John Earle was the son of Major Samuel Earle III and his wife Anna Sorrell Earle. He was born in Virginia the fourth child and third son growing up in Frederick, Virginia. John married Thomasine Prince about 1765 in either Virginia or South Carolina. In later years their son, John Earle, wrote, "My father having married and removed to South Carolina before I was born...",and that John was the first child of John and Thomasine we believe that the five children by their union were born in South Carolina. John was a soldier in the War of the American Revolution. John lost his first wife in 1781 and he married second Rebecca Berry the widow Mrs Wood. These notes for John are from The Earles and The Birnies, by John E. Birnie, 1974. which add, John died on the 24th of November 1815. And, it is added he was buried in Landrum Cemetery. From Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, Vol.2, p. Serial: 12978; Volume: 1, John is listed as buried Landrum Cemetery, Spartanburg Co SC.

Portrait of General John Baylis Earle who was born in South Carolina, October 23, 1766.
During the American Revolution, his father, John Earle, raised and commanded a company of Rangers. John Baylis Earle, at age eleven, served as a drummer boy and later as a soldier.
After the war, John Baylis Earle bought a plantation, called Silver Glade in Anderson, South Carolina. In 1802 he was elected to the US House of Representatives as a Democratic-Republican and served one term, 1803 to 1805. He did not run for re-election in 1804 and returned to operating Silver Glade.
Earle remained interested in military affairs and for sixteen years served as South Carolina's Adjutant General, including leading the militia when it was mobilized for the War of 1812.
John Baylis Earle married Sarah Taylor and they had five sons and five daughters. He died Feb. 3, 1836 and is buried in the Earle Family Cemetery at Silver Glade Plantation
His daughter, Hannah, married Thomas Harrison, and among their children was James T. Harrison. James T. Harrison married Regina, daughter of Major T.G. Blewett. Their two daughters, Mary Blewett Harrison and Regina Lily Harrison Lee (wife of Stephen D. Lee) were the last to live in the Lee Home.
The painting was given to the Lee Home by Martha Lee Batchelder, daughter of Blewett Lee and her son, Charles Foster Batchelder, along with 4 other family portraits in 1997.

NOtes from the Stephen D Lee home and Museum with thinks