William Stearn

LIFE GOES ON: AN INTRODUCTION

MY GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

THE SIXTEEN FAMILIES

KNOTT - I - BOWLES - I - WATERS - I - HARRALL - I - PAGE - I - WISEMAN - I - CROSS - I - CARTER

CORNWELL - I - HUCKLE - I - MORTLOCK - I - MANSFIELD - I - REYNOLDS - I - CARTER - I - ANABLE - I - STEARN

CHRONOLOGY - I - DRAMATIS PERSONAE - I - WHERE PEOPLE CAME FROM - I - CALENDAR

MAP OF ELY - I - MAP OF MEDWAY
MAP OF CAMBRIDGE AND DISTRICT

THE WORKHOUSE

WORLD WAR I - I - WORLD WAR II

simonknott.co.uk I home I e-mail

LIFE GOES ON

William Stearn
born Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire, 1820
died Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire, 1892

on the Reynolds family tree
part of the Stearn family story

married to Caroline Kester

father of Lydia Stearn

son of
John Sterne
and Lydia Ivett

William Stearn (1820-1892). My Mother's Mother's Mother's Mother's Father. My Great-Great-Great-Grandfather.

The Stern, Sterne Stearn, and Starne surnames appear regularly in the parish registers of Dry Drayton from the start of the 19th Century, eventually crystalising as Stearn. Some of the family were bricklayers. William's father John had married twice, firstly to Lydia Ivett, who was William's mother, and then to Sarah Male after the death of Lydia. Dry Drayton was a poor, unhealthy parish, but even so John was most unfortunate. Of the eleven children he had with his wives only two survived into adulthood, and only William would live into old age.

William would also marry twice, to Ann Rutter and then to Caroline Kester. His first wife died very young, but his second wife would be my great-great-great-grandmother. William's life spanned most of the century, but he lived in the same parish all his life, and was buried there.

1820: William was born in Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire. He was baptised in St Peter and St Paul's church on 2nd April, the third child of John and Lydia Sterne, of this parish.

1841 Census:

William was twenty years old at the time of the 1841 census. He was an agricultural labourer, living in the household of William Rutter in Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

William Rutter was aged 52, and also an agricultural labourer. Also in the household on the night of the census was William Rutter's daughter Ann, whose given age of 15 would have been rounded down to the nearest five by the census enumerator. Everyone in the household was born in Cambridgeshire.

1841: On Christmas Day, William Stern married Ann Rutter at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton. William, a labourer, and Ann were both shown as of full age and of this parish. The witnesses were William's sister Susannah and William Rogers. Ann was pregnant.

1842: On 27th April, William and Ann's son Robert was baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton.

1844: On 21st July, William and Ann's son John was baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton.

1847: In May, William's wife Ann died. She was buried in Dry Drayton churchyard on 28th May. She was 24 years old.

1850: On 2nd March, William Stearn married Caroline Kester at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton. William was a widower of full age, Caroline was 18. Both were of this parish. The witnesses were John Kester and Ann Rogers. Caroline was pregnant, and gave birth to their first son John shortly after the marriage. He was baptised in the same church less than six months later on the 25th August, but died and was buried in Dry Drayton churchyard on 12th September, when his age was given as six months.

1851 census:

William was thirty years old at the time of the 1851 census. He was an agricultural labourer, living in the household of William Rutter in Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

William Rutter was aged 64, also an agricultural labourer. He was the head of the household, and the father of William Stearn's first wife Ann. Also in the household were William's second wife Caroline aged 19, and his two sons from his first marriage Robert aged 9 and John aged 7. William Rutter was born in Harlton, Cambridgeshire. Caroline was born in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire. William and his two sons were born in Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

1852: William and Caroline's daughter Susannah was born, and baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton on 16th May.

1856: William and Caroline's daughter Lydia and son John were baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton on 21st September. Lydia was a baby. John was probably two years old. He died in December 1859 and was buried on New Years Day 1860 when his age was given as five. Lydia would survive, and be my great-great-grandmother.

1861 census:

William was thirty-nine years old at the time of the 1861 census. He was an agricultural labourer. The Stearn family were living at Queens Row, Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

His wife Caroline was 29. There were six children in the household on the night of the census. Robert was 19, William was 16, Susanna was 9, Lydia was 5, James was 3 and Alfred was 1. There is no baptismal record for James in the Dry Drayton parish registers. James's gravestone is still extant in Dry Drayton churchyard: he died aged 87 in 1941.

Everyone in the household was born at Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire, apart from Caroline who was born in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire. The transcript for the entry is here.

1863: William and Caroline's daughter Elizabeth and son Alfred were baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton on 15th March. Elizabeth was probably a baby, Alfred was three years old.

1865: William and Caroline's daughter Alice was born, and baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton on 20th August.

1871 census:

William was fifty years old at the time of the 1871 census. He was an agricultural labourer. The Stearn family were living at Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

His wife Caroline was 39. There were five children in the household on the night of the census. James was 13, Alfred was 11, Elizabeth was 9, Alice was 6 and Frederick was 3. James and Alfred were both shown as agricultural labourers.

Everyone in the household was born at Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire, apart from Caroline who was born in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire.

1875: William and Caroline's sons Frederick and Arthur were baptised at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton on 9th April. Arthur was three years old, Frederick was seven years old.

1877: On 15th December, William and Caroline's daughter Lydia married Samuel Anable at St Peter and St Paul's church, Dry Drayton. They would be my great-great-grandparents.

1881 census:

William was sixty-one years old at the time of the 1881 census. He was a labourer. The Stearn family were living at High Street, Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

His wife Caroline was 51. Four of their sons were living at home. James was 23, Alfred was 21, Frederick was 13 and Arthur was 9. All were shown as labourers.

The census records that all the family were born at Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire except for Caroline, whose birthplace for this census only was given as Comberton, Cambridgeshire.

1891 census:

William was seventy years old at the time of the 1891 census. He was an agricultural labourer. The Stearn family were living at Petits Lane, Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire.

William's wife Caroline was 61 years old. Their son Arthur, aged 19, was also living at home. Caroline and Arthur were also shown as agricultural labourers.William and Arthur were born in Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire. Caroline was born in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire.

1892: In January, William died. He was buried in Dry Drayton churchyard on 20th January. He was 71 years old.

1916: William and Caroline's grandson Harry Anable was killed on the first day of the Somme, July 1st. He was 20 years old, and is remembered among the Missing on the Thiepval memorial and on the parish war memorial in Dry Drayton church.