Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
BirthAug 13, 1685, Tuckahoe, Henrico County, Virginia [30176]
DeathFeb 1762, Henrico County, Virginia [30177]
BurialHenrico County, Virginia [30176]
Birthabt 1690, Richmond City, Virginia [487]
Deathbef Jan 14, 1762, Amelia County, Virginia [487]
DeathApr 2, 1782, Amelia County, Virginia [30176]
Flags Research Pending
FatherJohn H. Clarin ELLIS Sr. (1661-1728)
MotherSusannah ROYALL (1665-1728)
Obituary Online notes for Captain John ELLIS
Myth #01 - Old Churches Ministers And Families of Virginia, Vol 2 published in 1910 on page 461 states:
JOHN 1685-1782, the eldest son, married Elizabeth Ware, a relation of Baldwin and Ware Bockett, seafaring men, who owned the property in the city of Richmond since called “Bocketts’.
WikiTree shows Elizabeth Ware as the daughter of Jacob Ware (Jr). Two 2 April 1716 affidavits by Richard Rayborn & John Redford state that they knew Jacob Ware (Jr) who was Minister of Henrico Parish for about 20 years, that they knew Francis Ware his son, and that Jacob Ware's father was Jacob Ware. But the Henrico Co. VA will of Jacob Ware (Jr’s) wife Susannah (Adams) Ware dated 8 Feb 1734 and probated 5 Feb 1736 names her daughter Elizabeth as Eliz. Burton, which matches the WikiTree profile for the Rev. Jacob Ware (Jr.) ( https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ware-191 )
Which contradicts what Thomas H. Ellis in his 1848 booklet ‘A Memorandum of the Ellis Family’ wrote:
John Ellis. He was for many years a magistrate of the county and sherriff. Married Elizabeth Smith, the daughter of Obadiah Smith, of Henrico county, planter, and of Mary Cocke, who was the daughter of William Cocke, of James city county, planter; and had issue:
BOTH may to be true as John Ellis 1st wife Elizabeth Ware could have died before 1744 (*) and John Ellis 2nd married Elizabeth Smith as proved by the below will and land indenture records.
*IF John Ellis did marry an Elizabeth Ware, she WAS NOT the daughter of Jacob Ware (Jr) based upon his wife Susannah Ware’s 1734 will. [Henrico Co. VA Deed & WB 1725-1737 No. 2, Part 1, p. 479]
Elizabeth Smith as John Ellis 1685-1782’s wife:
On Oct 26, 1744 Obadiah Smith wrote his will and it was probated in Henrico Co., VA court on the first Monday in June 1746. Within his will he stated:
Item. I give unto my aforesaid Daughter Elizabeth Ellis two Negro slaves called Magen & Will a sucking child to her and her heirs.
Henrico Co., VA DB & Wills 1750-1767, pp 604-605 (FamilySearch) – 1760 land indenture wherein John Ellis and Elizabeth his wife sell land which Obadiah Smith in his lifetime left to his son in law and daughter, John Ellis and Elizabeth his wife and the said 360 acres of said bottomland to Jacob Smith (one of the sons of Obadiah Smith. This indenture was witnessed by John Ellis’s brothers Thomas Ellis, Wiliam Ellis & Henry Ellis, along with William Horst.
IF Old Churches Ministers And Families of Virginia, Vol 2 is accurate, then whether any of the children listed as Elizabeth Ware’s belong to Elizabeth Smith, only genetics can determine.
MYTH #02: This John Ellis born by/before 1685 IS NOT the same John Ellis born by/before 1685 who died in May 1762 Amelia Co., VA. whose will names his wife as 'Elizabeth'. Based upon the John Ellis of Amelia Co., VA's 1762 will his children were: Austin, Sarah, Thomas, Elizabeth 'Betty', Mary 'Ann', Jane, Richard & William.
Last Changed: September 11, 2023
Joseph E Crouch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LT69-61C [30179]
JOHN 1685-1782, the eldest son, married Elizabeth Ware, a relation of Baldwin and Ware Bockett, seafaring men, who owned the property in the city of Richmond since called “Bocketts’.
WikiTree shows Elizabeth Ware as the daughter of Jacob Ware (Jr). Two 2 April 1716 affidavits by Richard Rayborn & John Redford state that they knew Jacob Ware (Jr) who was Minister of Henrico Parish for about 20 years, that they knew Francis Ware his son, and that Jacob Ware's father was Jacob Ware. But the Henrico Co. VA will of Jacob Ware (Jr’s) wife Susannah (Adams) Ware dated 8 Feb 1734 and probated 5 Feb 1736 names her daughter Elizabeth as Eliz. Burton, which matches the WikiTree profile for the Rev. Jacob Ware (Jr.) ( https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ware-191 )
Which contradicts what Thomas H. Ellis in his 1848 booklet ‘A Memorandum of the Ellis Family’ wrote:
John Ellis. He was for many years a magistrate of the county and sherriff. Married Elizabeth Smith, the daughter of Obadiah Smith, of Henrico county, planter, and of Mary Cocke, who was the daughter of William Cocke, of James city county, planter; and had issue:
BOTH may to be true as John Ellis 1st wife Elizabeth Ware could have died before 1744 (*) and John Ellis 2nd married Elizabeth Smith as proved by the below will and land indenture records.
*IF John Ellis did marry an Elizabeth Ware, she WAS NOT the daughter of Jacob Ware (Jr) based upon his wife Susannah Ware’s 1734 will. [Henrico Co. VA Deed & WB 1725-1737 No. 2, Part 1, p. 479]
Elizabeth Smith as John Ellis 1685-1782’s wife:
On Oct 26, 1744 Obadiah Smith wrote his will and it was probated in Henrico Co., VA court on the first Monday in June 1746. Within his will he stated:
Item. I give unto my aforesaid Daughter Elizabeth Ellis two Negro slaves called Magen & Will a sucking child to her and her heirs.
Henrico Co., VA DB & Wills 1750-1767, pp 604-605 (FamilySearch) – 1760 land indenture wherein John Ellis and Elizabeth his wife sell land which Obadiah Smith in his lifetime left to his son in law and daughter, John Ellis and Elizabeth his wife and the said 360 acres of said bottomland to Jacob Smith (one of the sons of Obadiah Smith. This indenture was witnessed by John Ellis’s brothers Thomas Ellis, Wiliam Ellis & Henry Ellis, along with William Horst.
IF Old Churches Ministers And Families of Virginia, Vol 2 is accurate, then whether any of the children listed as Elizabeth Ware’s belong to Elizabeth Smith, only genetics can determine.
MYTH #02: This John Ellis born by/before 1685 IS NOT the same John Ellis born by/before 1685 who died in May 1762 Amelia Co., VA. whose will names his wife as 'Elizabeth'. Based upon the John Ellis of Amelia Co., VA's 1762 will his children were: Austin, Sarah, Thomas, Elizabeth 'Betty', Mary 'Ann', Jane, Richard & William.
Last Changed: September 11, 2023
Joseph E Crouch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LT69-61C [30179]