In the newspaper, "The Times" of London, on Jul.31, 1829, there appeared the following story of riots in the town of Tempo, County Fermanagh, on May 28, 1829. This article describes the court proceedings against a group of Protestants, among them John Earls, accused of
assaulting the homes and persons of a number of Roman Catholics in that town. Almost all of the charges were not surprisingly refuted by the jury
which was entirely composed of Protestants.
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The John Earls in this article may well be our ancestor John Earls of Chapter 2. It seems likely that he at least had some connection to property in Tempo for his fourth son, James Earls, moved there later. Also
our ancestor John Earls acted as a policeman in various locations (including
Counties Tyrone and Antrim) and was eventually killed in a "faction fight" in Larne. It would not be inconsistant for an activist Protestant such as John Earls to be involved at various times as either an official or as a protagonist in these sectarian conflicts.
Christopher E. Brennen