The Sterling genealogy

288 THE STERLING GENEALOGY
Jacob bought of " John Wilcokson, Jun* & Deborah wilcokson
of Stratford in the County of fairfield . . . for and in considera-
tion of thirty pounds . . . sixteen acres of land lying in the
County of Fairfield afore S d on the place called & known by the
name of ol Hill, little more or less, it being the equal half of thirty
two acres originaly laid out to John Brinsmend, Bounded on the
North with the land of Daniel Brinsmend & on the east & west with
Common land and on the south with the land of Jore Judson."
This sixteen acres was deeded to Jacob, styled " Ship wright,"
on the " thirteenth day Sept. in y e year of our Lord God, 1715 "
The Fairfield Proprietors' Book tells us that : " The town grants
liberty to Moses Dimon, Jacob Sterling, Luke Ghuir & Nath? Lyon
to erect a Saw Mill on Aspetuck River in ye mile comon & to
raise ye Dam so high as they shall think needfull for y e Improve-
ment of s d mill on s d River," Mar. 4, 1716-17.
" Henry Summers of Stratford . . . for & in consideration of
40 pounds in hand well & truly paid by Jacob Starling . . . Ship
wright " sold Jacob "12 acres of land lying in the bounds of
Stratford, on the west side of Ireland's brook, originally laid out
to my father Henry Summers, Bounded on the North with land
laid out to Joice Judson, south by land laid out to Samuel Gregory,
West on Highway & East on Common land . . . the 28 day of July
in the year of our Lord God, 1718."
Ireland's Brook is a small stream running in a southeasterly
direction and emptying into the Pequonnock River, at that portion
of it called Fresh Pond. It was on this ground that Jacob had his
ship yard.
A year and a half later " Caleb Fairchild & James Fairchild
both of Stratfield," sold to Jacob Starling for " 20 pounds to us
already secured to us ... a certain piece of land lying in Strat-
field, within the bounds of Stratford & in quantity about one half
acre, bounded by Joseph Booth's land northward, Southward by
the county road, eastwardly & westerly by common or highway,
with a dwelling house there on . . . 6th day of February, Anodomino,
1719-20." This house Jacob occupied as his home. It was located
on the north side of the road, known as the King's Highway, run-
ning through Stratford to Fairfield. The house was a short dis-