Deaths registered in the Town of Athol for the year 1860 No.: 15 Date of Death: May 30 1860 Name: Lydia Stearns Age: 83 y. 5 m. 22 d. [birth calculates to about 8 Dec 1776] Place of Death: Athol Cause: Debility [Syncope?] Sex and Condition: Widow Occupation: [blank] Place of Birth: Orange Parents: [blank]
ISAIAH STEARNS Died Sept. 19, 1818, AE. 45. LYDIA His Wife Died May 30, 1860, AE. 83
ABNER, Died Mar. 13, 1816, AE. 2 yrs.
LEVI, Died Sept. 5, 1820, AE. 11 yrs.
LYDIA, Died Sept. 9, 1821 AE. 21. Children of I. & L. Stearns
↑Allred, p. 255, identifies Lydia as daughter of Joseph and Esther Smith of Warwick, b. 10 Jul 1773. This is not in good agreement with her age at death and none of the children were named Joseph or Esther, so this seems to be an assumption based on marriage in Warwick implying birth in Warwick. Lydia could easily belong to another Smith family in Warwick for which no birth records have been found, no complete listing of siblings has been found (i.e, no probate found for the father, etc.), and for which the calculated birth date would fit perfectly between two of the surmised siblings. And Isaiah and Lydia did name a son Abner, possibly after that potential father? More research is needed.
