EARLS FAMILY CHRONICLES

© Christopher Earls Brennen

Appendix 2A. EARLS FAMILIES OF ENNISKILLEN

JAMES EARLS:

James Earls was born in Feb. 1812 in the parish of Enniskillen and enlisted in the 27th Inniskilling Regiment of Infantry on 22 February 1831 at the age of 19. He served 16 year 39 days including 8 years 130 days at the Cape of Good Hope. Discharged on account of illness contracted in service abroad, following board at Grahamstown 29 March 1847, at Chatham 26 November 1847. Private 4 years 66 days, corporal 2 year 41 days, reduced to private 9 years 297 days. Had 3 good conduct badges. On 22 March 1847 was aged 35 years 1 month. Disability amentia first apparent 1846, not aggravated by vice. Height five feet eight inches, hair light brown, eyes grey, complexion fresh, trade labourer, marks none.

FAMILY OF WILLIAM EARLS OF ENNISKILLEN:

Records in the datafiles suggest the following partial tree of an Earls family that lived in Belleek and Enniskillen:

  1. William Earls (1789-1878) was with the Royal Irish Constabulary and married a woman called Eliza (1802-1876). This may be the same William who was a policeman in Belleek in 1829/30 during the birth of two children. Eliza Earls, a pensioner's wife, died at Aughaward on Jun.13, 1876; her death was registered by Eliza Fry. William, a pensioner of the constabulary, died at Cross, Enniskillen on Nov.5, 1878; his death was also registered by Eliza Fry. The probable children of William and Eliza Earls:
    1. George Earls, the son of William and (jno) Earls of Belleek was baptized in the parish of Belleek on Aug.12, 1829.
    2. William Earls, the son of William and Elizabeth Earls of the constabulary, Belleek, was baptized in the parish of Belleek on Jun.12, 1830.
    3. Eliza Earls registered the deaths of both her father and her mother. She married a man named Fry.

  2. James Earls (1806-1873), a bachelor farmer of Drumgarrow, who died of bronchitis on Dec.15, 1873, may have been a brother of the above William Earls. William Earls of Drumgarrow registered James's death.

The individuals in Datafile 2E who remain unconnected with either our family or the above families are as follows:

John Earls (1763-1834).
Catherine Earls (1792-1872), a spinster and a pauper.
John Earls (1788-1878), a widower and a labourer.
John Earls (1795-1891) from Enniskillen, a bachelor farmer.
Anne Earls (1818-1889), a farmer's widow.

IRVINESTOWN EARLS:

  1. Edward Earls is the earliest of the Irvinestown Earls that we know of. He married a woman named Dora or Dorathea. The death of Mrs. Dorothea Earls, mother of Mrs. Isabella Little of Shillingmore on July 1, 1844, was noted in the records of the Parish of Tempo, County Fermanagh. Shillanmore is just south of Tempo. Of note is the fact that her daughter, Mrs. Isabella Little, wife of John Little of Shillingmore, is noted in the same record as having died of decline on June 29, 1844. just two days earlier. We also note that Edward and Dora's son, David Earls and his wife Catherine appear to have taken Mary Little (presumably the daughter of John and Isabella Little) with them, first to Manchester and then to Ontario, Canada. The chronology suggests that Edward was born about 1785 and probably died before 1844.
    1. David Earls was born in 1807, the son of Edward Earls and his wife Dora Earls. David married Catherine Thompson whose family were from County Down and had property bordering County Fermanagh. In the Griffith Valuation of 1860, David is listed as occupying a house and small garden worth 5 shillings in the townland of Tirwinny, Parish of Drumkeeran, County Fermanagh. The townland of Tirwinny is just northeast of the village of Ederney and is north of the town of Irvinestown. David and his wife Catherine and children John and Isabella Jane were Wesleyan Methodist. They are listed in the 1851(?) Census of Manchester, England. David Earls is listed as a 42-year old provision dealer and his wife, Catherine, as a 44-year-old provision dealer. Their 18-year-old daughter, Isabella, is listed as a milliner. Their son John is listed as 14-years-old. Also listed is their 14-year-old neice, Mary Little, who is also a milliner. Listed in the same household is a 28-year-old lodger and butter merchant Frances Hunter. Also married 44-year-old lodger and draper's porter Joseph Thompson, his 34-year-old wife Ann Thompson and their 9-year-old daughter Alice Thompson (perhaps relatives of Catherine). David, Catherine and family emigrated to Canada in 1856. In the 1861 Census of Ontario, Canada, 53-year-old David Earls, a grocer, and his 55-year-old wife, Catherine, are listed as Wesleyan Methodists living in St.Patrick, York, Canada West, with their 27-year-old daughter Isabella and their 24-year-old son John, a carpenter (all born in Ireland). In the 1871 Census of Ontario, Canada, 60-year-old David Earls, a dealer, and his 62-year-old wife, Catherine, are listed as living in St.Patrick's Ward, Toronto West, Ontario. Catharine died in 1872. On Mar.18, 1874, 60-year-old David Earls, a Wesleyan Methodist, of Toronto (born in Ireland), a widower and gentleman, the son of Edward and Dora Earls, was married to 38-year-old spinster Jane Lindsay of Trafalgar (born in Trafalgar), the daughter of James and Rosanna Lindsay. The witnesses were Joseph and Mary Ann Lindsay of Trafalgar. (Jacquelyn Lindsay of Toronto stated in 2020 that Jane was her great great-aunt). In the 1881 Census 73-year-old David Earls is again listed in St.Patrick's Ward, living with his 46-year-old wife Jane Earls. David died in 1884. The children of David and Catherine Earls:
      1. John Earls was born in 1836. He is listed in the 1851(?) Census of England, as a 14-year-old living with his parents in Manchester, England. John married three times. His first wife was Sarah Jane Montgomery (born in 1848, died on May 26, 1875) whom he married on Oct.26, 1870. On Dec.7, 1876, he married Lucy Jane Murphy (born 1852). They had one daughter, Lucy Edna Earls (born Dec.17, 1877). Lucy died after childbirth on Jan.24, 1878. In the 1881 census of Ontario John is listed as a 43(?)-year-old Methodist railroad clerk living in St.Patrick's Ward, Toronto West, Ontario, Canada. He is living with his 23-year-old third wife Sarah (maiden name Cheffey) born in the USA, as well as his 3-year-old daughter Lucy. Sarah's sister was Susanna Elizabeth Cheffey who married a Joseph Scott Brennen, born March 1862 in Hamilton, Ontario. In the 1891 Census John and Sarah are again listed in St.Patrick's Ward, John being listed as a freight agent. Living with them are their children Lucy, John, Clarence, and Elmer.

        Earls family photograph taken about 1890 at Earlscourt. Front row: John Earls, his wife Sarah Jane Cheffey Earls, son John Cheffey Earls, daughter Lucy Edna Earls, son Clarence Franklin "Lal" Earls, Dr Robert Cheffey (Sarah's father), son Harold Cheffey, wife Louise. Middle row: Charles Cheffey, Susannah Cheffey, Louisa Cheffey, Elmer Jeffrey Earls (behind Lal's shoulder). (Courtesy of Rick Earls.)
         
        (From "The Great Game" by Stephen Harper)
         

        John Earls was VP and principal shareholder in a group that tried to develop a resort community west of Toronto in Port Credit, Ontario, known as Lorne Park Estates. The attached photo is of the family at their cottage known as Earlscourt in Lorne Park Estates. John Earls also founded the ice hockey team, the Toronto Marlboros in 1903 and is featured in the book, ``The Great Game'', a history of ice-hockey written by former Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. His children Jack and Lal played on the team and Lal was the captain of the 1904 team that challenged the Ottawa Silver Seven (now the Senators) for Lord Stanley's Trophy, the premier prize in ice hockey. John had children:

        1. Lucy Edna Earls, the daughter of John Earls and Lucy Jane (Murphy), was born on Dec.17, 1877. She is listed in the 1891 Canadian Census as a 13-year-old living in St.Patrick's Ward, Toronto, with her father and stepmother. Lucy married Alfred Albert Barnes (born 1882) on Jan.29, 1910. Alfred served in WW 1 with the British army and later received a pension from them.
        2. John Cheffey Earls, known as Jack, was born in 1882, the son of John Earls and his third wife Sarah (Cheffey). He is listed in the 1891 Census as a 9-year-old living in St.Patrick's Ward with his parents.
        3. Clarence Franklin Earls, known as Lal, was born about 1883, the son of John Earls and his third wife Sarah (Cheffey). He is listed in the 1891 Census as a 9-year-old living in St.Patrick's Ward with his parents. Lal was the captain of the 1904 team that challenged the Ottawa Silver Seven (now the Senators) for Lord Stanley's Trophy, the premier prize in ice hockey. Clarence died in 1936. His wife, who outlived him, received a letter of sympathy from ``The Brennen Family'' (see above). Clarence and his wife were the grandparents of Rick Earls (rearls@primus.ca) who provided information on this Earls family.
        4. Elmer Jeffrey Earls was born about 1889, the son of John Earls and his third wife Sarah (Cheffey). He is listed in the 1891 Census as a 2-year-old living in St.Patrick's Ward with his parents.
      2. Isabella Jane Earls was born in 1833 in Ireland and emigrated to Canada with her parents and brother. On Sep.12, 1866, in York, Ontario, 30-year-old Isabella Jane Earls, the daughter of David and Catherine Earls, was married to 26-year-old William Brown of Toronto, the son of James and Rebecca Brown of Toronto. In the 1871 Census of Canada they are listed as living with Isabella's parents and with their 1-year old son Frederick. The children of William and Isabella Brown:
        1. Frederick Brown, born about 1870.
        2. Martha Jane Brown
    2. Isabella Earls, the daughter of Edward and Dora Earls, was born about 1810 and married a man named, John Little. Sometime in her life Isabella lived in Shillanmore, a townland just south of Tempo, County Fermanagh, for Isabella "died of decline" there on Jun.29, 1844. John and Isabella Little were the parents of
      1. Susannah Little. Susannah was the great grandmother of Victoria Creese.
      2. Mary Elizabeth Little was born about 1837 in Ireland. Upon her mother's death Mary was taken into the care of her uncle and aunt, David and Catharine Earls. In the 1851 Census of Manchester, England, she is listed as living with David and Catharine Earls in Manchester.

 

Notes on Earls Family near Irvinestown: (1) James Earls married Bridget Marshall on Oct.4, 1861, in Irvinestown Registry Office. (2) Anne Jane Earls, born about 1845, daughter of Dominic Earls of Teirmacspierd(?) [the townland of Tirmacspird lies in the Parish of Drumkeeran just northeast of Ederney] married William Smith on Sep.13, 1866, at Goolaghty Church of Ireland, Ederny, Parish of Magheraculmoney, County Fermanagh. (3) William John Earls married Elizabeth Jane Frazer on Jun.27, 1907, in Ardress Church of Ireland, Parish of Magheraculmoney, Irvinestown, Fermanagh [Edernagh, Tirwinny and Tirmacspird all lie close to Magheraculmoney Parish.] (4) Maggie Earles, a 69-year-old unmarried farm labourer is listed in the 1901 Census as a boarder in the home of Susan Keown in Ardlougher, Parish of Irvinestown (just west of the town of Irvinestown).

Notes on Toronto Earls Family: Two other near-contempories of John Earls are recorded as living close to him in the 1871 Census of St.Patrick's Ward, Toronto West. They are James Earls, born about 1844 in Ireland, a 27-year-old farmer (and Church of England), living alone in St.Patrick's Ward and Thomas Earls, born about 1852 in Ireland, a 17-year-old coach builder (and Church of England), living as a boarder in St.Patrick's Ward, Toronto West. It seems likely they are close family, perhaps nephews of David Earls.

Last updated 1/1/20.

Christopher E. Brennen