John Earle (29 January 1824 â 31 January 1903) was a British Anglo-Saxon language scholar. He was twice Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Oxford.
Earle wrote more than a dozen books and was the author of Two Saxon Chronicles Parallel (1865), and Anglo-Saxon Literature (1884). Charles Plummer edited Earle's Two Saxon Chronicles Parallel, producing a Revised Text with notes, appendices, and glossary in 1892.
Earle was born at Elston, Churchstow, South Devon, on 29 January 1824, the oldest son of John Earle who was a farmer and landowner. Earle was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he obtained first-class honors in classics.
Earle was elected a fellow in 1848 and in 1857 became rector of Swanswick, near Bath. Earle became a prebendary of Wells, which was a small cathedral city of Somerset, in 1871. His recreations were boating, riding and gardening.
Earle held the position of Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford as well as the rectory of Swanswick until his death.
In 1863, he married Jane Rolleston, the daughter of Rev. George Rolleston (rector and squire of Maltby, W. Riding, father of George Rolleston).
His address in the 1903 Who's Who (UK) is listed as Swanswick Rectory, Bath, 84 Banbury Road, Oxford. He died there on 31 January 1903.