The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

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 conveyed
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 garrison,
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.
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