George Stearns (1688-1760) is number 542 on my Ahnentafel List, my 7th great-grandfather, who married #543 Hannah Sanderson (1689-1770) in 1712 in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
I am descended through:
* their daughter #271 Abigail Stearns (1715-1796) who married #270 Samuel Peirce (1712-1772) in 1739.
* their daughter #135 Abigail Peirce (1750-1776) who married #134 Jeremiah Knowlton (1745-1785) in 1771.
* their daughter #67 Abigail Knowlton (1774-1855) who married #66 Nathan Gates (1767-1830) in 1790.
* their daughter, #33 Abigail Gates (1797-1867) who married #32 Benjamin Seaver (1791-1825) in 1817.
* their son #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) who married #17 Lucretia Townsend Smith (1828-1884) in 1851.
* their son #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922) who married #9 Hattie Louisa Hildreth (1857-1920) in 1874.
* their son #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942) who married #5 Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
* their son #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
* their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)
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1) PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
* Name: George Stearns[1–3]
* Sex: Male
* Father: John Stearns (1656-1722)
* Mother: Judith Lawrence (1660-1713)
2) INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
* Birth: about 1688, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]
* Baptism: 22 June 1690 (about age 2), Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]
* Death: 26 June 1760 (about age 72), Waltham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1]
* Probate: 14 July 1760 (about age 72), Waltham, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[3]
3) SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
* Spouse 1: Hannah Sanderson (1689-1770)
* Marriage 1: 23 October 1712 (about age 24), Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States[1–2]
* Child 1: Jonathan Stearns (1713-1758)
* Child 2: Abigail Stearns (1715-1796)
* Child 3: Judith Stearns (1715-1750)
* Child 4: David Stearns (1717-1786)
* Child 5: Hannah Stearns (1719- )
* Child 6: Lydia Stearns (1724-1752)
* Child 7: John Stearns (1727- )
* Child 8: Daniel Stearns (1729-1779)
4) NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
Bond's Watertown Genealogies book (page 554-5) provides a very brief sketch of George but doesn't list his children[1].
George Stearns was born in about 1688 in Watertown, Massachusetts, the first son and fourth child of John and Judith (Lawrence) Stearns[1]. He was baptized on 22 June 1690 with three other siblings in Watertown, but the town records are missing[1].
On 23 October 1712, George married Hannah Sanderson in Watertown[1-2]. Hannah was the 8th child and only daughter of Jonathan and Abiah (Bartlett) Sanderson. The marriage record says:
"George Stearns of Cambridge Farms and Hannah Sanderson of Watertown were Joyned in Marriage the 23'd of October 1712 by M'r Samuel Angier Minister in Watertown."
George and Hannah (Sanderson) Stearns had eight children, the first recorded in Watertown, the next two recorded in Lexington, and the last five recorded in Waltham:
* Jonathan Stearns (1713-1758), married 1737 to Beulah Chadwick (1719-1804) in Watertown.
* Abigail Stearns (1715-1796), married 1739 to Samuel Peirce (1712-1772) in Waltham.
* Judith Stearns (1715-1750), married 1738 to Jonathan Hammond (1717-1776) in Waltham.
* David Stearns (1717-1786), married (1) 1741 Bethia Stimpson (1723-1760) in Weston, and married (2) 1761 Dorothy Fulham (1740-1792) in Weston.
* Hannah Stearns (1719-????), married 1747 John Hagar (1726-1804) in Waltham.
* Lydia Stearns (1724-1752), married 1746 to Samuel Fuller (1724-1750) in Waltham.
* John Stearns (1727-????).
* Daniel Stearns (1729-1779), married 1755 to Hannah Fuller (1731-1797) in Waltham.
By 1717, the George Stearns family had moved from Lexington to Waltham, Massachusetts. He was probably a yeoman farmer[1].
George Stearns died 26 June 1760 in Waltham, Massachusetts[1]. There is no known burial location.
George Stearns died testate, having written his will on 28 February 1760. His probate records are in Middlesex County Probate Records, Packet #21,234[3]. The will of Mr. George Stearns, yeoman of Waltham, was presented to the Court by his son, Daniel Stearns, the Executor, and was proved on 14 July 1760. Daniel Stearns (yeoman of Waltham), David Stratton (yeoman of Waltham) and Ebenezer Cutter (Gentleman of Lincoln) posted bond of 300 pounds. The will reads (transcribed by the author):
"In The Name of god Amen. I George Stearns of Waltham in y'e County of Middlesx in y'e Province of Massachtts Bay in New England yeoman upon this Twenty Eighth day of Febry Anno Dom 1760 In the Thirty Third year of His Maj'tes Reign, being of sound & Disposing mind & memory for it I Bless God, Calling to mind y'e Mortality of my Body, Do make this my Last Will & Testamnt. Vizt. First I recomend my precious & Imortal soul into y'e merciful hands of God that gave it in Hope of y'e forgiveness of all my sins for y'e merits sake of my Gracious Redeemer, & my Body I comit to the Earth from whence it was Taken to be buried in a Decent Christian manner ... Hopes of a Glorious Resurrection at y'e Last day. And as for y'e Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this Life I dispose of in the following manner:
"Imps. I Give to my Beloved wife y'e Improvemnt of one Third part of all my Estate During her natural Life. My Exectr to bury me & my wife in a Decent & Christian manner.
"Itm. I Give to the heirs of my Dutiful son Jona Stearns Dec'd Thirteen pounds six shillings & eight pence Lawful money to be Equally Divided amongst them and to be paid to them after my wifes Decease as they come of Lawful age being with that their Fathr had recd is their full portn of my Estate.
"Itm. I Give to my Dutiful son David Stearns his heirs &c thirteen pounds six shillings & eight pence Lawful money and all my wearing apparrel which together with that he hath already recd is his full portion of my Estate to be paid in four years after my wifes Decease.
"Itm. I Give to my Dutiful son John Stearns Fifty three pound six shillings & eight pence Lawful money it being his full portion of my Estate to be paid in two years after my Decease.
"Itm. I give to my dutiful Daughtr Abig Peirce her heirs &c the Sum of Eight Pounds six shillings & Eight pence Lawful money to be paid in one year after my Decease.
"Itm. I give to the Children of my Daughtr Hannah Hager Dec'sd Thirteen pounds six shillings & eight pence Lawful money to be paid to them as they arrive at Lawful age.
"Itm. I give to my two grand-daughters Vizt. Molly & Eunice Hammond thirteen pounds six shillings Lawful money to be Equally Divided between them to be paid in Seven years after my wifes Decease.
"Itm. I give to my three Grand-daughters Vizt. Sarah, Lois & Lydia Fuller thirteen pounds six shillings & eight pence Lawful money to be paid to them as they arrive at Lawful age.
"Itm. I give to my grand-daughter Hannah Hager one Cow at y'e time she arrives at Lawful age.
"Itm. I further give to my Daughtr Abigl Peirce and to my Daughtrs children vizt y'e children of my Daughter Hager Decd, my Daughtr Hammond Decd, & my Daughtr Fuller Dec'd, all my Houshold Goods of Every Denomination and my Three cows it being their full portion of my Estate and to receive the same At my wife's Decease. This article to be Equally Divided to my s'd Daughter and my s'd Grand Children.
"Itm. I give to my Dutiful son Danll Stearns his heirs and assigns all my Lands and Tenements in the Town of Waltham & also I give him all my utincils of Husbandry & my oxen & sheep & hereby will & require him to provide for his mother all needful assistance of Every Kind during her Life. Likewise I do appoint my s'd son Danll my residuary Legatee & Executor of this my Last Will & Testament hereby willing & requiring him to perform the same in Every article thereof And do hereby utterly revoke & Disanull all other & former wills by me heretofore made & Do Ratifie this to be my Last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & year above written.
"Signed Sealed published & pronounced George Stearns by ye sd George Stearns to be his Last Will & Testamt in presence of David Stratton Phinehas Child Ebenr Cutter"
5. SOURCES
1. Henry Bond, M.D., Family Memorials: Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts (Boston, Mass. : Little, Brown & Co., 1860), Volume 1, page 555, George Stearns family sketch.
2. "Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," indexed database and digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com), Watertown > Birth, Marriage and Death, image 204 of 3991, George Stearns and Hannah Sanderson marriage entry, 23 October 1712.
3. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate Papers, 1648-1871," digital image, American Ancestors (http://www.AmericanAncestors.org), Probate Packet #21,234, George Stearns estate, 1760.
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