The Sterling genealogy

WILLIAM STERLING OF HAVERHILL, MASS. 303
Joseph Starlin bought of Reynold Marvin on May 4, 1738,
sixty-eight acres of land near that of his father in North Lyme
for £204. May 28, 1746, he bought of Capt. Elisha Sheldon and
Samuel Ely, forty acres of land at Nickerson's Hill for " Two
Hundred pounds in bills of Publick Cred^ of the old Tennour."
He bought of Samuel McCrary for £60, ten acres of land lying on
a hill south of Nickerson Hill, Oct. 2, 1747.
Joseph Starlin was chosen lister at a town meeting held Dec.
27, 1747. He undoubtedly lived in the house in Sterling City,
near the falls in the Mill Stream, occupied by his father Daniel.
He seems to have been the favorite son although the youngest,
as he received the bulk of Daniel's estate. Joseph did not, how-
ever, live long to enjoy the possession of his many broad acres,
as he died a little more than a year after his father's decease, " Sep-
tember y e 19th 1748 in the 42 nd year of his age." His death was
probably sudden as he died intestate.
He was buried by the side of his father in the Sterling City
cemetery. The inscription on the stone over his grave is : " Here
lyes interred the body of Mr. Joseph Starling who departed this
life September y e 19th 1748, in y° 42 d year of his age."
Richard Lord, Benjamin Coult, and John Lay, 3d, were
appointed by the Probate Court to make a division of the estate.
This was not until April 16, 1753, nearly five years after Joseph's
decease and within a few months of the comming of age of his
eldest child, Samuel. The certificate of this division was not
recorded until Oct. 12, 1762, after the death of the widow.
By the provisions of this instrument Mrs. Sarah Starlin
Colby received land in Salisbury in 1640 and '43, was one of the first commoners in
Amesbury where he received land in 1654 and '58 and his widow in his right in '62 and
'64; m. in Boston in 1630; probably came with Winthrop; d. Feb. 11, 1660; widow
Susanna, m. 2ndly William Whitridge in 1663 or '64, he d. in 1669, she d. July 8, 1689.
The eldest son of John and Sarah (Bagley) Mack was John Mack, b. in Salisbury,
Mass., Apr. 29, 1682. John, Jr., came to Lyme, Conn., with his father's family before
1693. He m. there 1703 or '04 Love Bennett, b. Mar. 19, 1685, fourth child of Henry
Bennett of Lyme, who m. Jan 27, 1673, Sarah, b. in 1649, eldest dau. of Henry Cham-
pion of Saybrook, who m. 1st, Aug., 1647, m. 2nd, Mar. 21, 1698, Deborah and d.
at great age, Feb. 17, 1709. Henry Bennett d. 1726.
John Mack, Jr., m. 2ndly, 1733, Widow Davis or Dunsill. His eldest child was
Sarah, b. Oct. 10, 1704; m. Joseph Sterling. (Hoyt's Old Families of Salisbury and
Amesbury, Mass. ; Savage 's Genealogical Dictionary ; Lyme Town Records ; Mack
Gene.)