Records of the Court of general sessions of the peace for the county of Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1731 to 1737

Sterling : — This town previous to its incorporation was "the
Second Parish of Lancaster," and was commonly called by its
Indian name, Chocksett. It was incorporated in 1781, and one
authority says it was named from Stirling, the capitol of Stir-
lingshire, Scotland; but there is reason to doubt this. Peter
Whitney in his History of Worcester County states that it was
named in honor of Lord Stirling, and there are strong reasons
for believing this to be correct. William Alexander, known in
history only as Lord Stirling, was born in New York in 1726.
He claimed the Earldom in Scotland and spent a large fortune
in attempting to gain title to the estates of Stirling, but was
unsuccessful. In the French and Indian war he was a member
of Gen. Shirley's military family. At the breaking out of the
revolutionary war he was appointed colonel of a regiment, and
subsequently was created a Major General. He fought with
Washington at the battle of Long Island, Brandywine and Ger-
mantown. As a patriot he fills an honorable place in American
history. Considering the date of the naming of the town, 1781,
it is far more reasonable that the people desired to compliment
the Patriot, Lord Stirling, than that they had in mind this Scotch
town of Stirling. The name was originally Easterling and was
anciently given to the money brought to England by honest
Holland merchants, "Easterling money," it was called. The
word was finally shortened to Sterling, and in time became the
name of the English money. In this way the word came to
mean, "good," "money" &c.

EDIT: My post regarding Lafayette make it clear that as of 1824, the people of Sterling, Massachusetts believed their town had been named after General Sterling.

Records of the Court of general sessions of the peace for the county of Worcester, Massachusetts, from 1731 to 1737

Sterling : — This town previous to its incorporation was "the
Second Parish of Lancaster," and was commonly called by its
Indian name, Chocksett. It was incorporated in 1781, and one
authority says it was named from Stirling, the capitol of Stir-
lingshire, Scotland; but there is reason to doubt this. Peter
Whitney in his History of Worcester County states that it was
named in honor of Lord Stirling, and there are strong reasons
for believing this to be correct. William Alexander, known in
history only as Lord Stirling, was born in New York in 1726.
He claimed the Earldom in Scotland and spent a large fortune
in attempting to gain title to the estates of Stirling, but was
unsuccessful. In the French and Indian war he was a member
of Gen. Shirley's military family. At the breaking out of the
revolutionary war he was appointed colonel of a regiment, and
subsequently was created a Major General. He fought with
Washington at the battle of Long Island, Brandywine and Ger-
mantown. As a patriot he fills an honorable place in American
history. Considering the date of the naming of the town, 1781,
it is far more reasonable that the people desired to compliment
the Patriot, Lord Stirling, than that they had in mind this Scotch
town of Stirling. The name was originally Easterling and was
anciently given to the money brought to England by honest
Holland merchants, "Easterling money," it was called. The
word was finally shortened to Sterling, and in time became the
name of the English money. In this way the word came to
mean, "good," "money" &c.

EDIT: My post regarding Lafayette make it clear that as of 1824, the people of Sterling, Massachusetts believed their town had been named after General Sterling.

A Gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts... 1847

A Gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts in the commonwealth; also, of its principal mountains, rivers, capes, bays, harbors, islands, and fashionable resorts. To which are added, statistical accounts of its agriculture, commerce and manufactures; with a great variety of other useful information.

BOSTON:
JOHN HAYWARD

1847. 

STERLING.

Worcester Co. This was for many
years the second parish of Lancaster,
and was first settled as early as 1720.
Its Indian name was Chockset. At its
incorporation, in 1781, it was named
in honor of Lord Sterling, of New Jer-
sey, an American general.

Sterling is a large town, bounded on
the north by Leominster, east by Lan-
caster, south by West Boylston, and
west by Princeton.

The surface of the town is hilly
and uneven, but there is very little
broken or waste land in it. The soil
is fertile, producing in rich abundance,
to repay the husbandman for its culti-
vation. The land is naturally moist,
and by the help of the rivulets, the
water may be turned over the sides
of most of the hills. There is but one
river in the town, called Still river,
from the placid motion of the waters.
In tlie central part of the town, there
is an uncommonly beautiful little vil-
lage, consisting of two churches, and
about twenty dwelling-houses.

The manufactures of the town con-
sist of leather, boots, shoes, palm-leaf
hats, straw bonnets, scythe snaths,
and especially of chairs and cabinet-
ware, of which a large amount is an-
nually made.

There are in this town many large
and well cultivated farms, and the
people generally are good farmers,
and find the business both healthful
and lucrative.

A church was gathered here in.
1744, and the Rev. John Mellen was
settled as pastor the same year. He
was succeeded by the Rev. Reuben
Holcomb, in 1779.

Sterling lies twelve miles north
from Worcester, ten south south-west
from the Shirley depot, on the Fitch-
burg railroad, and forty west by north
from Boston.

A Gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts... 1847

A Gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts in the commonwealth; also, of its principal mountains, rivers, capes, bays, harbors, islands, and fashionable resorts. To which are added, statistical accounts of its agriculture, commerce and manufactures; with a great variety of other useful information.

BOSTON:
JOHN HAYWARD

1847. 

STERLING.

Worcester Co. This was for many
years the second parish of Lancaster,
and was first settled as early as 1720.
Its Indian name was Chockset. At its
incorporation, in 1781, it was named
in honor of Lord Sterling, of New Jer-
sey, an American general.

Sterling is a large town, bounded on
the north by Leominster, east by Lan-
caster, south by West Boylston, and
west by Princeton.

The surface of the town is hilly
and uneven, but there is very little
broken or waste land in it. The soil
is fertile, producing in rich abundance,
to repay the husbandman for its culti-
vation. The land is naturally moist,
and by the help of the rivulets, the
water may be turned over the sides
of most of the hills. There is but one
river in the town, called Still river,
from the placid motion of the waters.
In tlie central part of the town, there
is an uncommonly beautiful little vil-
lage, consisting of two churches, and
about twenty dwelling-houses.

The manufactures of the town con-
sist of leather, boots, shoes, palm-leaf
hats, straw bonnets, scythe snaths,
and especially of chairs and cabinet-
ware, of which a large amount is an-
nually made.

There are in this town many large
and well cultivated farms, and the
people generally are good farmers,
and find the business both healthful
and lucrative.

A church was gathered here in.
1744, and the Rev. John Mellen was
settled as pastor the same year. He
was succeeded by the Rev. Reuben
Holcomb, in 1779.

Sterling lies twelve miles north
from Worcester, ten south south-west
from the Shirley depot, on the Fitch-
burg railroad, and forty west by north
from Boston.