The Sterling genealogy

240 THE STERLING GENEALOGY
them by Maj r John Custis of the County of Northampton abobe-
said the Twenty Eight day of January last past and to pay the
said Estates debts Equally between them as aforesaid.
And lastly for the true & Reale Pformance of all and Singular
the p r mises herein contained each of the Said parties to these
p r sents To say Richard Sterlinge the Son and Elizabeth Sterlinge,
the widow, binde themselves, their heirs, Exec es & Adm es to each
other in the p r onall sume of one hundred pounds Sterlinge money
of England to bee well and truely paid to Content on Demand. In
witness whereof and habe hereunto Interchangeably sett their hands
and seales the day and yeare first abobe mantioned.
The said Elizabeth
Sterlinge + her marke.
(Y e Seale.)"
(Pp. 226-7-8-9, Vol. 12.)
There is small likelihood that the last resting-place of William
Sterling will ever be established. Like most Southern communities,
the custom of erecting stones over the dead did not obtain in
Northampton county at this date or until a century thereafter
and the burial-place of his body has, without doubt, been obliter-
ated for many years. He appears to have been survived by but
one child, the issue of his marriage with Margaret Edwards
Richard Sterling, b. according to a deposition given Mar. 29,
1689, when he gave his age as " 20 y rs or thereabouts," in
1669. He was of Accomac Co., Va. The records of that
county have been examined, without, it is said, finding any
reference to Richard Sterling. It is inferred, therefore, that
there were no descendants of William Sterling of Northampton
Co. of the third generation.
At the present day Sterlings live in the immediate vicinity
of Richard's farm on the Pocomoke river but they are probably
descendants of John Sterling of Somerset Co., Md.,
1667 (q-v.).