Capt. Nathaniel Ellis

  General Notes:

CAPT. NATHANIEL5 ELLIS (Nathaniel,4 John,3 Lt. Mordecai,2 Lt. John1), born about 1731, baptized 18 July 1731 (Sandwich Church Records), died in Sandwich in March or April 1770 (gravestone, Old Sandwich Cemetery).

He married 23 March 1752 REMEMBER5 BOURNE (Sandwich Town Records), born about 1736, died after 16 April 1775 (gravestone, Old Sandwich Cemetery, reads "1775"), daughter of Nathan and Lydia (Jennings) Bourne of Hanover (THE REGISTER, vol. 118, p. 209-10, July 1964).

It is a curious co-incidence that the fathers of both this Nathaniel Ellis and his wife Remember Bourne died leaving two small children, of which in each case the other sibling died in childhood. Also, in each case, the paternal grandfather named in his will the surviving grandchild.

Nathaniel5 Ellis is named in the will, dated 3 July 1748, of his grandfather John3 Ellis. Remember Bourne became the ward, 31 Dec. 1750, of her uncle John4 Bourne (ibid., p. 210), The codicil of John3 Ellis's will, dated 9 Nov. 1757, gives an additional legacy to this Nathaniel5 Ellis. The will of Samuel Jennings of Sandwich, dated 28 May 1760, names his "grand daughter Remember Ellis" (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 13, p. 34-5). The will of Sarah4 Ellis, dated 12 Feb. 1761, gives "To my nephew Nathaniel Ellis, son of my brother Nathaniel Ellis, deceased," and names him her executor. The will of Nathan3 Bourne, dated 23 July 1761, names his "grand daughter Remember Ellis."
The will of Nathaniel5 Ellis of Sandwich, mariner, dated 9 March 1770, gives "To my beloved wife Remember [whom he makes his executrix], in lieu of dower, ... the one third part of all my personal estate, and after my debts and funeral charges are paid and after my wearing apparel and three guns are taken out in like manner, I give her the use and improvement of all my real estate (during widowhood). To my children the liberty of my dwelling house ... I do ... impower my executrix to spend £6. in further finishing my dwelling house,to be taken out of my personal estate. To my son Jonathan my wearing apparel & one gun. To my sons Samuel & John each one gun and do order that [they] be put to some suitable trade when they are of proper age. To my eldest son Jonathan Ellis two ninths of all my Real Estate after my wife's term and two-ninth's share of my personal estate & liberty to live in my dwelling house. To my two sons, Samuel & John and to my five daughters; Lydia, Rebecca, Mary, Eunice and Sarah, ... to be equally divided between them, all the residue of my Estate, to come into their possession when my wife's term is expended and also the residue of my personal Estate and liberty of living in my dwelling house." Witnesses: Samuel Tobey, Jr., Matthias Tobey and Abraham Williams. Proved by the executrix, Remember Ellis, 18 April 1770 (Barnstable County Probate, vol. 13, p. 517-18).

The widow, Remember Ellis, married secondly, 6 Sept. 1772, John Smith (Sandwich Town Records), by whom she had at least two children. When the elder of these, Remember Smith, was baptized, 17 Oct. 1773, the parents are shown as John and Remember Smith, and under date of 21 Nov. 1773 an entry shows: "John, Mary, Eunice & Sarah Ellis [children] of Nathaniel & Remember." (The clerk noted above the name Nathaniel the word "Ellis" and above the name Remember he inserted "Smith.")
[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:

• Occupation: mariner. ⁶⁵

• Will, 9 Mar 1770, Sandwich, Barnstable, MA. ⁶⁵

Nathaniel married Remember Bourne, daughter of Nathan Bourne and Lydia Jennings, on 23 Mar 1751/52 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^15,37,65.^,196 (Remember Bourne was born about 1736 in Scituate, Plymouth, MA ^15,65,196 and died after 16 Apr 1775 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ⁶⁵.)