The Seven Earles

I had one of those rare "EUREKA!" moments today at Woodlands Cemetery, where I have been walking, biking, picnicing, and blipping for a long time now.

The other day I figured out that Phebe Earle Gibbons is buried here, but I had to wait till the office was open to locate the grave itself. When a staff member handed me a copy of the grave plot's record, all I could say was Wow.

Six tombstones, seven Earles, of three generations. All were close relatives of Laura Earle, after whom my ultra-cute cat is named.

I do not mention the cat-naming as a joke. In 1894, the anarchist leader Voltairine de Cleyre mentioned her kitten, named Thomas Earle, in a letter. When I saw that I wondered if there was a connection to her comrade Laura. There was a connection: Thomas Earle (1796-1849) was Laura's grandfather, as well as the leading anti-slavery activist lawyer of Pennsylvania. His wife Mary Hussey Earle (1798-1886; photo top center) shared a home with Laura in her later years. Mary is buried beside her husband.

Their son Henry and their niece Martha were parents to Laura and first cousins to each other. Henry (a banker) died when Laura was 17, but I do not know how. He and Martha are buried in one grave here.

In front of Laura's parents is buried Martha Stockton, the young first wife of Thomas Earle White (1857-1916; photo top left). TE White was Laura's cousin, age-mate, and fellow anarchist as a young man. He is not buried here, but I hope to locate his bones soon --perhaps along with his second wife's. Stockton is as yet a mystery, but Tom was active in anarchism as a writer, speaker, and lawyer.

Another child of Thomas & Mary Earle was the aforementioned Phebe Earle Gibbons (1821-1893), who married Dr. Joseph Gibbons and settled in Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania, where they ran a station of the Underground Railroad and helped about 1.000 slaves achieve their freedom. There's a book about all that on its way to me, but how cool is this?

Last to be buried here was Laura's brother Arthur H. Earle (1862-1925). I never found anything interesting on him --a lawyer who went to New York, I think it was.

Laura could not join her kin here under the massive old trees. She was murdered along the gulf coast of Florida in 1911, and her grieving cousin Thomas (pictured) rushed southward by train. Alone when she died, Laura's tale ends there --at least for now.

All of these Earles were pretty rich and very well educated, typically speaking several languages. Along with the anti-slavery and the anarchism, we find the Earles battling against the vivisection of laboratory animals and creating humane animal shelters.

I could tell you more about the coolest dead family in West Philly, but i have to get up Earle-y in the morning and must get to bed!