Earle's or Striated Babbler (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

• Striated Babbler alt. Earle's Babbler Argya earlei BLYTH 1844, here as "M. [Malacocercus) Earlei":

Common in heavy reed and grass jungle in Bengal, and described from a specimen shot in the vicinity of Calcutta by Willis Earle, Esq. ; to whom the Society is indebted for numerous zoological contributions.

He is also mentioned on p.367.

Today's HBW Alive Key gives us little more:

earlei
Willis Earle (fl. 1855) English merchant in India (Argya).

But ... as far as I understad it, Willis Earle, Esq, Merchant (Willis Earle & Co.) of Calcutta, collector af various Naturalia (birds, fishes, seasnakes, etc.), from 1818 Corresponding Member (in Calcutta) of the Literary and philosophical society of Liverpool, from 1830 a Member of the Agricultural & Horticultural Society of India, from 1843 Member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, etc. etc.... was found dead in his bed, 18 July 1854 (here).

No year nor place found regarding his birth. However; the corresponding membership does point towards Liverpool, as speculated by Beolens et al in the Eponym Dictionary of Birds (2014), here. Also see; here, here, here, here, here and here ... and elsewhere.

But beware! Something is/could be a bit fishy, as here it is written: "Willis and Earle" ... :eek!:

Anyone know more of this guy? Or guys!?

Björn
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[Björn Bergenholtz]

Maybe a clue ...

We could be dealing with a certain "Willis Earle, jun.", of Liverpool ... "deeply impressed with the importance of extending the commercial relations of this Country ..." , mentioned in The Oriental Herald, of 1829. See chapter Opening the Trade to China and India (here). Also mentioned (twice?) on p. 537. And/or here.

If it´s him? Who knows?
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[Mike Earp]

We could be dealing with a certain "Willis Earl, jun."

Earle not Earl, so could be the guy ...

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Earle not Earl, so could be the guy ...

Correct. And corrected (in post #2)! Thanks

 

[l_raty]

There is an entire book about The Earles of Liverpool, with a preview in Google Books that includes some info about the family, citing one Willis Earle, son of Ralph Earle who late in his life inherited the estates and name of the wealthy Willis family (thereby becoming Ralph Willis): see [here]. Willis Earle was the younger brother of Richard Willis. He was born in the 1760s (Richard was born 18 Sep 1760); married Annina Cecilia Lutyens; went into business as a coal merchant in partnership with his brother.
This Willis Earle is presumably also the person that is cited to as a wealthy coal merchant of Liverpool, who may also to have been involved in slave trade, in the Eponym Dictionary of Birds.
This can't be seen from the preview of the recent book, but this Willis Earle indeed had a son named Willis (and a daughter named Sophia): e.g., [here]. This son is thus presumably the person cited as "Willis Earle, jun." in various places between the 1810s and the late 1820s.

I presume the most likely to be 'our' Willis Earle would be the son ? (It seems unclear why a wealthy coal merchant from Liverpool would have moved to Calcutta rather late in his life. In 1854, Willis Earle senior would have been around 90 yo. The apparent omission of the 'junior' in his name after 1830 may have been a result of his father being deceased.)

"Willis & Earle" appears to have stood for Joseph Willis and Willis Earle, e.g. [here]. Joseph Willis (born 1889, died 1863 in Calcutta) was the second son of Richard's Willis, i.e., the cousin of Willis Earle, jun.: [here]

 

[Taphrospilus]

If I understood it correct the entry in The Key to Scientific Names is not correct? So what are the life dates of Willis Earle, jun (who most probably have been in India)?

 

[PScofield]

Name	Willis Earle jnr
Mother	Anna Cecilia Lutyens
Father	Willis Earle esq
Baptism	2 Mar 1791 Lancashire, Liverpool, England

Death	18 July 1854
Place	Calcutta, India
Burial	Calcutta, West Bengal