History of Billerica, (Middlesex County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Onslow Stearns Biography

Onslow Stearns, governor of New Hampshire, was born in Billerica, Mass., Aug. 30, 1810; son of John and Mary (Lane) Stearns; grandson of Isaac and Sarah (Abbot) Stearns, great-grandson of Obed Abbot, and a descendant of Isaac and Mary Stearns, who came to America in the ship Arbella with Governor Winthrop, Sir Richard Saltonstall and others. They landed in Salem, Mass., June 12, 1630, and soon after settled in Watertown, Mass. Onslow Stearns attended the local academy; removed to Boston in 1827, and to Virginia in 1830. With his brother he was employed in building the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, and in 1833, forming a partnership, contracted to build several large railways. He removed to New Hampshire in 1837, and was married, June 26, 1845, to Mary Abbot, daughter of Adin and Polly (Warren) Holbrook of Lowell, Mass., who died in Concord, N.H., in 1895. He was president of the Northern railroad, 1852?78, and of the Concord and Old Colony railroads; a Republican state senator, 1862?64, serving as president of the senate during his last term; was a delegate to the Republican national convention in Baltimore in 1864, and was governor of New Hampshire, 1869?71. He died at Concord, N.H., Dec. 29, 1878.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor