A Catalogue of Notable Middle Templars: With Brief Biographical Notices by John Hutchinson. Published by Printed [by Butterworth and Co.] for the Honourable society of the Middle Temple, 1902, gives brief biographical details for three member of this prominent Dorset family.
Peter Erle (1795—1877)
Admitted 11 June, 1817. Fourth son of Rev. Christopher Erie of Gillingham, Dorset, and brother of Sir William Erie {q.v.). He was educated at New College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1816. Having been called to the Bar in Trinity Term, 1821, he became a Queen’s Counsel in 1854, and was for some time one of the Charity Commissioners. He was appointed Reader in 1857, and elected Treasurer in 1863. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1872. He died 29 Jan. 1877.
Thomas Erle, General (Abt. 1650—1720)
Admitted 19 November, 1669. Son and heir of Thomas Erie of Charboro’, со. Dorset. In 1685 he was Deputy-Lieutenant of Dorsetshire, and in that capacity was directed to raise the militia to oppose the Duke of Monmouth (q.v.), but he was a supporter of William IIL, and it was in his house that the “plan of the glorious revolution” is said to have been concerted. He fought for William at the Boyne and Aghrim, and subsequently in Flanders, and became a Brigadier- General in 1693. In 1699 he was appointed to the command in Ireland, and in 1703 became Lieutenant-General. He subsequently served in Spain (being present at Almanza in 1707) and in France. In 1709 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in South Britain, and Governor of Portsmouth. He died 23 July, 1720.
Sir William Erle, Judge (1793—1880)
Admitted 9 November, 1813. Son of the Kev. Christopher Erie of Gillingham, Dorset. He was born at Fifehead-Magdalen, 1 Oct. 1793, and educated at Winchester and Oxford, where he graduated B.C.L. in 18)8. He was called to the Bar 26 Nov. 1819. On the 11 June, 1822, he joined the Inner Temple, where he was made a Bencher in 1834, and in the same year took silk. He was returned to Parliament for Oxford in 1837. In 1844 he became Serjeant-at-Law, and in the following year obtained a puisne judgeship of the Common Pleas, and was knighted. Shortly after he was removed to the Queen’s Bench, but in 1859 he returned to preside at the Common Pleas, and at the same time was made a Privy Councillor. He retired in 1866. He died 28 Jan. 1880. He left a treatise on the Law relating to Trade Unions, compiled from a memorandum attached to the Report of the Trades Union Commission in 1867, of which he was a member.
