William Ellis 1784-1866

Stocking maker.  'William Ellis deposed that he was a framework knitter and lived at Sharnford.'

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Facts

Date   Event   Source
1784   William Ellis was probably born between 19 Jan and 29 Oct 1784, the second child of William Ellis and Mary Leatherland of Sapcote, Leicestershire. (They were married on Easter Sunday in 1782, and their first child, Elizabeth, was christened 9 months later.)   see 1784, 1791, 1851, 1861 and 1866, below
29 Oct 1784   He was christened at All Saints, Sapcote. As with Elizabeth, his older sister, the compiler of the parish register identified his parents as William and Sarah, rather than William and Mary. This assumed mis-writing may have been influenced by William's second marriage, to Sarah Wallace (see 1792, below).
[This theory depends on the William Ellis who married Sarah Salisbury of Packington at Ashby de la Zouch in 1780 being a different William Ellis. Evidence supporting this is (a) the Ashby marriage register says 'William Ellis of this parish', not 'of Sapcote', and (b) the signature in the Ashby register is different from William Ellis signatures that later appear in the Sapcote register.]		   Sapcote parish register
(1785-86   Another brother or sister may have been born, but there is nothing in the Sapcote register of baptisms.)   Speculative
1787-1788   His brother, Francis, was born.   See 25 Aug 1792, below
2 Mar 1788   His brother, Francis, was christened at All Saints, Sapcote.   Sapcote parish register
1788-1792   His mother died. The Sapcote burials fiche for 1789 is not readable, but she may have been buried in her home village, which is not known.   Assumed from 18 Sep 1792
25 Aug 1791

   A list of 'children for schooling' included 'Wm Ellis aged 7 and Francis Ellis aged 3', giving William a birth date between 25 Aug 1783 and 1784. (And Francis between 25 Aug 1787 and 1788.)
Curiously, when William came to get married in 1808, he left his mark in the wedding register - so possibly this was a 'Sunday school' and didn't include reading and writing. A Sunday school was established in Sapcote in 1792: 'A very sober and grave matron conducts her infant charge regularly to church every Sunday morning and afternoon, having first made them repeat the Catechism at her own house.' 		  Churchwarden's Account Book - All Saints, Sapcote;
Sapcote register of marriages;


Burrough, quoted by Nicholls, History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester
18 Sep 1792   His father re-married - or to be absolutely correct, the same William Ellis who married Mary Leatherland in 1782, now a widower, married Sarah Wallace, a spinster.   Sapcote register of marriages - the two William Ellis signatures in the marriage register are distinctive and the same.
1792-1793   His step-sister, Mary, was born.   Assumed
31 Mar 1793   Easter Sunday. His step-sister, Mary was christened in Sapcote.   Sapcote parish register
10 May 1801   His older sister, Elizabeth (Eliza), married Thomas Thacker, agricultural labourer of Sapcote. (The register says Thatcher.) Both bride and groom made their mark.   Sapcote parish register
7 Jul 1808   At the age of 23, he married Elizabeth Masters at All Saints' Church, Sapcote. She was a spinster, and older than the groom - about 30. He gave his occupation as framework knitter. Both made their mark in the register.   Sapcote parish register
16 Jul 1808   Nine days after the wedding, his first daughter, Mary, was christened at Sapcote. [Another point in favour of the Leatherland theory : if his mother's name was Mary, he was following the usual pattern in naming his first daughter after her.]   Sapcote parish register
18 Jul 1808   His daughter, Mary, was buried at All Saints, Sapcote. The register says 'infant', and she was presumably just a few days old.   Sapcote parish register
16 Oct 1808   His uncle, Francis Ellis the elder, married a widow, Amy Dawson (see 1834, below). The parish register entry shows that the man who married Mary Leatherland in 1782 signed as witness at this marriage. It is assumed that this man was the brother of Francis Ellis the elder and the father of the current William Ellis.   Sapcote parish register + speculation
19 Nov 1809   His second child, Mary Ann, was christened at Sapcote. [Note again that he was determined to have a daughter named Mary.]   Sapcote parish register
1809-1811   He moved the family to Sharnford, which is the next village, about a mile away.   Assumed from next
14 Feb 1811   His third child, Sarah, was christened at St Helens, Sharnford. (Sarah was his step-mother's name.)   Sharnford parish register
1811-1816   He may have had another son, Thomas.   Speculative
14 Jun 1814   His fourth recorded child, Hannah, was born at Sharnford.   Hinckley Methodist (HWMC) Register
11 Sep 1814   Hannah was christened by Methodists. (An Anglican christening at St Helen's Sharnford has not been located.)   Hinckley Methodist (HWMC) Register
3 Feb 1816   The christening took place of his nephew, William, illegitimate son of his step-sister, Mary, and Thomas Buckingham, shoemaker. (See 1843 below.)   Sapcote parish register
24 Jul 1816   His step-sister, Mary, married Thomas Buckingham at Sapcote. (Her son William retained the surname Ellis.)   Sapcote parish register
c 1 May 1818   His fifth and last child (first son), William, was born at Sharnford   Sharnford parish register (burials)
14 Jun 1819   His son, William, was buried aged 13½ months at Sharnford (on his sister Hannah's 5th birthday).   Sharnford parish register
7 May 1820   His wife, Elizabeth, was buried at Sharnford, aged 44. He was 35.   Sharnford parish register
16 Oct 1821   According to some researchers, he married Jemima Carter at Sharnford. (This claim is not anchored to any primary source and should be checked in the Sharnford parish register.)   Ancestry.co.uk
18 Jan 1825   His father was buried in Sapcote, aged 65.   Sapcote parish register
28 Feb 1830   His step-mother (Sarah Wallace) was buried at All Saints, Sapcote. (The register says 'Sarah Ellis, widow of William, age 80', giving her a birth date of about 1750.)   Sapcote parish register
25 Dec 1832   On Christmas Day, his daughter, Hannah, married John Thacker, a framework knitter of Sapcote, at St Helen's Church, Sharnford. The couple had ten children.   Sharnford parish register
12 Sep 1833   His first grandchild, Thomas Thacker, was christened at St Helens, Sharnford.   Sharnford parish register
3 Nov 1833   His grandchild, Thomas, was re-christened, by the Methodists.   Hinckley Methodist (HWMC) Register
26Jul1834   He appeared at Leicester Assizes against Richard Nichols, who was accused of stealing 2lb of wool from Ellis's bag.   Leicester Journal, 1 August, 1834
Leicester Chronicle, 2 August, 1834
22 Aug 1834   His aunt, Amy, wife of Francis the elder, was buried, aged about 80. The parish register has a marginal note - 'butted by a ram whilst gleaning'.   Sapcote parish register
7 Jun 1841   His occupation was recorded as a stocking maker. His second wife (whom he must have married between 1821 and 1841) was recorded as 'Jemima'.   Census
12 Feb 1843   A William Ellis (probably his nephew - see 1816 above) fought the Hinckley-born pugilist Nat Langham in Sapcote for £5 a side.*

'Ellis was much the heavier man and the older. [Langham was born in 1820.] The result of the bout has been disputed but it appears that Langham was the victor, cutting his opponent's "big round face to ribbons"...'

*'Fights were governed by few rules. They were considered a breach of the peace by policing authorities and consequently were held outside city limits so as to evade detection. The ring was usually 24 feet square with eight posts and two rope rails. Another ring surrounded this, being reserved for umpires, seconds and backers of the two fighters and for the more privileged of spectators...'

'Langham stood just under six feet and weighed 11 stones... Because of his weak constitution he developed a technique to counter his physical disadvantages... He stood with his legs wide apart with one foot quite a way in front of the other; his left arm was well out, his right close to his chest... The object of the fight was to render his opponent blind by placing blows on his forehead and eye area. Langham's knock-out blow would be a downward left-hook, the so-called "pick-axe" blow...'

  

Extracts from Life of a 19th Century Boxer in The Exiles - Company of Medieval Martial Artists http://www.the-exiles.org
30 Mar 1851   His age was recorded as 66, giving a birth date between 30 Mar 1784 and 1785. His occupation was framework knitter. His wife, Jemima, was recorded as 70, a charwoman coming originally from Earl Shilton.   Census
1853-58   His daughter, Hannah, and her family moved to the city of Leicester.   See Hannah Ellis
16 Feb 1854   His younger brother, Francis, was buried at All Saints, Sapcote, aged 63.   NBI
21 Jun 1856   A Mary Ellis, possibly his sister, was buried at All Saints, Sapcote, aged 68 (5 years out).   NBI
13 Jun 1858   His son-in-law, John Thacker, died of consumption aged 45.   Death certificate
22 May 1859   His daughter, Hannah, widow of John Thacker, married John Doore, a framework knitter, aged 50.   Parish register - St Margaret's, Leicester
7 Apr 1861   His age was recorded as 76, giving a birth date between 7 Apr 1784 and 1785.   Census
19 Jan 1866   He died, according to the certificate aged 81, 'suddenly from over-exertion' (giving a birth date between 19 Jan 1784 and 1785).   Death certificate
22 Jan 1866   He was buried at St Helen's Sharnford. (The register has his age as 82 - which is assumed to be a year out.)

   Sharnford parish register