William Stearman

William Stearman (1813 – 11 April 1846) was an English cricketer who played during the 1830s and 1840s. He made 15 first-class appearances, mainly for Kent sides immediately before the formation of Kent County Cricket Club.

Stearman was born at Aldborough in Norfolk in 1813,   the son of John and Sarah Stearman (née Muniment). Professionally he worked as a cooper and is believed to have been recruited to play for Kent by Fuller Pilch, a Norfolk player who had been persuaded to move to Town Malling in 1836.

On his first-class debut for Kent against Sussex in 1836, Stearman scored 26 not out in his second innings, the highest score of the match. A right-handed batsman, he played in a total of 15 first-class matches, 11 for Kent sides and four for England XIs, scoring a total of 244 runs and frequently opening the batting for Kent. The 26 he scored on debut remained his highest first-class score. in 1839 he was the first man dismissed by Sam Redgate during a four-ball over in which he took three wickets. Stearman had scored 15; both Alfred Mynn and Pilch were dismissed for ducks.

By 1843 Stearman had returned to Norfolk. He played for Norfolk sides between 1842 and 1845 in matches which do not have first-class status. He died of tuberculosis in 1846 and is buried at Thurgarton, the neighbouring village to Aldborough.