James Earl circa 1860s Ohio

[Stuart_McDonald]

ship: Christianer
arrived 18 December 1852, port of New York, from London
Mary Ann Earl, 29, a servant,
Sarah Earl, infant

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Thank you so much, at least I have a starting point.....Sarah Elizabeth was born in January 1852.....and I have found (an hour ago) a death entry indexed as "Sarah Eliz. Earl" dying on 12 February 1858 at Philadelphia....the suggested age is a bit off though....born circa 1856.

I appreciate you looking at stuff for  me.

[Stuart_McDonald]

Do you know what became of the brother Tom?

....because of being a Civil War veteran

Thank you for the Tom Earl data and hypothesis, regarding the Civil War.  If Tom Earl fought in that conflict, perhaps his brother James Earl did too and possibly paid the ultimate price.

Maybe I should look there for answers.  Thank you again.

[Stuart_McDonald]

I'm trying to figure out how Mary Ann ended up in Rock Island, IL.

It is a conundrum and people from the past have a habit of not behaving in ways we expect them too.  These people had an insatiable drive. 
I do appreciate everyone giving different perspectives, it does help.

[Erato]

I don't know about that death in Philadelphia.  To me it looks like:

Sarah Eliz Earl col'd aged 2 y. died this day Feb 12th 1858.  marasmus residence No. 5 Steele Court north from St. Mary St west of 6th  E. Jeffries MD 237 South 9th St


I would take "col'd" to be an abbreviation for colored.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01srr/

[Stuart_McDonald]

I would take "col'd" to be an abbreviation for colored.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01srr/

Oh.....I didn't see that.  Oops.....but thank you.

[J.J.]

   Might *edit:William also have been married previously? Can you find this couple on census? Might be grasping at straws here, but this might be a great place to marry someone who is still married. No witness needed...judge doing the marrying...but earlier marriages performed by just about anyone ( check out the long list of marriage performers on page ...Could anyone local become a J.P. )
 Wm T Barnes   Mary L Tindall - Marriage  1857 Rock Island, Illinois
  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-LBLZ-99S?i=431&cc=1803970
 Performed  by: Elihu Rathbun... Who was a farmer in 1860
  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9B9V-62R?i=5
 Military Service?  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSW4-1Z2

[Erato]

"Could anyone local become a J.P. ?"

Probably, at least if they were white, male citizens. JPs were elected officials. Several of my farmer ancestors served as JP and they married people.  There's no reason to think that a farmer would be any more corruptible than a lawyer or a merchant.

The population of Rock Island County was about 21,000 in 1860.  There were 18 townships, each with a Justice of the Peace.  In addition, there were clergymen who performed marriages.  The officiators of the marriages were identified in the register as J.P. or M.G. (minister of the gospel).

[J.J.]

   Hello Erato!  If you read the page,  each entry is a different name...as are the pages before & after with perhaps one or two names repeated only a few times more. Rathbun didn't identify as JP.
   Just read that "The marriage must then be solemnized by a judge, a retired judge or by an ordained person “in good standing with his or her religious denomination…” There are no requirements for an ordained person to register in the County or the State of Illinois in order to marry people, nor does the County or State keep track of officiants’ credentials. "   
   Religious groups may license or ordain people to perform marriages, but the state does "not" require that the officiant be ordained.  Public notaries aren't authorized, though...and this is today.

[Stuart_McDonald]

Thank you all for your search time and hypotheses.  I'm not sure "William T Barnes" can be claimed as mine as he doesn't appear anywhere else with a middle initial.  I don't think I'll resolve the James Earl conundrum, what happened to him, did his death go unrecorded, did he dessert his wife, divorce her, remarry, perish in the Civil War?