Matthias Ellis

  General Notes:

MATTHIAS4 ELLIS (Malachi,3 Lt. Matthias,2 Lt. John1), born 2 May 1739, died after 1 Dec. 1776, presumably after 4 May 1779 and before 24 May 1782.

He married 15 Feb. 1759 RACHEL5 TUPFER (Sandwich Town Records), born in Sandwich 9 April 1737, died in Middleborough 28 May 1815, daughter of Samuel4 Tupper of Sandwich by his second wife, Hannah (Fish) Tupper. Rachel was a half-sister of Elizabeth Tupper, the wife of Benjamin4 Ellis (No. 36).

The will of Malachi3 Ellis, dated 31 March 1762, gives "To my son Matthias Ellis all my land in the Township of Plymouth, excepting my cedar swamp--that is all the land I bought of Josiah and John Swift." The will reveals that this Matthias Ellis also had sold at one time some Sandwich land to his brother Ephraim4 (No. 48).
"Rachel Ellis, wife of Matthias Ellis Junr.," was received into full communion, 5 July 1761, with the Sandwich Church, and "Elizabeth & Thankfull, of Matthias & Rachel Ellis" were there baptized 26 July 1761. The baptisms of all but two of the other children were subsequently entered in the church records.

By a deed, dated 3 Dec. 1766, recorded 2 March 1767, "Matthias Ellis Junr. of Sandwich, ... yeoman," conveyed for £20. paid by Zaccheus Burge of same, "an eighth part of the land of Jonathan Morey, late of Plymouth, sold to Jireh Swift and John Gibbs, late of Sandwich which my father Malachi Ellis late of Sandwich bought of Josiah Swift and John Swift, being half of the land given me by my father's will." This deed was signed by Matthias Ellis, with a release of her dower right signed by the mark of Rachel Ellis.
"Matthias Ellis Junr. of Sandwich" and "Rachel Ellis his wife," by a similarly worded deed, dated 18 March 1769, sold for £20. paid by Josiah Burges, cordwainer, and Thomas and Elisha Burges, yeomen, all of Sandwich, the other half of the Plymouth land which he had by the will of his father (PLCD, vol. 52, p. 260; vol. 56, p. 180). Having thus disposed of his inherited property he then bought a lot in the South Purchase of Middleborough upon which he seems to have lived until his death.

The will, dated 12 May 1772, of Samuel Tupper of Sandwich names his "daughter Rachel Ellis." The compiler of the Tupper genealogy (op. cit.) evidently had access to records not found by us. For examples he gives birth dates (consistent with the Sandwich church baptismal records) of four of the children and adds the information that four others, "names unknown," died of the small pox. Mr. Tupper seems to have been correct also in giving the birth date of the son Joshua as 4 May 1779 (although we find no baptismal date), but Mr. Frank R. Ellis must have been wrong in giving the year 1769 for this child as the church records show a son Samuel was baptized in that year. It is interesting also to note that Matthias4 Ellis was called "Junr." in Sandwich because the "Senr." was his uncle, Matthias3 Ellis. He was also called "Junr." After his removal to Middleborough because the "Senr." there was his cousin, Ensign Matthias4 Ellis, 1720-1790.

The widow Rachel (Tupper) Ellis married secondly, 24 May 1782, Benjamin Hoskins "of Rochester" (Vital Records of Rochester). The Middleborough town records call her "of Middleborough." Nathaniel Sprague was appointed administrator of "the Estate of Matthias Ellis, late of Middleborough, Labourer, deceased," 4 Nov. 1782 (Plymouth County Probate, vol. 27, p. 103). The inventory, dated 8 Oct. 1782, taken by Consider Benson, Benoni Lucas and John Le Baron, Jr., showed Real Estate £53. 6s. 8d. Total: £85. 18s. 10d. Sworn 23 Nov. 1782, the estate was declared insolvent and the names of the heirs do not appear. However, 2 Dec. 1782, the Court "set off to Rachel Hoskins, wife of Benjamin Hoskins ... of Rochester, and formerly widow of sd Matthias Ellis, deceased, her dower" (ibid., vol. 28, p. 429).

A deposition, date 18 Nov. 1802, is of interest: "I, Rachel Haskins [!], of lawfull age, testify and say that about 32 years ago my late husband Matthias Ellis purchased of Andrew Oliver a Middleborough lot, called the 53rd Lot in the South Purchase ... said deed came into my hands at the death of my sd husband Ellis and was by me delivered to Nathaniel Sprague, Esqr, who administered upon the said Ellis' estate. For some time during the settlement, and afterwards ... [the deed remained] in my hands until about the month of August last ... which sd deed was not recorded ... and that my husband Ellis never owned any other land in Middleborough ... and sd lot is the same land on which Jerusha Benson now lives ... that I saw my husband Ellis count out money which he said was to pay for sd land, and after his return from Boston he shewed me the deed and said he had paid the money for sd land, and further deponent saith nought." The judge asked: "Have you since the death of your said husband given a deed to David Nye, Esqr. of ye Right of Dower in sd sd land?" Her answer was "Yes" (ibid., vol. 94, p. 247).

This refers to a deed, dated 10 May 1784, recorded 21 May 1795, by which Sprague conveyed, as administrator, this Middleborough land to David Nye (ibid., vol. 78, p. 72).
[Lt. John & Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis of Sandwich, Mass by Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson, of Duxbury, Mass & Maclean W. McLean, of Pittsburg, PA]

Matthias married Rachel Tupper, daughter of Samuel Tupper and Hannah Fish, on 15 Feb 1759 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^5,16,65.^,927 (Rachel Tupper was born on 9 Apr 1737 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^5,65,927 and died on 28 May 1815 in Middleborough, Plymouth, MA ^5,65.)