The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

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 following,
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 testament,
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 .