William Sterling, founder of the American branch of the family, was most likely born in England around 1637. He deposed in 1667 that he was 30 years old and in 1672 that he was 35, so his age on his tombstone was probably wrong. William first appears in the records of Essex County at Salem, Massachusetts, where the births of five of his children are entered as born at "Rowley Village at Mirimack" beginning in 1662. Rowley Village is now Bradford, Connecticut, across the Merrimack River from Bradford, Massachusetts. William was a ship carpenter and miller. He was of Rowley in 1669, when he sold his property to Stephen Kent in exchange for the latter's house, barn and orchard in Haverhill, on a ridge east of Haverhill on the Merrimac river, near a small stream called Little River, which passes under what is now called Washington Square. An old ferry is still operated from this land of William's. He secured another twelve acres of land some time prior to 1683 on the site where the city hall of the town of Haverhill, Massachusetts now stands, and built upon it a two-story house. In Haverhill he was a carpenter by trade, and may have built ships for the coastal trade. He was a member of the Board of Selectmen. William offered his house and land to the town for a home for the minister. He received in part payment, ten acres of land on Fishing River, and the use of ten more for a grain mill, which he erected. William was prominent in town affairs, and from 1693 to 1696 he was one of the tithingmen, also holding the office of constable. On March 15, 1697, the town of Haverhill suffered a severe loss from Indian attacks, and on July 31, 1697, William Sterling disposed of his mills, houses, and lands on Fishing River, and removed to Lyme, Connecticut. Later, he bought lands near Long Island Sound, on Lieutenant River, where he engaged successfully in ship building.
William was married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth Sawtell, whom he married about 1659. Eleven children were born to William & Elizabeth. She died in Haverhill, February 6, 1675. William married for the second time in Haverhill, October19, 1676. This wife was Mary Blaisdell Stowers, who was born in Haverhill, March 5, 1642, the daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth Blaisdell and the widow of Joseph Stowers. Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor in Salisbury and died about 1650 and his wife died in August 1667. The second Mrs. Sterling bore five children. The last two were twins born on May 21, 1681, and died on May 29, 1681, their mother dying on the same day. William Sterling married for the third time in Haverhill on April 24, 1683. William's third wife was Ann Nichols Neale, of Salem, the widow of John Neale. William and Ann had one child, named Ann, born in Haverhill, March 14, 1684. After the death of his third wife, William Sterling married his fourth wife in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1705, Mary Bull Sawyer, the widow of John Sawyer. No children are recorded from that marriage.
William died January 22, 1719, at the home of his son, Daniel, in Sterling City, Lyme, which was then about a half-mile from the present village of Hamburg. At the time of his death, William was buried in the Lord Cemetery in Lyme, where there was a headstone marking his grave, with the inscription: “Here lies the Body of Mr. William Starlin who departed this life Jan 22nd 1719 in the 87th year of his age.” In 1905, William's remains and headstone were moved to the Sterling Cemetery, in the Sterling City area of Lyme, Connecticut. The Sterling Cemetery is a totally separate burying ground from the Lord Cemetery. Also, in spite of what has been written about the burying grounds in the Lyme area, William was never buried in the Bill Hill Cemetery.
William could have been, but was probably not, the son of Sir David Stirling, 132140246, who was one of the 272 Scottish Prisoners of the English Civil War, taken during the Battle of Worchester. They were sent to New England under exile by Oliver Cromwell aboard the “John and Sarah” to Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1652. His family was either exiled along with him, or chose to follow him to New England. Sir David died in Charlestown in 1691.
Information for this biography from the Genealogy and Family History of the State of Connecticut Vol. IV Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York 1911; The Sterling Family by Lerlene Rowell Covington; Haverhill and Salem, Massachusetts vital records; NER 8:53, and the Sterling Genealogy by Albert mark Sterling
William was married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth Sawtell, whom he married about 1659. Eleven children were born to William & Elizabeth. She died in Haverhill, February 6, 1675. William married for the second time in Haverhill, October19, 1676. This wife was Mary Blaisdell Stowers, who was born in Haverhill, March 5, 1642, the daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth Blaisdell and the widow of Joseph Stowers. Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor in Salisbury and died about 1650 and his wife died in August 1667. The second Mrs. Sterling bore five children. The last two were twins born on May 21, 1681, and died on May 29, 1681, their mother dying on the same day. William Sterling married for the third time in Haverhill on April 24, 1683. William's third wife was Ann Nichols Neale, of Salem, the widow of John Neale. William and Ann had one child, named Ann, born in Haverhill, March 14, 1684. After the death of his third wife, William Sterling married his fourth wife in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1705, Mary Bull Sawyer, the widow of John Sawyer. No children are recorded from that marriage.
William died January 22, 1719, at the home of his son, Daniel, in Sterling City, Lyme, which was then about a half-mile from the present village of Hamburg. At the time of his death, William was buried in the Lord Cemetery in Lyme, where there was a headstone marking his grave, with the inscription: “Here lies the Body of Mr. William Starlin who departed this life Jan 22nd 1719 in the 87th year of his age.” In 1905, William's remains and headstone were moved to the Sterling Cemetery, in the Sterling City area of Lyme, Connecticut. The Sterling Cemetery is a totally separate burying ground from the Lord Cemetery. Also, in spite of what has been written about the burying grounds in the Lyme area, William was never buried in the Bill Hill Cemetery.
William could have been, but was probably not, the son of Sir David Stirling, 132140246, who was one of the 272 Scottish Prisoners of the English Civil War, taken during the Battle of Worchester. They were sent to New England under exile by Oliver Cromwell aboard the “John and Sarah” to Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1652. His family was either exiled along with him, or chose to follow him to New England. Sir David died in Charlestown in 1691.
Information for this biography from the Genealogy and Family History of the State of Connecticut Vol. IV Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York 1911; The Sterling Family by Lerlene Rowell Covington; Haverhill and Salem, Massachusetts vital records; NER 8:53, and the Sterling Genealogy by Albert mark Sterling
William Sterling, founder of the American branch of the family, was most likely born in England around 1637. He deposed in 1667 that he was 30 years old and in 1672 that he was 35, so his age on his tombstone was probably wrong. William first appears in the records of Essex County at Salem, Massachusetts, where the births of five of his children are entered as born at "Rowley Village at Mirimack" beginning in 1662. Rowley Village is now Bradford, Connecticut, across the Merrimack River from Bradford, Massachusetts. William was a ship carpenter and miller. He was of Rowley in 1669, when he sold his property to Stephen Kent in exchange for the latter's house, barn and orchard in Haverhill, on a ridge east of Haverhill on the Merrimac river, near a small stream called Little River, which passes under what is now called Washington Square. An old ferry is still operated from this land of William's. He secured another twelve acres of land some time prior to 1683 on the site where the city hall of the town of Haverhill, Massachusetts now stands, and built upon it a two-story house. In Haverhill he was a carpenter by trade, and may have built ships for the coastal trade. He was a member of the Board of Selectmen. William offered his house and land to the town for a home for the minister. He received in part payment, ten acres of land on Fishing River, and the use of ten more for a grain mill, which he erected. William was prominent in town affairs, and from 1693 to 1696 he was one of the tithingmen, also holding the office of constable. On March 15, 1697, the town of Haverhill suffered a severe loss from Indian attacks, and on July 31, 1697, William Sterling disposed of his mills, houses, and lands on Fishing River, and removed to Lyme, Connecticut. Later, he bought lands near Long Island Sound, on Lieutenant River, where he engaged successfully in ship building.
William was married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth Sawtell, whom he married about 1659. Eleven children were born to William & Elizabeth. She died in Haverhill, February 6, 1675. William married for the second time in Haverhill, October19, 1676. This wife was Mary Blaisdell Stowers, who was born in Haverhill, March 5, 1642, the daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth Blaisdell and the widow of Joseph Stowers. Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor in Salisbury and died about 1650 and his wife died in August 1667. The second Mrs. Sterling bore five children. The last two were twins born on May 21, 1681, and died on May 29, 1681, their mother dying on the same day. William Sterling married for the third time in Haverhill on April 24, 1683. William's third wife was Ann Nichols Neale, of Salem, the widow of John Neale. William and Ann had one child, named Ann, born in Haverhill, March 14, 1684. After the death of his third wife, William Sterling married his fourth wife in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1705, Mary Bull Sawyer, the widow of John Sawyer. No children are recorded from that marriage.
William died January 22, 1719, at the home of his son, Daniel, in Sterling City, Lyme, which was then about a half-mile from the present village of Hamburg. At the time of his death, William was buried in the Lord Cemetery in Lyme, where there was a headstone marking his grave, with the inscription: “Here lies the Body of Mr. William Starlin who departed this life Jan 22nd 1719 in the 87th year of his age.” In 1905, William's remains and headstone were moved to the Sterling Cemetery, in the Sterling City area of Lyme, Connecticut. The Sterling Cemetery is a totally separate burying ground from the Lord Cemetery. Also, in spite of what has been written about the burying grounds in the Lyme area, William was never buried in the Bill Hill Cemetery.
William could have been, but was probably not, the son of Sir David Stirling, 132140246, who was one of the 272 Scottish Prisoners of the English Civil War, taken during the Battle of Worchester. They were sent to New England under exile by Oliver Cromwell aboard the “John and Sarah” to Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1652. His family was either exiled along with him, or chose to follow him to New England. Sir David died in Charlestown in 1691.
Information for this biography from the Genealogy and Family History of the State of Connecticut Vol. IV Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York 1911; The Sterling Family by Lerlene Rowell Covington; Haverhill and Salem, Massachusetts vital records; NER 8:53, and the Sterling Genealogy by Albert mark Sterling
William was married four times. His first wife was Elizabeth Sawtell, whom he married about 1659. Eleven children were born to William & Elizabeth. She died in Haverhill, February 6, 1675. William married for the second time in Haverhill, October19, 1676. This wife was Mary Blaisdell Stowers, who was born in Haverhill, March 5, 1642, the daughter of Ralph and Elizabeth Blaisdell and the widow of Joseph Stowers. Ralph Blaisdell was a tailor in Salisbury and died about 1650 and his wife died in August 1667. The second Mrs. Sterling bore five children. The last two were twins born on May 21, 1681, and died on May 29, 1681, their mother dying on the same day. William Sterling married for the third time in Haverhill on April 24, 1683. William's third wife was Ann Nichols Neale, of Salem, the widow of John Neale. William and Ann had one child, named Ann, born in Haverhill, March 14, 1684. After the death of his third wife, William Sterling married his fourth wife in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1705, Mary Bull Sawyer, the widow of John Sawyer. No children are recorded from that marriage.
William died January 22, 1719, at the home of his son, Daniel, in Sterling City, Lyme, which was then about a half-mile from the present village of Hamburg. At the time of his death, William was buried in the Lord Cemetery in Lyme, where there was a headstone marking his grave, with the inscription: “Here lies the Body of Mr. William Starlin who departed this life Jan 22nd 1719 in the 87th year of his age.” In 1905, William's remains and headstone were moved to the Sterling Cemetery, in the Sterling City area of Lyme, Connecticut. The Sterling Cemetery is a totally separate burying ground from the Lord Cemetery. Also, in spite of what has been written about the burying grounds in the Lyme area, William was never buried in the Bill Hill Cemetery.
William could have been, but was probably not, the son of Sir David Stirling, 132140246, who was one of the 272 Scottish Prisoners of the English Civil War, taken during the Battle of Worchester. They were sent to New England under exile by Oliver Cromwell aboard the “John and Sarah” to Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1652. His family was either exiled along with him, or chose to follow him to New England. Sir David died in Charlestown in 1691.
Information for this biography from the Genealogy and Family History of the State of Connecticut Vol. IV Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York 1911; The Sterling Family by Lerlene Rowell Covington; Haverhill and Salem, Massachusetts vital records; NER 8:53, and the Sterling Genealogy by Albert mark Sterling
Inscription
HERE LIES THE BODY OF Mr WILLIAM STARLING WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE JANy 22 1719 IN THE 87 YEAR OF HIS AGE
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