Malachi Ellis

  General Notes:

MALACHI3 ELLIS (Lt. Matthias,2 Lt. John1), born 8 Oct. 1689, died, testate, between 21 March 1762 and 12 March 1765.

He married in Sandwich, 3 Jan. 1715/16, JANE3 BLACKWELL, born there 30 July 1693, died there before 21 March 1762, daughter of Joshua2 and Mercy Blackwell (THE REGISTER, vol. 117, p. 188, July 1963). The will of Joshua Blackwell of Sandwich, dated 15 July 1737, gives to his "daughter Jane Ellis" (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 5, p. 382).

Although he lived all his life in Sandwich, he also owned land as early as 1721 in Plymouth County, as we find that Sarah Bartlett, widow of Robert Bartlett, deceased, Thomas Bartlett (their son and administrator) and Joseph Silvester and his wife Hannah, all of Plymouth, sold for £6. a tract of land to "Malachi Ellis of Sandwich, husbandman" (Plymouth County deeds, vol. 15, p. 220). The Rev. Benjamin Fessenden, in his 1730 list of Sandwich Heads of Families, has No. 59. Malachi Ellis. This seems curious since we find no record that either Malachi Ellis or his wife Jane were members of the Sandwich church, and, except for the son Ephraim, none of their children became members-though the daughters-in-law all did so. Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that Jane (Blackwell) Ellis had been baptized in the church as a child of seven, with her siblings, in 1700. We wonder whether this family may have attended the Anglican service conducted under the Rev. Mr. Wooster, as we note that the daughter-in-law, Joanna (Tupper) Ellis was re-admitted to the Sandwich First Church, with others, alter having been in communion with the Wooster group.

The will, dated 13 Nov. 1744, of his father gives all real estate to his son Malachi Ellis and names him co-executor. By the date of the accounting, 7 Nov. 1749, his mother, the co-executor, was dead and his share in the estate was a substantial one, amounting to more than £3000. In October and Novem-ber of that year his brother, his sisters and their husbands had given him receipts for their portions.

In 1750 he deposed that he was in his 62nd year (THE REGIS-TER, vol. 117, p. 191, July 1963). The will, dated 2 Sept. 1750, of his sister, Mercy (Ellis) (Dotey) (Barnes) (Wilson) Morton, widow of Timothy Morton, names her beloved brother Malachi Ellis. A deed, dated 7 July 1758, acknowledged in Barnstable 28 Match 1759 and recorded 17 April 1761, shows that "Malachi Ellis of Sandwich, yeoman" purchased for £4. from Josiah Swift and John Swift, also of Sandwich, a one-quarter part of a tract of land in Plymouth which had by deed of 21 March 1696/7 been conveyed by Jonathan Morey to Jireh Swift and John Gibbs (PLCD, vol. 46, p. 231-2).

The will, dated 31 March 1762 and proved 12 March 1765, of "Malachi Ellis of Sandwich, ... husbandman, ... being advanced in years" gives "unto my eldest son Ephraim Ellis, a piece of land lying Northerly of the country road adjoining ... land of Micah Blackwell, by the lane from my dwelling house, together with my dwelling house and all my buildings ... also a lott of land out in the division called the Woodlotts, by the 155th Lott, lying ... by land of Seth Fish's heirs ... and also part of my 20-Acre Lott lying Easterly of the land of Rev. Eldad Tupper's heirs ... and adjoining Ephraim Ellis his own land which he bought of Matthias Ellis ... and also my salt meadows at the Beach which he hath improved for several years, malting hay there at my usual place and making hay at Plymouth Neck so-called (all being in sd Sandwich). To my son John Ellis, his heirs ... etc. £14. 13s. 8d. to be paid by my sons Rowland & Joshua Ellis, equally between them ... to my two sons, John Ellis and Samuell Ellis all my wearing apparrell to be divided equally between them, I give ... unto my son Samuel Ellis, his heirs, etc. £1. 6s. 8d. to be paid by my sons Rowland Ellis and Joshua Ellis, equally between them. The reason I give Samuell no more ... is that I have heretofore given him £53. 6s. 8d. in money and also sundry household goods and quick stock which I esteem to be his part of my Estate ... to my son Matthias Ellis, all my land in the Township of Plymouth, excepting only my Cedar swamp, that is the land I hereby give Matthias ... is all the land I bought of Josiah and John Swift. I also give him one of my feather beds, viz.: that which hath the white ticking, and two coverlets, two blankets, two sheets, two bolsters, an underbed, a beadstead and cord [and] ... ratify and confirm to him all that I have heretofore lent or given him ... to my son Rowland Ellis my gun & tramel & tongs which he now improves, also one halfe my worsted combs, weaving looms and tackling ... to my son Joshua Ellis my other gun and all my accoutrements ... one trammel & a pair of tongs & a fire shovel, one iron pott with a bail ... to my daughter Jane Tupper and her heirs all the residue of my household goods and iron works ... to my two sons, Rowland Ellis and Joshua Ellis, my dwelling house and barn and all my buildings and my home place and all my lands and other Real Estate belonging to me in Sandwich and Plymouth which I have not in this my last Will and Testament otherwise disposed; all my quick stock, books, cash and credits ... and I do make my sd son Rowland Ellis ... sole Executor." Witnesses: Eleazer Blackwell, Micah Blackwell, [the Rev.] Abraham Williams (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 13, p. 85-7). The inventory, dated 15 March 1765, shows real estate £889. 10s. Total estate; £975. 10s. 3d. (ibid., p. 119).
[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, 31 Mar 1762, Sandwich, Barnstable, MA. ^37,65

• Alt. Death, 1763. ²⁹

Malachi married Jane Blackwell, daughter of Joshua Blackwell and Mercy Fish, on 3 Jan 1715/16 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^5,37.^,65 (Jane Blackwell was born on 30 Jul 1693 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^{5,16,29,37,65,125} and died before 21 Mar 1762 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^{5,16,29,37,65,125}.)