Bessie Earp was born in New York. Although I have listed here NY County and the Borough of NY, the exact location is not known.
Bessie also is the mother of Frank and Hattie Catchim/Ketchum Land. Frank being killed by Apaches in Cochise County, AZ in 1891 and Hattie becoming the wife of a very powerful cattle baron, William Land of Douglas Arizona.
Bessie married James Cooksey Earp In Illinois on April 18th, 1873. She was with James her entire life from Illinois through her final days in California. Bessie was known as a "Sporting Woman" and ran a sporting house in Witchita, Kansas. By trade, Bessie was a soiled dove but this author has discovered her true profession to be more of a madam than a prostitute.
Bessie was present during the more turbulent times of Tombstone being witness in the aftermath of the OK Corral Gunfight as well as the Murder of brother-in-law, Morgan Earp at Campbell and Hatch's Billiard parlor in Tombstone the night of March 18, 1882. Unlike other women of her time, Bessie was a very independant and enterprising woman. She was also a single parent before she met James.
Bessie left Tombstone for Califronia with the other Earp wives in 1882, in the OK Corral aftermath and tragedy of Morgan's death as well as the maiming of Virgil. She remained there until her death.
Bessie was called "the Beautiful Brunette" by her husband James. As of this date, a new stone marks Bessie's grave. Old West historians Tom Gaumer, Kenny Vail, Jim Petersen and myself have paid for Bessie to have a proper stone. She is buried near Earp matriarch, Virginia Cooksey Earp.
Information courtesy of Mr. Tom Gaumer and was also extracted from the US military pension records of James Cooksey Earp.
*****The sepia photo submitted by Blue Brown is NOT of Bessie and James and has been posted without provenance.∼Born in "early 1840s." Mother of Hattie and Frank. Buried next to Virginia Ann Cooksey Earp.
Bessie also is the mother of Frank and Hattie Catchim/Ketchum Land. Frank being killed by Apaches in Cochise County, AZ in 1891 and Hattie becoming the wife of a very powerful cattle baron, William Land of Douglas Arizona.
Bessie married James Cooksey Earp In Illinois on April 18th, 1873. She was with James her entire life from Illinois through her final days in California. Bessie was known as a "Sporting Woman" and ran a sporting house in Witchita, Kansas. By trade, Bessie was a soiled dove but this author has discovered her true profession to be more of a madam than a prostitute.
Bessie was present during the more turbulent times of Tombstone being witness in the aftermath of the OK Corral Gunfight as well as the Murder of brother-in-law, Morgan Earp at Campbell and Hatch's Billiard parlor in Tombstone the night of March 18, 1882. Unlike other women of her time, Bessie was a very independant and enterprising woman. She was also a single parent before she met James.
Bessie left Tombstone for Califronia with the other Earp wives in 1882, in the OK Corral aftermath and tragedy of Morgan's death as well as the maiming of Virgil. She remained there until her death.
Bessie was called "the Beautiful Brunette" by her husband James. As of this date, a new stone marks Bessie's grave. Old West historians Tom Gaumer, Kenny Vail, Jim Petersen and myself have paid for Bessie to have a proper stone. She is buried near Earp matriarch, Virginia Cooksey Earp.
Information courtesy of Mr. Tom Gaumer and was also extracted from the US military pension records of James Cooksey Earp.
*****The sepia photo submitted by Blue Brown is NOT of Bessie and James and has been posted without provenance.∼Born in "early 1840s." Mother of Hattie and Frank. Buried next to Virginia Ann Cooksey Earp.
Bessie Earp was born in New York. Although I have listed here NY County and the Borough of NY, the exact location is not known.
Bessie also is the mother of Frank and Hattie Catchim/Ketchum Land. Frank being killed by Apaches in Cochise County, AZ in 1891 and Hattie becoming the wife of a very powerful cattle baron, William Land of Douglas Arizona.
Bessie married James Cooksey Earp In Illinois on April 18th, 1873. She was with James her entire life from Illinois through her final days in California. Bessie was known as a "Sporting Woman" and ran a sporting house in Witchita, Kansas. By trade, Bessie was a soiled dove but this author has discovered her true profession to be more of a madam than a prostitute.
Bessie was present during the more turbulent times of Tombstone being witness in the aftermath of the OK Corral Gunfight as well as the Murder of brother-in-law, Morgan Earp at Campbell and Hatch's Billiard parlor in Tombstone the night of March 18, 1882. Unlike other women of her time, Bessie was a very independant and enterprising woman. She was also a single parent before she met James.
Bessie left Tombstone for Califronia with the other Earp wives in 1882, in the OK Corral aftermath and tragedy of Morgan's death as well as the maiming of Virgil. She remained there until her death.
Bessie was called "the Beautiful Brunette" by her husband James. As of this date, a new stone marks Bessie's grave. Old West historians Tom Gaumer, Kenny Vail, Jim Petersen and myself have paid for Bessie to have a proper stone. She is buried near Earp matriarch, Virginia Cooksey Earp.
Information courtesy of Mr. Tom Gaumer and was also extracted from the US military pension records of James Cooksey Earp.
*****The sepia photo submitted by Blue Brown is NOT of Bessie and James and has been posted without provenance.∼Born in "early 1840s." Mother of Hattie and Frank. Buried next to Virginia Ann Cooksey Earp.
Bessie also is the mother of Frank and Hattie Catchim/Ketchum Land. Frank being killed by Apaches in Cochise County, AZ in 1891 and Hattie becoming the wife of a very powerful cattle baron, William Land of Douglas Arizona.
Bessie married James Cooksey Earp In Illinois on April 18th, 1873. She was with James her entire life from Illinois through her final days in California. Bessie was known as a "Sporting Woman" and ran a sporting house in Witchita, Kansas. By trade, Bessie was a soiled dove but this author has discovered her true profession to be more of a madam than a prostitute.
Bessie was present during the more turbulent times of Tombstone being witness in the aftermath of the OK Corral Gunfight as well as the Murder of brother-in-law, Morgan Earp at Campbell and Hatch's Billiard parlor in Tombstone the night of March 18, 1882. Unlike other women of her time, Bessie was a very independant and enterprising woman. She was also a single parent before she met James.
Bessie left Tombstone for Califronia with the other Earp wives in 1882, in the OK Corral aftermath and tragedy of Morgan's death as well as the maiming of Virgil. She remained there until her death.
Bessie was called "the Beautiful Brunette" by her husband James. As of this date, a new stone marks Bessie's grave. Old West historians Tom Gaumer, Kenny Vail, Jim Petersen and myself have paid for Bessie to have a proper stone. She is buried near Earp matriarch, Virginia Cooksey Earp.
Information courtesy of Mr. Tom Gaumer and was also extracted from the US military pension records of James Cooksey Earp.
*****The sepia photo submitted by Blue Brown is NOT of Bessie and James and has been posted without provenance.∼Born in "early 1840s." Mother of Hattie and Frank. Buried next to Virginia Ann Cooksey Earp.
Inscription
Bessie "Mrs. James" Earp
Mother of Hattie and Frank
Early 1840's - Jan. 22, 1887
"a beautiful brunette"
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
