” At the outbreak of the war, John Earll and his Quaker wife had two married daughters, seven stalwart son’s names respectively, Peter, John Jr., Jonathan, Samuel, Richard, Benjamin, and Ezra. The names of all these sons but Ezra appear with that of their father in the list of signers of the revolutionary pledge in 1775; while that of Ezra and all of his brothers but Peter are found recorded in official records of soldiers of Woodbury Clove, who served in the ranks of the revolutionary army.
It is a matter of record, too, that his John Earll and his 7 sons were among the patriots of that historical region most feared and hated by the notorious outlaw, Claudius Smith, and several of his gang were indicted, convected and hung at Goshen a few months later.
According to family tradition General Washington and his staff were on several occasions entertained at the hostelry, of John Earll. Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr, too, was a frequent visitor there during that several months he and his regiment were performing special scout duty in the Valley of the Ramapo and adjacent country.
(from Woodbury Historical Society)“