Charles STEARNS

- Bef 1695

• Name	Charles STEARNS
  Gender	Male
  Death	Bef 1695	Watertown, Middlesex County, MA
  Notes	(1) Van Wagenen, Avis Stearns, Genealogy and Memoirs of Charles and Nathaniel Stearns and Their Descendants, Syracuse, NY: Courier Printing Co., 1901, pp. 33-36: In March, 1628, the Plymouth Company sold to a company of six gentlemen in England, the territory extending from a line three miles north of Merrimack River, to a line three miles south of Charles River, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The number of joint proprietors soon became much enlarged and they assumed the title of "The Massachusetts Bay Company," choosing Matthew Cradock, a wealthy merchant of London, to be governor, and Thomas Goffe, also a merchant of London, to be deputy-governor. In June, 1628, a company of emigrants was sent over, who landed at Salem and commenced the settlement of that ancient town. That a large number of settlers accompanied Sir Richard Saltonstall from Salem to Watertown is evident from the following consideration, that about forty men signed the covenant on the 30th of July, while the number of female members is not stated. Others, having large families, did not then sign the covenant, not being entitled to church membership. There is no record extant of any municipal transactions of Watertown earlier, in date, than 1634, four years after its first settlement. An important change then took place in the government of the colony and a house of deputies or representatives became a constituent part of it. As the people, from this date, began to be represented in the government of the colony, so, the ordering of the civil affairs of the town began to be intrusted to a body of freemen, chosen, annually, for that purpose. Then originated that peculiar New England municipal body, a board of select-men. Previous to this date, the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of the town were commingled, without any distinct line between them. No one had a right to vote, unless he were a church-member; and the church was Congregational wherein its affairs were managed by the votes of the members. The church officers seem to have taken the lead both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs, and, it is probable that, previous to 1634, the records were kept accordingly. Whatever those records were, they are lost. Charles Stearns was admitted freeman, May 6, 1646. On Mar. 15, 1648, he purchased 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, (First Vol. I), in his will, dated, June 14, 1861, mentioned him as my kinsman, Charles "Sternes," and bequeathed him ££10. Samuel Hosier also bequeathed to him ££10, but without stating any relationship. Jan. 6, 1680-1, he was elected constable, or tax-gatherer, of Watertown, but refused 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 he, with his son Shubael, moved to that part of Lynn, called Lynn End, now the town of Lynnfield. His first wife, Hannah, d., June 30, 1651, in Watertown and was buried July 2, 1651. He md. (2), June 22, 1654, Rebecca Gibson, dau. of John and Rebecca Gibson, of Cambridge. The births of their first two children are recorded in Cambridge, but she was a member of the Watertown Church, Feb., 1658-9. (See Camb. Church Gathering, p. 59.) The following extract from the Essex Registry of Probate shows the number and the names of his children, at least, of those who lived to maturity, or to have families: "Sept. 9, 1695, Shubael Stearns, of Lynn, petitions for letters of administration on the estate of his brother, Charles. slain in the King's service. Balance of his estate after settlement of debts (££4, 12s., 10d.), to be divided as follows:- equally between his brothers, Shubael and John; the children of brothers Samuel and Isaac; Rebecca Sternes .alias Traine, and Martha Hutchinson. his sisters." "There is a tradition prevalent in Lynn. Mass., that three brother, names Daniel, Isaac (First Vol. I) and Shubael Stearns, came from England to America in 1630, and settled near Watertown, Mass.; that Daniel died, unmarried; that Shubael and Isaac each brought their families with them; that, soon after landing, Shubael and wife both died, leaving two sons, named Charles and Nathaniel, eight or ten years of age, who were reared and cared for by their Uncle Isaac; this same account was given by John Peck Stearns (6822); that these sons afterwards married and each, as well as their Uncle Isaac, left a large family, from whom all of the name of Stearns in America are supposed to have descended. It is noticable that Isaac (First Vol. I.), Charles and Nathaniel all named their sons John, Isaac and Samuel. There is also a traditional anecdote of the first landing of the Stearns family, as follows: "that on reaching anchorage in America, Isaac, like the spies sent into Canaan, went forward and selected a place of settlement; soon after, an emulation arose between the two boys as to which should step on land first, and, as they sprang from the boat, Charles Stearns missed his footing and fell into the river which was therefore christened the Charles River." Nevertheless, the historian claims for the name a royal origin. 6000-CHARLES STEARNS, date of birth unknown; md. (1), Hannah (____), who d., June 30, 1651; md. (2), June 22, 1654, Rebecca Gibson, dau. of John and Rebecca Gibson, of Cambridge; seven children. [Children:] 6001 - SAMUEL STEARNS (6008), b., June 2, 1650, in Watertown, Mass. 6002 - SHUBAEL STEARNS (6011), b., Sept. 20, 1655, in Cambridge, Mass. 6003 - JOHN STEARNS (6021), b., Jan. 24, 1657, in Cambridge, Mass. 6004 - ISAAC STEARNS (6035), b., 1658. 6005 - CHARLES STEARNS JR., slain in the King's service, prior to 1695. 6006 - REBECCA STEARNS, b., 1661; md., Jan. 25, 1693, Thomas Traine, b., 1653, son of John and Margaret (Dix) Traine, of Watertown, Mass. She was admitted to full covenant, Aug. 15, 1698, and d., Sept. 23, 1746, aged 85 years. He was fined 10s. by the Court, Apr. 17, 1674, "for selling strong water." He d., Jan. 23, 1739, "an aged man." . . . 6007 - MARTHA STEARNS, md. Mr. Hutchinson. (2) Ancestry.com. Cambridge, Massachusetts History, Supplement [database online]. Orem, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 1997: Stearns, Charles, of Wat., m. (1) Hannah ____, who d. Wat. 30 June 1651, (2) Rebecca Gibson (John) 22 June 1654, 558; rem. to Lynn, d. bef. 1695, wife insane, imagining herself bewitched, 363, 558, 660; testifies against widow Holman, 363.
  Person ID	I5516	Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
  Last Modified	14 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Shubael STEARNS,   b. Abt 1598
  Family ID	F46	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Rebecca GIBSON,   b. Abt 1635
  Marriage	22 Jun 1654	Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA
  Children	1. Shubael STEARNS, Sr.,   b. 20 Sep 1655, Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA d. Bef 2 Sep 1734, Lynn, Essex County, MA (Age < 78 years)   2. John STEARNS, Sr.,   b. 24 Jan 1657, Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA d. 22 Feb 1722, Lexington, Middlesex County, MA (Age 65 years)   3. Isaac STEARNS,   b. 1658   4. Rebecca STEARNS,   b. 1661   d. 23 Sep 1746 (Age 85 years)   5. Charles STEARNS, Jr.   d. Bef 1695   6. Martha STEARNS
  Family ID	F2982	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	14 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family 2	Hannah (STEARNS)   d. 30 Jun 1651, Watertown, Middlesex County, MA
  Children	1. Samuel STEARNS,   b. 2 Jun 1650, Watertown, Middlesex County, MA
  Family ID	F3106	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	14 Apr 2024