The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

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 afterward
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."