William Stearns (abt. 1825 - 1917)

Born about 1825 in Barrington, Cambridgeshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Plaw — married 5 Oct 1860 in Church of St John, Wollombi, New South Wales

Descendants

Died 22 Sep 1917 at about age 92 in Blandford, Warrah Shire, Murrurundi, New South Wales

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Biography

William changed his name to John William Stearns when he got to Australia. His brother John Michael Stearns continued to live in England.

In 1851, two brothers, John and William, were still near home in Barrington, Cambridgeshire. William, not John, came to Australia on the Plantagenet of 1854....

William Stearns, 28y, farm labr, b. Barrington Cam to John & Zebby, both dead, c/e, reads, no relations in colony, good health, no complaints, paid 1 pound to AJ Act.

But once settled, William used the name John, the name of his father and brother, and made William his middle name.

NSW MARRIAGE REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION REF NO 1860/2838

• GROOM -JOHN STEARNS (HIS X MARK)
• STATUS -BACHELOR
• PLACE OF BIRTH -ENGLAND
• OCCUPATION -LABOURER
• AGE -31
• USUAL RESIDENCE -WOLLOMBI
• FATHER -JOHN STEARNS
• OCCUPATION -WHEELWRIGHT
• MOTHER -ZEBA STEARNS (SURNAME HAS BEEN TICKED, BUT NOTE THAT *THIS IS NOT HER MAIDEN NAME)
• BRIDE -SARAH PLOW(HER X MARK)
• STATUS -SPINSTER
• PLACE OF BIRTH -N S WALES
• OCCUPATION -NOT STATED
• AGE -NOT STATED
• USUAL RESIDENCE -WOLLOMBI
• FATHER -WILLIAM PLOW
• OCCUPATION -LABOURER
• MOTHER -MARY WELSH
• DATE OF MARRIAGE -5/10/1860
• PLACE OF MARRIAGE -CHURCH OF ST JOHNS WOLLOMBI NSW
• RELIGION -CHURCH OF ENGLAND
• WITNESSES -HENRY BAKER, JANE COLLYER
• MINISTER -JOHN F R WHINFIELD
• BIRTHPLACE/AGE/PARENT DETAILS WERE OBTAINED FROM CHURCH REGISTER NO 1375

NSW DEATH REGISTRATION TRANSCRIPTION REF NO 1917/10294

• NAME -JOHN WILLIAM STEARNS
• DATE OF DEATH -22/9/1917
• PLACE -BLANDFORD, WARRAH SHIRE, DISTRICT OF MURRURUNDI NSW
• OCCUPATION -LABOURER, OLD AGE PENSIONER
• SEX -MALE
• AGE -93
• CONJUGAL STATUS -
• PLACE OF BIRTH -BARRINGTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE ENGLAND
• TIME IN AUST COLONIES -ABOUT 60 YEARS IN NSW
• FATHER -WILLIAM STEARNS
• OCCUPATION -WHEELWRIGHT
• MOTHER -(GIVEN NAME NOT STATED) WESBY
• PLACE OF MARRIAGE -WOLLOMBI NSW
• AGE AT MARRIAGE -33
• NAME OF SPOUSE -SARAH PLOW
• CHILDREN OF MARRIAGE -JOHN 55, ELIAS 54, MARY A A 50, RUTH 49, *JAMES 42, LIVING; 3 MALES, 2 FEMALES DECEASED
• INFORMANT -J STEARNS, SON, BLANDFORD
• CAUSE OF DEATH -SENILE DECAY
• LENGTH OF ILLNESS -
• MEDICAL ATTENDANT -B L MIDDLETON
• DATE LAST SEEN -21/9/1917
• DATE OF BURIAL -23/9/1917
• PLACE OF BURIAL -GENERAL CEMETERY MURRURUNDI
• MINISTER & RELIGION -Y F RUSHFORTH, CHURCH OF ENGLAND
• UNDERTAKER -A J FISHBURN
• WITNESSES -J L NORVILL, E W STEWART
• REGISTERED -24/9/1917 MURRURUNDI

Births and other records of children can be found using normal NSW indexes. Notes based on what was recorded also in the death certificates of the two parents in 1902 and 1917:

• 14253/1861 STEARNS, WILLIAM JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI . Dead before 1902, one of the 3 dead males noted in the parents' death certificates. Death certificate 10207/1883 in Narrabri, William Stearns with parents John and Sarah.
• 14930/1862 STERNS, JOHN JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI . Living in 1902 and 1917. See below.
• 16343/1864 STERNS, ELLIS JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI . Living in 1902 and 1917, but called Elias.
• 16404/1866 STERNS, (FEMALE) JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI . Apparently one of the 2 dead females noted in the parents' death certificates. It seems her name was Sarah, death certificate 6391/1874 in Murrurundi, parents John and Sarah Stearns.
• 17841/1867 STERNS, MARY A JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI . Still living in 1902 and 1917.
• 18044/1868 STERNS, RUTH JOHN SARAH WOLLOMBI . Still living in 1902 and 1917.
• 15110/1874 STAIRNS JAMES JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI . Still living in 1902 and 1917.
• 17308/1878 STEARNS, ALFRED JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI . Apparently one of the 3 dead males noted in the parents' death certificates. Death certificate 7171/1879 in Murrundi, Alfred Stearns with parents John and Sarah.
• 16202/1877 STEARNS, HELEN JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI . Apparently one of the 2 dead females noted in the parents' death certificates.
• 15807/1876 STEARNS, CHARLES JOHN SARAH MURRURUNDI . Apparently one of the 3 dead males noted in the parents' death certificates. Death certificate 6941/1877 in Murrundi, Charles Sterns with parents John and Sarah.

Maybe the son's family:

• 23003/1887 STERNES WILLIAM M JOHN L SARAH MOREE . Death certificate 10058/1889 in Morree, William M, son of John L Sternes and Sarah.

Evening News (Sydney) Wed 21 Jun 1893 Page 6 In Bankruptcy.

6752. John Stearns, of Blandford, laborer. Mr. Morris, assignee.

The Maitland Weekly Mercury of Saturday 6 October 1917, under the title of "MURRURUNDI" has this to say:

A very old resident of the district passed away last Saturday, at the great age of 93; in the person of Mr. John Stearns, sen., of Blandford. When he first came to the colony he farmed for a time at Wollombi, where he married, and after some years took up railway work. For the past thirty years he had been engaged in contract work on Harben Hale for the late Mr. F. R. White. He was a zealous character, and was much respected. His wife predeceased him fifteen years ago, and five of a family of ten children survive him to mourn their loss. His remains were interred in the Murrurundi general cemetery on Sunday, Rev. Canon Rushforth conducting the funeral service.

Sources

• This person is the subject of a detailed webpage by his descendant Andrew Lancaster