Members of the Stearns family were merchants working in the Boston area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The family included Horace, Samuel, Jacob, Thomas, James, and William, but the relationships between these men is not clear from these papers. Samuel was living in Waltham when he died in 1817; Thomas and William (who were brothers) were executors of his estate. In the 1816 Boston directory, James and Jacob were listed as being in the dry goods business, with a store at 23 Cornhill. In the 1821 directory, Thomas and Horace were business partners in Boston's first hat manufactory, located at 22 Cornhill. In the 1823 directory, Horace was listed as having a hat store at that address.
From the description of Papers, 1792-1854, 1792-1836 (bulk). (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 261233637
