1O pound and the remainder to the rest of the children of"my daughter Mary Lernot,' to make up her portion; to daughter Sarah Stone, 40 pound, to make up her portion; to daughter Elizabeth Manning, 20 pound to make up her portion ('to be secured for the good and benefit of the children"); to daughter "Abigail Morse' five acres of meadow "being at Samuel's farm' and 4O pound to make up her portion; to "my kinsman Charles Sternes," 1O pound; sons Isaac and Samuel Sternes executors; residue equally to surviving children [MPR 4:127-28].
The inventory of 'Isaac Sternes, Sr., taken the 28th of 4th Uune] 1671, who deceased the 19th the 4th Uune] 1671,' totalled 524 pounds, 4s., of which 407 pounds was real estate: "housing and homestall of twelve acres," 100 pounds; four acres upland and two acres meadow, 18 pounds; eight acres upland, 26 pounds; six acres meadow land, 3O pounds; three acres marsh, 15 pounds; fourscore acres of upland, 6O pounds; twelve acres upland, 12 pounds; nine acres upland, 5 pounds; sixty acres upland, 15 pounds; fifteen acres upland, 8 pounds; four acres meadow land, 8 pounds; twenty-five acres meadow land, 60 pounds; one hundred ninety acres of meadow, 4O pounds; and one hundred five acres upland, 10 pounds [MPR 4:129-30; Bond 451, who provided the total, but misread the date of death].
|
| Died |
19 Jun 1671 |
Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts [1, 2] |
| Notes |
- Isaac Stearns is listed with the Winthrop Fleet of 1630 -Banks (page 92). He is from Stoke Nayland, Suffolk Co, England, occupation tailor. Freeman 18 May 1631. With him, listed as passengers are Mary Barker Stearns, his wife (daughter of John Barker of Stoke Nayland); John Stearns, son; Abigail, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Mary, daughters.
ORIGIN: Nayland with Wissington, Suffolk
MIGRATION: 1630
FIRST RESIDENCE: Watertown
OCCUPATION: Tailor.
FREEMAN: 18 May 1631 (as "Isaacke Sterne') [MBCR 1:366].
EDUCATION: He signed his will.
OFFICES: Trial jury, 3 May 1631 [MBCR 1:86]. Watertown selectman, 8 November 1647, 7 November 1670 [WaTR 1:10, 102]. Committee to design a bridge, 28 December 1647 [WaTR 1:11]. Fence viewer, 13 June 1648 [WTR 1:16]. Rater, 1652 [WaTR 1:31]. Viewer of land, 3 January 1658[/9] [WaTR 1:59]. Town meeting held at his house, 8 December 1659, 13 December 1670 [WaTR 1:63,103]. Constable, 1659-61 [WaTR 1:65, 67, 74]. Surveyor of highways, 12 January 1662[/3] [WaTR 1:75]. Committee to speak with William Knopp about the education of his daughter [WaTR 1: 1 04].
ESTATE: On 25 July 1636 "Isaac Sterne' was granted fifty acres in the Great Dividend [WaBOP 5]. On 28 February 1636/7 he received eleven acres in the Beaverbrook Plowlands [WaBOP 7) and on 26 June 1637 eleven acres in the Remote Meadows [WaBOP 8]. On 10 May 1642 he was granted a Farm of two hundred and fifty-nine acres [WaBOP 12].
In the Watertown Inventory of Grants 'Isaac Sterne" held nine parcels: homes~lall of twelve acres; ten acres of upland; two acres of meadow; two acres of meadow in Plain Meadow; 'three acres of upland ... being a homestall'; 'fifty acres of upland being a Great Dividend"; "twenty-seven acres of upland ... beyond the Further Plain & the fourth lot"; twelve acres of plowland in the Further Plain (Beaverbrook Plowlands); and twelve acres of Remote Meadow [WABOP 77-78]. In the Inventory of Possessions he held three parcels: two acres of meadow in Pond Meadow (formerly owned by Richard Kimball); ten acres of Remote Meadow (originally granted to William Jennison); and a Great Dividend of sixty acres (formerly granted to William Jennison) [WaBOP 117]. In the Composite Inventory he held thirteen parcels, being the twelve listed above (with some minor adjustments) and a farm of two hundred and fifty-nine acres (WaBOP 22].
On 16 April 1664 "Isaac Sternes" of Watertown deeded to "my son Samuel Sternes ... one messuage or tenement ... in the above named town and is the now dwelling house of the said Samuel Sternes containing one dwelling house with a parcel of land adjoining thereunto by estimation four acres' and "one parcel of land granted me by the town called In Lieu of the Township, and five acres of meadow land in that meadow called Nonesuch" [MLR 4:123).
'Goodwife Stearns Senior' was one of several Watertown residents warned to town meeting to answer for not "attending their seats in the meetinghouse appointed them by the town' [WaTR 1:85]. She died at Watertown on 23 April 1677 [WaVR 42].
COMMENTS: The terms of the will of Isaac Stearns make it clear that John was his eldest son. He may also have been the oldest child, but there is a four-year gap between the last child recorded as born in England and the first recorded as born in Watertown; placing John in this gap would be consistent with his approximate date of marriage. Since he was not recorded as born at Watertown, he may have been born aboard ship in 1630, or in some English parish where the Stearns family possibly perched briefly before sailing for New England.
On 4 December 1638 Isaack Sternes and John Page were fined 5s. for "turning the way about" [MBCR 1:247].
About 1643 Isaacke Sterne of Waterton in New England, planter, sometimes of Stoke Nayland in the County of Suffolke, tailor, and Mary his wife, daughter of John Barker late of Stoke Nayland aforesaid, clothier, deceased,' made a letter of attorney to Thomas Gilson of Sudbury, baker, to claim a bond of 5 pound agreed to be paid before Munnings married Margaret Barker, mother of the said Mary [Lechford 291-92].
|
| Person ID |
I12410 |
Bryant |
| Last Modified |
8 Jan 2013 |
| Father |
Thomas Sterne, b. 1550-1555, near Raydon, Suffolk, England , d. May 1599, Much Fordham, Essex, England |
| Family ID |
F3931 |
Group Sheet |
| Family |
Mary Barker, b. Abt 1600, Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk, England , d. 23 Apr 1677, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
| Married |
20 May 1622 |
Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk, England [3] |
| Children |
| | 1. Mary Stearns, d. 08 Jan 1663, Chelmsford, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
| | 2. Hannah Stearns, d. 1656 |
| | 3. John Stearns, b. Abt 1630, probably, Massachusetts , d. 05 Mar 1669, Billerica, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
| | 4. Isaac Stearns, b. 06 Jan 1632/33, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts , d. 29 Aug 1676, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
| | 5. Sarah Stearns, b. 22 Sep 1635, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts , d. 1700 |
| | 6. Samuel Stearns, b. 24 Apr 1638, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
| | 7. Abigail Stearns, b. 28 Feb 1639, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts , d. 16 Oct 1690, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
| | 8. Elizabeth Stearns, b. 13 Apr 1644, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts , d. 24 Jun 1671, Watertown, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts |
|
| Family ID |
F812 |
Group Sheet |
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| Sources |
- [S260] GMB, Anderson, Robert Charles, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 1995), p.1748.
- [S17] Threlfall, 50 GMC, Threlfall, John Brooks, (Heritage Books Inc., reprinted, Bowie, MD, 1990), F3T581990., p.436.
- [S17] Threlfall, 50 GMC, Threlfall, John Brooks, (Heritage Books Inc., reprinted, Bowie, MD, 1990), F3T581990., p.435.
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