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CS 439 E5 1868

PREFACE.

Sparsa coegi."

THE first Number of this Work was published March, 1857, with an intimation that it was "offered to those interested as the first number of a quarterly periodical intended as a medium of inter-communication on the elucidation of their ancestry by the Ellises of the present day."* The reception it met with was not such as to lead to the publication of a second number. But in September, 1862, anxious that the Collections I had formed should be recorded in print, I was induced to continue the work, and issued the Second Number gratuitously to about 200 of the Gentry bearing the name of Ellis. The result of this was a sufficient number of communications, together with the product of my own further researches, to justify the issue of a Third Number in March, 1864. But the indifference with which these two Numbers have been received, evidenced by the fact of not One-Fourth of their Recipients acknowledging their receipt, may be taken as conclusive of the inability or unwillingness of the majority of the Ellises of the present day to give an account of their ancestry, and their apathy on the subject. Notwithstanding, in order to complete a volume that may perhaps interest the rising generation, I now issue a Fourth and Concluding Number, containing the residue of my Collections, what communications I have received, and some chapters embodying the fruits of considerable research, that may serve as guides to those who may hereafter prosecute these enquiries. To the comparatively small number who have shown an in

* The advantage of a periodical publication comprising the labours of many inquirers over isolated researches must be obvious, especially in the record of family traditions and knowledge of their ancestry by the existing Ellises, one pedigree elucidating another, and the labours of one person facilitating and often superseding those of others. Any great progress in the compilation of Pedigrees of the Ellises can only be made by extensive co-operation, even if all the Parish Registers and Wills of the Kingdom were accessible in one central spot. Another generation may possibly witness the formation of Societies like our Archæological Societies, of Persons bearing the same Name, for the illustration of their Genealogies.

terest in the subject, and thanked me for my labours; and to the very much smaller number who have prosecuted any enquiries of their own, and thus assisted me, I must address a few parting observations.

These pages record the Pedigrees of the knightly family of Alis which lasted from the Conquest till the time of Edw. II.; of the knightly family of Fitz-Elys which flourished from the time of Henry II. to Henry VI.; of the knightly family of Elys of Kiddall which endured upwards of five centuries; of the armigerous family of Elys of Stoneacre which subsisted nearly four centuries; and of the distinguished and titled family of Ellys of Wyham which continued from the 15th to the 18th century. Reasons have been advanced for deducing all these families from the Sir William Alis mentioned in Domesday and Ordericus Vitalis; and to confirm or refute these will be the task of future Genealogists of the Ellises, as also to solve the problems connected with their various armorial bearings. Most of these families branched out into ramifications that pervaded not only all England but Scotland and Ireland; and thousands of the Ellises of the present day must be descended from them.

All therefore who bear the name of Ellis, who have their ancestry to discover, may possibly, and very many of them according to circumstaces probably, find that ancestry in one of the ancient families mentioned. There are few Families bearing names of the class to which that of Ellis belongs that can be traced up to the Conquest; a host of Families bearing local names, and names derived from occupations, cannot be traced nearly so high; and not half of the titled families of the kingdom can carry their pedigrees as far back as the Crusades.

If then it be a gratification to contemplate a long line of ancestry, and to indulge in all the associations through the varied March of History and Progress of Society connected with it; if it be a source of pride to bear an ancient and time-honoured coat of arms and crest; it is certain that many of the Ellises of the present day are entitled to these sentimental pleasures, and to feel that they are not of those whose

"ignoble blood

Has crept through scoundrels ever since the flood."

Those Ellises who are not of the lineage of the Families

enumerated may have, many of them, a not less ancient descent, as the Ellises of Welch origin, and the descendants of many an Elias of eminence recorded in these pages.

Though I do not propose to continue this work, my researches will nevertheless not cease; and I shall be thankful for any additions and corrections to the volume of the Notices now completed.

Hydecroft,

Charlwood,
Surrey.

W. S. ELLIS.

DIRECTIONS TO BINDER.

It is recommended to have the work bound interleaved, and also a quire of blank paper at the beginning and end, which will give the opportunity of inserting MS. Additions, Pedigrees, etc., Drawings of Arms, Churches, Mansions, Tombs etc., and Photographic Portraits, thus making the volume a Family Memorial.

1. Fac Simile of Deed, to face p. 213.

2. Stoneacre, to face p. 85.

3. Kiddall Hall, to face p. 170.

4. Arms of Descendants of Thomas Elys, Esq., to face p. 79.

5. Hydecroft, to face the Title.

6. Plate of Arms, to face p. 1.

(Explanation.)

[blocks in formation]

ARMS, I. Or on a cross sable 5 crescents arg. (Borne by Sir HENry Elys of

Yorkshire; Roll of Arms 1307-18.)

II. Gules on a fess arg. 3 escallops azure between 3 crescents or (Arms of ELLIS of Wyham, borne in the 16th century).

III. Or on a cross sable 5 escallops arg. (Borne by Sir JOHN ELYS; Roll of Arms 1392-7).

IV. Azure a mermaid or (vide pp. 71 and 247).

V. Gules 6 plates (vide p. 286).

VI. Arg. 3 eels sa. (Borne by ELLIS of Norfolk, 17th century, p. 150.)
VII. Azure a chev. betw. 3 fleurs de lis arg. (HELLES).

VIII. Arg. a bend betw. 6 fleurs de lis gules (Borne by FITZ ELYS of Oxon,

15th cent.).

IX. Arg. a chief dancette azure (Borne by FITZ ELYS of Newton, temp.

Edw. III.).

[For the drawings and execution of these Anastatic plates I am indebted to Alfred Shelley Ellis, Esq.]

A few copies of Plates 2, 3, and 4 have been printed in quarto size for framing, and may be had of Mr. Smith, 36, Soho Square, for one shilling each, or by book post for 13 stamps.

Addenda.

LIST OF RECIPIENTS-(continued).

*Austen, Mr., Stoneacre, near Maidstone (2). **Baigent, F. J., esq., Winchester (2 and 3).

Barton, T. W., esq., Threxton House, Watton, Norfolk (2). **Borrer, Rev. C. H., Hurstpierpoint (2 and 3).

Burroughes, Ellis, esq., Long Stratton (2).

**Courthope, Wm., esq., Somerset Herald (2 and 3).

*Greene, Rev. Rich., Ashurst, Sussex (2).

**Howard, J. J., esq., 3, Dartmouth Row, Blackheath (2 and 3). **Kent Archæological Society (2 and 3).

*Larking, Rev. Lambert, Ryarsh, Kent (2).

**Lower, Mark Antony, esq., Lewes (2 and 3).

**Nichols, John Gough, esq., 25 Parliament Street (2 and 3). **Olive, Mrs., Offham, near Maidstone (2 and 3).

Orlebar, R. S., esq., Crawley House, Hants (2). *Parkes, Joseph, esq., Staple Inn, London (2).

**Smith, Mr. J. R., 36 Soho Square, London (2 and 3). *Tennant, Rev. O., Upton, Huntingdonshire (2).

*Wilton, Rev. Edw., Lavington, Wilts (2).

Wall, Geo. Alfred Ellis, esq., Worthy Park, Winchester (2). **Weekes, Geo., esq., Carey Hall, Hurstpierpoint (2 and 3).

ELLISES OF IRELAND.

13 Jan. 1685 Anthony Ellis of Lisnover co. Cavan, near Ballyheady, gent. filed a Bill in Chancery (Ireland). 2 June 1684 a Bill was filed against him by James Morley of London, as his agent for certain lands in Cavan. By Proc. in Chanc. 1709 it appears that Edward and Francis Ellis were sons of Mary Ellis sister of Robert Atkinson jun. and d. of R. A. sen., lands in Wicklow being in suit. Edmund Ellis of Brockhill co. Antrim a witness was then aged 60.

15 Oct. 1713 Arthur Ellis gent. and Anne Galbraith his wife, John Johnstone gent. and others were parties to a deed concerning lands in Leitrim.

Henry Ellis of Clonmellan co. Longford occurs in a List of Persons attainted by James II, 1689.

1671 a Bill was filed by Jane Ellis of Lisburn, co. Antrim, widow of Edmund Ellis and mother of Fulke Ellis, then about 80 years old.

1703. Edmund Ellis of Brookhill and his son William are mentioned in a Bill, as agents to Lord Conway.

1760. Anthony Ellis s. of Rev. Wm. Ellis D.D. of Cork occurs.

Trin. Term. 13 Geo. II. John Adcock was Pl. and John Bate, Elizabeth Bate, and Hercules Ellis and his wife were Deforciants in a Fine of lands in Ashford, Pluckley, and Bethersden co. Kent.

EDWARD ELLIS eldest s. of Arthur Ellis who mar. Marg. Lauder mar. Eliz. d. of Dive Downes of Clandean co. Meath and had issue Edward and Frederick who

died young. His brother

GORE ELLIS of Ballyheady who died 1820 had issue Mary, ux. Major Flood, Margaret ux. John Young, and

GORE ELLIS, who went into the French Army, was Aide-de-Camp to General Dampierre, and died unmarried.

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