ELLIS, Edward Dimick, journalist, b. in Niles, N. Y., 7 Oct., 1801 ; d. in Detroit, Mich., 18 May, 1848. He was an early immigrant to Michi- gan, and edited at Monroe the " Michigan Senti- nel." Pie was a member of the 1st Constitutional convention, and suggested that judicial fines should be set aside to support town libraries.
ELLIS, E. John, b. in Covington. La., 15 Oct.,
1811 ; d. in Washington, 25 April, 1889. He was
graduated at the University of Louisiana in 18G1,
joined the Confederate army as a private, and be-
came a captain of infantry. In 1863 he was taken
prisoner and confined at Johnson's island in Lake
Erie, whence he was not released till 1865. He
then returned to Louisiana, was admitted to the
bar in iscd;, and practised in New Orleans till 1874,
when he was elected to congress as a Democrat,
and re-elected in 1876, 1878, 1880, and 1882.
ELLIS, George Edward, clergyman, b. in
Boston, 8 Aug., 1814; d. there, 21 Dec., 1894. He was
graduated at Harvard and at the divinity-school,
and after two years' travel in Europe ordained, on
11 March, 1840, as pastor of the Harvard Unitarian
church, Charlestown, Mass. From 1857 till 1863
he was professor of systematic theology in
Harvard divinity-school. In 1864 he delivered before
the Lowell institute a course of lectures on the
“Evidences of Christianity,” in 1871 a course on
the “Provincial History of Massachusetts,” and
in 1879 a course on “The Red Man and the White
Man in North America” (1882). He resigned the
pastorate of Harvard church on 22 Feb., 1869. Mr.
Ellis was at one time sole editor of the “Christian
Register,” and afterward joint editor with Rev.
Geo. Putnam, D. D.; and subsequently conducted
the “Christian Examiner” for several years. He
had been vice-president of the Massachusetts
historical society, subsequently president, and was
a member of the board of overseers of Harvard in
1850-'4, serving for one year as its secretary.
Harvard gave him the degree of D. D. in 1857, and
that of LL. D. in 1883. Mr. Ellis is the fourth
person who has received both these degrees from
Harvard. He has published lives of “John
Mason” (1844), “Anne Hutchinson” (1845), and
“William Penn” (1847), in Spark's “American
Biography”; “Half Century of the Unitarian
Controversy” (Boston, 1857); “Memoir of Dr.
Luther V. Bell” (1863); “The Aims and
Purposes of the Founders of Massachusetts, and their
Treatment of Intruders and Dissentients” (1869);
“Memoir of Jared Sparks” (1869); “Life of
Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford,” in connection
with an edition of Rumford's complete works,
issued by the American academy of arts and
sciences (1871); “History of the Massachusetts
General Hospital” (1872); “History of the Battle
of Bunker Hill” (1875); an “Address on the
Centennial of the Evacuation by the British Army,
with an Account of the Siege of Boston” (1876);
“Memoir of Charles W. Upham” (1877); “Memoir
of Jacob Bigelow” (1880); “Memoir of Nathaniel
Thayer” (1885); and numerous sermons and
addresses. He also printed privately memoirs of
Charles Wentworth Upham and Edward Wigglesworth
(1877). Mr. Ellis wrote three historical
chapters for the “Memorial History of Boston”
(1880-1); “The Red Man and the White Man in
North America” (1882); an “Address on the 82d
Anniversary of the New York Historical Society”
(1886); “The Religious Element in New England”
and other chapters in the “Narrative and Critical
History of America” (1886); and several articles
for the ninth edition of the “Encyclopædia Britannica,”
and has contributed to periodicals. — His
brother, Rufus, clergyman, b. in Boston, Mass.,
14 Sept., 1819; d. in Liverpool, England, 23 Sept.,
1885, was graduated with honor at Harvard in
1838, and at the Cambridge theological seminary
in 1841. He preached at Northampton, Mass., then
became the first Unitarian pastor in Rochester,
N. Y., returned to Northampton in 1843, and from
1853 till his death he was pastor of the 1st church
in Boston. He was also lecturer in the Harvard
divinity-school in 1869 and 1871, and for several
years before his death was editor of the “Religious
Monthly Magazine.” Many of his discourses were
published, including a series of sermons commemorating
the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the 1st church, which were published in a volume
(Boston, 1880).
ELLIS, Henry, explorer, b. in England in 1721 ;
d. 21 Jan., 1806. He was educated to the law at the
Temple, London. In May, 1746, he went out as
agent of a company for the discovery of a north-
west passage. After extinguishing with difficulty
a fire in his ship, he sailed to Greenland, where he
exchanged commodities with the Esquimaux, 8
July, then proceeded to Fort Nelson, and wintered
in Hayes river. He renewed his efforts in June,
1747. without success, and returned to England,
where he arrived on 14 Oct. Ellis was rewarded
for his services by being made lieutenant-governor
of Georgia, 15 Aug., 1756. He arrived at Savan-
nah on 16 Feb., 1757, and on 17 May, 1758, was
made royal governor. His services to the colony
were great in securing the good-will of the Creeks
and in a wise and able administration, and he was
highly esteemed ; but the climate was injurious to
his health, and he left on 2 Nov., 1760. After his
return to England his knowledge of American
affairs were called into requisition for develop-
ing the plan for taxing the colonies, and in return
for this service he was rewarded with sinecure
offices. He was governor of Nova Scotia in 1761-'4.
He afterward resided in Italy, principally occu-
pied in scientific researches. He published " Voy-
age made to Hudson's Bay in 1746-'7, by the
' Dobbs Galley ' and ' The California,' to discover
a Northwest Passage," which contains important
facts and remarks relating to Hudson bay (1748) ;
" Considerations relating to the Northwest Pas-
sage" (London, 1750); and valuable papers on
" Dr. Plale's Ventilators " and the " Heat of the
Weather in Georgia " in the " Philosophical Trans-
actions " for 1751 and 1758.
ELLIS, John Millot, clergyman, b. in Keene,
N. H., 14 July, 1793; d. 6 Aug., 1855. He was
graduated at Dartmouth in 1822, and at Andover
theological seminary in 1825. He then removed
to Illinois, and was pastor at Kaskaskia and Jack-
sonville, where he established a female seminary.
Subsequently he became secretai-y of the Indiana
education society, and was instrumental in found-
ing Wabash college at Crawfordsville, and Marshall
college, Mich. He was settled as pastor at East
Hanover, N. H., in 1840, and in 1844 entered the
service of the Society for promoting collegiate and
theological education at the west.
ELLIS, John Willis, governor of North Carolina, b. in Rowan county, N. C, 25 Nov., 1820 ; d. in Raleigh, N. C, in 1861. He was graduated at the University of North Carolina in 1841, was admitted to the bar in 1842, and soon acquired
a large practice. He was a member of the state house of commons from 1844 till 1848, when he was elected a judge of the superior court of North Carolina. This office, in which he succeeded his former preceptor. Judge R. M. Pearson,
who was elevated to the supreme bench, he held
