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THE EARLE FAMILY
RALPH EART.F
AND HIS DESCENDANTS
COMPILED BY
PLINY EARLE
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PRINTED FOR THE FAMILY.
WORCESTER, MAS.
PRESS OF CHARLES HAMILTON, 1 89
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II
THE EARLE FAMILY
RALPH EARI.F.
AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
>f ■■■ ■■'■IIM I——— I ML I !■ ■■■■ ■ — — »fa— m
COMPILED BY
PLINY EARLE
OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
PRINTED FOR THE FAMILY.
WORCESTER, MASS.: PRESS OF CHARLES HAMILTON,
1888.
1171161
INTRODUCTION.
"tf As this book is specially devoted to an exposition of the ^genealogy of the descendants of one emigrant from the mother \ country, an introduction thereto might, without impropriety, be ^omitted, and the work left to tell its own story. But a brief glance at the historical relations of the family in England, and vat some other branches of it in the United States, may not be '.unacceptable to persons not already familiar with the subject. In a communication from a member of the London Genea- Srlogical Society, the writer says: "The family of Earle is of ^.very ancient origin, and can be traced back, most probably, -to a Saxon ancestor, prior to the Norman conquest ; but cer- tainly I find evidences proving that, at the time of Henry the Second (who was crowned A. D. 1154), they were of Beck- ^ington, in the County of Somerset." This authority is con- ^ firmed by Sir Bernard Burke, who, in his account of the ,Jfamily in the "Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland," says : "So far back as the seventh (year \of the reign of) Henry the Second, John de Erlegh paid five marks for the scutage of his lands at Beckington."
Our London correspondent goes on to say : "In the time of Henry the Third (who reigned from A. D. 1216 to A. D. 1272) Henry de Erie was Lord of Newton, in County Somer- set. The Earles were also Lords of North I?elherton, in the same County ; and, later on, in the time of Edward the Second (who was crowned in 1307), they were Lords of the Manor of Somerton Parva, also called Somerton Erleigh, in the County of Somerset, which they held by grand sergeancy as King's Chamberlain ; and in the forty-fifth year of the reign of Edward the Third (who was crowned in 1327), they held lands in the same County, by service of pouring water on the King's hands on Easter or Christmas day.
IV INTRODUCTION.
"One branch of the Somersetshire Erles settled in the County of Devon, in the time of Edward the Third, as I find John Erie holding lands at Ashburton, twenty miles from Exeter, and bearing the same arms as his Somersetshire ancestor : viz. : Gules, 3 escallops, argent, within a bordure, engrailed, argent. This John Erie's second son held lands at Culhampton, in the County of Devon, twelve miles from Exeter, and was succeeded in them by his son and heir, John Erie, who married Thomasine Beare, of the County of Somer- set, and by her had a son Walter, who married Mary, daughter and co-heir of Richard Wykes, of Bindon and Charlborough (or Charborough) , both in the County of Dorset. This Walter and his descendants continued owners of Charlborough until 1690, when Frances, sole daughter and heir of General Thomas Erie, married Sir Edward Ernly, Baronet, of Wading- ton, County of Wilts, by whom she left an only child and heir, Frances, who carried the estate to her husband, Henry Drax, of Ellerton Abbey, County of York.
"From the Erles of Devon are descended the Erles of Hants (Hampshire), Lincolnshire, London, Berkshire, and Essex.
"The elder son of John Erie, who first settled at Ashburton, County of Devon, and his descendants for several generations, continued to reside in that county. There are many lines of the Earles all springing from a common ancestor with him who first settled in Devonshire ; and, when perfected, the Earle pedigree would prove a valuable and interesting genea- logical history.
"The ancient armorials, as originally borne, are as follows : Arms. Gules, three escallops, argent, within a bordure engrailed of the last. Crest, a lion's head erased, or, trans- fixed with a spear, argent, embrued, gules.''''
The Walter Erie here mentioned was the Sir Walter of whom Hume says: "He was one of the first patriots of the English revolution of 1649." He was one of the five Knights who resisted the encroachments of King Charles the First
INTRODUCTION. V
upon the rights of his subjects, a more or less detailed account of which is given by Rushworth, Hume and Hallam, in their histories of England.
The Commons having failed to pass a bill for subsidies, the King was left without supplies. He demanded a general loan, for the raising of which each person was to be assessed according to his rate in the next previous subsidy ; and appointed a commission to have charge of the business. The common people who refused to contribute to the loan were impressed for service in the navy ; the gentry were bound in recognizances to appear at the Council table, and were com- mitted to prison. "Five gentlemen alone," says Hume, "had spirit enough to defend the public liberties, and to demand releasement, not as a favor from the court, but as their due by the laws of their country." One of these, as already inti- mated, was Sir Walter Erie. They sued out writs of habeas corpus from the Court of King's Bench, and, at the michael- mas term of that court, in the third year of the reign of the King, the warden of the Fleet prison, who held them in custo- dy, made return for each one of them, under a common form, of which that of Sir Walter was as follows :
"That Sir Walter Earl, Knight, named in the writ, is de- tained in the prison of the Fleet, in his custody, by special command of the King, to him signified by warrant of several of the Privy Council, in these words: 'Whereas Sir Walter Earl, Knight, was heretofore committed to your custody ; These are to will and require you still to detain, letting you know that both his first commitment, and direction for the continuance of him in prison, were and are by his Majesty's special commandment.'
Thomas Coventrey.
From Whitehall, November 7, 1627."
The prisoners were remanded to the custody of the Fleet. On the 29th of January, next following, it was decided by the King's council to call a parliament. The parliament was held in March, 1628, and the prisoners were released. " It is to the discussion which arose out of the case of these
VI INTRODUCTION.
five gentlemen," writes Rushworth (Historical Collections, Vol. I.), "that we owe the continual assertion, by parlia- ment, of the fundamental immunity of English subjects from arbitrary detention, and its ultimate establishment by the Statute of Charles the Second." This statute, "for the better securing the liberty of the subject," was passed May 27, 1679, and was called the "Subjects Writ of Right." It was "founded on the old common law, and is next in importance to Magna Charta" for, under it, "no subject of England can be detained in prison, except in cases where- in the detention is shown to be justified by the law." Not alone every Englishman, but every American as well, who appreciates the value of the safe-guards of his liberty and his rights, is obligated in gratitude to Sir Walter and his four companions for that heroic conduct in defiance of their Sover- eign, which was the initiatory act leading to the permanent establishment of the right to the writ of habeas corpus, and a test of the legality of imprisonment before a court of compe- tent jurisdiction.
Burke, in the dictionary already quoted, mentions the Gen- eral Thomas Erie, above mentioned, as "the famous Lieuten- ant General of the Ordnance, commander of the centre of the English army at the battle of Almanza (Spain), grandson and heir of Sir Walter Erie of Charborough, the parliamentarian."
The three counties, Dorset, Somerset and Devon, adjoin each other, and Exeter, the chief city of Devonshire, is not very remote from the centre of the territory included by the three. It is shown above, that for nearly five hundred years before the occurrence of the historical facts in relation to Sir Walter and his fellow-knights, that territory had been inhab- ited by Earles. As the people of England were at that time far less migratory than they are now, it is undoubtedly true that, in the course of those several centuries, those Earles must have so increased and multiplied as to have become quite numerous. Some of the earliest families were living within a few miles of Exeter, and there are monuments to persons of
INTRODUCTION. VII
the name in the Exeter cathedral. These facts are mentioned as arguments in favor of the probability of the truth of the tradition that Ralph Earle came from Exeter.
It will be perceived, further, as a matter of interest, that Sir Walter and Ralph were cotemporaries. The former was released from prison in 1628 ; ten years later, in 1638, Ralph was in Rhode Island, with a wife and at least two children. If, then, Ralph was from Exeter or its neighborhood, there is little doubt that there was a traceable kinship between them. It might have been near and it might have been remote, for the period of more than four preceding centuries, gave room for twelve or fourteen generations of descendants of the earliest families, and this would so far separate some of the members of the latest generation that they would be cousins of the tenth or twelfth remove — a remoteness which does not yet exist between any of even the youngest descendants of Ralph and Joan of Rhode Island.
It is very evident that many of the early settlers upon the island of Rhode Island and the adjacent region of Massachu- setts came from the southwesterly part of England. They gave to their new settlements names with which they were familiar at home. In England, the four towns Tiverton, Dart- mouth, Plymouth and Barnstaple are all in Devonshire, their distances from Exeter being but about 15, 32, 40 and 35 miles, respectively. Taunton, Bridgewater and Bristol are in County Somerset, the first about 30, the second about 40, and the last about 60 miles from Exeter. Swansea is on the coast of Wales, directly opposite Devonshire and but about 60 miles from Exeter. Falmouth is in County Cornwall, which joins Devon on the West, and is not far from 80 miles from Exeter ; while Newport and Portsmouth are in Hampshire, about 100 miles East of Exeter.
Among the more prominent branches of the family in Eng- land is that which is known as the Earles of Craglethorpe, in Lincolnshire. Sir Richard Earle, of that place, was created baronet in 1629. He had two sons, John and Richard.
VIII INTRODUCTION.
At his decease the title and estates descended to his grandson Richard, the son of his eldest son John. This Richard never married and consequently, at his decease, the title and estates reverted to his uncle Richard, who was still living. This Richard married Ellena, daughter of William Welby, Esq., of Denton, in Lincolnshire, and died about 1684, leaving one son, named Richard. He inherited the title and estates but died August 13, 1697, aged 24 years, unmarried. The title, after thus belonging to four Richards in succession, now became extinct. There were, however, other branches of the family. John Earle, Esq., of Liverpool, a descendant of the Craglethorpe Earles, married Mary Finch and had five chil- dren: 1, John; 2, Ralph; 3, Thomas; 4, William ; and 5, Sarah. 1, John, died without issue. 2, Ralph, married Dorothy Aldersley, of Liverpool. In 1788, the Willis estates of Halsmead and of Hall-of-the-Hill were bequeathed to him, and he assumed the surname and the Coat of Arms of the Willis family. 3, Thomas, married and had two daughters: Mary, who married her cousin Thomas (of Spekelands), and Jane, who married Richard Gwillyme. 4, William, married Mrs. Ann Winstanley and had three children ; first, William of Everton ; second, Thomas (of Spekelands) who had issue by his cousin Mary ; and third, Mary, who married Arthur Heywood, Esq., of Larkhill. 5, Sarah, married Rev. John Stanley, rector of Warwick, and brother of Edward, eleventh earl of Derby.
Hardman Earle, one of the eight children of Thomas (of Spekelands) and his cousin Mary, was a merchant in Liver- pool. He married in 1819, Mary, second daughter of William Langton, Esq., of Kirkham, County of Lancaster, by whom he had several children. He was created a baronet on the 3d of November, 1869, and his residence was known as Aller- ton Tower, in the County of Lancaster.
Richard Earle, Esq., another son of Thomas (of Speke- lands), was a barrister-at-law in Liverpool, and married Margaret, another daughter of William Langton, Esq. It
INTRODUCTION. IX
would appear that the living members of this branch of the family are somewhat numerous in Liverpool and the adjacent counties. General Earle, who was killed in 1885 in the war of the Soudan, and a bronze statute of whom, erected in front of St. George's Hall, Liverpool, was unveiled by General Wolseley on the 16th of December, 1887, was a member of the branch.
The family of Bulwer, of Norman origin, was founded at the time of the Conquest, by Tyrus, or Tyrold de Dalling. William Bulwer, Esq., of Wood Dalling, Norfolk County, the last male representative of this family, died in 1775, bequeathing his manors and estates to his nephew, William Wiggett, Esq., who took the name of Bulwer. He married Mary, eldest daughter of Augustine Earle, Esq., of Heydon (a lineal descendant, in the main line, of Erasmus Earle, dis- tinguished in Cromwell's time, and one of the Commissioners of the Treaty of Uxbridge), and had issue, William Earle Bulwer, his heir, and five others. This William Earle Bulwer, Esq., of Heydon Hall, was a brigadier-general officer in the army, and colonel of the 106th Foot. He espoused Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of Richard Warburton Lytton, Esq., of Knebworth Park, in Hertfordshire, and had three sons, viz. : 1, William Earle Lytton Bulwer, who suc- ceeded his father, in 1807, at Heydon Hall; 2, Henry Lytton Earle Bulwer, Secretary of the Embassy to Paris, and Minis- ter to Madrid and to the United States of America; and 3, Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer, the novelist, poet, and member of Parliament. He was created Baron July 18, 1838, and in 1843 took the title of Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer Lytton, having succeeded, by his mother's will, to Knebworth Park and the estates of the Lytton family.
OTHER BRANCHES OF THE FAMILY IN AMERICA.
There are several branches of the Earle family in the United States which have their parent American stem in emigrants from England other than Ralph.
X INTRODUCTION.
i. One of these is known as the Secaucus branch, so called from the fact that their American progenitor, Edward Earle (with his wife Hannah), purchased, in 1676, for "two thou- sand Dutch dollars," the so-called Island of Secaucus, on the coast of New Jersey, a few miles westerly from New York city, together with buildings, stock, and several "Christian and negro servants," and made that his permanent home. Some of the Earles now in the city and vicinity of the city of New York and the adjacent region of New Jersey, are mem- bers of this branch. So also are some of the Earles of the British province of New Brunswick, among whom is Dr. Sylvester Zabriskie (Sobieski) Earle, a resident of St. John, and the mayor of that city at the time of its devastation by the great conflagration, in the summer of the year 1876. Abraham L. Earle, for many years connected with the finance depart- ment of the Comptroller's Office in New York city ; Lawrence Carmichael Earle, an artist (painter) in Chicago, and Miles Hitchcock Earle, of the firm of Earle & Miller, in St. Louis, Mo., are likewise lineal descendants of Edward of Secaucus. John H. Earle, of Brooklyn, N. Y., another descendant, has made extensive researches in the genealogy of this branch, and to him I am indebted for a beautiful manuscript embodi- ment of it.
2. During the earlier part of the revolutionary war there was a Morris Earle in New York city. His wife's maiden name was Anna de la Montagnia. He died about the year 1780, having had children as follows: 1, Morris; 2, James; 3, William, who is said to have lived at some time in Hart- ford, Conn.; 4, Rebecca, who m. Henry B. Earle; 5,
Thomas, b. about 1770; m. 1st, Todd; 2d, Matilda
Harrington; d. 1810 ; 6, Anna; and 7, Marmaduke, who lived at Oyster Bay, Long Island.
The second son, James, was the father of Thomas Earle of Homer, N. Y. ; and of Absalom B. Earle, the widely known evangelical minister. William had, at least, four sons, all of them, thirty years ago, in business in New York city, viz. :
INTRODUCTION. XI
«, Morris, a grocer; b, William P., proprietor of Earle's Hotel, and father of Ferdinand P. Earle, the present proprie- tor; c, Alexander M. (who was with his brother Morris, 95 Front Street) ; and d, George S. Thomas had two sons : «, Robert, who m. 1st, Harriet Crane, and 2d, Mary Ann Smith, and lived in Jersey City, N. J. ; and b, Thomas, Jr., b. Feb. 10, 1809; m. 1st, Euphemia Demarest, 2d, Cornelia Hasbrouck. Thomas, Jr., had a son Ralph, b. about 1838, who was named for one of his mother's relatives, and not for any Ralph in the Rhode Island branch. Thomas, senior, had, also, two daughters, Anna, who m. William G. Babb, and Caroline, who was unmarried when this information was received. Morris's son, Marmaduke, had issue as follows : a, Sidney; b, Anna; c, James F., who lived at Red Bank, N. J. ; d, Sarah ; e, Mary ; f, and g, Samuel and Alfred, both ministers of the gospel ; /i, Henry, who lived at Oyster Bay ; and i, a son who lived at Penn Yan, N. Y. There are reasons for the belief that the Morris at the head of this branch came from Nova Scotia or one of the other British provinces.
Some members of this branch retain the final e in their sur- name ; others have dropped it.
3. There is a numerous branch of the general family in central New York, and especially in Onondaga County, who spell their surname Earll. Dr. David Earll, of Tioga Centre, to whom I applied, in 1859, f°r information in regard to the genealogy of this branch, replied by referring me to the late Judge Nehemiah Earll, of Syracuse, stating that he possessed "more information on the subject than any other person in the State." I have now before me three letters from Judge Nehe- miah, one of them written in 1859, one m I86o, and one in 1861. In 1859 ne says: "My grandfather, Daniel Earll, I knew from earliest remembrance to the time of his death. He died in April, 1817, aged 87 years. He had two brothers, Nehemiah and David : both died in this county. They had two sisters. One of them married Daniel Wallace, and the other John Ryan. My great-uncle, Nehemiah, had two
XII INTRODUCTION.
daughters, but no son. David had several sons and daughters, viz. : Nathaniel, David, Peter and William. My grandfather (Daniel) lived, at an early day, in Great Barrington, Mass., where my father and his brothers were born, except the youngest, I think. I always understood that my great-grand- father was a captain in the old French war, previous to 175°' My grandfather (Daniel) had eight sons, to wit : Jonas, Daniel, Nathaniel, Robert (my father), Benjamin, Watson, Nehemiah and Abijah ; and two daughters, Lucy, the wife of Isaac Danks, and Patience, the wife of Timothy Copp. * * * I saw my grandfather a short time before his death. He told me that he then had living over one hundred and fifty chil- dren, grandchildren and great-grandchildren."
In this letter the Judge says : "I am more than 72 years old." In his letter of July 29, 1861, he says : " From information I have obtained since I last wrote you, I find that, some time previous to the year 1700, William Earll came from Wales to Rhode Island, and afterwards had two sons, Nathaniel and William ; that those two sons married two sisters whose maiden names were Adams. They also had another sister, who married a Scotchman by the name of Wheeler. I am unable to learn what became of William. Nathaniel, some time after his marriage, settled in Great Barrington, Mass., and had three sons, viz. : Daniel (my grandfather) , Nehemiah and David. About the year 1770 my grandfather emigrated with his family to Nova Scotia. His oldest son, Jonas, was probably married there. He married Experience Sprague. They afterwards settled at White Creek, Washington County, New York, and Daniel, Jr., returned to White Creek and married about 1776. About that time, or perhaps a year later, my grandfather and his sons Nathaniel and Robert formed a company and returned (my grandfather leaving the rest of his family in Nova Scotia) to White Creek. In the mean time my great-grandfather (Nathaniel) with his sons Nehemiah and David, had moved from Great Barrington to White Creek.
INTRODUCTION. XIII
''I have a cousin now living near me. She was daughter of my uncle Jonas, and is now more than eighty-five years of age. She informs me she well recollects her great-grand- father, Nathaniel Earll, and that his son David was about her own age ; that her great-grandfather was familiarly called 'Captain Nat' by their friends; that he was a large, fleshy man ; and that he died about 1790."
The Judge also states that Thomas Wheeler, grandson of the Wheeler who married an Adams, sister to the wife of Daniel's father, Nathaniel, made a visit of several months to his grandmother, about i793> in Leicester, Mass., that she often spoke of her nephew, Daniel Earll, and said that his family, on their return from Nova Scotia, remained some time with her in Leicester."
Warner Earll, a lawyer of San Luis Obispo, California, and a grandson of Judge Nehemiah's brother Robert, in a letter dated August 18, 1887, writes that he remembers Lucy Danks, daughter of Daniel, and "when a mere child, heard her relate many things occurring when she lived in Nova Scotia."
It appears to be pretty clearly shown from the above that the name of the father of Daniel Earll, of Great Barrington, was Nathaniel. Daniel died in 1817, aged, one authority says, 87 years, another 88 years. Consequently, he was born in either 1729 or 1730.
I will now point out what, at least, is a singular coincidence. William Earle [9-3, p. 28 of this book], with his sons, dis- appeared, so far as records are concerned, from Little Comp- ton, R. I., in the early part of the 18th century. His fifth son was named Nathaniel [61-5]. He was born January 28, 1705, and therefore, at the birth of Daniel Earll, was 24 or 25 years old, a very suitable age to be the father of Daniel. Was he his father? There are further coincidences which render an affirmative answer not improbable. The father of the Nathaniel of Judge Earll's account was named William, and the father of the Nathaniel of Little Compton was named
XIV INTRODUCTION.
William. The Judge's William came from Wales to Rhode Island; Ralph, who had a son William, came, as is believed, from a point within fifty miles of Wales to Rhode Island. Any genealogist of much experience would probably say that the discrepancies between the two histories are not greater than often occur in traditional accounts. That Daniel Earll, on his return from Nova Scotia, stopped some time in Leices- ter, Mass., may be further mentioned as a significant coinci- dence, for, at that time several families of Earles, the descend- ants of Ralph, resided in that town.
But, whatever were its American origin, the Onondaga branch is now numerous, and presents to the genealogist an interesting field for research which ought to be thoroughly explored. It has been an influential family in New York, and many of its members have occupied prominent positions. Judge Nehemiah was a member of Congress. Among its living members are Dr. George W. Earll, of Skaneateles, and Dr. Isaac Balfour Earll, of Syracuse, sons of Hiram, son of Daniel; Thomas Earll, of Brooklyn; George David Earll, of New York city ; Asa Earl, of Lafayette, Indiana, a descend- ant of Daniel's son Nehemiah ; and William Earll, a dealer in agricultural implements in Chico, California, who is a son of Peter, son of David the brother of Daniel. George D. Earll, son of Elijah B., son of David, son of David, the brother of Daniel, was a lawyer in Watertown, N. Y., twenty-five years ago ; and David Sprague Earll, son of Jonas, son of Daniel, and brother of Jonas, Jr., who had been a member of Congress, was living, a few years ago, in Syracuse.
Nehemiah Earll, uncle of Judge Nehemiah, removed to the Western States and had a family of fifteen children. One of his grandsons, Guy Chaffee Earl, of Oakland, California, in writing of him, says: "He spelled his name with two l's, Earll, but, tiring of this, dropped one 1." All of his descend- ants probably followed his example.
4. At some time between the years 1720 and 1740 Thomas Earl came from England and settled in Burlington, New
INTRODUCTION. XV
Jersey, or its vicinity. His son John had a large family, several of whom died young ; but his son Gibtersharp (or Gibterthorp) died in 1850, at the age of 78 years ; and another son, Samuel W., was still living, ten years ago, in Burlington. Gibtersharp left four sons and four daughters, all of whom, with the exception of the eldest son, John, were living in 1868. Thomas, one of the other sons, was a physician at Franklin Mills, Portage Co., Ohio, and William C, another, resided in Toledo, Ohio.
5. For the last two hundred years there has been a settle- ment of Earles on the Eastern shore of Maryland. To this branch belonged the late Judge Richard Tilghman Earle, of Neelwood, near Centreville, with whom, so long ago as 1840, I held some correspondence in regard to the genealogy of our families. In a letter dated October 8th of that year, he says : "The family record of my ancestry I have made up chiefly from a well attested manuscript of my grandfather, James Earle, who died in the year 1736. The author states that his grandfather and grandmother, James Earle and Rhody Earle, came to Mar}dand in 1683, and brought with them thirteen children, their eldest son, John Earle, being in the country before, in the command of a ship ; that the commander was afterwards captured by pirates on the coast of Africa, and ended his life in slavery ; that he descended from the second son, Michael Earle ; and that his uncle Joseph Earle, settled in the same neighborhood with his father. No farther notice is taken of the thirteen children, neither in ascertaining the number of males and females, nor in stating what became of them. The manuscript is equally unfortunate in another important particular, in omitting to tell from what country the immigrants, James Earle, his wife Rhody Earle, and their thirteen children came when they took up their abode in Maryland."
Dr. John C. Earle, now of Easton, Md., is a son of Judge Richard Tilghman, and the widow of another son, James Tilghman, is living near Centreville. Two others, Richard
XVI INTRODUCTION.
Tilghman and Samuel Tilghman, are farmers residing upon old family homesteads ; and a fifth, George, now deceased, was a lawyer and held offices both State and national.
6. In 1805 John Baylis Earle was a member of Congress from South Carolina. A letter from him to Pliny Earle, senior [355-1], in reply to a request for genealogical informa- tion in regard to his family, and dated at Washington on the 13th of January of the year aforesaid, is now before me. In it he says: "My grandfather, whose name was Samuel Earle, lived and died in the State of Virginia, in the neighbor- hood of Lord Fairfax. My father having married and removed to South Carolina before I was born, I had no opportunity to know much of my distant relatives. * * * My father had but one own brother, who was father to the Samuel Earle, late a member of Congress." He then proceeds to mention a trait in some of his relatives which has been exhibited in the descendants of Ralph of Rhode Island: "A number of the young men are remarkable for their mechanical ingenuity. None of them ever served an apprenticeship to any business, but they have learned trades without instruction, and done several kinds of work to great perfection, one of them having, without any assistance or many tools, made an elegant horse- man's sword."
General Elias Earle and his cousin Baylis J. Earle, of Waldo, near Santa Fe Lake, Florida, are, according to a letter from the latter, in 1883, descendants of the above-men- tioned John Baylis and of Elias Earle, his brother, who was also, as is stated in the letter, "in Congress from the northern district of South Carolina about 75 years ago." The letter also states that John Baylis is a family name, and was borne not only by the member of Congress, but also "by Judge Baylis John Earle, of South Carolina, and also by Gen. John Baylis Earle, who was, for twenty years, the Adjutant and Inspector General of South Carolina. Elias, Baylis and Samuel are family names in the southern branch."
Colonel William E. Earle, a lawyer, in Washington, D. C,
INTRODUCTION. XVII
is a member of the South Carolina branch. I believe it has been shown that Samuel Earle, the grandfather of John Baylis Earle, who was in Congress in 1805, was a son of the James and Rhody Earle who were the first American progenitors of the Maryland Earles.
7. According to the Records of Boxford, Mass., William Eills, of that town, m. Nov. 19, 1719, Sarah Curtis. They had five children, three of whom were sons. William, the eldest, and the only one, so far as known, who lived to have a family, m. August 23, 1744, Martha Booth. After the birth of three children in Boxford, they removed to Rindge, N. H., where, after the birth of three more, William died. Three of his children were sons: 1, John, m. in 1773, Rebecca Page; lived in Rindge and d. there in 1803. 2, Jacob, m. in 1769, Relief Bennett, and d. in 1794, in Boylston, Mass. 3, Stephen, m. in 1780, Mary Rice; lived several years in Shrewsbury, Mass., then removed to Gerry (now Phillipston) , and was accidentally killed in Boston, June 7, 1825.
These three brothers changed their family name to Earls or Earl.
John and Rebecca (Page) Earl had nine children, but only one son, John, who m. in 181 1, Rhoda Castle. They lived some years in Burlington, Vt., went thence to Essex, Essex Co., New York, and afterwards removed to Michigan.
Jacob and Relief (Bennett) Earl had five children, three of whom were sons: 1, Jacob, m. Polly Burgess, and lived in Hardwick, Mass., where he died in 1843. 2, Jonathan, who d. young. 3, William, m. Delia Maynard ; lived in Spring- field, Vt., and d. in 1855.
Stephen and Mary (Rice) Earl had four sons : 1, Henry, b. 1780; m. 1807, Mary Ryder, and d. Oct. 2, 1809, in Well- fleet, Mass. He was a teacher. 2, John, m. 1806, Sally G. Harding, and d. in Lowell, Mass., May 9, 1825. 3, Heze- kiah, m. 181 1, Mary (Harris) Popkin, and d. in Boston, Mass., March 30, 1857. He was the proprietor of the widely known Earl's Coffee House, from about 1806 to 1832, and
XVIII INTRODUCTION.
Deputy City Marshal from 1832 to 1857. 4, Stephen, b. 1791 ; m. 1814, Nabby Stone, and d. in Princeton, Mass., April 13, 1825. They had two children, both of whom d. young.
John and Rhoda (Castle) Earl had but one son, John H., b. 1815 ; m. 1840, Lorinda Morseman. Issue, two children, one son, John W., b. in 1840. In 1844 the family were in Jackson Co., Michigan.
Jacob and Polly (Burgess) Earl had eleven children, eight of them sons, of whom only four were married; viz. : 1, Ira, b. 1801 ; m. Iris Butterfield ; lived many years in Leicester, Mass., and d. there in 1881. 2, Benjamin P., b. 1814; m. 1845, Sarah Deans; had but one child, Ella, who m. 1871, Austin V. Dow, and d. 1872. 3, James P., b. 1817 ; went to Charleston, South Carolina, and m. Anna Brooklebank. They had four children, three of them sons : a, James P., now a dealer in boots and shoes in Charleston, b, Edward, b. 1853. c, William, b. 1855. 4, Ralph, b. 1819. He went to Charleston, S. C, where he m. in 1845, Amanda R. Mackie ; returned to Hardwick, Mass., in 1853 ; was in the stove and iron-ware trade in Worcester, Mass., in 1855, and returned to Charleston, where he d. in i860. They had six children, four of them sons : a, Elmer Ralph, b. 1848. b, Arthur C, b. 1850. c, Ira M., b. 1851. d, Ralph, b. 1856. The first three were born in Charleston, S. C, the fourth in Worcester, Mass. After Ralph's decease the family returned to Massa- chusetts, and lived in Springfield. The widow married again, but her husband has died, and she is now living with two of her children in Brooklyn, N. Y.
William and Delia (Maynard) Earl had twelve children, of whom five sons married : 1, Edward S., b. 1808; m. Hannah A. Wheeler ; had three children, all daughters ; lived many years in Springfield, Vt., but d. in 1879 m Waumatiza, Wis. 2, William M., b. 181 1 ; m. 1st, Eliza Farrar, 2d, Augusta Pratt; was living in Springfield, Vt., in 1859, anc* afterward in Ludlow. They had four children, two of them sons, one
INTRODUCTION. XIX
of whom d. young. The other, Edward O., was b. May 16, 1844. 3, Samuel M., b. 1813 ; m. Mehitable Wilkins ; had two children, both girls; was living in Springfield, Vt., in 1859. 4' Warren R., b. 1820; m. 1846, Louisa Hutchinson, of Nashua, N. H. ; issue, four children, three of them boys, of whom one d. young. The others were : «, Alonzo B., b. 185 1 ; last heard from in Stoddard, N. H. b, Alfred O., b. August 26, 1853; last heard from in Springfield, Vt. 5, Alonzo B., b. 1828; m. 1855, Marilla A. Lewis; issue, five children, of whom two were sons : a, Orville H., b. June 29, 1856, in Medford, Mass. b, George W., b. Feb. 22, 1862, in Goshen, N. H.
Henry and Mary (Ryder) Earl had issue : Henry, b. 1809 ; m. Mary Ann Harris, of Windsor, Vt., and had four children, two of them sons. One of these d. young. The other, William H., was b. 1841 ; m. 1872, Lizzie J. Deane, of Med- ford, Mass., and was living in that town in 1879.
Hezekiah and Mary (Harris-Popkin) Earl had six children, two or them sons, one of whom d. young. The other, Heze- kiah, who is freight accountant of the Boston and Albany Railroad Co., was b. Aug. 15, 1817 ; m. 1847, Harriet N. Brooks. They live in Auburndale, Mass., and have two children: 1, Joseph S., b. July 26, 1850; m. Cora Bailey. 2, Harris B., b. Oct. 3, 1862.
Ira and Iris (Butterfield) Earl had three children, of whom the only son, John E. Earle, was b. Feb. 6, 183 1 ; m. Sarah S. Caldwell, and lives in New Haven, Conn., where he is engaged in the business of American and foreign patents, and is an expert in patent causes. Their children were : 1, Edward C, b. 1857; d. 1882. 2, Joseph C, b. 1858. 3, Frederick C, b. 1862; m. 1886, Charlotte Isabel Lyon, and has one child, John Edwin, b. Oct. 2, 1887. 4, Harry P., b. 1865. 5, John W., b. 1869; d. 1870. 6, James P., b. 1870. 7, Leila E., b. 1875.
John E. and his family have added the final e to their sur- name.
XX INTRODUCTION.
Stephen Earl, of Gerry, adopted an orphan named Benjamin H. White, who, after Stephen's death, was adopted by his son Hezekiah. The boy's name was changed to Benjamin White Earl. He m. in 1829, Elizabeth Albin, in New York city. They lived in some of the middle States, and afterward in Ohio, where he d. at Steubenville, about i860. Their children were: 1, William S., b. 1837. 2, Benjamin H., b. 1840. 3, Francis A., b. 1844. 4, John K., b. 1846. 5, Edward A., b. 1850. 6, James F., b. 1853.
8. Being in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1879, I met Mr. Porter W. Earl, then a resident, with his family, of that city. I was strongly impressed with his very striking family resem- blance to the descendants of the fifth and sixth generations of Ralph Earle who were living in Leicester, Mass., and its vicinity from fifty to seventy years ago. This resemblance was so marked as to leave no doubt upon my mind that he is a descendant of Ralph. He stated that his father, Stephen H. Earl, whose mother was either a Hopkins or a Williams, removed from Newport, R. I., or its vicinity to Vermont and there, at the age of 33 years, married Sarah Porter. Their children were: 1, Sarah, who m. Christian Ingersoll. 2, William, d. in Hamburg, N. Y. 3, Porter W., b. in 1802, in Peru, N. Y. 4, Mary; and 5, Eliza.
The children of Porter [ ?] W. were : 1 , Porter M. , d. unmar- ried. 2, William, m. and lives in Colorado. 3, Harriet, m.
and lives in Peoria, 111. 4, Mary, m. Baxter, and lives
in Cedar Rapids. 5, Ella, living unmarried with her father.
Mr. Earl further stated in regard to his father, Stephen H., that he was taken prisoner by the British at Newport in the Revolutionary war ; and that he died at Hamburg, near Buffalo, N. Y., in 1838. Perhaps the true position of this family among the descendants of Ralph and Joan may here- after be discovered. Porter [?] W. now resides in Peoria, 111.
9. James S. Earle, the founder of the picture gallery in Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., was the son of Henry Earle, who removed from Winchester to London, Eng., and
INTRODUCTION. XXI
died in 1820. James came to America in 1S15. His brother, John H., came in 1825 and also settled in Philadelphia.
COAT OF ARMS.
Several inquires have been received in relation to the coat of arms of the Earle family. As will be seen below, a no inconsiderable number of armorials have been granted to different members of the family in England. But in all my intercourse, either personal or by written correspondence, with the descendants of Ralph and Joan, I have found no one who wore or bore a coat of arms, and in only one instance have I heard of one in the possession of any family.
The late Edward W. Lawton, of Newport, R. I., a man of much general culture, who was born in 1786, and between whose ancestral relatives and the Earles there had been several intermarriages, sent to me, in 1858, the dates of birth, mar- riage, etc., of the children of John [199-5] and Dorcas (Barney) Earle, accompanied by the following statement :
"The transcript (of dates, etc.) was sent me by my benevo- lent Aunt Sarah [440-5], who gave away the bible, as she did every other article in the house that her needy friends would take, even the coat of arms of the Earles, which was set in a small black frame, with 10 by 12 glass. I remember the horses' heads only." He thought it must still be in the possession of some descendant of John and Dorcas.
The subjoined list of granted armorials in England is copied from Mr. Burke.
1. Earl. (Swallowfield Place, County of Berks.) Gules, three escallops, within a bordure engrailed, argent. Crest — A Lion's head, erased or, pierced with a broken dart proper.
2. Earl, or Erlley. The same arms. Crest — On the point of a tilting spear, proper, headed argent, a dolphin naiant of the first.
3. Earl. Gules on a chevron argent; three trefoils sable between as many escallops in chief and a dolphin in base,
XXII INTRODUCTION.
all within a double tressure engrailed of the second, the outer bordure or. Crest — A nag's head erased sable maned or.
4. Earle. (Topsfield, County of Essex, and Craglethorpe, County of Lincoln.) Gules three escallops within a bordure engrailed argent. Crest — A nag's head erased sable maned or.
5. Earle. (Boston, County of Lincoln.) Gules an amulet or, between three escallops argent within a bordure engrailed of the third.
6. Earle. (Lincolnshire; granted 1558.) Gules a fesse, between three sheldrakes argent. Crest — A Lion's head erased or, pierced through the head with a broken spear argent the point embrued gules.
7. Earle. Gules, on a fesse or, three magpies proper membered of the second.
8. Earle. Azure a fesse between two cotises or.
9. Earle. Paly of ten or and gules a mullett in chief argent. Crest — A Lion's gamb erect and erased, holding an arrow in bend sinister, point downwards, proper.
10. Earles (granted 1 August, 1660). Ermine on a cross gules five crowns or. Crest — A cross gules between two wings ermine.
11. Earles (granted 1 August, 1660). Ermine on a chief indented sable three eastern crowns or.
The coat of arms borne by the Earles of Maryland differs from any one of these, but has points of resemblance to several of them, and is most nearly like the first and the fourth. The special English branch of the family from which Ralph originated must, apparently, be discovered, before his descend- ants can rightfully claim either of the armorials here men- tioned.
The names of more than four thousand of the descendants of Ralph and Joan Earle are mentioned in this collection, although those which are regularly numbered, in the body of the work, are, as indicated by the last number on page 439,
INTRODUCTION. XXIII
only 3,978. In cases where a person named Earle, whether man or woman, had but one child, the name of that child is given in connection with that of its parent, and under the designating number of that parent ; and the history of the family is not carried forward to the next generation. Hence there is no special number for the child. Examples of this kind may be seen in No. 1688-10, where Martha J. Earle married Charles E. Osgood, and in No. 1804-4, where Frank M. Earle married Anna Conlin. These exceptional cases are alone sufficient to swell the number of named descendants to a considerable excess over four thousand ; and to these may be added the later received names printed near the end of the book, under the head of "Additions."
Ralph and Joan Earle had five children — two sons and three daughters. The two sons had eleven children ; the three daughters, twenty-nine. The eleven, by family name, were Earles ; the twenty-nine had several family names, cor- responding, respectively, with the surnames of the husbands of the three daughters. The descendants of the twent3^-nine who had other family names, have undoubtedly been far more numerous than the descendants of the eleven Earles. As in most other genealogies, there is, in this book, no attempt to trace the descendants of females named Earle, farther than their children. So far as our knowledge extends, the names, dates of birth, etc., of the children of every married woman whose maiden name was Earle, are here recorded ; but the names of her grandchildren, and the descendants of later generations, are not, unless she married an Earle. Thus, for example, the names, so far as known, of the children of the three daughters of Ralph and Joan, are inserted ; but those of the children of those children are not. There the descending lineage of those families stops ; and the same rule is followed throughout the book. In the endeavor to maintain a rigid adherence to this rule, I have been obliged, and often with much regret, to omit more than a thousand names now in my possession.
XXIV INTRODUCTION.
It will be perceived that the orthography of the family name has differed, in England, as well as in America. To say nothing of the apparently original De Erlegh, and the later De Erie, the spelling has been, in that country, Erie, Earl, Earls and Earle, in different branches. The name is still found there under these four several forms ; but it is believed that Earle is by far the most prevalent.
In the compilation of this book, the diversity of orthography has been the source of no little labor, not to say annoyance. It has been the endeavor, as stated in a note on page 18, to give the names of all living descendants, as they themselves, in each instance, would write it. But it is undoubtedly true that, in many instances, there has been a failure to accomplish that object. As an illustration of the difficulty in its accom- plishment, as well as to show how the spelling of one's name is governed by either taste, whim or caprice, the following curious example may be adduced : In a public registry of one of the counties in Massachusetts, there is the record of a document relating to the ownership of certain real estate. The paper was signed by six brothers. If their signatures be correctly copied, the first three of them spelled their surname Earll ; the next two, Earle; and the last one, Earl. The paper was signed more than a hundred years ago.
Perfect accuracy in the multitude of statistics of a genealogi- cal work is impossible ; but it is hoped that this contains few errors other than those which were apparently unavoidable. Of these, the compiler desires to receive corrections, which will be preserved for future use, should the time come in which, by other hands than his, the work may be continued, and its scope enlarged by the tracing of some branches not here fully developed.
PLINY EARLE.
Northampton, Mass., March ip, 1888.
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ILLUSTRATIONS.
Pliny Earle, No. 875, .... Frontispiece.
Thomas Earle, No. 172, ... To face page 57
Robert Earle, No. 887, - To face page 117
John Purple Howard, No. 1062, - - To face page 132
Robert Earl, No. 1221, - To face page 146
Homer Earle Sargent, No. 1467, - To face page 166
Halford Earle, No. 734, - To face page 182
Daniel Earle, No. 791, - To face page 190
John Milton Earle, No. 868, - To face page 205
Thomas Earle, No. 869, - - - To face page 209
Anthony Chase, No. 870, - To face page 215
Pliny Earle Chase, No. 1902, - - To face page 217
Thomas Chase, No. 1904, - To face page 219
Timothy Keese Earle, No. 917, - - To face page 224
Oliver Keese Earle, No. 919, - To face page 227
Edward Earle, No. 927, - To face page 228
William Barton Earle, No. 957, - - To face page 232
Samuel Earl, No. 1220, ... To face page 271 George B. Earle, No. 1266, ... To face page 274
Charles Nelson Earle, No. 1491, - To face page 304
Parker Earle, No. 1525, - To face page 307
Harry Louis Earle, No. 1728, - - To face page 335
George Hussey Earle, No. 1899, - - To face page 348
Stephen Carpenter Earle, No. 1921, To face page 353
Weston Earle, No. 2092, - - - To face page 368
Lloyd S. Earle, No. 2096, - To face page 370
Matthew Myers Earl, No. 2262, - - To face page 384
Lyman Earle, No. 2836, - To face page \i\
B R R A T A
Page 23, 6th line from top, for 1634 read 1654.
Page 37, 5th line from top, for Sept. 2, 1693, read Dec. 21, lyoi.
Page 70, 9th line from bottom, for Hannah Earle read Hannah Earle Borden.
Page 73, 3d line from top, for Alary Wheeler read Mary McClelland.
Page 77, 21st line from bottom, for William E. Pearson read William C. Pearson.
Page 100, last line, for 4 ck. read 3 ch.
Page 168, 9th line from bottom, for issue 4 ch., read no issue
Page 168, 8th line from bottom, for issue 1 ch. read issue 5 ch.
Page 168, 6th line from bottom, for sister read daughter.
Page 223, 9th and nth lines from top, for Delphia read Delhi.
Page 223, 5th line from bottom, and page 356, 6th line from bottom, for George Earle read George T. Earle.
Page 256, last line on page, for Ellivood Jettison read Ellwood Jemison.
Page 269, 8th line from bottom, for Charles A. Nickelson read Charles S. Nickelson.
Page 296, 5th line from bottom, for N. Y. read Wis.
Page 301, 15th line from top, for Bouron read Boivron.
Page 309, 13th line from top, for Tyler E. Earle read Tyler L. Earle.
Page 311, 15th line from top, for Herbert E. Earle read Herbert C. Earle.
Page 311, 8th line from bottom, for Andiss read Audiss.
Page 316, 2d line from bottom, for Minnie Proctor read Ermina Bell Proctor.
Page 360, last line, for Josephine Pilond read Josephine E. Pilon.
Page 380, 4th line from top, for Abzarah read Alzarah.
Page 396, 3d line from bottom, for Delette read Deette.
Page 425, nth line from bottom, for Josephine Pilond read Josephine E. (b. Feb. 28, 1866), dau. of Joseph and Mary E. (Robins) Pilon, of Steward- son, Potter Co., Pa.
ABBREVIATIONS.
The following abbreviations are used in this work : — b. for born ; d. for died; dau. for daughter; gr. for grand; m. for married; unm. for unmarried.
For the names of children look under the numbers of their parents.
The italicized names in parenthesis, immediately following the name of a married descendant, where his personal and family record is given, show his direct pedigree back to the emigrant Ralph; and the small figures, attached to those names, indicate the generation to which each of those persons, respectively, belonged. For instance, in the case of [1638-2] George F. Earle, on page 328, the parenthetical names show that George's father was Halford, of the seventh generation ; his grandfather, Frederick, of the sixth generation; his great-grandfather, George, of the fifth generation; and so on, to Ralph, of the first generation. By these italicized names it is very easy for any descendant to trace his direct ancestry.
In the language of another similar work, "The comparative length of the biographical memoirs in the following pages, has been determined rather by the means of information than by the merits of the subjects of the sketches."
RALPH EARLE
AND HIS
DESCENDANTS
FIRST GENERATION.
[i]. Ralph1 Earle; m. Joan ; and d. at Portsmouth,
R. I., in 1678.
Of the place of birth, the residence previous to emigration from England, or the ancestry of Ralph, we have no positive history. There is a tradition among his descendants that he came from Exeter, in the year 1634, and this tradition is probably correct. There is little doubt that he was married in England, and that his wife came with him, but her maiden surname and the dates of her birth and death are unknown. Her Christian name is spelled in the old records in three different ways, viz. : lone, Jone and Joan ; we have adopted the last orthography as now the most common.
The earliest trace of Ralph hitherto discovered, is in the records of Newport, R. I. His name is there found under date of "first of eighth month" (October), 1638, in a list with fifty-eight others, arranged as "A catalogue of such persons who, by the Generall consent of the company, were admitted to the Inhabytants of the Island now called Aqueedneck, having submitted themselves to the Government that is, or shall be, established according to the word of God therein." 3
l8 THE EARLE FAMILY [First
The following is extracted from the records of Portsmouth, R. I.:
" April ye 30th, 1639.
We, whose names are under [written, doe acknowledge*] our-- selves the legell subjects of [his majestie] King Charles, and in his name [doe hereby binde] ourzelves into a civill body politicke, unto, his lawes according to matters of justice."
This declaration was signed by twenty-nine men, of whom Ralph Earlef was one. January 7, 1640, it was ordered at a town meeting that he and his co-partner, Mr. Wilbur, " shall serve the town with good sufficient stuff, viz : well sawn boards at eight shillings the hundred, and half inch boards at seven shillings, to be delivered at the pit by the waterside."
March 21, 1640, Ralph conveyed to William Baulstone " parcells of upland and meadow."
In the record of a town meeting held August 26, 1647, it is stated that he was " chosen to keep an Inn to sell beer and wine, and to entertain strangers"; and at another held June 2, 1649, he was " chosen Treasurer for this year next insuing, and also overseer of the poor."
At a similar meeting on the 29th of April, 1650, Ralph and five others were chosen " for the committee for the Genei'al Assembly at Newport in May next." On the 12th of November, 1650, it was " voated & granted that Ralph Erl's house wherein he now dwelleth be recorded & Inn, in ye room of ye former vote that he was an Inn- keeper " ; on the 19th of January, 1651, he and three others were chosen " to proportion every man's farm," &c, for the purpose of assessing a tax for the support of a poor man ; and on the 3d of June, 165 1, he was again elected town treasurer.
*.A part of the record is torn off, and it has been supplied on the town's book by the words in brackets.
t This name in all the very earliest records is written with the final e, but the orthography soon begins to vary and runs into the several forms — Earl, Earll, Erl and Erie.
In minor branches of the family the two forms Earle and Earl have been continued to the present day; and in central New York there are many families whose descent from Ralph is indicated by circumstantial evidence, but has not been positively demonstrated, who now write their names Earll. In this compilation the orthography of living families is that which is used by them, wherever it is known, and it will be seen that it sometimes varies in individuals of the same family.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 19
Under date of August 25, 1651, there is a record of an agreement of division of fence between Ralph Earle and John Tripp. A very old copy of the original document is now in the possession of the heirs of the late George Earle of Providence, R. I. ; it is dated August 25, 1639.
On the 2 1 st of May, 1651, Ralph conveyed a tenement and eight acres of land to Nicholas and Joan Harte ; on the 24th of June, 1652, he sold to William Arnold of Providence, land formerly owned by Francis Weston's wife Margaret, near " Pawtuxet Falls"; on February 19, 1653, he quitclaimed to Thomas Lawton, and on December 13, 1653, he conveyed twenty acres to William Cadman.
In 1654, he and another man were chosen as a town's committee to " oversee the work of the Prison."
On the 5th of April, 1655, he conveyed to his son William eighteen acres of land on the northern extremity of the island, at Bristol Ferry. It is traditional that he owned the ferry, but this has not been confirmed by any discovered records.
May 5, 1655, the "Jurymen chosen for the Generall Court of Tryals to be held at Providence," were John Sandford, Ralph Earle and Francis Brayton. Ralph was again upon the grand jury in 1669.
May 25, 1655, he was appointed by the Court of Commissioners to keep a house of entertainment. A convenient sign was to be set out at the most "perspicuous" place, to give notice to strangers.
On November 24, 1656, he conveyed land to Daniel Grinnell, Ralph, Jr., signing the deed as witness ; and on the 5th of January, 1658, he conveyed forty acres to Jeremiah Willis.
At a town meeting March 2, 1658, five men were chosen " to examine and audit Ralph Earll's accompts of what the towne is indebted unto him, and what they shall find the towne to be in his debt shall be payd to the sayd Earll by the towne Treasurer."
August 10, 1667, he joined a " troope of horse," which had been ordered to be raised, and signed, with eighteen others, a paper in which they " approve of the choyce of our Captaine (Peleg N. Sanford) and Lieftenant (John Almy) to the full." He was after- ward captain of the troop.
June 7, 1671, in the General Assembly, Ralph "Earll" and eleven others, of Portsmouth, and a number of residents of Newport, were appointed as a special court, to sit on the 15th of the same month, to try " two Indians now imprisoned upon criminall charge."
20 THE EARLE FAMILY [First
Ralph claimed the lands of the Dutch House of Good Hope, now Hartford, Connecticut, and commenced a lawsuit therefor " against Richard Lord and James Richards of Hartford, possessors of the Dutch land, about 1667. Earl affirmed that he purchased the land of Underhill, in August, 1653, and paid him twenty pounds sterling for it ; but Underhill protested against Earl's claim." " It is not improbable," continues the article from which we quote, " that there was some foundation for this claim. There are many papers upon the subject in the archives of Connecticut."
Ralph's will was as follows :
"The last will and testiment of Ralph Earle, of Portsmouth, on Rhoad Island, being in perfect memory, being sencible of man's mortalitie and for the avoiding of futur controversies amongst my Relations doe order and dispose of my Estate as followeth : — first I doe order, substitute and apointe Jone my wife my whole and sole Executrix to Receive and pay all whatsoever is due Either to or from mee and that which Remains of my Estate shall bee and Remaine in the hand and possession of my said wife during her naturall life and att her deceas to be disposed and divided in maner and forme follow- ing, namely, my will is that after and upon the decease of my said wife that all my land and housing, with the apurtinenc thereto belonging, shall be and Remaine to my Eldest sonn, Ralph Earle, and to Ralph Earle, the sonn of my sonn William Earle, to be Equally divided into three parts, my sonn Ralph to have two parts thereof and my said Grandsonn one, to be to them, there heirs and Asigns a possesion and Estate forever : and further my will is that all my moveable Estate shall, at the decease of my said wife, be Equally divided into five parts, and that my sonn Ralph Earle shall have two parts thereof, he paying, or causing to be paid, the sum of one shilling to my son William Earle, as his portion of my Estate, and the other three parts thereof I doe give and bequeath to my three daughters, that is to say, Mary the wife of William Cory, Martha the wife of William Wood, and Sarah, widow to the late deceased Thomas Cornell, to Each of them an Equall share : and for the dividing and disposing wherof, as an overseer, I doe order and apoint my friend and neighbor John Tripp the Elder to take care to see this my will performed as abovesaid ; and that this is my will and testa- ment, to be performed to all true intents, witness my hand and seal, this nienteenth day of november, in the year one Thousand six hun- dred Seventy and Three." . " Witnes Thomas Havens."
The children of Ralph and Joan Earle were :
2-1. Ralph Earle ; m. Dorcas Sprague.
3-2. William Earle ; m. 1st, Mary Walker; 2d, Prudence .
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 21
4-3. Mary Earle ; m. William Cory. 5-4. Martha Earle ; m. William Wood. 6-5. Sarah Earle ; m. Thomas Cornell.
SECOND GENERATION.
[2-1]. Ralph2 Earle (Ralph1), son of Ralph and Joan Earle ; m. before Oct. 26, 1659, Dorcas, dau. of Francis and Lydia Sprague, of Duxbury, Mass. ; and d. proba- bly in 1 7 16, as letters of administration were granted to his son John on the 6th of January, 1717.
The first intimation of this Ralph is in the record of a town meet- ing in Portsmouth, January 19, 1651, where his father is mentioned as Ralph Earle, Senior. The next is his signature as witness to one of his father's deeds of real estate, November 24, 1656. He was re- ceived a freeman of the town May 11, 165S ; and at the same meeting it was " Ordered that Ralph Earll Junr shall be payd Eleven Shillings after the Rate of Eight white peages (beads) per peny, by the Treasurer." $
October 26, 1659, Francis Sprague, "of Duxborough," conveyed to his "son-in-Law, Ralph Earl, of Road Island," one-half share of land at " Coaksett and Acushena, in the Jurisdiction of Plymouth." Sprague had his title to the land from the Indians Wosamequin and "Wamsitta."
It is probable that Ralph immediately removed from Portsmouth and settled upon this land, as at the time of all known subsequent allusions to him he was in Dartmouth, within which the land was situated. He was one of the persons who received the confirmatory deed of the town, and it is known that he was there in 1663.
May 10, 1684, John Eyanoe conveyed to Ralph Earle, a neck or island, made at high water, in Yarmouth, in consideration of a "certain parcel of Land sittuate under ye goverment of new york in America, upon cutAhonkko, viz. one neck and one island in A fresh pond upon sd cutAhonkko, and Twenty acres of Land in Dartmouth, payd by Ralph Earl."
June 13, 1688, " Ralph Earl of Dartmouth," " in consideration of natural love and affection," conveyed to his son Ralph, " one half of
22 THE EARLE FAMILY [Second.
the westermost island, called Elizabeth Island, to be his after my decease."
October 20, 16S9, "in consideration of natural affection," he con- veyed to his son William one hundred acres of land in Dartmouth.
June 10, 1692, he says that " of my own moote [and] motion, for divors good causes and good considerations moveing mee thereunto, beside my trew Love and naturall Affections that I bare unto this my youngest son Joseph Earle, and for his advancement for time to come," and "with the consent of Dorcas, my wife," he conveyed to the said Joseph two hundred acres of land in Dartmouth. This was "bounded upon Ponaganset River, So up into the woods."
July 24, 1693, he conveyed to his son William, "in consideration of natural love and affection, one quarter part of the Island called by the Indians Pocatahunka, being the westermost Island."
He was a large land holder, and many other of his conveyances are upon record. Of these grants, the only consideration for the value of the land appears to have been his "natural love and affec- tion " in the following instances, namely : 250 acres to his son John ; after his death 100 acres to his grandson John, 100 acres to his grandson Daniel, 50 acres to his grandson Benjamin, and "A small Island, or Tract of Land," to William Ingraham.
The following paragraph is taken from John W. Barber's Histori- cal Collections of Massachusetts :
" During Philip's War a great part of this town [Dartmouth] was laid desolate and many of the inhabitants killed. The most of the Plymouth forces were ordered thither. In coming to Russel's garri- son, at Ponaganset, or Aponaganset, in this town, they met with a number of the enemy that had surrendered themselves prisoners, on terms promised by Capt. Eels, of the garrison, and Ralph Earle, who persuaded them to come in, by a friendly Indian whom he employed. It is to be regretted, however, that notwithstanding the promises made by the above persons to the Indians, they were, by the superior authorities, carried away to Plymouth, ' then sold and transported out of the country, being about eight score persons.' "
The children of Ralph and Dorcas (Sprague) Earle were :
7-1. John Earle ; m. Mary Wilcox.
8-2. Ralph Earle ; ?n. Dorcas Dillingham.
9-3. William Earle ; m. Hephzibah Butts.
10-4. Joseph Earle ; m. Elizabeth Slocum.
■* . ^ it c ' ^ a—
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 23
[3-2]. William2 Earle (Ralph1), son of Ralph and Joan Earle ; m. 1st, Mary, dau. of John and Katharine Walker, of Portsmouth, R. I., issue, three children;
2d, Prudence (d. Jan. 18, 1718) ; and d. Jan.
15^ I7I5-
The first known record of William is under date of April 2, 1634, when he and his wife Mary sold to James Sands their interest in fourteen acres that came by right of the late widow Walker ; the land having come by marriage of Mary Walker (daughter of the widow) to William Earle.
In 1658, on the nth of May, he was "Received a freeman " of Portsmouth ; on the 18th of the same month "Att the Generall court of Commissioners held for the Collony, at Warwicke," he was admitted as a freeman of the colony ; and on the 8th of June, he and two others were " chosen Jurymen to attend the Generel court of Tryels, at Newport."
At a town meeting held May 1, 1665, it was ordered that William Earle and William Correy (Cory) should have " one acker of land on the hill cauled Briges hill, or some other conveniant place in this townes Comons, and a quarter of an acker of land lying aganst ye towne pond over against William Earle's new dwelinge house, and these two pearcells of land they are to have and to enjoy to them and theres, so long as they maintain a wind mill in this towne for the towns use, Provided that if they maintain not the said mill then the said pearcells of land is to be returned and laid downe to the townes use and dispose." In 1668, the wind mill had been erected, and the town, at the request of said Earle and Cory, annulled the above order, and exchanged two acres of ground near the mill for two acres belonging to the said parties. In 1684, the site of the mill is men- tioned as "Windmill hill," and in 1685, the grounds were re-ex- changed, the town and the parties taking their former property respectively.
" The Eare marke of William Earl's cattell is a hapeny under the side of ye further Eare and a Slit on the Nere Eare, of 12 yeares standing, and Entred upon Record by me, Richard Bulgar, towne Clarke, December, ye 5th, 1667."
William removed to Dartmouth about the year 1670, and stayed several years, his interest there being large. He owned more than
24
THE EARLE FAMILY [Second
two thousand acres from his claims iii the original division of the land. Copies of many conveyances both to and from him are upon record. In one of the latter, dated Tune 26, 1680, in consideration of" naturall Love and affection," he conveyed to his son Ralph and his wife Mary, " of Dartmouth," a " parcel of Land Scituate Lying and being in the Township of Freetown, in the county of Bristoll aforesaid, on the Eastward side of Tanton River, containing half a share, that is to say, half that whole share Adjoyning to the Fall River, two thirds whereof I do give to my said son Ralph Earll his heirs and Assigns forever ; and the other Third thereof I do give to my said Daughter in Law Mary Earll her heirs and Assigns forever." This deed was executed in Portsmouth, and the land conveyed is now the site of the central and earliest settled part of the city of Fall River.
On the 6th of May, 1691, the "General Assembly for their Majesties Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in Portsmouth on said Rhode Island, for the Election of General Officers for the said Collony," was held "at the house of William Earle, it being removed from Newport by reason of the distemper." It was " adjourned until the 23d day of June, and then to meet again at the house of William Earle, in Portsmouth, except the Governor sees cause to meet sooner, if urgent occasion should present."
In 1692, he was on the " grand Inquest at Newport" ; and on the 6th of October he conveyed to his " welbeloved son Thomas Earll, of the Town of Dartmouth, * * * one full quarter of a share of upland" in Dartmouth.
He was a deputy from Portsmouth to the General Assemblies held at Providence, October 25, 1704, and at Newport, May 1, 1706, and July 3, 1706.
In his will, executed Nov. 13, 1713, he gave to his son William, a brass milk pan, and a like gift to his sons Thomas, Ralph and John, and his daughters Mary Borden, Mary Hix and Prudence Durfee, and to the last a negro girl, " Kate," also, to his son John, all the rest of the estate, real and personal, he paying, legacies as follows : to grandson Caleb Earle, forty acres, or £40, at the age of twenty-one. To granddaughter Joan Earle, daughter of Caleb, £10, at twenty years of age. His son John was to allow his mother comfortable and sufficient maintenance.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 25
The children of William Earle were :
Mary Earle, b. 1655 ; ??z. John Borden.
William Earle ; m. Elizabeth .
Ralph Earle, b. 1660; m. Mary Hicks. Thomas Earle ; m. Mary Taber.
Caleb Earle ; in. Mary .
John Earle ; m. Mary Wait. Prudence Earle ; in. Benjamin Durfee.
ii-i 12-2
13-3 14-4
15-5 16-6 17-7
[4-3]. Mary2 Earle (Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Joan Earle; m. ist, William Gory (d. 1682); and 2d, Joseph, son of Henry and Mary Timberlake. They lived in Portsmouth, R. I.-, where she d. Mar. 22, 1718. The children of Mary Earle were :
18- 1. John Cory ; m. Elizabeth (d. after 1713) ; and d. 1712.
19- 2. William Cory; in. Martha (d. 1704), dau. of John and
Mary (Borden) Cook; and d. 1704.
20- 3. Mercy Cory; m. ist, Cornelius Jones ; 2d, Nov. 17, 1704,
Charles Gonsales.
21- 4. Anne Cory; in. Robert (b. March, 1650; d. 1722), son
of Robert and Rebecca Bennett.
22- 5. Thomas Cory; in. ist, ; 2d, Feb. 24, 1732,
Susanna Taber (d. after 1734) ; and d. 1738.
23- 6. Margaret Cory ; d. young.
24- 7. Mary Cory; 111. Thomas (d. 1726), son of John and Mary
(Borden) Cook; and d. after 1726.
25- 8. Caleb Cory ; in. Sarah {d. after 1704) ; and d. 1704.
26- 9. Roger Cory; m. ist, ; 2d, May 1, 1718,
Remembrance, widow of John Dye; and d. 1754.
27-10. Joan Cory; m. Taylor.
28-11. Sarah Timberlake; 111. Dec. 13, 1699, Thomas (b. April 11, 1679; d. Sept. 2, 1761), son of Jethro and Mehitable Jeoffries, of Newport, R. I. ; and d. Oct. 7, 1769.
[S-4]. Martha2 Earle (Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Joan
Earle: m. William (d. 1697), son of John and
Wood. They lived in Portsmouth, R. I., and Dartmouth, Mass.
|
Their children were : |
|||
|
29-1. William Wood. |
34" |
6. |
Joseph Wood. |
|
30-2. George Wood. |
35- |
7- |
[A daughter]. |
|
31-3. Josiah Wood. |
36- |
8. |
Sarah Wood. |
|
32-4. Daniel Wood. |
37- |
Q. |
Margaret Wood |
|
33~5- John Wood. 4 |
38- |
10. |
Rebecca Wood. |
26 THE EARLE FAMILY [Third
[6-5]. Sarah2 Earle (Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Joan Earle; m. 1st, Thomas (d. 1673), son of Thomas and Rebecca Cornell; 2d, David Lake; and d. in 1690. She lived in Portsmouth, Little Compton and Tiverton, R. I. Their children were :
39-1. John Cornell.
40-2. Sarah Cornell.
41-3. Innocent Cornell.
42-4. Sarah Lake, b. May 10, 1678.
43-5. David Lake, b. June 2, 1679; m. Mary (b. Feb. 25, 1682 ;
d. after 1767), dau. of Daniel and Hannah (Cook) Wilcox ;
and d. Aug. 4, 1767. 44-6. Jonathan Lake, b. Dec. 30, 1681.
45-7. Joel Lake, b. Jan. 30, 1683 ; in. Sarah ; and d. in 1735.
46-8. Joseph Lake, b. June 15, 1690.
THIRD GENERATION.
[7-1]- John3 Earle (Ralph,2 Ralph1), son of Ralph and Dorcas (Sprague) Earle; m. Mary (d. 1735), dau. of Daniel and Elizabeth (Cook) Wilcox; and d. in 1728.
John had taken the oath of fidelity, or Freeman's oath, in Dart- mouth before March 24, 1686, but he afterwards removed to Tiver- ton. Before this removal and in October, 1686, John Sprague, son of John and grandson of Francis Sprague, and Lydia, his wife, con- veyed to him all right, or claim of inheritance, in "one half of a purchase of Land Lying In yc township of Dartmouth, In ye county of Bristoll, where my Uncle Ralf Earl now lives." This was the land which Francis Sprague gave to his son-in-law, Ralph Earle [2-1].
In his will, which was executed February 12, 1719, he mentions his wife Mary ; sons John, Daniel and Benjamin ; and daughters Mary, Rebecca and Elizabeth. The inventory was .£251. 6s. id.
The children of John and Mary (Wilcox) Earle were :
47-1. John Earle, b. Aug. 7, 1687.
48-2. Daniel Earle, b. Oct. 8, 1688 ; m. Grace Wicks, 1716.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 2*]
49-3. Benjamin Earle, h. May 25, 1691 ; m. Rebecca Westgate. 50-4. Mary Earle, b. June 1, 1693; living, unmarried, in 1769. 51—5. Rebecca Earle, b. Dec. 17, 1695.
52-6. Elizabeth Earle, b. Sept. 6, 1699; m. 1st, George West- gate ; 2d, Capt. John Adams, of Warren, R. I.
[8-2] . Ralphs Earle, Jr. (Ratyh* Ralph1), of Dartmouth, son of Ralph and Dorcas (Sprague) Earle, was b. 1660; m. 1692, Dorcas, dau. of Henry Dillingham; and d. in 1718. Dorcas died on "the 23d of the month called January, 1742, in the eightieth year of her age."
Ralph had taken the oath of fidelity, or freeman's oath, before March 24, 1686.
In 1693 he conveyed to his brother William, then in Dartmouth, " one half part of all and Singular my Island, as my father Ralph Earle hath given it to mee, which said Island is called Elizabeth Island." He had lived at one period on this island.
Ralph's will, executed April 2, 1718, and entered for probate May 8, 1718, mentions his wife Dorcas, his brother Joseph, his daughters Deborah, Hannah and Meribah, and his son Barnabas, to each of whom he left a legacy. The inventory was £1,862. 5s. 5d., and his wife Dorcas was executrix.
The children of Ralph and Dorcas (Dillingham) Earle were :
53-1. Deborah Earle, b. Sept. 2, 1693; m. Adam Hunt.
54-2. Barnabas Earle, b. Feb. 3, 1698; m. 1759, widow Parnel
Chase. No issue. 55-3. Hannah Earle, b. Dec. 21, 1701 ; m. Aug. 27, 1719,
William Brown. 56-4. Meribah Earle, b. Jan. 29, 1703.
Barnabas was on the petit jury in 1725; constable in 1741 ; " tything-man " in 1766. At the town meeting of August 9, 1762, he was chosen Moderator. It appears that he had a liberal estate for the times and place in which he lived. He received, by bequest, his father's homestead and various other lands. He also had an interest in the common lands of Dai'tmouth, and his name, among others, is signed to requests for calls of meetings of the '; Proprietors and Pur- chasers," in several years from 1743 to 1773-
28 THE EARLE FAMILY [Third
From his will, executed March 2, 1770, and entered for probate June 16, 1778, we make the following extract:
" Utcttt I Give and Bequeath Unto my true and Loving Wife Pernal Earl : all my Indoors Moveable Estate also : my Sidesaddle and one third part of my Liveing Stock of Cattle Sheep horses and Swine I als° Give Her my Gould Sleave Buttens and my Silver Shoe Buckell all wich I Give to Her and to Her Heirs and Assigns for Ever. I also Give Her the Use and Improvement of my Now Dwelling House and ye' yard round sd House and orchard adjoyning sd yard Dureing Her Natural Life. I also Give to my sd Wife the Keeping of One Rideing horse & ye Keeping of one Cow to be kept weell or with Sufficient Hay and grass on my Homesed farm Dureing her Natural Life I also Give Her twelve Pound Lawfull mony to be paid Her yearly and Every Year after my Desease Dureing Her Natural life I also Give Her ten Bushels of Good Indian Coarn and ten Pounds of Good Marchantable Sheeps Woll yearly and Every year During Her Natural Life also Seven Coard of Wood yearly and Every year as above sd she cuting & carting the same. All Which I Give to my Said Wife Parnel Earl In Lew of Her thirds or Right Dowry in my Esate."
[9-3]. William^ Earle (Ralfh? Ralph1), son of Ralph and Dorcas (Sprague) Earle; m. Dec. 26, 1695, Hephzi- bah (b. 1675), dau. of Thomas and Elizabeth Butts.
" I William Earle, son of Ralph Earle, of Dartmouth," in consid- eration of sixty-five pounds sterling, convey to Peleg Slocum, "one quarter part of the westermost Island called Elizabeth Island, alias Cotohunko, containing, by estimation, one hundred and twelve acres." August 29, 1693.
On the same day he conveyed to the said Slocum the use of one- eighth part of the same island during the life of his father, Ralph.
February 3, 1696, in consideration of thirty pounds sterling, he conveyed to Robert Havens one hundred acres of land in Dartmouth.
He was chosen constable in 1695, and again March 30, 1696.
The children of William and Hephzibah (Butts) Earle were :
57-1. Sarah Earle, b. Dec. 18, 16965 m. Thomas Manchester,
of Tiverton, R. I., July 28, 1720. 58-2. Anna Earle, b. March 10, 1700; m. William King, of E.
Greenwich, R. I., Feb. 1, 1722. 59-3- Joseph Earle, b. Feb. 9, 1702. 60-4. Thomas Earle, b. Jan. 17, 1704.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 29
61-5. Nathaniel Earle, b. Jan. 28, 1705. 62-6. Damaris Earle, b. Jan. 18, 1707. 63-7. Jonathan Earle, b. June 7, 1712.
These births are recorded in Little Compton, R. I. No further history of the family is found : they probably emigrated from New England.
[10-4]. Joseph3 Earle (Ralfh? Ralph1), son of Ralph and Dorcas (Sprague) Earle, of Dartmouth, Mass. ; m. Elizabeth {b. April 8, 1671), dau. of Giles and Anne (Lawton) Slocum, of Portsmouth, R. I. ; and d. in 1756.
His father having given him two hundred acres of land in Dart- mouth, he lived many years in that town, but removed to Ports- mouth, R. I., before May 1, 1730- In the former town he was chosen juryman "for trials" in 1696, 1699 and 1700, and was on the grand jury in 1710" He was constable in 1702, and fence-viewer in 1724.
" The Ear mark of Joseph Earl, his Cattel, is a croop on the right Ear and a slit in the left. Recorded [Dartmouth] May the 2th day, 1724."
On the 1st of May, 1730? he relinquished his claim in the burying- ground at Portsmouth, and on the same day, in consideration, as he says, of " paternal love, good will and affection, which I have and do bear unto my loving son-in-law, James Kirby, of Newport," he deeded to said Kirby a house and several parcels of land.
The children of Joseph and Elizabeth (Slocum) Earle were :
64-1. Ann Earle, b. Jan. 28, 1704; m. James Kirby. 65-2. Dorcas Earle, b. April 10, 1705 ; in. Wm. Tilley. 66-3. Joseph Earle, b. Dec. 31, 1708; d. Aug. 30, 1728.
[1 1-1 ] • Mary3 Earle ( William,2 Ralph1), dau. of William and Mary (Walker) Earle, was b. in 1655, in Ports- mouth, R.I. ; m. Dec. 25, 1670, John {b. Sept., 1640; d. June 4, 1 7 16), son of Richard and Joan Borden ; lived in Portsmouth, and d. in June, 1734.
Their children were : 67-1. Richard Borden, b. Oct. 25, 1671.
30
THE EARLE FAMILY [Third
6S-2. John Borden, b. 1675.
69-3. Amky Borden, b. May 30, 1678; m. Benjamin Chase, of
Tiverton, R. I. 70-4. Joseph Borden, b. Dec. 3, 1680. 71-5. Thomas Borden, b. Dec. 13, 1682; m. April 18, 1717,
Catharine (b. Feb. 23, 1689), dau. of John and Alice
(Teddeman) Hull, of Jamestown, R. I. 72-6. Hope Borden, b. March 3, 1685. 73-7. Mary Borden. 74-S. William Borden, b. Aug. 15, 1689 ; m. July 7, 1715, Alice
(b. Oct. 22, 1692), dau. of John and Alice (Teddeman)
Hull, of Jamestown ; one son, William. 75-9. Benjamin Borden.
[12-2] . William3 Earl ( William,2 Ralfli1), son of William and Mary (Walker) Earle, was b. in Portsmouth, R. I. ;
m. Elizabeth , and settled in Dartmouth, Mass.,
where he was chosen juryman in 1694, and constable in 1695 and 1696. On the 5th of July, 1695, his father, who had lived in Dartmouth for some years, but had returned to Portsmouth, conveyed to him, in considera- tion of "love and affection," the homestead from which he had removed in the former town.
It appears that William was engaged in a small way in the shipping business, owning, in company with another man, a sloop with which he carried on a coasting tirade between the ports of southern New England, New York and New Jersey.
In December, 1697, he removed to Springfield, N. J. ; bought a farm there and passed the rest of his life upon it. The exact date of his death is not known; but his will is dated Sept. 23, 1732, and was proven May 10, 1733. In it after small legacies of money and furniture to his apparently only surviving daughters, Mary Borden and Martha Shinn, he gave the whole of the remainder of his estate, both real and personal, to his son William.
William was a member of the Society of Friends. His descend- ants followed his example in their religious relations and many of them still remain in membership with that society.
William's name upon the records is written without the final e; and as all of his descendants, so far as appears, have adopted that orthography, wc here conform to their custom in that respect.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 31
The children of William and Elizabeth Earl were :
76-1. Mary Earl ; m. Jonathan Borden.
77-2. Martha Earl; m. Thomas Shinn (6. Nov. 6, 1693) ; and had one son, Earl Shinn.
78-3. Earl ; m. John Webb.
79-4. William Earl ; m. Mrs. Mary Sharpe. 80-5. Thomas Earl ; m. Mary Crispin.
1*3-3]" Ralph3 Earle ( William,2 Ralfh1), son of William and Mary (Walker) Earle, was b. in 1660 ; m. Mary (Carr) Hicks, widow of John Hicks, and dau. of Robert Carr, of Newport, R. I. : and d. in 1757, at Leicester, Mass. His wife d. in the same year. Both were interred in the Friends' burial-ground, at Leicester, where are the graves of members of no less than six generations of their descendants.
The earliest known record of Ralph is, that he had taken the free- man's oath in Dartmouth prior to March 24, 1686. In 1688, his father gave to him and his wife the land " adjoyning the Fall River" at Pocasset, in Freetown. His removal to and occupancy of this land must have occurred soon afterward. He lived there between twenty-five and thirty years, the site of his house being on what is now Bedford street, about ten rods northeast of the northeast corner of the market which was standing in i860. The house had a gam- brel roof, and was destroyed about fifty years ago. ■
" The yaer mark of Ralph Earll's Creatures is a half penie on the hinder part of the right yaer and a Crop on the Left and his brand- mark RE. Enterd the 14: of february 169I by Sam11 Gardner Selectman."
He was surveyor of highways in 1690, '92 and '96, constable in 1699, and grand juryman in 1700 and 1715 .
An old letter addressed to him in 1 715, gives him the military title Ensign. In that year he conveyed to his son John eight acres of land, five of which was at Bristol Ferry, and came by gift from his grandfather Ralph.
In 1716, he went through Providence, R. L, into the interior of Massachusetts as far as Leicester. On the way, at Grafton, Mass., he hired an Indian, named Moses Printer, as a guide. Upon a por- tion of their route there was no path, and they marked trees as guides
32
THE EARLE FAMILY [Third
on their return. In the course of the next following year, 171 7, he removed with a part of his family to Leicester, and purchased two tracts or lots of land of the original Proprietors of that town. The two tracts contained about 550 acres. One of them included the Mulberry Grove (now George and Billings Mann's) and some of the adjoining farms, and the other was on the west side of Asnebumskit hill, in what is now Paxton. Its westerly boundary appears to have been the road leading northerly from the Penniman place, one mile east of Paxton centre.
"Janowari 3, 1722, Ralf Earll Entred his mark (for cattle) the Top of the left Ear off."
His dwelling house was about one and one-half miles north-easterly from the central village of Leicester, on Mulberry street, and very near the site of the present residence of Benjamin Wilson. It was a gambrel-roofed building of but one story, and was taken down in the year 1846.
At a town meeting March 5, 1721, it was " Voated that Ralph Earl" should have a certain " pew spot" in the meeting-house, he paying the town twenty shillings.
Within the next succeeding twelve years a meeting of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, was organized in the town. Ralph joined it, and in 1732, he, his sons William and Robert and four other men, asked to be released from paying " any part of the Tax for the Seport of the minister or ministers established by the Laws of this province," alleging that they were Quakers, with a conscientious scruple against such payment, and laying claim to " the Privileges granted" to the people so-called. A meeting-house was erected upon a lot taken from the farms of Ralph and his neigh- bor and fellow-Quaker, Nathaniel Potter, both of whose bodies now repose within a few feet of its site.
Ralph's interest in the Society was such that he went to Philadel- phia to visit William Penn. Penn was at that time building a house at Pennsburg, and it is said that he told Ralph that he would put the initials of his name upon the chimney.
At a town meeting March 22, 1736, " Voted to alow Mr. Ralph Earl four shillings to meet Worcester men to preambulate ye line between Worcester & lester."
It has been said that Ralph once owned Mount Hope, R. I., but no deed of it can be found upon record.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 33
Ralph's will was executed on the 25th of May, 1750. Among the bequests to his wife is his " negro boy Sharp " ; and he directs that if the negro be faithful and well-behaved, he shall have his freedom at her decease. If he be not faithful, he may be sold. But before Ralph died he manumitted the slave, and on the 6th of April, 1756, gave him thirty acres of land on the southern declivity of Asnebum- skit. In the deed of conveyance he says " In consideration of Love, good will and faithful service to me performed by my negro servant Sharp " he makes this gift. It appears that Sharp afterwards assumed the name Freeborn as a surname. Ralph's deed is recorded in the Worcester Registry, Book 38, p. 2S5.*
The children of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle were:
Si- 1. William Earle, b. Nov. 12, 1690; in. Annah Howard.
82- 2. John Earle, b. April 24, 1692 ; in. widow Sarah Borden.
83- 3. Mary Earle, b. Oct. 24, 1693 ; in. Sheffield.
84- 4. Elizabeth Earle, b. Dec. 24, 1696; in. Robert Lawton.
85- 5. Sarah Earle, b. Jan. 18, 169S ; m. Stephen Manchester. S6- 6. Martha Earle, b. Dec. 21, 1700.
87- 7. Patience Earle, b. Nov. 24, 1702; m. Benjamin Rich-
ardson. •
88- 8. Ralph Earle, b. March 14, 1704.
89- 9. Robert Earle, b. March 2, 1706 ; m. 1st, Mary Newhall ;
2d, Hepzibah Johnson. 90-10. Mercy Earle, b. March 13, 1708 ; in. Jotham Rice. 91-11. Benjamin Earle, b. March 14, 171 1 ; in. 1st, Abigail
Newhall ; 2d, widow Deborah (Buffum) Slade.
[14-4]. Thomas3 Earle '( William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Walker) Earle; m. before Nov., 1693, Mary {b. 1670; d. 1759), dau. of Philip and Mary Taber, of Dartmouth, Mass. ; and d. April 28, 1727.
In 1692, when his father gave him land in Dartmouth, he went there to live ; in 1696, conveyed his land to John Shaw ; lived a short time in Portsmouth ; bought the same year of John Shaw 40 acres in Swanzey,f to which he removed and added more to it; in 1708, sold off between one and two acres for a Friends' meeting-house ; in
* On the chart of "Ralph Earle and his Descendants" it is stated that he held ttvo slaves. This mistake was caused by the differences in the spelling of Sharp's name in the records, f In the early records the spelling of the name of this town is S%va?isea, but in this work we have adopted the modern spelling — Sivanzey.
5
34 THE EARLE FAMILY [Third
i 71 6, conveyed for love and good will, one-half his farm to his son Oliver, and in 1721, sold die other half to him for £1,100. He had then returned to Portsmouth. He died at his homestead in War- wick, R. I.
His will was executed in Warwick, April 27, 1727, and his wife Mary was executrix. Inventory, £669. 19s. id.
The children of Thomas and Mary (Taber) Earle were :
92-1. William Earle; m. 1st, Mehitable Bray ton ; 2d, widow
Abigail Lawton. 93-2. Thomas Earle. 94-3. Mary Earle; m. Jan. 31, 1711, Elisha, son of Daniel
Baker, of Yarmouth, Mass. 95-4. Oliver Earle ; m. Rebecca Sherman ; d. 1766. 96-5. Sarah Earle. 97-6. Lydia Earle. 9S-7. Rebecca Earle.
[I5~5]- Caleb3 Earle ( William,2 Ralph1), son of William
and Mary (Walker) Earle ; m. Mary , who, after
his death, m. Joseph Hicks. •
Their children were :
99-1. Caleb Earle. 100-2. Joan Earle.
[16-6]. John3 Earle (William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Prudence Earle; m. Feb. 27, 1700, Mary (d. after 1759), dau. °f Thomas and Sarah (Cook) Wait, of Tiverton, R. I., and d. Aug. 12, 1759. They were married by Joseph Church, Esq.
Richard Sherman, for thirty years Town Clerk of Portsmouth, says (185S) that "in 1714, John Earl's dwelling house stood a few rods south of the site of the hotel erected a few years ago at Bristol ferry."
It appears by the records of Portsmouth, that John acted upon coroner's juries in 1697, 1705 and 1712.
In 17H' the town of Portsmouth granted to him, in consideration of twenty-four shillings, twelve acres of the common lands.
1171161
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 35
November 15, 1715, "John Earll," of Portsmouth, in consideration of .£100, conveyed to his " cousin* (nephew) f John Earll Jr. J (2d) of Portsmouth," three acres of land, with a dwelling house, in Ports- mouth. This land was near Bristol ferry, and adjoined lands belonging to each party, respectively.
February 13, 1722, in consideration of £60, he conveyed to Shad- rach Keese six acres of land on Hog Island, in Portsmouth.
His will was executed in 1759.
The children of John and Mary (Wait) Earle were :
101-1. Prudence Earle, b. Nov. 18, 1701.
102-2. Mary Earle, b. Feb. 19, 1703 ; m. Job Durfee.
103-3. Oliver Earle, b. Feb. 26, 1706; m. Ruth Hall.
104-4. Martha Earle, b. Sept. 29, 1708; m. Stephen Brownell.
105-5. William Earle, b. March 2S, 1710; m. Mary Lawton.
106-6. John Earle, b. Nov. 10, 1717 ; m. 1st, Elizabeth Hall; 2d, Tabitha Hall ; 3d, widow Deborah Brownell.
[17-7]. -Prudence3 Earle (William,2 Ralph1), dau. of William and Prudence Earle, b. in 1681 in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Benjamin (b. 1680; d. Jan. 6, 1754), son °f Thomas and Deliverance (Tripp) Durfee ; lived in Tiver- ton and Newport, R. I. ; and d. March 12, 1733, in West- port, Mass.
Their children were :
107-1. James Durfee, b. Aug. 28, 1701.
108-2. Ann Durfee, b. Jan. 11, 1703.
109-3. Pope Durfee, b. Jan. 7, 1705.
1 10-4. William Durfee, b. Dec. 5, 1707.
1 1 1-5. Benjamin Durfee, b. Jan. 5, 1709.
1 1 2-6. Mary Durfee, b. Jan. 30, 171 1.
1 13-7. Susannah Durfee, b. Jan. 28, 1713.
1 14-8. Martha Durfee, b. July 15, 1719.
115-9. Thomas Durfee, b. Nov. 5, 1721.
* Though he called him "cousin," he was his nephew, f See John Earle, son of Ralph [82-2]. He refers to his " unkle John" in a deed executed the same day as this. J Though he calls him "Jr." he was not Jr., but "2d."
36 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
FOURTH GENERATION.
[48-2]. Daniel4 Earle (John,* Ralph2 Ralph1), son of John and Mary (Wilcox) Earle, of Tiverton, R. I., b. Oct. 28, 1688; m. May 12, 1716, Grace Hicks. He was living in April, 1772. It appears that he passed the whole of his life in Tiverton, as several conveyances of land, both from and to him, are found in the records of the town. The children of Daniel and Grace (Hicks) Earle were :
116-1. Mary Earle, b. Sept. 10, 1719.
1 17-2. Sarah Earle, b. July 7, 1723.
1 18-3. Daniel Earle, b. March 22, 1726; m. Jan. 11, 1761,
Susannah Church, of Little Compton, R. I. 1 19-4. John Earle, b. July 25, 1732. 120-5. Benjamin Earle, b. June 22, 1736; m. 1760, Mary .
[49-3]. Benjamin4 Earle (John,* Ralph,2 Ralph1), son of John and Mary (Wilcox) Earle, of Tiverton, R. I., b. May 25, 1691 ; m. May 28, 1726, Rebecca (b. Jan. 8, 1697; d. Nov. 17, 1779), dau. of Robert and Sarah Westgate, of Warwick, R. I. ; and d. June 15, 1770. He was a farmer and resided in Warwick.
Their children were :
[21— 1. Willam Earle, b. Feb. 12, 1727; m. Mary Brown.
122-2. John Earle, b. Jan. 27, 1729; d. Sept. 8, 1751.
123-3. Sarah Earle, b. Feb. 8, 1731 .
124-4. Benjamin Earle, b. Nov. 25, 1733.
[52-6]. Elizabeth4 Earle (John,* Ralph,2 Ralph1), dau. of John and Mary (Wilcox) Earle, b. Sept. 6, 1699, in Tiverton, R. I. ; m. 1st, Oct. ,5, 1727, George (b. April 24, 1688), son of Robert and Sarah Westgate, of War- wick, R. I., and lived in Warwick. She m. 2d, Nov. 14, 1757, Capt. John Adams, of Warren, R. I.
Their children were :
1 25-1. George Westgate, b. Sept. 16, 172S. 126-2. John Westgate, b. Feb. 1, 1731 .
Gen.] genealogy. 37
127-3. Priscilla Westgate, b. Sept. 8, 1732. 128-4. Mary Westgate, b. Jan. 7, 1735. 129-5. Earle Westgate, b. Feb. 26, 1736.
[55-3]- Hannah4 Earle (Ralph,* Ralph,2 Ralph'), dau. of Ralph and Dorcas (Dillingham) Earle, b. Sept. 2,
11693, in Dartmouth, Mass. ; m. Aug. 27, 1719, William Brown (b. April 3, 1696), of Portsmouth, R. I. ; lived in Portsmouth; and d. May 2, 1731.
Their children were :
1 30-1 131-2
»33-4 J34-5
Jane Brown, b. May 22, 1720.
Deborah Brown, b. April 25, 1722.
Nicholson Brown, /5. Nov. 14, 1724; r/. Oct. 29, 1726.
Elizabeth Brown, b. April 19, 1727.
William Brown, b. April 5, 1731 ; d. June 5, 1731.
[64-1]. Ann4 Earle (Joseph,* Ralph,2 Ralph1), dau. of Joseph and Elizabeth (Slocum) Earle, of Portsmouth, R. I., b. Jan. 28, 1704; m. Feb. 11, 1725, James Kirby.
" febuary ye 1 Ith 1724S James Kerba and Ann Earl entered into ye marriage Covenant be me Thomas Terrah." — [Dartmouth Records.
Their child was : 135-1. Joseph Kirby.
[65-2]. Dorcas4 Earle (Joseph,* Ralph,2 Ralph1), dau. of Joseph and Elizabeth (Slocum) Earle, of Portsmouth, R. I., b. April 10, 1705 ; m. before 1738, William Tilley.
Their children were :
136-1. William Tilley, b. 1738. 137-2. James Tilley.
[79-4]. William4 Earl (William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Elizabeth Earle, b. in Springfield,
N. J.; m. in 1739, Mary, widow of Sharp; and
lived on the farm devised to him by his father.
William's will is dated June 9, 1740. Letters of administration were granted to his wife, June 11, 1759.
38 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
Their child was : 13S-1. Elizabeth Earl.
[80-5]. Thomas4 Earl (William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Elizabeth Earl, b. in Springfield, N. J. ; m. Sept. 6, 1727, Mary (b. May 12, 1705), dau. of Silas and Mrs. Mary (Stockton) Shinn Crispin ; and d. in 1778.
After his brother William's decease he lived on his father's home- stead and devised it to his son Thomas. In his will he says " I am creditably Enformed that I have inherited a large Estate in Rhode Island, By the Death of my Grand Father William Earl and I advise my sons Thomas and Tanton to go in pursuit of it." No such bequest was made in his grandfather's will.
The children of Thomas and Mary (Crispin) Earl were:
1 39- 1. Tanton Earl, b. March 9, 1731 ; in. Mary Haines. 140-2. Thomas Earl; m. 1st, Rebecca Newbold ; 2d, Leah Tucker.
141-3. William Earl; m. Mercy ; and d. before his father.
142-4. John Earl ; d. before his father.
[81-1]. William4 Earle (Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. Nov. 12, 1690, in Dartmouth or Freetown, Mass. ; m. Anna Howard, of Tiverton, R. I. ; and d. in 1769.
He removed to Leicester, Mass., where he bought quite a large tract of land of the original proprietors of the town. This was on both sides of what is now Mulberry street, and Marshall street was its northern boundary. His house was about fifty rods south of the junction of those streets, a little north of the present dwelling of John P. Stevens.
" Janowari 3, 1722, William [Earl] Entred his Mark [for cattle] the Right Ear cut off." — [Leicester Town Records.
As already mentioned he was one of the earliest members of the Society of Friends in Leicester, and at a town meeting, held March 2, 1730, it was, at his request, " Voted to abate Will'" Earl So much of his Rate (tax) as proportionally appears To be his part to the
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 39
minister Rate." Twenty-eight years later, in 175S, and after the decease of his father, the adult male members of the Society were William Earle, Nathaniel Potter, Dudley Wade Swan, Steward Southgate, Robert and Benjamin Earle, Benjamin Wheaton, William Earle, Jr., John Potter and Nathaniel Potter, Jr.
January 12, 1737, at a town meeting it was "Voted to keep yc school at Mr. William Earl's, one month, from this time."
March 23, 1737, he conveyed by deed to his son William, the southerly half (87 acres) of his farm, that portion which bounds the Mulberry Grove farm, now George and Billings Mann's, on the north. He built a grist-mill near the N. E. corner of his farm, on what was then called Hasey's brook, and about sixty or eighty rods south of the point where Marshall street crosses that stream. Some remains of the dam are still visible. On the 28th of December, 1739, he conveyed his farm and buildings — dwelling-house, barn and grist-mill, — to " Luke Lincoln, of Scituate, Co. of Plymouth," in con- sideration of £1,800. About two months later, February 14, 1740, he bought a farm of John Glasford, and lived on it until September 23, 1748, when he conveyed it to Jabez Green, of Stoneham, for £3,000, old tenor, bills of credit. This place was occupied by Green, and later by his son, Abel Green. It is now owned by Charles M. Marsh, and lies a little east of the north end of the Lynde reservoir, the house being at the junction of Fowler and Reservoir streets.
William soon afterwards removed to Shrewsbury, where he remained several years. In 1766 he was living in Paxton, where, on the 8th of April, 1768, he conveyed half of the farm and build- ings where he dwelt to his son William, and the other half to his son Ralph. This farm is now the Tyler Penniman place, one mile east of Paxton centre, and was a part of the large tract originally owned by William's father, Ralph, and Jonathan Witt.
William appears to have been among the few wealthiest men of his time in Leicester. He dealt largely in real estate, and many of his conveyances are upon record. In some of them he calls himself "yeoman," in others "joyner."
His will was executed March 22, 1769, and entered for probate March 29, 1769.
The children of William and Anna (Howard) Earle were :
143-1. William Earle, b. April 27, 1714; m. Mary Cutting. 144-2. Elizabeth Earle, b. May 12, 1716; m. John Potter.
40 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
145-3. Mary Earle, b. Feb. 28, 1719 ; m. July 1, 1 741, James
Lawton, Jr. 146-4. David Earle, b. Aug. 16, 1721 ; m. Martha Earle [167-1]. 147-5. Judith Earle, b. Aug. 11, 1723; m. 1st, Geo. Cutting,
of Cambridge, and had a son, Earle Cutting ; 2d,
Graves. 14S-6. Ralph Earle, b. Nov. 13, 1726; m. Phebe Whittemore. 149-7. John Earle, b. March 1, 1729.
[82-2]. John4 Earle (Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. Feb. 24, 1694, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. Dec. 24, 1719, Sarah, widow of John Borden, of Swanzey, Mass. ; and their children were born in Swanzey.
He lived some years in Portsmouth and the records of that town mention him as " John Earll, Jr.," his father having a brother John in the same town.
On the 15th of November, 1715, in consideration, as he says, of one hundred pounds [£100], "paid by my unkle John Earll, of Ports- mouth," he conveyed to said John [16-6] " all that my land Lying Eastward of the Eastward Row of cherry trees, which Land was given to me by my father, Ralph Earll, by Estimation four acres." The deed is signed, "John Earll, Jr."
He removed to Swanzey before the time of his marriage.
The children of John and Mary (Hicks) Earle were :
1 50-1. Mary Earle, b. May 4, 1722.
151-2. Patience Earle, b. Sept. 2, 1724.
152-3. John Earle, b. July 4, 1727; ///. Patience Stafford; and
supposed to have removed to Perquimans Co., North
Carolina. 153-4. Joseph Earle, b. Jan. 25, 1730; m. Feb. 12, 1747, Eunice
Hathaway. 154-5. Lydia Earle, b. Aug. 2, 1732.
[83-3]. Mary+ Earle (Ralphs William2 Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. Oct. 24, 1693, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. Sheffield.
Their child was :
155-1. Nathaniel Sheffield.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 41
[84-4]. Elizabeth4 Earle (Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. Dec. 24, 1696, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. at Newport, R. I., July 5, 17 16, Robert (b. Jan. 5, 1696), son of Robert and Mary (Wodell) Lawton, of Portsmouth, where their children were born.
Their children were :
156-1
157-2 153-3 J59-4 160-5
Job Lawton, b. Jan. 10, 171 7. Robert Lawton, b. Nov. 17, 171S. Elizabeth Lawton, b. July 17, 1720. George Lawton, b. Dec. 2S, 1721. Mary Lawton, b. Dec. 17, 1723.
[85-5]- Sarah4 Earle (Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. Jan. 18, 1698, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. Sept. 6, 1714, Stephen Manches- ter, of Tiverton ; and resided in Tiverton.
Their children were :
161-1. Edward Manchester, b. Nov. 1, 1718. 162-2. Martha Manchester, b. July 31, 1720.
[87-7]. Patience4 Earle (Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. Nov. 24, 1702, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. Benjamin Richardson, a housewright ; and d. in 1755, in Leicester.
She was buried in the Friends' burying-ground, her grave being next north of that of her mother.
The children of Patience and Benjamin Richardson were :
163-1. Abigail Richardson, b. Dec. 30, 1725.
164-2. Benjamin Richardson, b. Feb. 20, 1731 ; m. in 175S,
Eunice, dau. of Dudley Wade Swan, of Leicester. 165-3. Elizabeth Richardson, b. July 9, 1734; m. Nathan
Earle [168-2]. 166-4. Nathaniel Richardson, b. Jan. 15, 1737; m. Ruth
Gilkey, of Plainfield. 6
42 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
[89-9]. Robert4 Earle (Ratyh? William? Ralfl/11), son of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. March 2, 1706, in Freetown, Mass.; m. 1st, Mary Newhall {b. Nov. 5, 1704), dau. of Thomas Newhall,* of Leicester, formerly of Maiden, by whom he had ten children ; and 2d, March 23, 1756, Hepsibah Johnson, of Worcester, Mass., by whom he had two children. He d. in 1796.
At the age of eleven years he removed with his father to Leicester, Mass. Upon his attainment of the age of twenty-one years his father gave him by deed, dated March 9, 1727-S, O. S., and without con- sideration other than " love, good will and affection," two tracts of land. Upon one of them, containing eighty acres, he erected a dwelling, on the corner of Earle and Mulberry streets, in which he resided during all his married life. On the nth of April, 1792, he conveyed the place to his grandsons, Pliny and Jonah Earle, in con- sideration of JC300. In the next following year Pliny removed the dwelling to the opposite (East) side of the road, and erected upon the old site the house which, with some additions, is still standing. Here Robert passed the remainder of his days in the family of his grandson Pliny.
He had a strong constitution and retained his vigor and activity in a remarkable degree until very near the close of his life. After the ninetieth anniversary of his birth, he went alone and on horseback to visit his sons in Chester, now Vt. On his return, he arrived home at night, having ridden fifty miles on that day. On the following morning he said he could ride to Boston on that day, without feeling fatigue. Once at least, he rode in one day from Leicester to New- port, R. I., to attend the yearly meeting of the Society of Friends, of which Society, as heretofore mentioned, he was a member.
Some years before his death, he was returning from Worcester in company with his brother William [S1-1], both on horseback, when upon "Potash-plain," they tried the speed of their horses, both of them pacers, when Robert's horse fell, threw him, and so injured him that he never fully recovered from the consequent lame- ness.
* Son of Thomas, who was the first white child born in Lynn, Mass., and was son of Thomas (d. May 25, 1674) and Mary (d. Sept. 25, 1665) Newhall, who came from England.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 43
The children of Robert Earle were :
167- 1. Martha Earle, b. Nov. 3, 1726; m. 1st, David Earle
[146-4] ; 2d, Hezekiah Ward.
168- 2. Nathan Earle, b. May 12, 1728; m. Elizabeth Richard-
son [165-3].
169- 3. Mary Earle, b. Aug. 10, 1730; fn. Jonathan Sargent.
170- 4. Elizabeth Earle, b. Oct. 18, 1732 ; m. JohnWhittemore.
171- 5. George Earle, b. March 3, 1735 ; m. Mary Baker.
172- 6. Thomas Earle, b. Aug. 27, 1737; m. Hannah Wait.
173- 7. Esek Earle, b. Feb. 10, 1741 ; m. Mehitable Snow.
174- 8. Robert Earle, b. Oct. 10, 1743 ; m. Sarah Hunt.
175- 9. Lydia Earle, b. Aug. 15, 1746; m. 1st, John Wilson;
2d, Micah Johnson ; 3d, Jonas Newton. 176-10. Marmaduke Earle, b. March 8, 1749; m. Elizabeth
Newton. 177-11. Phebe Earle, b. Dec. 22, 1756; m. Francis Flagg. 178-12. Timothy Earle, b. March 13, 1759; d. in the U. S.
army, Nov. 3, 1 777-
[90-10]. Mercy4 Earle (Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), dan. of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. March 13, 1708, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. Jotham Rice and resided in Worcester and Barre, Mass. According to the " History of the Rice Family" she d. in 1803.
Their children were :
179- 1. Violata Rice ; m. John Gates; and d. Feb. 10, 1801.
180- 2. Daniel Rice, b. about 1732; m. Keziah Snow ; and rf.
July 15, 1810, in Barre.
181- 3. Ralph Rice ; m. Sarah .
182- 4. Martha Rice, b. May 5, 1735 ;'m. 1st, Walker ; 2d,
Benjamin Chandler (d. June 14, 1798), of Petersham, Mass.
183- 5. Mary Rice, b. about 1737 ; m. Sylvanus Howe.
184- 6. Jotham Rice, b. about 1744; m. 1st, Harriet Snow; 2d,
Elizabeth Sullivan; and d. March 28, 1814.
185- 7. James Rice, b. about 1746; m. 1st, Susan Cutting; 2d,
Ruth White ; and d. July 21, 1832, in Barre.
186- 8. Mercy Rice, b. Aug. 7, 1749 ; m. June 7, 1774, Thaddeus
Eames.
187- 9. Prudence Rice, b. Aug. 7, 1751 ; m. Silas Barber. 188-10. Benjamin Rice, b. about 1753 ; m. Abigail Smith ; and
d. Jan. 17, 1 82 1, in Barre. 189-11. Elizabeth Rice ; m. Wilder.
44 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
For these and about three hundred of their descendants see the " History of the Rice Family," by A. W. Henshaw.
[91-n]. Benjamin^ Earle (Ratyh? William* fialfi/11), son oi Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle, b. March 14, 171 1, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. 1st, Abigail Newhall, dau. of Thomas Newhall, of Leicester, formerly of Maiden, who was the mother of all his children ; 2d, widow Deborah (Buffum). Slade (b. Dec. 1, 1716; d. Dec. 26, 1804), dau. of Jonathan Buffum; and d. Dec. 18, 1760.
Benjamin was the youngest of eleven children and appears to have lived with his father during the life of the latter. January 18, 1753, his father " in consideration of £100 lawful money and love and affection" conveyed to him the homestead, consisting of the build- ings and 140 acres of land. He afterward built a grist-mill upon the stream running through the westerly part of the farm. Traces of the dam are still visible, thirty or forty rods below the remains of another dam, a short distance south of the Friends' cemetery, where his brother Robert's grandson Timothy erected a saw- and grist-mill in 1815.
He was chairman of the Board of Selectmen in 1757.
According to the town records, he " Declared himself a Quaker and Desired his name to be entered as such." August 13, i739> ne and Nathaniel Potter deeded to Samuel Thayer of Mendon, the lot upon which the Friends erected their meeting-house. Much the larger part of the lot was taken from Benjamin's farm, which was a part of the original farm of his father Ralph. December 27, 1739, Thayer conveyed it to Benjamin Earle, Nathaniel Potter, Thomas Smith and John Wells, with the condition that it should never be divided, but held in common, and each one's share at his decease should go to the survivors and their heirs or assigns forever.
Benjamin's son John enlisted in the army of the United States. In 1760, while posted at a southern station he was attacked with the small-pox. His father went for him, brought him home, took the disease and both father and son died of it. In his will, executed in 1759, he gave his son Antipas "that farm that I bought of John Hasey, being fifty acres with the Building and improvements, and ten acres of my homestead." This farm is on Fowler street, at the head of the Lynde reservoir, and the modern house is on the site of
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 45
the original and much larger one. To his son John he gave 120 acres " in the Northeasterly part of Leicester" ; to his son Gardiner, " all my homestead " except the ten acres to Antipas, " with all my buildings, mills and improvements thereon, also all my farming tools and one half of my stock of creatures of all kinds the other half to be equally divided among all four of my sons." Gardiner was to pay Antipas twenty-five pounds, thirteen shillings and fourpence. Antipas was made executor and residuary legatee of real estate.
He afterward married his second wife and, as has been seen, in the latter part of 1760, was removed by a somewhat sudden and unex- pected death. He had made no change in his will and consequently his widow was unprovided for. Under these circumstances the action of the sons was highly commended and is worthy of commem- oration. They appended to the will the following declaration :
"We, Newell Earl and Antipas Earl for our Selves & Thomas Wheeler in Behalf of and with the free Consent of Gardiner Earl to whom he is Guardian Notwithstanding what is Contained in the foregoing Will in Consideration that since the foregoing will was made ye Deceased married and hath now left a Widow We Do therefor hereby give our full and free Consent & agree that our Honored Mother-in Law Deborah Earl Shall have hold & Enjoy one third part of the whol of sd Deceased's personal Estate given & not given away in this Will after the just Debts &c. are paid as Witness our hands Feb'y 5th 1 761. Newell Earl. Antipass Earl. Gardiner Earl. Thos. Wheeler Guard".
Test Timo Paine.
" I Newel Earl Eldest Son of Sd Deceased agree that the Two Thirds of our Decd Fathers personall Estate shall be Divided Equally between me & my Two Brothers — in Case our Sd mother Enjoys ye Other Third. Feby 5th 1761.
Test Timo Paine. Newell Earl."
Newhall Earle had received nearly all his share of the estate before the will was made.
The children of Benjamin and Abigail (Newhall) Earle were :
190-1. Newhall Earle, b. March 15, 1735 ; m. Rachel Stoddard. 191-2. Antipas Earle, b. June 1, 1737 ; m. Mercy Slade. 192-3. John Earle, b. Nov. 18, 1740; d. Nov. 25, 1760.
46 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
193-4. Gardiner Earle, b. Feb. 21, 1744; *»• xst, Rebecca Brown; 2d, March 11, 1767, Phebe Hallock. Gardiner lived on his father's homestead until November, 1780, when he sold it to his brother Antipas and removed to the State of New York. He was in Orange Co. in 1786.
194-5. Benjamin Earle, b. March 28, 1747 ; d. Dec. 24, 1747.
[92-1] . "William4 Earle ( Thomas.^ William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Mary (Taber) Earle, b. in Dartmouth, Mass., or Portsmouth, R. I.; m. 1st, June 25, 1718, Mehitable Bray ton, of Portsmouth, R. I., by whom he had three children; 2d, April 6, 1737, Abigail, dau. of Josiah and Bethiah Abbott, and widow of John Lawton, by whom he had four children. He resided in Ports- mouth, R. I., and d. Aug. 14, 1744.
Their children were :
195-1. William Earle, b. March 16, 1721 ; m. 1st, Sarah Dennis;. 2d, widow Catharine (Williams) Lunt.
196-2. David Earle, b. July 11, 1722; m. Abigail Lawton.
197-3. Mary Earle, b. Aug. 11, 1725.
198-4. Thomas Earle, b. Dec. 21, 1736; m. Mary Tripp.
199-5. John Earle, b. Maixh 16, 1738; m. Dorcas Barney.
200-6. Abbott Earle, b. Dec. 12, 1740; d. young.
201-7. Phebe Earle, b. Nov. 5, 1743; d. Oct. 20, 182S, unmar- ried, in Mendon, Mass.
[95-4]. Oliver4 Earle ( Thomas, ,3 William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Mary (Taber) Earle ; m. June 9, 1720, Rebecca, dau. of Samuel and Martha (Tripp) Sherman, of Portsmouth, R. I. ; and d. in 1766. He resided in Swanzey.
In 1 716, his father deeded to him one-half of his farm in Swanzey. Oliver had been living in the city of New York, where he was engaged in the East India trade. His father was then in Portsmouth.
In 1 72 1, Oliver bought the other half of the farm of his father for £1,100.
From Oliver's will, which was executed in 1766, we make the following extract :
" I give and. Bequeath unto my well beloved Wife Rebecca Earl one Equal half part of all my Houshold goods forever and the
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 47
Improvement of the One Equal half part of my Dwelling House I now live In and one half of the Cellar and one half of the Gardens and a priviledge of the wells and a Priviledge to pass and repass where she shall have Occation and also Sufficient firewood to be cutt and brought home to her door for her own Use and Two Hundred pounds Weight of good Pork and Three Hundred pounds Weight of good beef &. Twenty pounds Weight of good Sheeps wool and Twenty pounds Weight of good flax from the Swingle and Ten Bushels of Good Indian Corn and five Bushels of Rye and five Barrels of Cyder and as many Apples as She Shall have Occation for her Own Use and a Priviledge to keep fowles for her Own Use also I give unto my said beloved Wife five Pounds Lawfull Money all the aforesaid giftes and Bequeaths are to be paid her Yearly and Every Year by my Executors hereafter named so long as She Shall Remain my Widow and no Longer.
Also I give unto my wellbeloved Wife Two good Cows and one good Riding beast to be kept Winter and Summer on this my Home- stead farm Yearly and Every Year During her Widowhood and no longer and also my Negro Woman Named Jenny and my Negro Girl Named Rose for Ever I also give unto Rebecca my Wife my Side Saddle and bridle all the aforesaid giftes and Bequeaths are in Liew of her Rights of her Thirds or Dowry if She pleases to Except thereof ******
Furthermore my Will is that Jeff a Negro Man an Apprentice now to James Luther Junr Shall be free at the Expiration of the Term of his Apprentiship. Also my Will is that my five Negros Namely Augustus Ceasar Simon Abraham and Margaret Shall be free when they Shall come to Thirty Years of Age."
The children of Oliver and Rebecca (Sherman) Earle were :
202-1. Joshua Earle ; m. Alice Sherman.
203-2. Caleb Earle, b. Jan. 30, 1729 ; m, 1st, Sarah Buffington ;
2d, Hannah Chace. 204-3. Thomas Earle, b. 1731 ; m. Esther Chace. 205-4. Mary Earle ; m. Jonathan Chace.
[102-2]. Mary^ Earle (John,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of John and Mary (Wait) Earle, b. Feb. 19, 1703, at Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Job Durfee.
Their children were :
206-1. Thomas Durfee.
207-2. Job Durfee.
208-3. Sylvia Durfee ; m. George Tripp.
48 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fourth
209-4. Abner Durfee.
210-5. Mary Durfee ; in. Gideon Dennis.
21 1-6. William Durfee.
212-7. Priscilla Durfee.
[103-3]. Oliver4 Earle (John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of John and Mary (Wait) Earle, b. Feb. 26, 1705, at Portsmouth, R. I.; m. Aug. 15, 1735, Ruth Hall, and resided at Portsmouth.
Their children were :
2 1 3-1 214-2
21 5-3
216-4
21 7-5 218-6 219-7 220-S 221-9
William Earle, b. Feb. 1, 1740; m. Sarah .
John Earle, b. June 1, 1742 ; m. Deborah Anthony. Phebe Earle, b. Feb. 27, 1744.
Thomas Earle, b. March 4, 1746 ; m. Ruth W. Freeborn. Mary Earle, b. June 4, 1748 ; m. Matthew Cook. Ruth Earle, b. Aug. 25, 1750; m. Thomas Borden. Oliver Earle, b. Oct. 26, 1752. Prudence Earle, b. April 30, 1755. Parker Earle, b. June 23, 1758.
[104-4]. Martha4 Earle (John,* William2 Ralph1), dau. of John and Mary (Wait) Earle, b. Sept. 29, 1708, in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Dec. 12, 1726, at the house of Capt. John Earle, Stephen Brownell, and lived in Ports- mouth.
Their children were :
222- 1
223- 2
224- 3
225- 4
226- 5
227- 6
228- 7
229- 8
230- 9 231-10
Susanna Brownell, b. Jan. 11, 172S.
Mary Brownell, b. Dec. 5, 1729.
George Brownell, b. Dec. 10, 1731.
Stephen Brownell, b. Sept. 16, 1734; d. May 23, 1735.
Phebe Brownell, b. March 7, 1736.
Sarah Brownell, b. Dec. 2, 1739.
Martha Brownell, b. March 10, 1742.
Hannah Brownell, b. Nov. 6, 1744.
Stephen Brownell, b. Dec. 20, 1749.
John Brownell, b. Jan. 16, 1753.
Cio5-5]- William4 Earle (John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of John and Mary (Wait) Earle, b. March 28, 1710, at Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. May 29, 1740, Mary Lawton, of Newport, R. I. ; d. April 15, 1797.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 49
From '•'•The Medley or New Bedford Marine Journal" of April 21, 1797 : " Died at Westport, on the 15th inst., William Earl, in the 88th year of his age ; a worthy, respectable farmer, and with truth can be said to have been ' an honest man — the noblest work of God ! ' "
He resided near the head of Westport river, in that part of Dart- mouth which was during his life set off as Westport. After his decease his farm, containing about 200 acres, was divided into four parts, and owned, in i860, by Willard Slocum, his house being near the site of the old homestead, Canaan Dyer, Restcome Manchester and Stephen Cornell. William's house was a fine specimen of the best rural architecture of the time.
The children of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle were :
232-1. Lawton Earle, b. April 2, 1741 ; m. Mary Palmer. 233-2. John Earle, b. Nov. 12, 1745; m. Priscilla ^
Hilliard. I T '
234-3. Caleb Earle, b. Nov. 12, 1745; m. Elizabeth f winb-
Brightman. Dartmouth Records say 1746. J 235-4. William Earle ; m. Edith Brownell. 236-5. Pardon Earle ; d. unmarried. 237-6. Stephen Earle, b. May 4, 1754; m. 1st, Mary Hicks;
2d, Priscilla Hicks. 238-7. Robert Earle, b. Sept. 4, 1757; m. Mary Cory. 239-8. Paul Earle; m. 1st, Hannah Hicks; 2d, Elizabeth Betts.
[106-6]. John4 Earle (John,* William* Ralph1), son of John and Mary (Wait) Earle, b. Nov. 10, 1717, at Ports- mouth, R. I. ; m. 1st, Jan. 5, 1740, Elizabeth Hall, of Portsmouth, by whom he had four children ; 2d, May 25, 1749, Tabitha Hall, of Portsmouth, by whom he had two children; 3d, in 1773, widow Deborah Brownell. No issue.
He resided in Portsmouth until after his second marriage, then went to Westport, Mass., and lived in the neighborhood of his brother William, near the head of Westport river.
The children of John Earle were :
240-1. George Earle, b. Aug. 17, 1742; m. Susanna Hilliard. 241-2. Oliver Earle, b. Nov. 16, 1743 ; m. Ruth Potter. 242-3. Elizabeth Earle, b. May 28, 1745; m. Oct. 11, 1769, Isaac Case, Jr., of Dartmouth.
7
50 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
243-4. Ruth Earle, b. Oct. 11, 1747 ; m. Dec. 24, 17S9, Jona- than Davis, of Westport.
244-5. Christopher Earle, b. May 8, 1750; m. widow Mary (Palmer) Earle.
245-6. Mary Earle; m. 1st, 1774, Oliver Hicks; 2d, Constant Macomber.
FIFTH GENERATION.
[120-5]. Benjamin5 Earle (Daniel^ John,* Ralph* Ralph1), son of Daniel and Grace (Hicks) Earle, b. June 22, 1736, in Tiverton, R. 1. ; m. Aug. 25, 1760, Mary , and lived in Tiverton.
Their children were :
246-1. John Earle, b. July 21, 1761.
247-2. Rufus Earle, b. June 5, 1763.
24S-3. Benjamin Earle, b. July 11, 1765.
249-4. William Earle, b. April 2, 1768.
[121-1]. William5 Earle (Benjamin^ John,* Ralph* Ralph1), son of Benjamin and Rebecca (Westgate) Earle, of Warwick, R. I., b. Feb. 12, 1727 ; m. Dec. 10, 1752, Mary Brown {b. Jan. 21, 1733 ; d. Aug. 22, 1800), of Providence, R. I., dau. of George Brown, of Dover, England; resided in Providence, and d. Dec. 30, 1804.
Their children were :
250-1. Mary Earle, b. Oct. 11, 1753; m. Joseph Tillinghast ;
d. Aug. 28, 1797. 251-2. John Earle, b. Jan. 27, 1756; m. Mary Spaulding.
252-3. William Earle, b. Feb. 17, 1758; m. Tillinghast.
253-4. Benjamin Earle, b. June 30, 1760; m. Dec. 25, 1794,
Betsey Gordon; d. Sept. 11, 1797. 254~5- George Earle, b. Dec. 27, 1762; d. unmarried, March
19, 1844. 255-6. Sarah Earle, b. March 11, 1767; d. Oct. 10, 1768. 256-7. Oliver Earle, b. June 8, 1770; ?n. 1st, Fanny Holroyd ;
2d, Sally W. Arnold. 257-8. Sarah Earle, b. July 27, 1772; m. Charles Sheldon, of
Providence, R. I.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 5 1
[139-1]. Tanton5 Earl (Thomas,* William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Mary (Crispin) Earl, b.
I March 9, 1731, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. Mary Haines (b. Sept. 12, 1732 : d. June 3, 1811) ; resided in Spring- field, and d. Oct. 24, 1807. He was a farmer. Their children were :
258- 1. Thomas Earl, b. Dec. 13, 1754; m. Edith Sykes.
259- 2. Caleb Earl, b. Dec. 21, 1756: m. Esther Gardner ; no
issue.
260- 3. John Earl, b. Oct. 25, 1758; m. 1st, Abigail Smith; 2d,
Abigail Haines.
261- 4. Joseph Earl, b. Jan. 2, 1761 ; m. Theodosia Shreve.
262- 5. Elizabeth Earl, b. March 7, 1763 ; m. Jonathan Curtis;
d. April 7, 1791.
263- 6. Mercy Earl, b. March 19, 1765 ; d. unm., Sept. 20, 1805.
264- 7. Mary Earl, b. May 25, 1767 ; m. Alexander Shreve.
265- 8. Letitia Earl, b. May 31, 1769; d. March 15, 1774.
266- 9. Tanton Earl, b. Oct. 23, 1772 ; d. unm., Jan. 29, 1796. 267-10. Daniel Earl, b. Jan. 21, 1774; m. Hannah Shinn.
[140-2]. Thomas5 Earl (Thomas,* William,* William,2
Ralph1), son of Thomas and Mary (Crispin) Earl, b. in
Springfield, N. J. ; m. 1st, Dec. 20, 1764, Rebecca
{b. Aug. 13, 1739; d. Nov. 16, 1774), dau. of Michael
Newbold, issue eight children; 2d, Leah (b. 1744; d.
March 15, 1780), dau. of John Tucker; issue, one child.
He lived on the farm inherited from his father, and d.
there May 17, 1809.
Their children were :
268-1. Michael Earl, b. Sept. 25, 1765; m. Rebecca ~]
Ridgway. ™ .
269-2
270-3
271-4
272-5 273-6 274-7
275-8 276-9
Susannah Earl, b. Sept. 25, 1765 ; d. unm.,
June 9, 1823. John Earl, b. Dec. 30, 1766; m. Anna C. Wells. Clayton Earl, b. Jan. 14, 1768; m. 1st, Sallie Holmes;
2d, Cornelia M. Harrison. Martha Earl, b. Jan. 2, 1770; d. unm., Nov. 26, 1836. Rebecca Earl, b. Feb. 11, 1772 ; d. unm., April 5, 1790. Thomas Earl, b. May 20, 1774; m. Mercy)
Burling, V Twins.
Mercy Earl, b. May 20, 1774; d. Sept. 4, 1775. ) Tucker Earl, b. March 15, 1780 ; d. unm., March 23, 1803.
52 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
[141-3]. William5 Earl (Thomas,* William,* William,3 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Mary (Crispin) Earl, b. in Springfield, N. J.; m. Mercy ; resided in Spring- field, and was engaged in farming. After his death his wife m. Samuel Gibbs.
The children of William and Mercy Earl were :
277-1. Samuel Earl; m. Hannah ; d. in 1799. No issue.
278-2. Mary Earl, b. April 17, 1753; m. Joseph Lamb; d.
Aug. 6, 1788. A dau., Mercy, b. Jan. 6, 1782. 279-3. William Earl ; m. Mary .
[143-1]. William5 Earle (William,* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Anna (Howard) Earle, b. April 27, 1714, in Freetown, Mass. ; m. Jan. 31, 1740, Mary Cutting, of Leicester; and d. Feb. 6, 1805. His widow d. May 21, 1808, set. 91 years, 7 months.
He was taken by his father when a child to Leicester, Mass. His father, as has been seen, conveyed to him, in 1737, eighty-seven acres of the south part of his farm. Upon this he built a large one- story gambrel-roofed house, with an L, in which he lived and died. In his will he gave this homestead to his sons, James and Joel, the former of whom purchased the interest of the latter and made the place his home until death. The house was on Mulberry street, nearly one-fourth of a mile north of its junction with Earle street. It was burned down about i860, when occupied by James's son, Nathaniel, but the cellar still remains.
William also bequeathed to his son Oliver "the farm oh which he lives." This farm is in Paxton and adjoins the Penniman place on the north.
William, for many years, was familiarly known in Leicester as " Uncle Will." He retained the vigor and energy of manhood until the close of his life, pursuing, with unabated skill and pleasure, his favorite pastime of hunting. He was found dead in his bed, having retired the preceding evening in usual health.
The children of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle were :
2S0-1. John Earle, b. Dec. 3, 1740; m. Sarah Wheaton. 281-2. Lois Earle, b. Jan. 25, 1743 ; m. Nathan Whittemore. 2S2-3. William Earle, b. March 21, 1744; d. June 6, 1755.
Gen.] genealogy. 53
283-4. Oliver Earle, b. March 21, 1745 ; m. Mary Earle [293-3].
284-5. Reuben Earle, b. May 8, 1747; m- Mary Harrington.
285-6. Jabez Earle, b. Jan. 7, 1754-
286-7. James Earle, b. April 10, 1757 ; m. Deborah Sargent.
2S7-8. Joel Earle, b. July 6, 1759 ; m. Persis Witt.
[144-2]. Elizabeth3 Earle ( William,* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of William and Anna (Howard) Earle, b. May 12, 1715, in Freetown, Mass. ; was taken with her father's family to Leicester, Mass. ; and m. in 1736, John Potter, Jr. (d. 1797), of Leicester. A housewright.
Their children were :
288-1. William Potter, b. Feb. 23, 1738.
289-2. Lois Potter, b. 1741.
290-3. Mary Potter, b. June 29, 1745.
[146-4]. David5 Earle (William,* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Anna (Howard) Earle, b. Aug. 16, 1721, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. Martha [167-1], dau. of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle ; d. about 1766.
He lived for some years on the farm next east (and in the limits of Worcester) of the farm upon which his father lived, and sold to Jabez Green ; after which he removed to the farm next north of the Leicester Town farm. _
The children of David and Martha (Earle) Earle were :
291-1. Sarah Earle ; m. in 1767, John Beard, and resided, 1791 ,
in Ward, now Auburn, Mass. 292-2. David Earle, b. July 15, 1748; m. Rebecca Brown. 293-3. Mary Earle, b. Oct. 18, 1750; m. Oliver Earle [283-4]. 294-4. Martha Earle, b. April 2, 1752 ; m. James Wicker, and
resided, 1791 , in Paxton, Mass. 295-5. Thaddeus Earle, b. April 29, 1754; m. Dorothy Shaw. 296-6. Jacob Earle, b. March 28, 1756; d. unm., about 1776. 297-7. Abigail Earle, b. Dec. 29, 1759; m. Timothy Newton,
and resided, 1791, in Barnard, Vt. 298-8. John Earle, b. May 13, 1762 ; m. Eunice Allen.
Martha Earle, the widow of David, m. 2d, April 7, 1768, Hezekiah Ward, who came from Grafton and owned the farm now belonging to the town.
54 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
Their child was : 299-9. Hezekiah Ward, /;. I77I-
[148-6]. Ralph5 Earls' (William,* Ralph,* William,-1 Ralph1), son of William and Anna (Howard) Earle, b. Nov. 13, 1726, in Leicester, Mass. ; in. 1st, July 19, 1750, Phebe (b. 1727), dau. of John and Rebekah Whittemore ; 2d, Oct. 1, 1775, Mrs. Naomi Kinnicutt, of Providence, R. I. At the time of his first marriage he lived in Shrewsbury, Mass., but, after the birth of the eldest child, he removed to Leicester, where the rest of the children were born. He d. about 1808, at the house of his son Clark, in Leicester.
In 176S, his father conveyed to him one-half of his farm in Paxton.
Gov. Hutchinson sent to Ralph a Captain's commission in the British Army, bearing date June 17, 1776. This was rejected by ' Ralph ; but he soon after received a similar commission from Gen. Washington, and served in the American Army during nearly the whole of the Revolutionary War.
The children of Ralph and Phebe (Whittemore) Earle were :
300-1. Ralph Earle, b. May 11, 1751 ; m. Sarah Gates.
301-2. Clark Earle, b. April 17, 1753 ; m. 1st, Hepsibeth
Howard ; 2d, widow Matilda Chace. 302-3. Artemas Earle, b. Nov. 28, 1754; d. March 19, 1755. 303-4. James Earle, b. May 1, 1761 ; m. widow Caroline G. P.
Smyth. 304-5. Dexter Earle, b. Dec. 10, 1776, in Paxton, Mass.
[I53~4] • Joseph5 Earle ( John,* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph'), son of John and Sarah (Borden) Earle, b. Jan. 25, 1730? in Swanzey, Mass. ; m. Feb. 12, 1747, Eunice, dau. of Richard and Deborah Hathaway, of Dartmouth, Mass. His widow m. 1755, John Perry, of Tiverton, R. I.
Their child was :
305-1. Deborah Earle, b. May 4, 1752.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 55
[168-2]. Nathan5 Earle (Roberts Ralphs Williams Ralph1), son of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. May 12, 1728, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. 1751, Elizabeth Richardson, of Leicester.
He resided for some years in Leicester, and removed, apparently between 1760 and 1765, to New Yoi"k, now Vermont. He was living, in 1 777' m Rockingham. It is said that he was one of tbe " patentees " of the town of Chester, Vt.
The children of Nathan and Elizabeth (Richardson) Earle were
306-1 307-2
3o8-3 3°9-4
Caleb Earle, b. July 17, 1752. Nathan Earle, b. July 8, 1755. Patience Earle. Betsey Earle.
[169-3]. Mary5 Earle (Roberts Ralphs Williams Ralph1), dau. of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. Aug. 10, 1730, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. Jan. 24, 1750, Jonathan Sargent, Jr., of Leicester, and resided in Leicester.
Their children were :
310-1. Jonathan Sargent, b. Feb. 17, 1752; he was wounded
in battle, during the Revolutionary war, and died on his
way home. 311-2. Mary Sargent, b. May 4, 1753; m. in 1774, Timothy
Sprague. 312-3. Eleanor Sargent, b. Oct. 30, 1754; tn. in 1776, John
{b. Jan. 13, 1738), son of Steward and Elizabeth (Scott)
Southgate ; and d. in 1825. 313-4. William Sargent, b. Sept. 7, 1756; m. Rachel Todd. 314-5. Samuel Sargent, b. 1761 ; m. Martha Johnson. 315-6. Elihu Sargent, b. 1764; d. unmarried, about 1S35. 316-7. Catherine Sargent; m. in 1790, Amos Livermore.
John Southgate, who married Eleanor Sargent [312-3], was the adjutant of the regiment of minute-men commanded by Col. William Henshaw, and marched to Cambridge on the alarm of the 19th April, 1775* I11 September, 1 77^' ne was commissioned as second officer in an artillery company, under the title of " captain-lieuten- ant." He left the army in the summer or autumn of 1778, but still
56 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
continued active in promoting the interests of the Revolution. Capt. Southgate engaged extensively in purchasing wild lands in Maine. After the death of his oldest son he had occasion to visit these lands from time to time, to dispose of them and to protect them from trespassers. On the 7th August, 1806, having occasion to be at Stillwater for this purpose, and wishing to pass a short distance down the river, he got upon a couple of logs in the stream, and was soon after thrown into the water in some way, and was drowned. His body was soon recovered and buried at Kenduskeag Point, on the banks of the Penobscot.
For the family of Mary (Earle) and Jonathan Sargent and their descendants, see "Genealogy of the Sargent Family."
[170-4]. Elizabeth5 Earle (Roberts Ralph J William? Ralph1), dau. of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. Oct. 18, 1732, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. May 9, 1750, John (b. 1721), son of John and Rebekah Whittemore, and resided in Leicester and Spencer, Mass.
Their children were :
318-2
3IQ-3 320-4
32I"5 322-6
323-7
324-8
John Whittemore, b. Dec. 1, 1750.
Mary Whittemore, b. Nov. 28, 1753.
Thomas Whittemore, b. April 28, 1755*
Phebe Whittemore, \ Twins, b. Nov. 5, 1756; d. in
Rebecca Whittemore, J 1759.
Israel Whittemore, b. Jan. 14, 1759.
Whittemore, b. April 20, 1764.
Ruth Whittemore, b. June 13, 1766.
[171-5]. George5 Earle (Robert,** Ralph,* William? Ralph1), son of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. March 3, 1735, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. April 26, 1757, Mary (b. March 13, 1738; d. May 16, 1824), dau. of Thomas and Azubah (Rice) Baker, of Shrewsbury, Mass.
Removed to Chester, Vt., about 1770; commanded a company of militia at the battle of Bennington, Vt., and on the 2d of July, 1806, while engaged in his work, which was that of a gunsmith, "fell and died almost instantly," probably from a disease of the heart.
|
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ak. ™ |
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^■■^K
■■JPi
*tl
Thomas E a it l e ,
OF LEICESTER, MASS.
From a portrait in oil, painted by Ralph Earle [XOQ-I] in the year 1800. This copy is reversed. In the original, it is the right hand which rests on the table; and in the view of Mr. Earle's homestead, in the back-ground, the large gate is on the left of the dwelling-house. This picture is the best that could be ob- tained: the coloring of the portrait being such as not to respond !• i // to the photographic process.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 57
Their children were :
325-1. George Earle, b. Nov. 17, 1757 5 drowned in attempting
to swim across the St. Lawrence river. 326-2. Frederick Earle, b. Oct. 11, 1759; m. Elizabeth Young. 327-3. Artemas Earle, b. June 23, 1762 ; m. Sally Tarbell. 32S-4. Mary Earle, b. March 8, 1764; m. Elijah Parker. 329-5. Lydia Earle, b. Sept. 3, 1767; m. 1st, Nathan Gile ; 2d,
Martin Stevens ; 3d, Samuel Wiswell. 330-6. Xenophon Earle, b. June 10, 1770; m. Sally Gilkey. 331-7. Walter Earle, b. March 18, 1773 ; m. Hannah Allen. 332-8. Catherine Earle, b. April 30, 1775 ; d. Aug. 31, 1777. 333-9. Alvan Earle, b. Aug. 20, 1778; m. Fanny Shaw.
[172-6]. Thomas5 Earle (Robert^ Ralphs William,2 Ralfl/11), son of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. Aug. 27, 1737, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. Jan. 22, 1761, Hannah (b. 1740; d. Aug. 22, 1799), dau. of Nathaniel and Hannah (Southgate) Wait, of Leicester ; and d. March 21, 1819.
The following is extracted from "Washburn's History of Leicester :"
"Mr. Earle resided in Cherry Valley, Leicester, in the house where Mr. Heman Burr now lives. [The house was burned in 1873]. He planted the fine rows of sycamores that stood [some of the trees are still standing] before it, on the day of the battle of Lexington. He was distinguished for his mechanical skill and ingenuity. He manufactured a gun of exquisite workmanship for Col. William Henshaw, in 1773 ; and when Col. Henshaw marched to Cambridge, in 1775? he took it into the service. Here it fell under the observation of Gen. Washington, who admired it so much that he ordered one of the same pattern. Mr. Earle having com- pleted it, loaded and primed it, and placed it under water, all but the muzzle, during a night ; and, taking it out in the morning, dis- charged it as if it had just been loaded. He carried it to New York, where the army then lay, and delivered it personally to Gen. Wash- ington, having travelled the distance on foot, and carried it upon his shoulder. It received great commendation for its perfection of workmanship."
The gun was marked with the maker's name, " Thomas Earl" Upon reading this, Gen. Washington said, "Mr. Earle, your name is not correctly spelled ; E-a-r-1 is a title of nobility ; you should add an e to it."
58 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
A very good likeness of Thomas, painted, in 1S00, by his cousin Ralph Earle, is in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Melinda Earle (Nye) Chandler, of Springfield, Mass.*
The children of Thomas and Hannah (Wait) Earle were:
334-1. Asaiiel Earle, b. Dec. 21, 1761 ; m. Persis Newhall.
335-2. Hannah Earle ; m. Joseph Newhall.
336-3. William Earle ; d. in infancy.
337-4. William Earle ; d. unmarried, in 1800.
338-5. Sylvanus Earle, b. March 28, 1773 ; m. Eunice South- gate.
339-6. Winthrop Earle, b. May 5, 1775 ; m. Persis Bartlett.
340-7. Electa Earle, b. April 27, 1778 5 m- Luther Nye.
341-8. Betsey Earle; m. 1st, Zenas Studley ; 2d, Bliss.
342-9. Polly Earle; d. unmarried, Sept. 29, 1804.
[I73~7] • Esek5 Earle (Robert,* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. Feb. 10, 1741, in Leicester, Mass.; m. in 1762, Mehitable Snow, of Leicester (who d. in 1810, in Champion, N. Y.). At the time of his marriage, he lived in Rutland, Mass- afterward in Leicester; then removed, in 176401- 1765, to Chester, Vt., and subsequently, but before 1777, to Chesterfield, Vt., and about 1804, to Champion, Jeffer- . son Co., N. Y., where he died Oct. 24, 1823.
He was one of the pioneers in the settlement of the country, and, as a writer says of him, "loved hunting and trapping, and made traps with which he caught a great number of wolves, bears and panthers."
The children of Esek and Mehitable (Snow) Earle were :
343- 1. Persis Earle, b. March 26, 1763 ; m. Ellery Partridge.
344- 2. Ashbel Earle, b. March 17, 1765 ; m. 1st, Betsey Smith ;
2d, Azubah Lord.
345- 3. Phila Earle ; m. Paid Penniman.
346- 4. John Earle, b. May 14, 1771 ; m. 1st, Abigail Chase
2d, Mary Avril.
*It represents him in the ruffled shirt and knee-breeches with silver buckles fashionable in his time; and in the back-ground there is a view of his resi- dence, with the row of Sycamores in front.
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35i- |
9- |
|
353- |
IO. |
|
353- |
ii. |
|
354" |
12. |
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 59
Robert Earle ; m. Melicent Kittredge. He was a physi- cian in Champion.
William Earle, b. 1777; m. 1st, Betsey Chapin ; 2d, Polly Snell.
Lewis Earle ; m. Hepsibah Coleman.
Lot an Earle, b. 1782 ; m. Amarilla Barto.
Otis Earle, b. Jan. 15, 1784; m. Lucinda Smith.
Delancey Earle ; d. young.
Elkenny Earle ; d. young.
Guy Earle, b. Oct. 17, 17S9; m. 1st, Cynthia Smith; 2d, Mrs. Polly Haywood ; 3d, Mrs. Luthera Hall ; 4th, Mrs. Sarah (King) Earle, widow of Samuel [829-11.]
[174-8]. Robert5 Earle (Robert,* Ralfhj William* Ralph1), son of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. Oct. 10, 1743, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. Sarah (b. April 15, 1745 ; d. Sept. 4, 1824), dau. of Henry and Elizabeth (Rice) Hunt, of Leicester ;* resided in Leicester, and d. Jan. 23, 1819.
They lived in the house on Mulberry street, next south of its junc- tion with Earle street. The homestead is now known as " Earle Ridge," and is occupied as a summer residence by Stephen C. Earle, architect, of Worcester, who is a great-grandson of Robert and Sarah. Robert built the old part of the house in 1771, upon the tract " twenty-five acres, more or less," deeded to him by his father on the 3d of September of that year.
" He was a man of great integrity, and much respected ; and the regard in which he was held was indicated by the friendly title by which he was generally known, 'Uncle Robert.'" — [Washburn's History of Leicester.
His wife shared in the same regard, and was called "Aunt Sarah." They and all of their children were members of the Society of Friends. Of the five sons, one lived in the house with his parents, but at the time of his decease, in 1819, had nearly completed a large dwelling-house about fifteen rods south of that of his parents ; and the four Others lived within a mile of their father's homestead, and in sight of it, three of them in large houses built by them.
*At the time of her marriage her father's family lived upon what is now the Town Farm.
60 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
The late Rev. John Nelson, for more than half a century the eminently worthy pastor of the First Congregational Church in Leicester, informed the compiler of this book, that, in 1S12, he visited the district school in this neighborhood, at the time of its " examination," and that of the forty pupils present, twenty-one were the grandchildren of Robert and Sarah Earle.
The children of Robert and Sarah (Hunt) Earle were:
355- 1. Pliny Earle, b. Dec. 17, 1762; m. Patience Buffum.
356- 2. Jonah Earle, b. Aug. 10, 1765 ; m. Elizabeth Southgate.
357- 3. Silas Earle, b. May 26, 1767 ; m. Rachel Thornton. 35S- 4. Elizabeth Earle, b. July 5, 1769 ; m. David Hoag.
359- 5. Persis Earle, b. Sept. 19, 1771 ; m. Edward Hallock.
360- 6. Henry Earle, b. March 13, 1774; m. 1st, Martha
Aldrich ; 2d, Miriam Fry ; 3d, widow Ruth (Keese) Earle.
361- 7. Lydia Earle, b. Jan. 16, 1776; m. 1st, John Fry; 2d,
Enoch Breed.
362- 8. Timothy Earle, b. March 2, 1778 ; m. Ruth Keese.
363- 9. Sarah Earle, b. Jan. 1, 1781 ; m. Jonathan Fry, of
Bolton, Mass. ; and d. in 1805, without issue. 364-10. Hannah Earle, b. April 9, 1784; d. Nov. 3, 1795.
[175-9]. Lydia5 Earle (Robert,* Rutyh? William* Ralph1), dau. of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. Aug. 15, 1746, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. 1st, in 1766, John Wilson ; 2d, Micah Johnson ; 3d, Jonas Newton. Her children were all by her first marriage. After the third marriage she removed, with all her surviving chil- dren, to Vermont, where she d. in 181 2. Several of the oldest children were born in Leicester.
Their children were :
365- 1. Mary Wilson, b. July 17, 1768; m. May 9, 1793,
Frederick Parker.
366- 2. Catherine Wilson, b. Aug. 17, 1770; m. Nov. 13,
1788, Jonathan Green; d. April 16, 1842; issue, 6 children.
367- 3. Esther Wilson, b. Oct. 11, 1772 ; m. Nov. 5, 1789, Dr.
Thomas Hersey ; d. in 1794, without issue.
368- 4. Daniel Wilson, b. Dec. 6, 1774; m. Jan. 3, 1798, Sally
Upham ; issue, 7 children.
369- 5. Miriam Wilson, b. Feb. 15, 1777; m. Jan. 11, 1798,
Charles Woodworth ; d. March 1, 1827 ; issue, 9 children.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 6l
370- 6
371- 7
372- 8
373- 9 374-10
375-11
John Wilson, b. Dec. 23, 1779; »?. Janette Campbell;
d. Aug. 6, 1830; issue, 7 children. Lydia Wilson, b. May 15, 1781 ; m. Dr. Moses R.
Porter ; issue, 6 children. Roswell Wilson, b. Oct. 17, 1783; ;;/. Mary Fassitt ;
d. Nov. 12, 1832, without issue. Durfee Wilson, b. Jan. 23, 1785 ; ?)i. Fanny Campbell;
d. Oct. 11, 1850; issue, 9 children. Nathaniel Wilson, b. about 1788; d. unm., in Mass.,
aet. about 20 years. Eliza E. Wilson, b. Jan. 28, 1790; m. in 1S09, Otis
Wilson ; d. July 25, 1842 ; issue, 4 children.
[176-10] . Marmaduke5 Earle ( Robert ^Ratyh? William? Rafy/11), son of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle, b. March 8. 1749, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. 1772, Elizabeth (b. June 22, 1755; d. Nov. 3, 1840), dau. of Jonas and Rebecca (Richardson) Newton, of Paxton, Mass. ; resided in Paxton, and d. May 29, 1839.
He was a farmer, and his homestead was on the county road to Barre, about a mile northwest of Paxton centre. He and his wife retained their membership of the Society of Friends during life, and were buried in that Society's cemetery in Leicester. No one of the children belonged to the Society.
Their children were :
376- 1. Lucretia Earle, b. Feb. 25, 1773 ; m. Samuel Brown.
377- 2. Catherine Earle, b. March 3, 1775 ; m. Francis Wash-
burn.
378- 3. Winthrop Earle, b. May 5, 1777; d. unm., in Paxton,
Jan. 15, 1836.
379-4. Deliverance Earle, b. Nov. 10, 1779; m. Jonathan Cunningham.
380- 5. Samuel Earle, b. Dec. 26, 1781 ; (/.June 21, 17S7.
381- 6. Amasa Earle, b. March n, 1784; m. Lucy Howe.
382- 7. Philip Earle, b. April 10, 1786 ; m. Patty Barton.
383- 8. Rebecca Earle, b. July 21, 1788 ; m. James Thompson.
384- 9. Emory Earle, b. Sept. 10, 1790; m. Eunice Smith. 385-10. Candace Earle, b. Nov. 3, 1792; m. William Boynton. 386-11. Persis Earle, b. Dec. 18, 1794; m. William H. Scott. 387-12. Phebe Earle, b. June 22, 1797; m. Moses Parkhurst. 388-13. Elmer Earle, b. Jan. 6, 1800; m. Sally Bellows. 389-14. Homer Earle, b. May 6, 1802 ; d. Aug. 30, 1804.
62 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
[177-11]. Phebe5 Earle (Roberts Ralfhf> William* Ralph1), dau. of Robert and Hepzibah (Johnson) Earle, b. Dec. 22, 1756, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. (intentions published Dec. 31, 1772), Francis Flagg, of Holden.
They lived and died in Worcester, their farm and homestead being upon the Holden road, about two miles from Lincoln square.
Their children were :
390- 1
391- 2
392" 3 393- 4 394" 5
395- 6
396- 7
397- §
398~ 9 399-10
400-1 1
401-12
Nancy Flagg, b. July 17, 1775 ; d. Aug., 1775. Samuel Flagg, b. Oct. 30, 1777; d. unm., about 1810. Sarah Flagg, b. Nov. 19, 1779; m. John Flagg. Mary Flagg, b. Oct. 22, 1781 ; d. Oct. 16, 1782. John Flagg, b. Aug. 26, 1783 ; m. Harriet Boynes. Lucretia Flagg, b. Aug. 27, 1785 ; d. 1787. Timothy Flagg, b. March 18, 1788; d. 1788. Francis B. Flagg, b. March 10, 1789. Rufus Flagg, "[Twins, b. April 3, 1791 ; both d. at
Winthrop Flagg, j the age of about 4 years. Dorrete Flagg, b. Sept. 13, 1793; d. in infancy. Dorrete Flagg ; d. unmarried.
[ 1 90-1]. Newhall5 TLarle (Benjamin, * Ralph,* William^ Ralph1), son of Benjamin and Abigail (Newhall) Earle, b. March 15, 1735, in Leicester, Mass.; m. Feb. 21, 1759, Racnel Stoddard, of Leicester.
His farm was on the southern slope of Asnebumskit, and within the limits of Paxton. The house was on the north side of the county road from Worcester to Bane. Having sold his real estate to Henry Slade, he removed, in 1774, to Vermont, where he died. He was: in Guilford, Vt., in 1776.
• Their children were :
402- 1. Mehitable Earle, b. July 8, 1759.
403- 2. John Earle, b. Dec. 4, 1760.
404- 3. Mary Earle, b. June 3, 1762.
405- 4. Eunice Earle, b. Jan. 5, 1764.
Supposed to have removed from Vermont to New York State.
406- 5. Samuel Earle, b. July 30, 1765 ; m. Sarah Wilder.
407- 6. Lydia Earle, b. April 11, 1767.
408- 7. Alpheus Earle, b. March 9, 1769.
409- 8. Phebe Earle, b. March 30, 1771 .
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 63
410- 9. Ruth Earle, b. Sept. 19, 1772. 411-10. Esther Earle, b. March 18, 1774.
All except Samuel removed, as above, and it is said that Alpheus lived in Camillus, Onondaga Co., N. Y.
[191-2]. Antipas5 Earle (Benjamins -Ralphs William^ Ralph1), son of Benjamin and Abigail (Newhall) Earle, b. in Leicester, Mass., June 1, 1737 (31st of 3d mo., 1737, O. S. — Records of Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends) ; m. April 9, 1761, Mercy (b. 11th mo., 4th, 1744, O. S.), dau. of Edward and Deborah (Buffum) Slade, of Swanzey, Mass. ; d. June 18, 1817.
He resided upon the farm given him by his father, the house having been in the valley, about one-fourth of a mile east of the original Ralph Earle homestead. His farm is now in part over- flowed by the water of the Lynde reservoir, at its northern extremity. The old house was taken down and a new one erected about the year 1858. _
Antipas died while absent, on a visit, and was interred in the Friends' cemetery, Smithfield, R. I., about one mile southerly from Woonsocket. He was a man of blameless life and conduct, and of high moral principles, a sincere believer in the doctrines of the Quakers, and a rigid observer of their testimonies and peculiarities.
The children of Antipas and Mercy (Slade) Earle were :
41 2-1. Benjamin Earle, b. Sept. 27, 1761 ; m. 1st, widow Sarah
Bowen ; 2d, Content Chace. 413-2. Slade Earle, b. Nov. 22, 1764; m. Elizabeth Chace
[477-5]- 414-3. Jonathan Earle, b. Dec. 22, 1767 ; d. July 25, 1813. 415-4. Abigail Earle, b. April 7, 1774; m. George Read. 416-5. John Earle, b. Oct. 13, 1777; m. 1st, Axissarus Cole;
2d, Hannah E. Doty.
Of Jonathan [414-3], Gov. Washburn in his History of Leicester, says, "He was an extensive card manufacturer; owned the place on Mt. Pleasant, Leicester, where N. P. Denny, Esq., afterward lived, and died unmarried ; a man of active enterprise and success in business."
He was a member of the board of Selectmen in 1807 and 180S.
6\ THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
The homestead mentioned is on the north side of the road, at the top of the hill, one mile west of the Town Hall, and is now owned and occupied by the brothers Horace A. and Watson Smith.
[195-1J. William5 Earle (William? Thomas,* William? Raljyh1), son of William and Mehitable (Brayton) Earle, b. in i7|-f O. S.j at Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. 1st, Jan. 15, 1741, Sarah (b. April 1, 1725), dau. of Joseph and Sarah (Durfee) Dennis, of Portsmouth, by whom he had two children; 2d, March 6, 1760, widow Catherine (Williams) Lunt, of Taunton, by whom he had one child. It is believed that he d. in Portsmouth.
He was a Justice of the Peace in Portsmouth in 1744. The children of William Earle were :
41 7-1. Robert Earle, b. Feb. 26, 1743. 418-2. William Earle, b. Aug. 27, 1747. 419-3. Samuel Earle, b. Oct. 20, 1760.
[196-2]. David5 Earle (William? Thomas,* William,2 jRalflh1), son of William and Mehitable (Brayton) Earle, b. July 11, 1722, in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Oct. 23, 1746, Abigail (b. 1729), dau. of John and Abigail (Abbott) Lawton, and lived in Newport, R. I.
Their children were :
420-1. Mehitable Earle, b. July 31, 1748; m. 1st, Oct. 9, 1767, Thomas Townsend ; 2d, Nov. 2, 1805, Asa (a* Quaker preacher), son of Caleb and Content Russell, of New Bedford, Mass. " She was a very lovely and agreea- ble woman."
421-2. David Earle, b. March 28, 1750.
422-3. Thomas Earle, b. Nov. 11, 1751 ; m. March 2, 1775, Elizabeth (b. Oct. 28, 1756), dau. of Philip and Elizabeth (Casey) Wanton, of Newport, R. I.
423-4. John Earle, b. Oct. 28, 1753 ; d. young.
424-5. William Earle, b. Sept. 19, 1755.
425-6. Sarah Earle, b. Sept. 4, 1756.
426-7. Isaac Earle, b. Sept. 20, 1757.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 65
427-8. Abigail Earle, b. Nov. 27, 1758; was living, unm., in 1808, in the old John Earle house, at Bristol ferry. Qiiery : Did she afterwards in. Nicholas Easton in Provi- dence, R. I. ?
428-9. John Earle, b. July 1, 1760.
There is reason for the belief that Abbott Earle, who m. Oct. 30, 1791, Hannah Burr; and Nancy Earle, who m. Sept. 1, 1793, Shubael Cady, all of Providence, R. I., were also children of David and Abigail; and that Abigail, then a widow, was living and "keeping house" in Providence, between 1790 and 1800.
[198-4]. Thomas5 Earle ( William,* Thomas ,3 William* Ratyli1), son of William and Abigail (Abbott) Lawton Earle, b. 12th mo. 21, 1736, O. S., in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. May 14, 1767, Mary Tripp ; lived in Portsmouth, and d. about 1810, in Newport, R. I.
Their children were :
429-1. Elizabeth Earle ; d. unm., in 1857, in Portsmouth, R. I.
430-2. Sarah Earle ; m. 1st, Hayden ; 2d, James Burrill,
of Providence, R. I.
431-3. Susan Earle.
432-4. John Earle.
433-5. William Earle.
434-6. Thomas Earle.
435-7. Benjamin Earle.
[199-5], John5 Earle (William,* Thomas,* William,2 Ralfli1), son of William and widow Abigail (Abbott) Lawton Earle, b. Ist mo. 16, i73§, O. S., in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. May 8, 1766, Dorcas (d. Dec. 27, 1827), dau. of Jacob and Dorcas Barney, resided in Newport ; d. May 20, 1816, in Smithfield, R. I. His children were born in Newport, with the exception of Jacob Barney, who was born in Mendon, Mass.
In the language of a letter written nearly thirty years ago, " John was born a sailor, and cared as little for money, although entirely free from sailors' vices. During the Revolution he sent his family to Mendon, Mass. He was taken by a British cruiser, and wrote to his wife. The letter was opened and read at a public house, and
9
66 THE EARLE FAMILY. [Fifth
some one who heard its contents was not slow to carry the bad news of his capture to his wife. But he took his ill-luck very philosophi- cally. When the cruiser came alongside, after a long chase, the first question he put was, ' How many feet keel is your brig? ' He didn't mind being taken, but he hated to be beat. He was, for a long time before he quit business, captain of a Long Island Sound packet, a rakish-loooking craft now extinct. He was never known to sleep at night going up or down Sound ; and in a thick fog he could tell where he was by the lead alone. Sam. Walden, pilot of the Narra- gansett steamer, was a boy with him, and he said that there are no such pilots now."
In another letter written about the same time, it is stated that he "was universally respected within his sphere of action, which was principally Rhode Island and New York, and loved and admired by all his friends. His sister Phebe [201-7], who was never married, was an inmate of his family as long as he lived ; she was much like her brother John, a kind, quiet, excellent woman, who had a care for everybody in preference to herself."
The children of John and Dorcas (Barney) Earle were :
436-1. Dorcas Earle, b. April 14, 1767; m. Obadiah Williams,
Newport, R. I. ; d. 1806. 437-2. Abigail Earle, b. March 29, 1769; ra. Jonathan Greene. 438-3. John Earle, b. Jan. 15, 1771 ; m. Nov. 2, 1797, Elizabeth
(Betsey) Slocum ; d. without issue, Nov. 17, 1837, m
Newport, R. I. 439-4. Eunice Earle, b. March 5, 1774; m. about 1810, Seth
Kelly, of Mendon, Mass. ; d. Oct. 1, 1857, without issue. 440-5. Sarah Earle, b. Sept. 9, 1775 ; m. 1828, Samuel Mott,
Brooklyn, N. Y. ; d. at Mendon, Mass., without issue. 441-6. Elizabeth Earle, b. May 30, 177S ; m. Nov. 2, 1797,
W. S. Burling, N. Y. 442-7. Jacob Barney Earle, b. Sept. 3, 1780; m. June 13, 1806,
Rhoda Cahoone ; no issue. 443-8. Phebe Earle, b. July 20, 1782; m. George Robinson,
Union Springs, N. Y.
"John Earle, Jr. [438-3], was a shipmaster, and then a mer- chant, at Newport, R. I., until 1813, after which he lived a few years at Union Springs, Cayuga Co., N. Y., and then in Brooklyn; but he died at Newport, when on a visit, and was buried in Friends' burying-ground. He was said to be one of the best sailor-merchants of the age. He was, when in Brooklyn, agent for all the Boston insurance offices, and inspector for the Pacific Insurance Co. of N. Y. He exposed himself, getting off stranded vessels, to the lasting injury of his health. He got a ship off Block Island, and took her into Newport, where he might have got large salvage ; but his sense
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 67
of honor would not permit him to avail himself of it, as the Office had written to him to attend to their interests."
[202-1]. Joshua5 Karle ( Oliver, * Thomas? William? Ralph1), son of Oliver and Rebecca (Sherman) Earle, b. in Swanzey, Mass. ; m. May 12, 1748, Alice, dau. of Job and Ama (Gardner) Sherman, of Portsmouth, R. I. He lived in Swanzey when married, and afterward in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass. He and his wife died within a week of each other, he at the age of 7° years and she 68 years.
Their children were :
444-1. Mary Earle ; m. Dec. 13, 1773, Samuel Chace, of Swanzey.
445-2. Job Earle; m. Oct. 15, 1780, Huldah Wood (d. Jan. 20, 1816), of Dartmouth. He lived some years, at least, in Westport.
446-3. Oliver Earle ; d. unmarried.
447-4. Wanton Earle; m. 1787 (intentions pub. Dec. 29, 1786), Sarah Francis, of Freetown, and lived in Westport, Mass.
448-5. Bridget Earle ; d. unmarried.
449-6. Rebecca Earle; m. Dec. 29, 1793, Daniel Corey, of Westport, Mass.
450-7. Sarah Earle; m. Nov. 27, 1796, Joshua Tripp, of West- port, Mass.
451-8. Elizabeth Earle; m. (intentions pub. June 17, 1793)5 Benjamin G rover (or Groves), of Tiverton, R. I.
452-9. Hannah Earle, b. July 23, 1772 ; m. John Howard.
[203-2]. Caleb5 Karle (Oliver? Thomas? William? Ralph1), son of Oliver and Rebecca (Sherman) Earle, b. Jan. 30, 1729, in Swanzey, Mass. ; m. 1st (10th mo., 5th, 1745, O. S.), Sarah {b. Sept. 1, 1727), dau. of Ben- jamin and Isabel Buffington, of Swanzey, by whom he had six children; 2d, in 1769, Hannah (b. 12 mo., 12, 1744, O. S.), dau. of Daniel and Mary Chace, of Swanzey ; issue, eight children. He lived in Swanzey, and d. Nov. 14, 1812.
Their children were :
453- 1. Elizabeth Earle, b. Feb. 13, 174S; m. 1766, James Buffington, Somerset, Mass.
68 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
454- 2. Weston Earle, b. April 18, 1750; m. 1st. Hepzibeth
Terry; 2d, Sarah Slade ; 3d, Martha Smith.
455- 3. Caleb Earle, b. Sept. 2, 1756; d. unm., July, 1776.
456- 4. Benjamin Earle, b. Jan. 17, 1759; ?«. Mary Austin.
457- 5. Joshua Earle, b. Oct. 11, 1762 ; m. Mary Anthony.
458- 6. David Earle, b. May 8, 1764; ni. Susannah Sherman;
d. Oct. 5, 1848, in Somerset, Mass., without issue.
459- 7. Mary Earle, b. Feb. 20, 1771 ; d. unm., July 15, 1800.
460- 8. Jonathan Earle, b. July 13, 1772 ; m. Isabella Buffington.
461- 9. Rebekah Earle, b. July 20, 1774; m. 1797, Daniel
Buffington ; d. July 27, 1808, in Troy (Fall River), Mass. 462-10. Daniel Earle, b. Aug. 30, 1776; d. Aug. 26, 1778. 463-11. Sarah Earle, b. March 11, 1778 ; m. Joseph Buffington. 464-12. Oliver Earle, b. Jan. 24, 17S0; m. 1807, Hannah Slade. 465-13. William Earle, b. Aug. 30, 1781 ; m. Hannah Collins. 466-14. Hannah Earle, b. July 15, 1787; d. Aug., 1790.
[204-3]. Thomas5 Earle (Oliver,* Thomas ,3 William,2 jRalp/11), son of Oliver and Rebecca (Sherman) Earle, b. in 1731, in Swanzey, Mass.; m. in 1753, Esther Chace ; and d. 1802, in Somerset, Mass.
Their children were :
467-1. Samuel Earle, b. 1754 ; d. unm., 1826, in Swanzey, Mass.
468-2. John Earle, b. 1758 ; d. unm., 178S, in Swanzey, Mass.
469-3. Oliver Earle ; m. Lydia O'Brien.
470-4. Stephen Earle, b. 1773 ; m. Rebecca Chace ; d. in Swan- zey, Mass, 1854.
471-5. Sarah Earle; d. unm.
472-6. Esther Earle ; m. Matthew Chace, of Tiverton, R. I.
[205-4]. Mary5 Earle (Oliver,* Thomas, s William,2
Ralph1), dau. of Oliver and Rebecca (Sherman) Earle, b.
about 1733, in Swanzey, Mass. ; m. in 1754, Jonathan,
son of Job and Patience (Bowne) Chace, of Smithfield,
R. I.
Their children were :
473- 1. Rebecca Chace; m. William Bushee.
474- 2. Earle Chace ; d. unm.
475- 3. Isabel Chace ; ?n. Richard Mowry.
476- 4. Cromwell Chace, b. Feb. 18, 1762; m. Feb. iS, i79°i
Phebe Robinson.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 69
477- 5. Elizabeth Chace, b. Jan. 8, 1765; m. Slade Earle
[4I3-2] •
478- 6. Job Chace, b. June 6, 1767; w. Sybil Robinson.
479- 7. Oliver Chace, b. Aug. 24, 1769; »z. 1st, July 24, 1791 ,
Susannah Buffington ; issue, Harvey and Samuel B. Chace, of Valley Falls, R. I., and others; 2d, Patience Robinson ; no issue; d. May 21, 1S52.
480- 8. Ruth Chace ; m. Ephraim Aldrich.
481- 9. Mary Chace ; d. unm.
482-10. Jonathan Chace, b. Aug. 31, 1774; m. Ruth Sylvester,
and lived in Paxton, Mass. 4S3-11. Joseph Chace; d. unm.
[213-1]. William5 Earle (Oliver,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Oliver and Ruth (Hall) Earle, b. 1739, in
Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Sarah ; lived in Portsmouth,
and d. before Dec. 17, 1789.
Their children were :
484-1. Robert Earle, b. June 3, 1762. 485-2. Phebe Earle, b. June 30, 1764. 486-3. Thomas Earle, b. July 8, 1767. 487-4. Sarah Earle, b. Aug. 17, 1770 ; m. Dec. 17, 17S9, George
Cook. 488-5. Philip Chase Earle, b. Jan. 29, 1772.
[214-2]. John5 Earle (Oliver,* John,* Williatn,2 Ralph1), son of Oliver and Ruth (Hall) Earle, b. June 1, 1742, in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Oct. 14, 1762, Deborah Anthony, of Portsmouth, and lived in Portsmouth.
Their children were :
489-1. David Earle, b. Nov. 2, 1763 ; m. Elizabeth Durfee.
490-2. Martha Earle, b. May 16, 1765.
491-3. Ruth A. Earle, b. April 16, 1769; m. Walter Cornell.
492-4. John B. A. Earle, b. Dec. 22, 1771.
493-5. Oliver Earle, b. Aug. 21, 1774; believed to have m. and had one child, a dau., who m. Nathaniel Nason, of New- port, R. I.
494-6. Abner Earle, b. Oct. 20, 1776.
495-7. Olive Earle, b. March 28, 1780.
496-8. Abigail Earle, b. Nov. 6, 1784.
70 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
[216-4]. Thomas5 Earle (Oliver,* John,* William? Ralph'), son of Oliver and Ruth (Hall) Earle, b. March 4, 1746, in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Nov. 21, 1769, Ruth W., dau. of Noel Freeborn, and lived in Portsmouth till after the birth of his second child. No further trace of him has been found. He probably died there.
Their children were :
497-1. Eleanor Earle, b. Aug. 13, 1770; m. Nov. 22, 1795,
George Sisson. 498-2. Noel Freeborn Earle, b. Dec. 24, 1774.
[217-5]. Mary5 Earle (Oliver,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of Oliver and Ruth (Hall) Earle, b. June 4, 1748, in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Dec. 22, 1768, Matthew, son of John Cook.
Their child was :
499-1. Ruth Hall Cook, b. Nov. 30, 1770? in Portsmouth; m. Aug. 23, 1787, Peter Barker, Jr. Seven children.
[ 2 1 8-6] . Ruth5 Earle ( Oliver,* John ,* William,2 Ralph l) , dau. of Oliver and Ruth (Hall) Earle, b. Aug. 25, 1750, in Portsmouth, R. I. ; m. Nov. 2, 1769, Thomas, son of William Borden, of Freetown, Mass., and lived in Free- town.
Their children were :
500-1. George Borden, b. Feb. 8, 1770- 501-2. Susanna Borden, b. March 4, 1772. 502-3. Hannah Earle, b. April 17, 1774.
[232-1]. Lawton5 Earle (William,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. April 2, 1 741, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass. ; m. Nov. 14, 1765, Mary Palmer, of Little Compton, R. I. ; d. about 1 77 1. His widow m. Christopher Earle [244-5].
" Lawton Earl's ear mark for his creatures is a hole in the left ear, and a slit in the end of the same." Recorded in Westport, July 30, 1796.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 7 1
The children of Lawton and Mary (Palmer) Earle were :
503-1. Lawton Earle, b. Nov. 15, 1767; m. (intentions pub. Nov., 1789), Ruth Borden, of Tiverton, R. I. He re- moved to the State of New York with his uncle Paul. He had no children by his first wife, but is said to have had a second, by whom he had issue.
504-2. Elizabeth Earle, b. about 1770; d. unm.
[233-2] . John5 Earle ( William,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. Nov. 12, 1745, being twin with his brother Caleb, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass.; m. April 11, 1770, Priscilla, dau. of David Hilliard (b. Sept. 26, 1749; d. May 30, 1840), of Little Compton, R. I. ; d. Feb. 22, 1828.
He lived in Westport some years after marriage, and then removed to New Bedford, Mass., where he died. His wife died in Little Compton, R. I., at her daughter Lydia's.
John was Collector of Westport in 1788 and 1799, and Warden in 1791.
"June 7, 1789. John Earl's ear mark for his creatures is a fork in each ear, and a hole in the right."
The children were all born in Westport.
Their children were :
505-1. Lydia Earle, b. Oct. 28, 1772; d. Nov. 15, 1773. 506-2. Benjamin Earle, b. Nov. 11, 1774; m. Mary Soule. 507-3. Abel Earle, b. July 16, 1776; d. Nov. S, 1776. 508-4. Hilliard Earle, b. April 15, 177S ; m. Mary Ware. 509-5. Lydia Earle, b. Sept. 3, 1780; m. June 24, 179S, Hiram
Soule, of Westport. 510-6. Peleg Earle, b. March 18, 1783 ; d. unm., July 1, 1805,
at sea. 511-7. Thomas Earle, b. July 19, 1786; m. Mary Brown.
[234-3] . Caleb5 Earle ( William,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. Nov. 12, 1745, twin with his brother John, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass.; m. Dec. 6, 1764, Elizabeth Bright- man, of Dartmouth ; resided in what is now Westport until after the birth of the following children, and removed with all his children to Galway, N. Y.
72 THE EARLE FAMILY. [Fifth
Their children were :
5 1 2-1. James Earle, b. March 24, 1765 ; m. Elizabeth Soule. 513-2. Prudence Earle, b. Jan. 14, 1767; m. Joseph Allen, of
Dartmouth. 514-3. Najor Earle; d. unm. 515-4. Arnold Earle; unm. when he removed to N. Y., but
said to have been m. afterward.
[235-4]. William5 Earle (Williams John,* William,2 i Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass.; m. (intentions pub. Jan. 27, 1776), Edith Brownell, of Little Compton, R. I. ; d. about 1786, in Westport. His widow m. Thomas Briggs in 1787.
Their child was :
516-1. Ralph Earle, b. Aug. 28, 1776; m. Dec. 24, 1797, I Priscilla, dau. of John and Priscilla Durfee, of Tiverton, . R. I. He was " brought up " at his grandfather William Earle's.
[237-6]. Stephen5 Earle (William,* John? William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. May 4, 1754, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass. ; m. 1st, May 5, 1782, Mary Hicks,* of Dartmouth; issue, one child: 2d, Sept., 1789, Priscilla Hicks* (b. Oct. 25, 1763; d. June 8, 1842), of Westport ; issue, eight chil- dren. He removed, in the year 1800, to Saratoga Co., N. Y., and d. May 8, 1834, m Milton, in that county.
May 4, 17995 John Cronkhite deeded one hundred acres of land in Providence, Saratoga Co., N. Y., to Stephen Earle, of Westport, for $875.
Their children were :
5 1 7— 1 - Pardon Earle, b. Sept. 18, 1781 ; m. 1st, Nancy Sherman ; 2d, Polly Howe.
* Sisters, and Westport was set off from Dartmouth, between the two marriages.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 73
518-2. Robert Earle, b. June 14, 1792 ; d. Jan. 30, 1S13, in the
U. S. army,- at Sackett's Harbor, N. Y. 519-3. Christopher Earle, b. Sept. 13, i794' m- Mary Wheeler. 520-4. David Earle, b. Jan. 23, 1798; m. Selima A. Fuller. 521-5. Mary Earle, b. April 19, 1800; m. George Davis; d.
Aug. 6, 1869. 522-6. Barney Earle, b. Jan. 29, 1802 ; ;;/. Eliza Rutan. 523-7. Philip Earle, b. May 23, 1S03 ; m. Phebe A. Allen. 524-8. Hannah Earle, b. Dec. 9, 1805 ; m. Norton Briggs. 525-9. Edah Hicks Earle, b. Jan. 25, 1807 ; m. March 15, 1S26,
Elihu Mosher ; d. July 31, 1835 ; issue, one son, William,
who lives in Orleans Co., N. Y.
[238-7]. 'Robert5 Earle (William,* John,* William,2 jRalfl/11), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. Sept. 4, 1757, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass. ; m. May 12, 1778, Mary Cory (5. March 27, 1756), dau. of Thomas and Abigail Cory, of Westport ; his children were all born in Westport, but he removed, in 1814, to New Braintree, Mass. ; and d. 1833.
He was commissioned Captain in 1781, afterward Major (in a regi- ment of which George Claghorn was Colonel), and Lieutenant- Colonel about 1799. He was Justice of the Peace, and Deputy Sheriff of Bristol Co., and a man of much energy and practical talent.
1788, Feb. 27. "Robert Earl Capt's ear mark for his creatures is a slit behind the left ear, and a halfpenny behind the right." — [Westport Records.
Major Robert Earl was grand juror and Town Treasurer of West- port in 1790, and Town Clerk in 1790 and 1796.
The children of Robert and Mary (Cory) Earle were :
526- 1. Mary Earle, b. Aug. 16, 1778; m. (intentions pub.
Nov. 2, 1796), Joseph Taber, of Little Compton, R. I.
527- 2. Abigail Earle, b. Feb. 6, 1780; m. 1st, Doane Atwood,
of Sturbridge, Mass. ; 2d, Nicholas Gardner, of War- wick, R. I.
528- 3. Martha Earle, b. July 18, 1782; m. Mai-ch 21, 1802,
Stephen Borden, of Fall River, Mass.
529- 4. Ruhama Earle, b. March 20, 1784; m. Serrell Metcalf.
530- 5. Sarah Earle, b. March 15, 1786; d. May 11, 1786.
531- 6. William Earle, b. March 24, 1787 ; m. Sophia Witt.
74 THE EARLE FAMILY [Fifth
532- 7. Sarah Earle, b. Feb. 22, 1789; m. Feb. 17, 1805,
Zebedee Macomber, of Westport.
533- 8. Fanna Earle, b. Dec. 23, 1791 ; m. Philip Nye, of New
Braintree, Mass.
534- 9. George C. Earle, b. Jan. 13, 1795 ; m. Martha P. Rich. 535-10. Prudence Earle, b. March 1, 1797; m. April 22, 1822,
Luther Burgess, of Sturbridge, Mass. 536-11. Robert Earle, b. May 24, 1799; m. Sept. 5, 1831.
Olive B. Grant; d. July 6, 1854, in Providence, R. I.
issue, one son, d. young. 537-12. Betsey Earle, b. July 12, 1801 ; d. Aug. 9, 1801.
[239-8] . Paul5 Earle ( William,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Lawton) Earle, b. in Dart- mouth (now Westport), Mass.; m. 1st, Nov. 26, 1786, Hannah, dau. of Joseph Hicks, of Dartmouth ; 2d, Elizabeth Betts.
" Capt Paul Earle," was on the grand jury in 1 791 , and surveyor of highways in 1794 and 1796. He removed from Westport tc Galway, Saratoga Co., N. Y., about the year 1798.
Their children were :
538-1. Oliver Earl ; m. Lydia Ferguson.
539-2. Sanford Earl, b. Aug., 1787; m. Deborah Sheldon.
540-3. Tohn Earl, b. about 1790; m. Margaret Petry.
541-4. Samuel Earl ; after his mother died he was sent back frorrj Galway to Westport, and was " brought up" by Capt Barnabas Hicks. He engaged in whale fishery anc became captain of a whale ship ; sailed from Havre France, married and died at Havre.
542-5. Pardon Earl; m. Susan Roosevelt.
543-6. William Earl.
544-7. Jeremiah Earl; m. Libbie Evans.
545-8. Stephen Earl ; ?n. 1st, Ruth Allen ; 2d, Hannah Ferguson
546-9. Electa Earl; m. James Bant.
[240-1] . George5 Earle (John,* John,* William,2 Ralph1)] son of John and Elizabeth (Hall) Earle, b. Aug. 17 1742, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass. ; m. (inter tions pub. Nov. 22, 1764) Susanna, dau. of Col. Davi Hilliard, of Little Compton, R. I., and lived in Westport: Mass. He was living in 1806.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 75
Their child was :
547-1. Betsey Earle, b. Oct. 28, 1781 ; m. April 17, 1796, Russell, son of William and Betsey Gifford, of Westport, Mass.
[241-2]. Oliver5 Earle (John,* John,* William* Ralph1), son of John and Elizabeth (Hall) Earle, b. Nov. 16, 1743, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass.; m. (inten- tions pub. Oct. 12, 1765) Ruth Potter; lived in Dart- mouth (now Westport), and d. before 1773. His widow m. (intentions pub. May 26, 1773) Gideon Taber, of Tiverton, R. I.
Their child was :
548-1. Oliver P. Earle; m. 1st, Deborah Manchester; 2d, Deborah Bailey.
[244-5]. Christopher5 Earle (John,* John,* William,2 Ralph1), son of John and Tabitha (Hall) Earle, b. May 8, 1750, in Dartmouth (now Westport), Mass.; m. (intentions pub. Dec. 30, 1773) Mary (Palmer) Earle, widow of Lawton Earle [232-1], and lived in Dartmouth (now Westport).
Their children were :
549-1. Tabitha Earle ; m. July 20, 1801, Head Dyer.
550-2. Patience Earle; m. 1st, Sept. 12, 1802, William, son of
Prince and Mary Brownell, of Westport, Mass. ; 2d,
Joseph Tripp.
SIXTH GENERATION.
[250-1]. Mary6 Earle ( William, $ Benjamin,* John,* Ralph* Ralph1), dau. of William and Mary (Brown) Earle, b. Oct. 11, 1753, in Providence, R. I. ; m. Aug. 11, 1776, Capt. Joseph (b. Jan. 9, 1734, at East Greenwich, R. I. ; d. Nov. 14, 1816), son of John and Mary Tilling- hast; lived in Providence, and d. Aug. 28, 1797.
76 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
Their children were :
551-1. William E. Tillinghast, b. Sept. 5, 1777.
552-2. Allen B. Tillinghast, b. Oct. 1, 1778.
553-3. Benjamin Tillinghast, b. Aug. 30, 1780; d. Nov. 29,
1782. 554-4. George Tillinghast, b. Sept. 3, 1782; d. Dec. 17, 1782. 555-5. Henry Tillinghast, b. Oct. 4, 1783. 556-6. Mary Tillinghast, b. Feb. 15, 1786; m. Nov. 19, 1807,
Benjamin T. Chandler. 557-7. Joseph Tillinghast, b. April 7, 1788; m. Aug. 3, 1812,
Ann M. Jones. 558-8. Amey A. Tillinghast, b. April 27, 1790; m. May 29,
1823, William Arnold. 559-9. Elizabeth G. Tillinghast, b. July 16, 1793 ; m. May 21,
1S12, Lemuel Chandler.
[25 1-2] . John6 Karle ( William, s Benjamin,* John, z Ralph,2
Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Brown) Earle, b.
Jan. 27, 1756, in Providence, R. I. ; m. Mary, dau. of
Nathaniel Spaulding ; resided in Providence, and d. Nov.
9, 1816.
Their children were :
560-1. Mary Earle.
561-2. John Earle; m., no issue.
562-3. Rachel Earle, b. May 25, 1789; m. Thomas L. Tuells.
563-4. Benjamin Earle ; m. Mrs. Amanda Westcott, and d.
before 1859. 564-5. Sally Earle ; m. Benjamin C. Curtis.
[252-3]. William6 Earle ( William, 5 Benjamin,* John,*
Ralph,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Brown)
Earle, b. Feb. 17, 1758, in Providence, R. I. ; m.
Tillinghast; lived in Providence, and d. Feb. 4, 1801.
Their children were :
565-1. John Earle; d. at sea.
566-2. William Earle ; m. Abby G. Dexter.
567-3. Sarah Earle, b. 1799; m> Thomas Barker; d. Dec. 22,
1865. 568-4. George Earle ; d. unm. 569-5. Martha Earle ; d. young. 570-6. Fanny Earle; m. July 12, 1S21, Christopher C. Godfrey,
who d. Dec. 9, 1868. 571-7. Maria Earle ; m. May 29, 1823, William G. Williams.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 77
[256-7]. Oliver6 Earle (William £ Benjamin,* fohn,^ Ralph,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Brown) Earle, b. June 8, 1770, in Providence, R. I. ; m. 1st, Dec. 4, 1799, Fanny Holroyd, issue, one child ; 2d, Oct. 24, 1805, Sally W. (b. Sept. 21, 1781), dau. of Capt. Israel and Mercy (Waterman) Arnold, issue, ten children.
Sally W. Arnold was a direct descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Providence, her pedigree from him being as follows :
i. Roger Williams.
ii. Mercy Williams m. Resolved Waterman,
iii. John Waterman m. Anne Olney.
iv. Benoni Waterman m. Sarah Wicks.
v. John Waterman m. Sarah Potter,
vi. Mercy Waterman m. Capt. Israel Arnold,
vii. Sally Waterman Arnold m. Capt. Oliver Earle.
They settled on South Main street, Providence, in the house, now No. 222, still occupied by his daughter, Miss Julia Earle, and his granddaughter, Mrs. Cyrus Taft. Oliver died July 5, 1824. He bore the title of Captain, but wherefore we are not informed.
The children of Oliver Earle were :
572- 1. Mary Earle, b. Jan. 6, 1801 ; m. William E. Pearson.
573- 2. Fanny H. Earle, b. July 8, 1806; d. unm., Sept. 15,
1834.
574- 3. William Earle, b. April 16, 1808 ; m. Sept. 18, 1S38,
Mary A. (b. Feb. 24, 1813), dau. of Benjamin T. and Mary (Tillinghast) [556-6] Chandler; d. July 5, 1878.
575- 4. George Earle, b. Oct. 1, 1809 ; ?n. Elizabeth A. Chandler.
576- 5. Sarah W. Earle, b. Aug. 31, 181 1 ; d. May 9, 1813.
577- 6. Marcia A. Earle, b. April 12, 1813 ; d. unm., May 6,
1884.
578- 7. Sarah A. Earle, b. Nov. 11, 1814; d. Aug. 9, 1815.
579- 8. Oliver Earle, b. Aug. 17, 1816 ; d. June 26, 1817.
580- 9. Sarah A. Earle, b. April 3, 1818 ; m. Oct. 23, 1843,
George F. Gladding (d. May 6, 1863) ; d. Feb. 23,
1847. Three ch., d. young. 581-10. Harriet A. Earle, b. Sept. 28, 1820; m. John A. Taft. ■582-11. Julia Earle, b. July 21, 1822.
William Earle [574-3] attended the schools of Providence until he was of age, when he entered the counting-room of William R. Bowers & Co. In 1837 this company failed, and William Earle bought the establishment and took Capt. Lloyd Bowers as partner,
78 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
who remained with him until 1869. After that date he continued the ship chandlery business alone, at the old stand on Water street, until 1877, when he sold out and took an office on South Main street, next to his residence, the Joseph Tillinghast homestead, at the south- west corner of James street, where he remained until his death. Mr. Earle was genial and social with his friends, but he was eminently a. just man, who could be and was trusted, and whose opinions had weight in business circles. He was a member of the R. I. Histori- cal Society, Vice-President of the Marine Society, &c, of the Com- mon Council from 1847 to 1852, and Alderman from 1859 to 1862; he also had the management of several estates.
[258-1]. Thomas6 Earl (Tanton? Thomas,* William? William,2 Ralph1), son of Tanton and Mary (Haines) Earl, b. Dec. 13, 1754, m Springfield, N. J. ; m. April 15, 1778, Edith (b. July 26, 1756; d. Sept. 12, 1817), dau. of Anthony Sykes : d. Aug. 4, 1806. He was by occupation a farmer.
Their children were :
583-1. Anthony S. Earl, b. April 21, 17S0; m. 1st, Elizabeth
Budd ; 2d, Elizabeth Knerr. 584-2. Mary Earl, b. June 4, 17S3 ; d. unm., May 30, 1854. 585-3. Letitia Earl, b. June 16, 1785 ; d. unm., Dec. 21, 1835. 586-4. Leah Earl, b. Oct. 24, 1789; d. unm., Jan. 24, 1864. 587-5. Caleb Earl, b. March 7, 1794; d. unm., Feb. ')
II, I873. [ rp •
588-6. Thomas S. Earl, b. March 7, 1794; m. Abigail | B. Holmes. J
589-7. Tanton Earl, b. May 30, 1800; m. Martha S. Newbold.
[260-3]. John6 Earl (Tanton? Thomas? William? William? Ralph1), son of Tanton and Mary (Haines) Earl, b. Oct. 25, 1758, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. 1st, Abigail (d. March 25, 1796), dau. of William L. Smith, issue, four children; 2d, Jan. 9, 1799, Abigail (d. April 13, 1855), dau. of Caleb Haines, issue, three children; lived on a farm in Springfield, and d. Oct., 1813.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 79
The children of John Earl were :
590-1. William L. Earl, b. March 29, 1787; m. 1st, Mrs.
Harriet (Curtis) Harvey ; 2d, Eveline Scaniker. 591-2. John S. Earl, b. June 6, 1789; m- Keziah Shreve. 592-3. Elizabeth Earl, b. May 22, 1792; m. Thomas Agg.
She was buried in St. Paul's churchyard, New York city. 593-4. Mary Earl, b. Nov. 7, 1794; m' Samuel Ellis. 594-5. Charlotte Earl. b. Dec. 11, 1799 ; d. unm.,Jan. 18,1863. 595-6. Charles Earl, b. June 27, 1801 ; d. unm., May 11, 1862. 596-7. Daniel S. Earl, b. March 5, 1809; ;;/. Mary L. Colson ;
no issue. 1
[261-4]. Joseph6 Earl (Tanton,* Thomas S William,* William,'1 Ralph1), son of Tanton and Mary (Haines) Earl, b. Jan. 2, 1761, in Springfield, N.J. ; m. Theodosia (b. April 28, 1766; d. June 12, 1848), dau. of Joshua Shreve; was a larmer in Pemberton, N. J., and d. Feb.
25* 1839- Their children were :
Esther Earl, b. Oct. 9, 1786; m. 1820, John Mullin.
Caleb Earl, b. March 5, 1788 ; d. March 10, 1795.
Benjamin Earl, b. Dec. 14, 17S9; d. March 6, 1791.
Joshua S. Earl, b. Nov. 5, 1792; d. unm., Jan. 27, 183 1. He was a deputy surveyor, member of the Board of Proprietors of West New Jersey, Sheriff of Burling- ton Co. for three years, and a member of the legislature.
Tanton Earl, b. Oct. 31, 1794; d. Sept. 25, 1801.
Joseph Biddle Earl, b. Jan. 23, 1797; m. Mrs. Rachel (Allen) Hinchman.
Rebecca S. Earl, b. Oct. 7, 1799; m. Israel English; d. Nov. 21, 1856; no issue.
Tanton Earl, b. Oct. 26, 1801 ; d. unm., Dec. 21, 1868.
Richard W. Earl, b. Aug. 7, 1804 ; m. Mary D. Howell.
Sarah B. Earl, b. Nov. 14, 1807 ; m. Joseph J. Budd.
Franklin W. Earl, b. Dec. 1, 1S11 ; m. Rebecca W. Smith.
[264-7]. Mary6 Earl ( Tanton £ Thomas^ William,* William,2 Ralph1), dau. of Tanton and Mary (Haines) Earl, b. May 25, 1767, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. Alexander (b. March 3, 1769; d. Dec. 4, 1854) son °f Joshua Shreve; resided in Wrightstown, N. J., and d. Dec. 12, 1843.
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599- 600- |
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601- |
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80 THE EARLE FAMILY [SlXTH
Their children were :
608-1. Joshua Shreve, b. March 25, 1793 ; m. Susan Ridgway. 609-2. Mary Shreve, b. April 19, 1795 ; d. Aug. n, 1796. 610-3. Sarah H. Shreve, b. July 20, 1797; d. unm., June 3,
1S72. 611-4. Mary Ann Shreve, b. Sept. 6, 1799; m. Joseph K.
Hulme ; d. Jan. 24, 1884; no issue. 612-5. Tanton E. Shreve, b. Feb. 23, 1S02 ; m. Sarah Merritt ;
d. Oct. 31, 1835. 613-6. Rebecca Shreve, b. May 9, 1805 ; m. Thomas Newbold ;
d. May 21, 1874. 614-7. Alexander Shreve, b. Oct. 2, 1812; m. Maixh, 1873,
Mary Anna Loveless.
[267-10]. Daniel6 Karl (Tanton,$ Thomas,* William,! William,2 Ralph1), son of Tanton and Mary (Haines) Earl, b. Jan. 21, 1774, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. July 10, 1798, Hannah Shinn ; lived in Springfield, and d. May, 1805. His widow afterward removed to Philadelphia, Pa., and d. there Jan. 5, 1853.
Their children were :
615-1. Elizabeth Earl, b. Sept. 10, 1798 ; m. William ")
Heppard ; d. Sept. 11, 1880. [ ^ ■
616-2. Abigail Earl, b. Sept. 10, 179S ; d. March 20, \ wms«
r799- J
617-3. Caroline M. Earl, b. May 29, 1800; m. Robert Smith.
618-4. Mary S. Earl, b. June 27, 1802 ; d. Jan. 8, 1817.
619-5. Hannah F. Earl, b. Jan. 14, 1805 ; m. George W. Farr.
[268-1]. Michael6 Earl ( Thomas £ Thomas,* William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Rebecca (New- bold) Earl, b. Sept. 25, 1765, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. 1796, Rebecca (b. Nov. 3, 1762; d. May 4, 1838), dau. of Job Ridgway ; resided in Springfield, where he was engaged in farming, and d. Jan. 23, 1850, at Mount Holly, N. J.
Their children were :
620-1. Mary R. Earl, b. June 29, 1797 ; m. Michael H. Jenks. 621-2. Lydia Earl, b. Nov. 13, 1798 ; m. James Newbold.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 8 1
622-3. Martha Earl, b. May 15. rSoo; m. Emley Olden. 623-4. Michael Earl, b. Nov. 13, 1802 ; d. March 10, 1804. 624-5. Sarah Earl, b. April 21, 1805 ; d. young. 625-6. Elizabeth S. Earl, b. June 11, 1807; m. Richard C.
Shfeve.
[270-3]. John6 Earl ( Thomas ,s Thomas^ William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Rebecca (New- bold) Earl, b. Dec. 30, 1766, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. Anna C. (b. April 1, 1767; d. July 23, 1827), dau. of W. Wells; resided in Springfield, and d. Oct. 18, 1837. He was a farmer.
Their children were :
626-1. Rebecca N. Earl, b. Feb. 14, 1801 ; d. unm., Nov. 14,
1877. 627-2. William W. Earl, b. Jan. 6, 1803 ; m. Anna Maria Wells. 628-3. Maryanna Earl, b. Jan. 6, 1806; d. June 14, 1806. 629-4. Anna Earl, b. April 13, 1S0S ; m. 1st, Jehu Burrough ;
2d, Stacy B. Read; d. July 11, 1877. 630-5. Thomas Earl, b. June 22, 181 1 ; d. Oct. 5, 181 1.
[271-4]. Clayton6 Earl ( Thomas, ,S Thomas,* William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Rebecca (New- bold) Earl, b. Jan. 14, 1768, in Springfield, N. J. ; m.
Cornelia M., dau. of Harrison, of Princeton, N. J. ;
resided in Philadelphia, Pa., and d. Oct. 11, 1834.
It is said that Earl street, in the Kensington district of Philadel- phia, was named for him.
Their children were : 631-1. Susan Earl, b. May 25, 1807 ; m. John S. Miller ; d. Jan.
19, 1837 1 no issue. 632-2. Harrison Earl, b. March 3, 1812; m. March 26, 1839,
Gulielma E. Poultney, and resides in Philadelphia ; no
issue.
[274-7]. Thomas6 Earl (Thomas,* Thomas,"' William,* William,2 Ralph1), son of Thomas and Rebecca (New- bold) Earl, b. May 20, 1774, in Springfield, N. J. ; m. Mercy (d. April 3, 1856), dau. of Benjamin Burling; resided in Springfield, and d. July 2, 1846. His occupa- tion was farming. 11
82 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
Their children were :
633-1. Cornelia Ann Earl, b. Aug. 23, 1818 ; unm.
634-2. Lydia Earl, b. Dec. 16, 1S19 ; ?n. Matthew D. Salisbury.
635-3. Thomas B. Earl, b. May 29, 1S21 ; d. Sept. 13, 1823.
636-4. Esther Earl, b. Sept. 20, 1822; unm.
637-5. Benjamin Burling Earl, b. May 3, 1824; m. Esther
Burling ; no issue.
638-6. Walter Earl, b. July 1, 1826 ; m. Mary Norcross.
639-7. Thomas Earl, b. Aug. 23, 1829 ; unm.
[279-3]. "William6 Earl (William,* Thomas,* William,*
William,2 Ralfih1), son of William and Mercy ( )
Earl, b. in Springfield, N. J. : m. Mary , and resided
in Springfield. He was a farmer.
Their children were :
640-1. William Earl. 641-2. Samuel Earl.
[280-1]. John6 Earle (William,* William,* Ratyh,* William,2 Ralfih1), son of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle, b. Dec. 3, 1740, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. Oct. 24, 1765, Sarah Wheaton, of Leicester. They lived some years in Leicester, afterward in Brimfield, Mass., and then removed to Whitestown, New York, and he d. in Frankfort, Herkimer Co., March 12, 1814. His wife d. in Paris, Oneida Co., Oct. 1, 1797.
Their children were :
642- 1. Abigail Earle, b. 1766; m. Nathaniel Wilson.
643- 2. Cutting Earle, b. about 1767; in. Eunice Groves.
644- 3. Danfird Earle, b. Oct. 26, 1771 ; m. Phebe Andrews.
645- 4. Mary Earle ; m. Joel Davis, of Rutland, Vt. ; no issue.
646- 5. Benjamin Earle ; lived in the west part of New York ;
had 1 son and 3 dau., if no more.
647- 6. Betsey Earle; m. Josiah Osmer, and had 7 ch., of
whom one, Eliza, m. Lovejoy, of Buffalo, N. Y.
648- 7. Sarah Earle ; ?n. Smalley, in western New York ;
had 3 ch. ; d. about 1820.
649- 8. Jeremiah Earle ; m. Olive Sloat, of Canada, and lived
about 30 miles north of Kingston ; d. about 183S, leav- ing 2 sons and 2 dau.
650- 9. John Earle, b. Feb., 17S5 ; m. Betsey Parker.
i
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 83
651-10. Roswell Earle ; m. ; no issue ; lived in Rutland, Jeffer- son Co., N. Y. 652-11. James Earle ; d. about 1818, in Jefferson Co., N. Y.
Those to whose names no date of birth is affixed are probably not in chronological order.
[281-2]. Lois6 Earle (William^ William,* Ralph,* William* Ralph1), dau. of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle, b. Jan. 25, 1743, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. Nov. 24, 1763, Nathan Whittemore. After the birth of three children the family removed from Leicester, and, it is said, went to Vermont. She d. before April 26, 1802.
Their children were :
653-1 654-2
655-3 656-4
657-5 658-6
659-7
Nathan Whittemore, b. Aug. 12, 1764. Lucretia Whittemore, b. April 30, 1766. Joseph Whittemore, b. Aug. 28, 1768. Mary Whittemore. Isaac Whittemore. Elizabeth Whittemore. Sally Whittemore.
These are mentioned, with the others, in their grandfather Earle's will.
[283-4]. Oliver6 Earle (William,* William,* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle, b. March 21, 1745, in Leicester, Mass.; m. Dec. 3, 1767, Mary Earle [293-3] ; d. July 31, 1819, and his wife Jan. 7, 1836, both in Barre, Vt.
He resided many years in Paxton, Mass., on the farm bequeathed to him by his father. The house, which is still standing, is next north of the old William Earle or Joseph Penniman place. He removed to Vermont about 1 797- ^e was a private in the company of minute-men, Who, under the command of Capt. Phinehas Moore, "marched on the alarm, the 19th of April, 1775, from Paxton to Cambridge." He afterwards held the office of Lieutenant.
Their children were :
660-1. William Earle, b. Oct. 30, 1769 ; m. Phebe Newton. 661-2. Anna Earle, b. Feb. 24, 1772 ; m. Timothy Bigelow.
84 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
662-3. Polly Earle, b. March 28, 1774; m. Joel Taft.
663-4. Jacob Earle, b. March 8, 1776; m. 1st, Charlotte Lamb;
2d, Martha Whitney.
664-5. Relief Earle, b. Sept. 12, 1778; m. Joseph Parker.
665-6. Oliver Earle, b. Jan. 24, 1781 ; m. Alice Allen.
666-7. Rufus Earle, b. Jan. 10, 1784; m. Delcy Hazelton.
667-8. Euridice Earle, b. May 4, 1786; m. Stephen Morrison.
668-9. Artemas Earle, b. Sept. 28, 1790; m. Delia Hunt.
[284-5]. Reuben6 Earle ( William ,s William, * Ralphs William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle, b. May 8, 1747, in Leicester, Mass. ; /;/. Jan. 3, 1770, Mary Harrington ; d. in 1822 or 1823.
He lived some years in Leicester, removed to Brimfield, Mass., and thence to "-German Flats," now Ilion, Herkimer Co., N. Y., where he worked many years as a gunsmith. He was a private in the company of militia, which, under the command of Capt. Thomas Newhall, marched from Leicester to Cambridge, on the alarm of the 19th of April, 1775.
Their children were :
669-1. Samuel Earle ; m. Betsey McKee.
670-2. William Earle ; m. Lucretia Whittemore.
671-3. Josiah Earle, b. July 14, 1786; m. Electa Crissey.
672-4. Margaret Earle ; m. Hunt, Herkimer Co., N. Y. ;
has children.
673-5. Susan Earle ; d. unm.
674-6. Olive Earle ; d. unm.
675-7. Nancy Earle ; d. unm.
It is evident that these are not in the order of birth, but the sons are in their proper position in respect to one another. It is said that there were two other daughters.
[286-7]. James6 Earle (William,* William,1' Ralph? William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle, b. April 10, 1757, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. (inten- tions pub. June, 1780), Deborah (b. Oct. 3, 1759; d. Nov. 2, 1815), dau. of Nathaniel and Anne (Garfield) Sargent, of Leicester ; d. Jan. 28, 1829.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 85
He owned and lived upon the farm which had been his father's, and one-half of which was bequeathed to him. He held the office of Captain in the Mass. militia.
Their children were :
676-1. Aaron Earle, b. April 22, 1781 ; m. Elizabeth Williams.
677-2. Nathaniel Earle, b. July 23, 17S3 ; m. Freelove Clifford.
678-3. Charlotte Earle, b. May 3, 1786; m. Asa Sargent.
679-4. Arnold Earle, b. Nov. 7, 17SS ; m. Lydia Kelly.
680-5. Charles Earle, b. June 8, 1790; m. 1st, Abby Umber- field ; 2d, Hannah Kennedy.
681-6. Daniel Earle, b. Jan. n, 1793 ; m. Harriet Perkins.
6S2-7. Reuben Earle, b. Sept. 8, 1795 ; m. Thankful Carter.
683-8. Homer Earle, b. May 30, 1798 ; m. Sylvia Atwater.
[287-8]. Joel6 Earle (William^ William ,4 Ralph, 1 William,2 Ralph1), son of William and Mary (Cutting) Earle, b. July 6, 1759, *n Leicester, Mass. ; m. 1st, Nov. 28, 1782, Persis Witt (b. July 3, 1763; d. March 3, 1817), removed to Mt. Holly, Vt. ; 2d, March 21, 1819, Mrs. Phebe J. (Trask), widow of Samuel Spring; d. May 2, 1836.
The children of Joel and Persis (Witt) Earle were :
Willard Earle, b. Nov. 9, 17S3 ; in. Rhoda Adams. Alpheus Earle, b. Dec. 16, 1785 ; m. Lucretia Murdock. Mary Earle, b. March 2, 1788; m. Jeremiah Hudson,
Wallingford, Vt. ; no issue. Calvin Earle, b. Feb. 1, 1790; m. Betsey Foster. Eli Earle, b. Jan. 30, 1792; unm. ; living 1858, in
Hubbardston, Mass. Persis Earle, b. Sept. 8, 1793 ; m. Daniel Hemenway. Silas Earle, b. Feb. 25, 1798; m. 1st, Mary Willard;
2d, Lucina Humes (d. April 13, 1868) ; 3d, March 2,
1869, Mary (Rice) Fisk, who d. in Gardner, Mass.
691- 8. Tyler Earle, b. Feb. 12, 1800; m. Annis Morse.
692- 9. Sophia Earle, b. Nov. 5, 1S02 ; m. Loren ")
Goulding. ! rp ■
693-10. Sumner Earle, b. Nov. 5, 1802 ; m. Clarissa f
Tucker. J
694-11. Fanny Earle, b. June 17, 1804; m. Jonas Pierce.
684- 1
685- 2 686-3
687- 4
688- 5
689- 6
690- 7
86 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
[292-2]. David6 Karle (Davids William,"* Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of David and Martha Earle, b. July 15, 1748; m. Rebecca Brown; removed to Chester, Vt., where he d. Nov. 11, 1841.
He was a private in the U. S. Army in the Revolutionary war.
Their children were :
695-1. Martha Earle, b. April 12, 1780.
696-2. David Earle, b. Feb. 15, 1782 ; m. Sophia Wicker, and
lived in Massena, N. Y. He had a son, Gardner, who
d. in Massena. 697-3. Rebecca Earle, b. Nov. 9, 1783 ; m. April 25, 1809,
John Reed; d. March 11, 1813, in Chester, Vt. 698-4. Roswell Earle, b. Dec. 13, 1785 ; m. Mary Partridge. 699-5. William Anson Earle, b. 1790; m. 1st, Feb. 28, 1815,
Polly Taylor (d. 1839) ; 2d, Feb. 16, 1840, Barbara
Eldridge. Lived in Massena, N. Y. 700-6. Belinda Earle.
[295-5]. Thaddeus6 Earle (David,* William,"' Ralph,* William,2 Ralph1), son of David and Martha Earle, b. April 29, 1754 '■> m- Dorothy Shaw (banns pub. March 9, 1774). He lived in Templeton, Mass., where he d. in
1779. His widow m. Mower, and after his death
she and her children removed, about 1803, to Westford, Vt. Their descendants are numerous in Michigan, Illi- nois, Wisconsin and Iowa.
The children of Thaddeus and Dorothy (Shaw) Earle were :
701-1. Phebe Earle, b. 1774; m- James Dunlap. 702-2. Alpheus Earle, b. June, 1776; m. Urania Stone. 703-3. Calvin Earle, b. 1778; m. 1808, Eunice Whipple.
[298-8] . J ohn6 Earle (David,* William ,4 Ralph ,* William ,2 Ralph1), son of David and Martha Earle, b. May 13, 1762; m. Oct. 2, 1785, Eunice (d. Sept. 10, 1850), dau. of David Allen; and resided in Hardwick, Mass., where he d. Dec. 17, 1832.
He was a farmer and devoted much attention to the breeding of mules for the southern market.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 87
Their children were :
704-1. Apollos Earle, b. Feb. 22, 17S6; d. June 9, 1794. 705-2. Lucius Earle, b. Feb. 18, 1788; d. June 17, 1794. 706-3. Arethusa Earle, b. March 1, 1790; d. Feb. 9, 1792. 707-4. Lewis Earle, b. April 30, 1793; left Hardwick, unm.,
about 1S41, and never since heard from. 708-5. Arethusa Earle, b. July 7, 1799; m. Bradford Spooner. 709-6. Luke Earle, b. Oct. 11, 1801 ; m. 1st, Hannah B. Lane;
2d, Abigail Hunt. 710-7. John F. Earle, b. Aug. 8, 1804; m. Chloe Keith (b. June
13, 1807; d. April 1, 1886, in Springfield, Mass.) ; no
issue.
[300-1] . Ralph6 Earle (Ralphs William,* Ralphs William* Rafy/11), son of Ralph and Phebe (Whittemore) Earle, b. May 11, 1751, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. about 1773,
P Sarah Gates; d. Aug. 16, 1801, in Bolton, Conn., the death being recorded in the church records of that town.
The following notice of him is taken from Washburn's History of Leicester :
" Ralph Earle deserves to be remembered as a man of fine genius as a painter. He was the son of Ralph, and a great-grandson* . of the first Ralph Earle who settled in Leicester, the ancestor of most of the families which have borne that name in the town.
In Dunlap's work upon the ' History of the Arts of Design in the United States,' is a notice of Mr. Earle as an artist, in which he is spoken of as ha zing painted portraits in Connecticut in 1775 ; and among his works were 'two full-lengths' of Dr. D wight, painted in 1777. * * * Mr. Earle executed, from sketches taken upon the spot, four historical paintings, believed to be the first historical paintings' ever executed by an American artist ; one, the battle of Lexington ; one, a view of Concord, with the royal troops destroying the stores ; one, the battle of the North Bridge, in Concord ; and one, the south part of Lexington, where the first detachment was joined by Lord Percy. These paintings were engraved, and pub- lished by Amos Doolittle, of New Haven, Conn. It is certainly no slight distinction to have been the first American historical painter.
Soon after the peace, we find him in England, pursuing his art under the instruction of his countryman, Sir Benjamin West; and such was his success that he was elected a member of the Royal Academy in London. He returned to this country in 1786, and continued to pursue the business of a painter in different parts of
* Washburn says " grandson," which is not correct.
88 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. He left several works that gained him much credit ; and among them was a large one, the 'Falls of Niagara,' which was much admired. He painted for Col. Thomas Denny a landscape of much merit, and great fidelity of representation, embracing the beautiful and picturesque view that spreads out towards the east from the mansion-house on the old Denny farm,* so called ; which is still preserved and in good condi- tion. His productions were chiefly in the line of portraits, many of which might have formerly been found in Northampton and Spring- field. Among his last works of this kind were portraits of Gov. Strong and his family."
Dunlap's opinion of him as an artist is as follows :
"He had considerable merit; a breadth of light and shadow; facility of handling, and truth in likeness."
To this estimate of him it becomes our duty to add the remark of Gov. Washburn, that " his habits unfortunately stood between him and that eminence in his profession which genius had originally placed within his reach."
In an obituary notice of Ralph's son, Capt. John Earle, in the Worcester Palladium of April 30, 1S56, it is stated that while in England Ralph " painted the portraits of many of the nobility, and of some of the royal family" ; and that his picture of Niagara Falls "was exhibited in all parts of the country, and was then carried to London, where it was in existence but a few years ago."
The above-mentioned landscape taken from the Denny farm is still well preserved, and is in the possession of Christopher C. Denny, of Leicester, who received it from the heirs of Mrs. Lucretia, widow of Thomas Denny, for whom it was painted.
Dunlap's mistake in giving to Ralph some military experience in the early part of the Revolutionary war, can be explained only by the facts that Clark Earle [301-2], the brother of Ralph, " marched to Cambridge" from Paxton, Mass., in Capt. Phinehas Moore's company, in April, 1775 ; and that Ralph Earle, father of Ralph the artist, held a captain's commission and served during the larger part of the war.
Gov. Washburn's statement (History of Leicester, page 209) that it was Ralph who married in London, is incorrect, as will be seen by our history of his brother James [303-4].
* On Denny hill, in the southeast part of Leicester.
Gen.] GENEALOGY. 89
The children of Ralph and Sarah (Gates) Earle were:
711-1. Phebe Earle, b. Jan. 25, 1775 ; m. Gen. Pierce, of
West Boylston, Mass. ; had issue. 712-2. John Earle, b. May 13, 1777; m. Lydia Harrington. 713-3. Ralph* Earle.
[301-2] . Clark6 Earle (Ralph,* William,* Ralph,* William,? Ralph1), son of Ralph and Phebe (Whittemore) Earle, b. April 17, 1753 ; m. 1st, Hepsibeth Howard (d. Feb. 15, 1799)5 of Winchendon, Mass. ; issue, five children; 2d, Matilda (Butterworth) Chace, widow of Israel Chace, of Worcester, Mass. ; issue, two children ; d. July, 1814, • in Leicester. The children, with the exception of the youngest, b. in Worcester, were born in Paxton. His widow, Matilda, d. Nov. 10, 1843, in Worcester, at the house of her son, the late Anthony Chase, who for many years was the Treasurer of Worcester County.
Clark was one of Capt. Phinehas Moore's company of minute- men who marched from Paxton to Cambridge on the alarm of the 19th of April, 1775.
Their children were :
714-1. Sophia Earle, b. June 15, 1777 ; m. Ithamar Bigelow.
715-2. Betsey Earle, b. Dec. 4, 17S0; d. Oct. 24, 1783.
716-3. Ralph Earle, b. Jan. 11, 17S3; d. unm., 1807.
717-4. Dexter Earle, b. Nov. 7, 17S6; m. Susan Eaton.
718-5. Betsey Earle, b. Oct. 29, ; m. 1st, 1805, Jonathan
Day ; 2d, Josiah Cook.
719-6. Hepsibeth H. Earle, b. Dec. 4, 1801 ; d. Feb. 13, 1802.
720-7. Caroline M. Earle, b. April 2, 1804; d. June 10, 1804.
*This Ralph, like his father, was an artist. He was in London improving himself in the art of painting in 1809 and 1S10. After his return to America he married a neice of Gen. Andrew Jackson ; and, during a considerable part of the presidency of the latter, he (Ralph) was one of the President's house- hold in Washington. He painted a full-length picture of Jackson, which, at the time, was highly commended. He died in New Orleans. His wife lived but a short time after marriage, and died without issue. 12
90 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sixth
[303-4] . James6 Earle (Ralph,* William, A Ralphs William* Ralph1), son of Ralph and Phebe (Whittemore) Earle, b. May 1, 1761, in Leicester, Mass. ; m. in London, Eng., about 1789, "Caroline Georgiana Pilkington Smyth,* widow of Joseph B. Palmer Smyth, of New Jersey, U. S." Seven years afterwards he came to America on a visit, and subse- quently sailed for England, intending to bring his family to the United States ; but the vessel first went to Charleston, S. C, where he was attacked by yellow fever and died in August, 1796. His will, of which the following is a copy, is recorded in the Registry at Charleston : —
" Ktt the name Of <&0&f amen; I, James Earl, of the city of Lon- don, Limner, at present in the city of Charleston, do make this my last will and testament.
First, I direct all my lawful debts to be paid and satisfied. Item. I then give and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my . Estate, of what nature and kind soever, to my dear wife Georgiana Caroline Earl now .residing in London (at present at No. 54 New- man St.) and I do hereby appoint my said dear wife Executrix and Alexander Jones of Charleston, Merchant, my Executor, of this my will, and do hereby declare this to be my only Will and Testament.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, in the city of Charleston, this sixteenth day of August, 1796.
(Signed) JAMES EARL.' (l. s.)
Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and declared as the last Will