E is for Ellis - Family History Through the Alphabet - Week 5

Image from Gould Genealogy & History News

This is my contribution to Week 5 of Gould Genealogy's Family History Through the Alphabet challenge. The letter this time is E.

E is for...Ellis
My Great Great Grandfather, Owen Ellis, was baptised at Nefyn, Caernarvonshire, Wales on 19 January 1830, the 'base son' of John Ellis of the parish of Llanystumdwy, labourer, and Margaret Jones of the parish of Pistyll.

It is believed (but not yet verified) based on research carried out by a researcher in Wales in the 1980s, that Owen's father, John Ellis, was the son of Evan Ellis and Gwen Jones, and baptised at Llangian, Caernarvonshire on 3 October 1784. Evan Ellis died in 1845 and his Will (written in Welsh) is available on the National Library of Wales digitised collection of wills proved in the Welsh Ecclesiastical courts before 1858. I have found John Ellis' family in the 1841 census, 1851 census, 1861 census 1871 census and 1881 census living at the Feathers Inn, Llanystumdwy.

Could this photograph show Owen Ellis (1830-1907)?  

John Ellis (1784-1858) married Elizabeth (maiden name not yet known) and they had the following known children:

• Gwen Ellis, born about 1814, Llanystumdwy. Later married Hugh (?) Jones. 
• Hannah Ellis, baptised Llanystumdwy 1816. Did not marry. 
• Mary Ellis, baptised Llanystumdwy 1821. Later married Hezekiah (?) Owen. 

The web site for the Feathers Inn/ Tafarn y Plu Llanystumdwy shows an 1892 photograph of John Ellis Hughes, the landlord, and his sister Hannah Mary Hughes. A relative requested that a friend of theirs who was visiting Wales visit the Feathers Inn, and that person was able to take a photograph of the original photograph on display in the pub, of which I now have a digital copy. I have searched the 1891 census and traced back through previous census records and believe that John Ellis Hughes and Hannah Mary Hughes were children of Elizabeth Hughes (nee Jones), and grandchildren of Gwen Jones (nee Ellis, born about 1814). If you know anything about these people or you are related to them, please contact me.

Clockwise from Left: John Ellis (1861-1942) and
two of his sisters, probably Bessie (1863-1939)
and Suze (1865-1955). 

I am not yet sure when Owen Jones/Ellis arrived in Australia and I have as yet been unable to find Owen or his mother, Margaret, in the 1841 or 1851 census (the names are just too common). He went by the name Owen Ellis his whole life in Australia.

Owen married Susan Hehir on 29 September 1860 at the Catholic Church, Heathcote, Victoria. They continued to live at Heathcote, where Owen died in 1907 and Susan died in 1921. Owen and Susan had the following children:

• John Ellis (1861-1942), married Margaret Anna Gilmore. My Great Grandparents.
• Elizabeth Mary (Bessie) Ellis (1863-1939), married Frederick James Williams.
• Susannah (Suze) Ellis (1865-1955), married Isaac Cowin. Lived at Sydney and Parkes. 
• Anna Maria Agnes (Annie) Ellis (1867-1924), married Alfred Richard Case.
• Robert Joseph (Bob) Ellis (1869-1940), married Ethel May Hassell.
• Henrietta Gertrude (Ettie) Ellis (1872-1956), married Patrick McLernon. Lived at Broken Hill. 
• Owen Thomas (Tom) Ellis (1874-1962), married Mary Jane (Molly) Gilmore.

(Sources available on request)

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