|
a.
|
Note: 1. Copied from pages 327-328 of Pioneer Families of Missouri by Bryan and Rose: "Ellis. -- The parents of John, Abraham, Peter and William Ellis were natives of England. The four brothers came to America and settled in Fauquier county, Va. Peter and Abraham came to Missouri in 1808, and settled first in St. Louis county. Abraham was in the War of 1812. He was married first to a Miss Lee, and second to Mary Trussell, of Tennessee. By his two wives he had -- Elizabeth, Jane, Polly, Peter, Ellen, Isabella, Mary, Rosa A., John, James, Cynthia A., Malinda J., Barbara L., William, Amanda R., and one other that died in childhood. Mr. Ellis was a member of the Methodist Church, and the first camp- meetings were held on his land, and for many years afterward camp- meetings were held there regularly. Religious services were also held in private houses, and Mr. Ellis was generally selected to announce the next appointment, which he would do from the top of a stump, in a loud voice, and would then add, "Bring along your guns and dogs, and make as big a show as you can." Peter Ellis settled in Boone county." -o-o-o-NOTES TO THE ABOVE-o-o-o- A. I do not believe that the four brothers were from England but, perhaps, their parents were. Census records for the Abraham Ellis and Peter Ellis family indicate that these two brothers were born in Virginia. Also, Peter's family, from the Hist. Boone co., MO, claim that he was born in Botetourt county, VA. B. Peter settled in St. Louis county, MO as early as 1801. Later he moved to Boone co., MO although he also purchased land near that of his brother, Abraham, in Callaway co., MO. C. Abraham Ellis moved to St. Louis co., MO sometime between 1806 (birth of his daughter, Nancy, was 3 Apr 1806 in TN) and 1812 (the birth of his son, Peter, was 12 Jul 1812). Bryan and Rose indicate that he settled in St. Louis co., MO in 1808; this year was most likely given to Bryan and Rose during an interview of family members. D. Abraham and Peter were both privates in the War of 1812. E. Hawkins co., TN was probably the place of settlement for brothers John and William. F. According to family tradition (information passed down by Amanda Ellis Bedsworth, a daughter of Abraham Ellis) Barbara Lee Ellis, sister to Amanda, was named for Abraham's first wife, Miss Lee; according to Bryan and Rose she may have been Barbara Lee. G. Abraham's second wife, Mary, has been seen as Mary Trussell (Bryan and Rose), Mary Truesdale and Mary Robards or Roberts (court papers and family papers). I suspect that there was a Mary Trussell/ Truesdale who first married a Mr. Robards or Roberts. After his death she married Abraham Ellis. Records from the National Archives in relation to her application for a widow's pension, based on Abraham's service in the War of 1812, show that she was Mary Robards or Roberts and that she and Abraham, according to her statement, were married in Hawkins co., TN. If this is true, then it shows that, after the death of Barbara (Lee) Ellis in St. Louis co., MO, following the birth of her 7th child, Mary Alice, in 1818, Abraham traveled from St. Louis to Hawkins co., TN and married Mary (Trussell/Truesdale) Robards/Roberts. H. Abraham's father? No indication of his father's name has been found. If I had to place a wager, however, I would chose either Peter or John for his given name. The first son of Abraham's first family was named Peter......the first son of his second family was John. The first son of Peter's family (Abraham's brother from Boone co., MO) was also John. Now, if Abraham and Peter followed the English tradition of naming their sons, then John is strongly suggestive as having been the given name of their father. I. Abraham's mother? First, it is important to remember that there is a connection between the Ellis family and the Rhodes family in TN and MO. Elizabeth "Betsy" Rhodes, a daughter of Sarah Rhodes, was a half-sister to Abraham Ellis. Betsy and Abraham were just about the same age; Abraham was born in 1786 and Betsy in 1785 (d/o Samuel and Sarah Rhodes). It is my assumption that Sarah Rhodes, just after the birth of Betsy, married Abraham's father and, within the year, gave birth to Abraham. This also implies that Abraham and Peter Ellis must have had different mothers since Peter was older than Abraham. There is also a strong link in Callaway co., MO between the Ellis, Rhodes and Wilfley families; Betsy married a Wilfley. More information about the Rhodes and Wilfley families, but no real clues, however, to the Ellis family, may be found in Frank P. Wilfley's book, Wilfley-Pindall (1984).
|
