Franklin District Medical Society       Dr. Samuel Stearns, son of Charles Stearns, was born in Leyden, Franklin Co., Mass., June 29, 1792. He studied medicine with Dr. Samuel Norris, of Homer, Cortland Co., N. Y., for two years, and afterward with Dr. George Winslow, of Coleraine, Franklin Co., Mass. Sept. 22, 1816, he married Luseba, daughter of Capt. Edward Adams, of Coleraine. He practiced medicine in Brookfield, Madison Co., N. Y., and New Haven, Vt., previous to the year 1821, at which date he returned to Coleraine, where he remained until 1835, when he removed to Greenfield, Franklin Co., Mass., where he continued the practice of his profession until about the year 1860, when he became incapacitated, by reason of spinal disease, from active business. This difficulty was superinduced by a fall from a load of hay. His death occurred on the 16th of June, 1867, at the age of seventy-five years.       Christopher Deane, M.D., was a native of Stonington, Conn., where he was born on the 12th of August, 1783. At an early age he removed with his father to Coleraine, Franklin Co., Mass., where the family settled on a farm. His education was obtained at the common district school and at the Deerfield Academy. Succeeding his school-days he taught a district school during, the winter months for several years, and studied medicine with Dr. Samuel Ross, the first settled physician of the town of Coleraine. He commenced practice about the year 1807, and continued uninterruptedly until his death, July 25, 1854, a period of almost half a century. His practice grew to extensive proportions, though the remuneration was somewhat disproportioned to the amount of labor performed. He possessed an excellent library for those days, and. kept himself fully abreast of the progress of the age, and, probably, somewhat in advance of his contemporaries in country practice. He was a man of unassuming manners, quiet and gentlemanly in his bearing toward all.       He married, Sarah, daughter of Dr. Samuel Ross, by whom he had thirteen children,—six sons and seven daughters. His sons were all business or professional men, only two of whom are now living,—Dr. A. C. Deane, of Greenfield, Mass., and one in California. | Previous Page | Contents | Next Page | | Franklin County | | Western Mass History & Genealogy | These pages are © Laurel O'Donnell, 2005, all rights reserved and cannot be reproduced in any format without permission This page was last updated on 06 Aug 2005