The Sterling genealogy

WILLIAM STERLING OF HUNGAR'S PARISH 233
further mention is found of Agnes Somers. May 28, 1690, Wil-
liam Sterlinge was bound over to the Court upon the complaint
of Mr. John Barons and released on the next day. (P. 34. Ibid.)
Dec. 8, 1690, William entered a complaint against the estate
of Charles Holden.
William seems to have been in the right in about all his suits
until we find, on Jan. 28, 1691, a little moral obliquity, which
was generously pardoned by the court. " Upon the Comp*. of
Cott. Jn°. Custis Ag*. Wm. Sterlinge Cooper for Undo-baringe
an Empty Tobacco tub disposed by him to Robert Browne, w ch
manifestly disapearinge by sufficient ebidence, which tub was rowi-
bed by the said Cott. Custis full of Tobacco from the Said Browne
and forasmuch as it being the said Sterlings first default of the
Law probided against such Injurious abuses. The said Cott.
Custis, out of his clemency being willinge to pass the same by, he
is therefore acquitted from ye fine imposed by Act in such cases,
hee payinge Court Charges." (P. 148, Ibid.)
That William was a slaveholder, as was of course common
at that date, appears by the following entry under date of Mar.
28, 1692:
" This day Wm. Sterlinge brought his colr a boy to the Court
Named John Wyrd to habe their Judgement of his age, whom they
judged to be fourteene years of age." (P. 160, Ibid.)
Upon other dates William secured judgments for 10,000
pounds of tobacco and casks against Capt. Nathaniel Walker, as
" Bayle for Peter Maples," for 473 pounds of Tobacco, with
casks, against John Robins as trustee of the estate of John Cus-
tis, and for 520 pounds of tobacco and casks against John Barons.
From the above court records we may assume that William was
a pretty good business man and a good collector and from the
condition of his estate at the time of his death, it may be judged
that he was frugal and amassed a very comfortable fortune for his
day and generation. He seems to have been temperate in his
habits, at least he secured but three quarts of wine out of " Two
pipes & a half & containing upards about Two hundred & Ninety
Gallons," in 1687.
In 1688, William and his wife Elizabeth had a quarrel with