Wyatt Earp's family
Encyclopedia
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
and justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
Nicholas Porter Earp
Nicholas Porter Earp
Nicholas Porter Earp was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina, to Walter and Martha Ann Earp. He is most famously known as the father of OK Corral shootout participants and Old West lawmen Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, and Morgan Earp.Nicholas' father Walter Earp, a school teacher and Methodist...
, whose sons James
James Earp
James Cooksey Earp was the little known older brother to old west lawman Virgil Earp and lawman/gambler Wyatt Earp. Unlike his lawmen brothers, he was a saloon-keeper and was not present at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral....
, Virgil
Virgil Earp
Virgil Walter Earp fought in the Civil War. He was U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the Arizona Territory. Two months after the shootout in Tombstone, outlaw Cowboys ambushed Virgil on the streets of...
, Wyatt
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
, Morgan
Morgan Earp
Morgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually...
, and to a lesser extent Warren Earp
Warren Earp
Baxter Warren Earp was the youngest brother of Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, James, and Newton Earp. He was not present during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. After Virgil was maimed in an ambush, he joined Wyatt and was in town when Morgan was assassinated. He helped Wyatt in the hunt for the outlaw...
became legendary figures in American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
.
Genealogy
Nicholas Porter EarpNicholas Porter Earp
Nicholas Porter Earp was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina, to Walter and Martha Ann Earp. He is most famously known as the father of OK Corral shootout participants and Old West lawmen Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, and Morgan Earp.Nicholas' father Walter Earp, a school teacher and Methodist...
's parents were Walter (b. 1787, Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
– d. January 30, 1853) and Martha Ann Early (b. August 28, 1790, Avery County, North Carolina
Avery County, North Carolina
- Climate :As a result of its relatively high elevation, Avery County has a Humid continental climate enjoying considerably cooler summers than most of the rest of the Eastern US. Likewise, winters are longer, colder and snowier than most other locations in the region. This can be evidenced by the...
– d. September 24, 1881). Nicholas was named for an early circuit rider in Kentucky.
Walter was a school teacher, a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Monmouth, Illinois
Monmouth, Illinois
Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warfield Park, West Park, South Park, Garwood Park, Buster White Park and the Citizens Lake & Campground. It is the host...
, and a Methodist Episcopal preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. He was a fifth-generation Marylander and the fourth great-grandson of Thomas Earp, Sr. (1631-1720). The Earp family is of English and Ulster Scots
Scots-Irish American
Scotch-Irish Americans are an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish province of Ulster who immigrated to North America primarily during the colonial era and their descendants. Some scholars also include the 150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to...
descent. Walter's son, Josiah Earp (b. 1761, Montgomery County, Maryland), fought in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
at Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
in 1781. His company was ordered to guard the prisoners taken at the surrender, who were housed at Fredericktown.
Nicholas was a Methodist and a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He originally intended to become a lawyer like his father before moving his law practice and his family from North Carolina to Kentucky, where he took up farming. He was also a cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
and sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
.
Wyatt's maternal grandparents were James Cooksey and Elizabeth Smith. The Cookseys were an English family, and settled in eastern Virginia in the early 1700s.
Children
Nicholas Porter Earp married his first wife, Abigail Storm (also spelled Sturm in family records) (September 21, 1813 Ohio County, KentuckyOhio County, Kentucky
Ohio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,916. Its county seat is Hartford. The county is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary. It is a dry county, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or...
–October 8, 1839 Ohio County, Kentucky
Ohio County, Kentucky
Ohio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,916. Its county seat is Hartford. The county is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary. It is a dry county, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or...
) on December 22, 1836 in Hartford, Kentucky
Hartford, Kentucky
Hartford is a city in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ohio County. It is believed to be named for a deer crossing on the nearby Rough River....
.
They had two children:
- Newton Jasper Earp (October 7, 1837 Ohio County, KentuckyOhio County, KentuckyOhio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,916. Its county seat is Hartford. The county is named for the Ohio River, which originally formed its northern boundary. It is a dry county, which means that the sale of alcohol is restricted or...
–December 18, 1928 Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
) - Mariah Ann Earp (February 12–December 13, 1839), died two months after her mother at the age of ten months.
After Abigail died, Nicholas Earp wed Virginia Ann Cooksey in Hartford, Kentucky
Hartford, Kentucky
Hartford is a city in Ohio County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ohio County. It is believed to be named for a deer crossing on the nearby Rough River....
on July 30, 1840. They had eight children:
- James EarpJames EarpJames Cooksey Earp was the little known older brother to old west lawman Virgil Earp and lawman/gambler Wyatt Earp. Unlike his lawmen brothers, he was a saloon-keeper and was not present at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral....
(June 28, 1841 Hartford, Kentucky–January 25, 1926 Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California) - Virgil Walter EarpVirgil EarpVirgil Walter Earp fought in the Civil War. He was U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the Arizona Territory. Two months after the shootout in Tombstone, outlaw Cowboys ambushed Virgil on the streets of...
(July 18, 1843 Hartford, Kentucky–October 19, 1905 Goldfield, NevadaGoldfield, NevadaGoldfield is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States, with a resident population of 440 at the 2000 census. It is located about southeast of Carson City, along U.S...
) - Martha Elizabeth Earp (September 25, 1845 Kentucky–May 26, 1856 Monmouth, IllinoisMonmouth, IllinoisMonmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warfield Park, West Park, South Park, Garwood Park, Buster White Park and the Citizens Lake & Campground. It is the host...
) - Wyatt Berry Stapp EarpWyatt EarpWyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
(March 19, 1848 Monmouth, IllinoisMonmouth, IllinoisMonmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warfield Park, West Park, South Park, Garwood Park, Buster White Park and the Citizens Lake & Campground. It is the host...
–January 13, 1929 Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) - Morgan Seth EarpMorgan EarpMorgan Seth Earp was the younger brother of Deputy U.S. Marshals Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan was a deputy of Virgil's and all three men were the target of repeated death threats made by outlaw Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. This conflict eventually...
(April 24, 1851 Pella, IowaPella, IowaPella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...
–March 18, 1882 Tombstone, ArizonaTombstone, ArizonaTombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
) - Warren Baxter EarpWarren EarpBaxter Warren Earp was the youngest brother of Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, James, and Newton Earp. He was not present during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. After Virgil was maimed in an ambush, he joined Wyatt and was in town when Morgan was assassinated. He helped Wyatt in the hunt for the outlaw...
(March 9, 1855 Pella, IowaPella, IowaPella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...
–July 6, 1900 Willcox, ArizonaWillcox, ArizonaWillcox is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,769. Professional wrestler Ted Dibiase lived his formative years in Willcox, as did singer Tanya Tucker.-History:...
) - Virginia Ann Earp (February 28, 1858 Marion County, IowaMarion County, Iowa-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 33,309 in the county, with a population density of . There were 13,914 housing units, of which 12,723 were occupied.-2000 census:...
–October 26, 1861 Pella, IowaPella, IowaPella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...
) - Adelia Douglas Earp (June 16, 1861 Pella, IowaPella, IowaPella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...
–January 16, 1941 San Bernardino, California)
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Descendants
Only James, Virgil, and Adelia had children. Newton married Nancy Jane (Jennie) Adam sometime between 1865 and 1868. They had five children:- Effie May (May 6, 1870, Philadelphia, MissouriPhiladelphia, MissouriPhiladelphia is an unincorporated community in western Marion County, Missouri, United States. It is located about ten miles west of Palmyra on Route 168. It was named for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The community is part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area.There is a small school...
–March 29, 1898 Paradise Valley, NevadaParadise Valley, NevadaParadise Valley is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Nevada, near the southeastern boundary of Humboldt National Forest. It is about fifteen miles east of Orovada and U.S...
) - Wyatt Clyde (August 25, 1872 KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
–between 1920 and 1930 UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
) - Mary Elizabeth (August 25, 1875 in KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
–1885, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
) - Alice Abigail (December 18, 1878 KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
–1928, Vallejo, CaliforniaVallejo, CaliforniaVallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
) - Virgil Edwin (April 19, 1879, Garden City, KansasGarden City, KansasGarden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James...
–November 20, 1959 Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, CaliforniaSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
)
At age sixteen Virgil eloped with 16 year old Dutch immigrant Magdalena C. "Ellen" Rysdam. They remained together for a year in spite of her parents' (Gerrit Rysdam and Magdalena Catrina Van Velzen) disapproval of her choice. When Virgil enlisted to serve the Union forces in the Civil War, it was the last time they saw each other as husband and wife. Virgil and Ellen had a daughter, Nellie Jane Earp (January 7, 1862–June 17, 1930), born after Virgil left to serve in the Civil War. During the war, Ellen received news that Virgil had died and left Illinois. When Virgil returned from the war, he could not locate Ellen and he remarried at age 27 on August 28, 1870 in Lamar, Missouri
Lamar, Missouri
Lamar is a city in Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,474 at the 2011 census. It is the county seat of Barton County. Lamar is well known as the birthplace of President Harry S. Truman.-Geography:...
Rosella Dragoo (b. January 3, 1845, France). His father Nicholas Earp married them. It is unknown what happened to Rosella and their marriage.
Adelia married William Thomas Edwards in Rice County, Kansas
Rice County, Kansas
Rice County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas; it was named in memory of Samuel Allen Rice, Brigadier-General, United States volunteers, killed April 30, 1864, at Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 10,083...
in 1877. William Edwards died on May 3, 1919, in San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
. Adelia and William had three children
Nicholas Edwards, Estelle Josphine Edwards, and Mary Virginia Edwards (c. 1880–1935).