Manoah Ellis

  General Notes:

MANOAH3 ELLIS (Manoah,2 Lt. John1), born about 1682, died after 2 Dec. 1726.

He married 22 Nov. 1710 ELIZABETH ATKINS, born perhaps about 1685, died before 2 Dec. 1726, daughter of Isaac and Mercy Atkins.

We think that the following item refers to him, because we believe his father died before 1703:

"In the case of the Town of Harwich & the Village of Manamoit within the County of Barnstable ... whereas the persons named in the petition of Harwich, vizt.: Gershom Hall, Benjamin Hall, Samuel Hall, Munoa Ellis, Joseph. Seference & Samuell Nicholson, being petitioners, with others in the obtaining a grant of the sd Town of Harwich and there being a Learned Orthodox Minister settled there ... ordered that the six families do pay all past charges to the town of Harwich ... until there be a learned Orthodox minister settled in Manamoit ... while this Court takes further order" (Acts & Resolves, vol. 81, p. 729).

We believe if the father had then been living he would have been called Manoah Ellis Senr. We have one or two glimpses at this family group thanks to the preservation of fragmentary records in the Superior Court in Boston:

"A deed dated 1 Oct. 1719 ... Know ye that I, John Gray of Harwich, yeoman, in consideration of the sum of £12. ... paid by Manoah Ellis of Harwich, ... husbandman ... [convey Harwich land] ... sett out to Thomas Clarke att first ... called Quason's purchase." Signed John Gray. Witnesses: Edward Bangs, Jr., Nathaniell ffreeman, Junr. (recorded 19 Jan. 1720/1-Docket #16360-Court House Annex, Boston).
Although the Superior Court records do not make this clear, it would seem reasonably certain that the above deed was filed in Boston in connection with the following controversy which evidently was carried to the higher court:

"Harwich, 18 Jan. 1725/6-Ephraim Covell of full age testifieth that some time last Spring, before Aprill Court, Samuell Ellis came to me & told me that he was arested by Beriah Brodbrooks for putting up fence upon the land where he lived and he hired me to go with him down to John Gray to see whether he would stand for him against the action that was brought against him ... accordingly I came with him and asked Gray whether he would vindicate sd Ellis. He sd he would doe Ellis all the kindness; that he had neglected setting things with his brother Clarke as he should have done for he said he had sold the land to Manoah & he had paid him for it ... I asked him to go up to his brother Clarke's ... and when he came there, there was Lieft. Clarke & Beriah Brodbrooks there. John Gray told Clarke that Ellis was arrested and asked if he had sold Brodbrooks. Lieft. Clarke sd that he would not doe so for £200. for he never owned but one halfe of the lot ... he sd he would make good ... further the deponent adds that the land that Manoah Ellis his house stands upon is comprehended within ye bounds of William Chase his deed according to the best of my judgment (and that the sd Ellis hath lived on sd land about 13 years)" (Records of the Superior Court of Judicature- Docket 19003).

"Samuell Nickerson of Full Age testifieth that being desired to go from home some time in ye year 1718 to see Mr. John Gray & Beriah Broadbrooks, both of Harwich. ... to sett ye bounds betwixt sd Broadbrooks and Manoah Ellis ... I very well remember that sd Gray and Broadhrooks did settle ye bounds between [them] ... the deponent being a near neighbor of sd Ellis ... knows that [Ellis] had possession 13 or 14 years" (ibid.).

"The testimony of Samuell Atkins of full age ... that he for some time before the lands in the South part of Harwich was laid out into lots, where Beriah Broadbrooks now lives ... that is, the land now in controversy between sd Broadbrooks and Manoah Ellis ... and that the said Manoa Ellis and his family lived in my father Issac Atkins his house about one mile and one halfe distant from the lot where sd Broadbrooks lives ... 19 Jan. 1725/6 (ibid., Docket 19299).

The foregoing deed and depositions afford us some insight, if fragmentary, into the situation of the family of Manoah3 Ellis. We know that he lived for a time at least in the family of Isaac Atkins. James W. Hawes in his genealogy of the Atkins family (Library of Cape Cod Genealogy #99) identifies the above Elizabeth Atkins as a daughter of Isaac and Mary Atkins of Eastham and Harwich. He quotes Paine (op. cit.) as stating that Elizabeth's sister, Mercy Atkins, married Cornelius3 Ellis (see below).

Upon consulting the probate records we found that the will of "Isaac Atkins of Harwich, ... yeoman," dated 2 Dec. 1726 and proved 30 July 1729, is most helpful: "After my decease and my wife Mercy's decease, I give and bequeath to my well beloved daughter Mercy Ellis and to Joshua Ellis, Elizabeth Ellis, Mercy Ellis, James Ellis, Hannah Ellis, the sons and daughters of Manoah Ellis of Harwich and to Beriah Broadbrooks of Harwich, all that my moveable Estate that is left at our decease, to be equally divided between them. The true intent and meaning is that Joshua Ellia, Elizabeth Ellis, Mercy Ellis, Mercy Ellis, James Ellis and Hannah Ellis, the sons and daughters of Menoah Ellis abovesaid shall all of them have one share and I further order that my son Samuel Atkins be sole executor." Witnesses: William Gray, Judith Lewis, Deborah Gray (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 4, p. 514).

Manoah3 Ellis was not listed among the householders in the Sixth School District in 1726, though Cornelius Ellis, Samuel Ellis, Beriah Broadbrooks and Isaac Atkins are named, and we presume that Manoah and his motherless children were then living in the Atkins household.
[Lt. John & Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis of Sandwich, Mass by Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson, of Duxbury, Mass & Maclean W. McLean, of Pittsburg, PA]

Manoah married Elizabeth Atkins, daughter of Isaac Atkins and Mercy [Unknown], on 22 Nov 1710 ⁵.^,65 (Elizabeth Atkins was born about 1685 ^5,65 and died before 2 Dec 1726 ⁶⁵.)