John Ellis senior

Brother of George Ellis senior, from whom he inherited Jamaican property including Green Castle in St Mary in 1753. Died c. 1781. His son John Ellis inherited Newry, Nutfield and Green Castle while his other son Charles Rose Ellis inherited Montpelier and other property. Both sons agreed to share liability for their father's debts.

1. John Ellis contributed £70 to the University of Pennsylvania following Dr John Morgan's fundraising tour of the West Indies in 1772-1773.

2. John Ellis of St Mary, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1784. Slave-ownership at probate: 1310 of whom 726 were listed as male and 584 as female. 184 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £84,690 Jamaican currency of which £77,074 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £0 currency debts and £0 currency plate.

3. Will of John Ellis of St Mary Jamaica [made in 1781] proved in London 20/06/1783. In the will he left his wife Elizabeth two annuities, of £1200 p.a. and £300 p.a., and his sister Bathsheba and niece Ann (daughter of his late brother William Beckford Ellis I) annuities of £70 p.a. each. He left his nephews William Beckford Ellis II and Robert Ellis £1000 each. He specified that the sugars from all his estates, less 150 hogsheads per annum to Lowbridge and Bright of Bristol, should be consigned to Messrs Watts of Liverpool. He charged 4/7th of his debts on his estates in St James, Trelawny, Westmoreland, Hanover and St Elizabeth, and 3/7ths on those in St Mary, St George and St Catherine.

4. The will of John Ellis of St. Mary, Esq. was proved in Jamaica 10/04/1783.

Kathleen Mary Butler, The Economics of Emancipation (Chapel Hill, 1995) pp. 49-50.

1. C. S. Graubard, 'Documenting the University of Pennsylvania's Connection to Slavery (2018) via archives.upenn.edu [accessed 16/01/2019].

2. Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

3. PROB 11/1104/334.

4. LOS 42.

We are grateful to Daniel Livesay for his assistance with this entry.