Josiah Ellis

  General Notes:

JOSIAH3 ELLIS (Lt. Mordecai,2 Lt. John1), born about 1682, died in Sandwich in 1744.

He married there, 21 Jan. 1713/14, SARAH3 BLACKWELL, born there 11 Jan. 1690/1, died after 29 Oct. 1751, daughter of Joshua2 and Mercy Blackwell. The will of Joshua Blackwell of Sandwich, dated 15 July 1737, names his "daughter Sarah Ellis" (THE REGISTER, vol. 117, p. 187-188, October 1963).

At the settlement of his father's estate, the Court gave to him a share of the father's lands in Sandwich (see above). At the time of this settlement, 20 Feb. 1709/10, the Court placed him and his brother Mordecai under bond to pay back into the estate such sums as the value of the land set out to them exceeded what would have been their fair share of the estate. Since no balance was due to him he did not sign the receipt, as did his younger siblings, after his mother's death in 1718. He and his wife were members of the Sandwich Church where they were baptized together: 23 April 1721 - "Josiah, Deborah, Stephen, Elizabeth Ellis" {Sandwich Church Records). Josiah Ellis and Sarah his wife appear on the March 1730 list of the Rev. Benjamin Fessenden's Sandwich Householders.
The will, dated 24 Jan. 1743/4, of "Josiah Ellis Senr. of Sandwich ... husbandman" gives "to my well beloved wife Sarah Ellis the use ... for life or widowhood, and unless she should remarry she should have £60. in household stuffe (her choice) ... To my son Josiah Ellis one halfe the moveable and personal Estate, he to pay bequests to his brethren and sister, and his part of the bond he has this day given me. To my son Stephen Ellis one halfe the moveables, he to pay the sums assigned him …. to my son Benjamin, £30. To be paid by my sons Josiah and Stephen if sd sum be not paid by them in my life time. To my son Philip, £30. to be paid [the terms as above] … to my daughter Sarah the sum of £150. to be [similarly paid to her]. To my son Micah Ellis my gun, also my twelve acre lot lying by the house of Mr. Joseph Swift in Sandwich & a piece of meadow called Point Meadow, and my sword. My will is that my moveable be an effective security for the payment of £115. to be paid to my children; Benjamin, Philip, and Sarah as sett respectively to them before the division be made by and between my sons Josiah and Stephen Ellis. Finally I appoint my beloved kinsman Mordecai Ellis of Sandwich … executor." Witnesses: Benjamin Fessenden, Mary (x) Tupper, Lydia (x) Bates. The inventory, dated 14 July and sworn 20 July 1744, shows Real Estate-£58. Bond £28. 15s. taken by Josiah Swift, Jabez Swift, Mr. Mordecai Blackwell (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 6, p. 446-7).
[Lt. John & Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis of Sandwich, Mass by Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson, of Duxbury, Mass & Maclean W. Mclean, of Pittsburg, PA]

  Noted events in his life were:

• Will, 24 Jan 1743/44, Sandwich, Barnstable, MA. ^37,65

Josiah married Sarah Blackwell, daughter of Joshua Blackwell and Mercy Fish, on 21 Jan 1713/14 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^5,16,65,125.^,201 (Sarah Blackwell was born on 11 Jan 1690/91 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^5,37,65,125 and died after 29 Oct 1751 ^{5,16,37,65,125,201}.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Alt. Marriage, 21 Jan 1712/13, Sandwich, Barnstable, MA. ³⁷