James Ellis of Wybunbury

[K Rees]

Has anybody seen records for a James Ellis, schoolmaster of Wybunbury, Cheshire in the early 1600's, and whose son Josiah Ellis (bp. 28 Aug 1631) may have gone to London?

[Jo Harding]

Hello K Rees,

There is a well researched Family Tree for this line on Ancestry. They have many sources which include a baptism for Josia Ellies in Wynbunbury on 26/08/1631. Father: James Ellies. As you say Josiah went to London and there are many records for him there. One is of his burial in 1713 in Bunhill Fields. He was buried in the Quaker Burial Ground there. His Will is included in the sources on one tree.

Josiah married Mary Wilcox on 16/11/1697 in a Quaker ceremony. The marriage document is online and shows Josiah Ellis to be the son of James Ellis of Woodonbury in the County of Chester,   schoolmaster dec'd.

He is shown to have had about 8 children. Their years of birth are 1662-1674, so he was married before possibly. The baptisms for the children are shown as having a mother by the name of Mary though.

In his Will Josiah states Mary to be alias Wilcox, alias Adams, daughter of William Adams late of Monmouth. It appears to have been her second marriage, probably his as well.

The Will is a very interesting read.

Name variants have been shown as Ellies and Ellice.

James Ellis is shown as born c1605 but no source for that.

There are sources for him being a Schoolmaster and residing in Wynbunbury in 1625,1631 and 1636.

James Ellis had other children whose baptisms are in the Cheshire parish records. They are: George Ellis, b1625 and Samuell Ellice b1636.

I would enquire of Chester archives as to what material they may have on this family.

Jo

[K Rees]

Thank you Jo
I have sent of a message to one possible owner of one of the trees that you mention on ancestry.
I see a possible few errors and then went through each page of two of the Quaker documents Westminster and Peel Court to help find more chn and some deaths but lacking one first marriage to Mary .... c1655.

At this stage I believe that one Joseph/Josiaf and the brother Abraham will be from an earlier marriage with this other Mary (with some other chn) and he is most likely the father of my ancestor Richard Ellis (c.1705). Richard Ellis' apprenticeship as a glazier in 1719 to a Wm Carter (my opinion another Quaker) is my best bet. My Richard Ellis died in 1771 Carpenter's Hall as a broker, but other records showed him living in Carpenters Hall as a glazier.

I was trying to find out more of the Cheshire connection looking for more possible clues.

Thank you
Keith

[Jo Harding]

Hello Keith,

My opinion is that it is likely there will be some information on this family in the Cheshire Archives. James Ellis was a professional man and appears to have been wealthy. He would have had some standing in the rural community. I did look to see if I could find a Will for him as they are listed in the catalogue. There wasn't one shown unfortunately.

Genuki indicates that the parish registers are available from the 1550s, so it might be worthwhile examining these. I did wonder if James Ellis would have been a Quaker too.

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CHS/wybunbury

Another possibility is a local history series of books written by Frank Latham. He wrote these over a period of years and they were published privately. He did them on individual Cheshire villages and they go into a lot of detail. They are excellent sources of information on families etc as his research was extensive and covered things for centuries. I think they are difficult to obtain now but the Archives and libraries in Cheshire held copies of most of them. I have done a search online and some copies came up for sale for his book on Wynbunbury.

Jo.

[Grisel]

I realize this is an older thread, but I am interested in James Ellis too. I have found a burial on FamilySearch for a James Elleis - 24 Dec 1646 in Wybunbury.

The original image is a bit blurry but it seems to say: ...James Elleis, schoolm^r, slaine by a souldier. 

I would appreciate if someone could check my reading of it!

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQLC-FMN?lang=en

If this was him (or even if it wasn't) why would he have been 'slaine'? Wasn't the first Civil War pretty much over by then?

Thanks in advance, anyone who has time to look!

[Raybistre]

I agree with your reading of the entry. There were probably a few men about at the back end of 1646 who may have been members of one or another of the armies or local militia involved in the conflict between King and Parliament but were now having to fend for themselves. The circumstances of the slaying might be revealed if other records are examined. Maybe a drunken brawl, a murder, or some other cause. Ray

[Grisel]

Thanks for your reply, Ray. And thanks for taking the time to look.

I imagine if I was on the spot and could examine local archives, I might be able to find something more on James' death. Unfortunately that's not possible. I appreciate your insight on possible circumstances! Maybe will find more info some day.

Grisel

[K Rees]

Hi Grisel
I have seen that this thread has reopened. I will look into the notes of my ancestor Richard Ellis, the glazier of Threadneedle Street, then Carpenters Hall during the mid and late 1700s, tomorrow.

His daughter Mary Ellis, married William Petch, a Page of the Backstairs, to George 111, on 7 Jan 1763 St. Anne Soho, Westminster.
Keith

[Grisel]

Thanks Keith

I would be glad to hear any details you have!

Grisel