The Rawle family, which produced some of the leading legal minds in early Pennsylvania history, first immigrated to America in 1686 to escape the persecution their Quaker faith invited in England. From his arrival in Pennsylvania, Francis Rawle Jr. (1663-1727) became involved in the religious and legal life of the colony, a position bolstered by his marriage to Robert Turner's daughter Martha in 1689. Francis's grandson William (1759-1836) was the first Rawle to rise to prominence in the legal profession, serving as Pennsylvania's first U.S. attorney and founding a prestigious law office, now known as Rawle and Henderson and recognized as the country's oldest practice. Rawle was followed in his legal career by a number of subsequent generations of Rawle men, most of whom were also named William. This list includes William Rawle Jr. (1788-1858), his son William Henry Rawle (1823-1889), and William Rawle Brooke (1843-1915), known for most of his life as William Brooke Rawle. In addition to their legal activities, the Rawles served as founding and/or contributing members of a number of Philadelphia institutions, including the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the American Philosophical Society, the University of Pennsylvania, the Library Company of Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
From the description of Rawle family papers, 1682-1921, bulk 1770-1911. (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 84331589
