Biography

Ellys was the eldest son of Sir William Ellys of Wyham and grandson of Sir Thomas Ellys, 1st Baronet (created 1660). His mother was Isabella, daughter of Richard Hampdon, chancellor of the exchequer, and granddaughter of John Hampden. Ellys, who was born about l688, was educated abroad, probably in Holland. His tutor regarded him as the equal in Greek scholarship of almost any professor, and he was also acquainted with Hebrew. Throughout his life he corresponded with continental scholars, by whom he was much esteemed (see Gronovius's dedication to Ellys of his edition of Ælian's 'Varia Historia,' and the Wetsteins' edition of Suicer's 'Thesaurus,' to which he had contributed the use of a manuscript of Suicer in his possession). He was especially intimate with Maittaire, who, in his 'Senilis,' addressed several pieces of Latin verse to him.

His learning took the direction of biblical criticism and bore fruit in his 'Fortuita Sacra; quibus subucitur Commentarius de Cymhelie' (Rotterdam, 1727), the first part of which consists of a critical commentary in Latin on doubtful passages in the Greek Testament, and the second of a curious treatise on cymbals, also in Latin. In 1727 Ellys was elected for the third and last time member of parliament for Boston, Lincolnshire, having been previously returned at a bye-election in 1719 and in 1722, and in the same year he succeeded his father (d. 6 Oct.) in the title and his estate of Nocton, Lincolnshire. (It is stated in Collins's Baronetage, vol. iii. pt. i. p, 89, apparently on the authority of Ellys himself, that he twice represented Grantham

Grantham (UK Parliament constituency)

Grantham was a Parliamentary constituency in Lincolnshire, England.The constituency was created in 1468 as a parliamentary borough which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until the union with Scotland, and then to the Parliament of Great Britain...

 in parliament, but it does not so appear from the official 'Returns,' though Sir William Ellys represented that borough from 1715 to 1724.) Ellys now devoted himself to antiquarian research and amassed at Nocton a fine library. On 24 June 1742 an account of this library and some curiosities lately added thereto formed the day's transactions of the Gentlemen's Society at Spalding

Spalding

-Places:Australia* Spalding, South Australia, a town north of the Clare Valley* Spalding, Western Australia, a suburb of GeraldtonCanada* Spalding, Saskatchewan, a village* Spalding No...

, of which Ellys had been elected a member on 12 March 1729. Ellys held strong religious opinions. He had been an Arminian, but was a decided Calvinist in 1730, and when living in London (Bolton Street, Piccadilly) he was a member of Calamy's congregation. and after Calamy's death of Bradbury's. He steadfastly befriended Thomas Boston

Thomas Boston

Thomas Boston was a Scottish church leader.He was born at Duns. His father, John Boston, and his mother, Alison Trotter, were both Covenanters. He was educated at Edinburgh, and licensed in 1697 by the presbytery of Chirnside...

, whose treatise on Hebrew accents, 'Tractatus Stigmato-logicus,' was dedicated to him. He maintained his family's traditional hospitality. His father had kept open house at Nocton for all comers, and every day twelve dishes were prepared whether or no any guests came to partake of them. Ellys allowed 800l. per annum to a steward for the maintenance of the same custom. Ellys was twice married: first to Eliiabeth, daughter and coheiress of Sir Edwin Hussey, bart.; and, secondly, to Susan, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Gould, who outlived him, and, re-marrying with Sir Francis Dashwood, died Lady Despencer on 19 Jan. 1769. By neither wife, however, did he have issue, and the disposition of his property excited much interest. Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, in his satire, 'Peter and my Lord Quidam,' says that the chief competitors for his inheritance were 'Horace,' that is Horatio Walpole, who wrote a Latin ode in Ellys's honour and gave him his portrait, and Hampden, that is Richard Hampden, who had married Ellys's sister. On the death of Ellys (21 February 1742) it was found that his estates were entailed on his second wife, and after her death or marriage on the families of Hobart and Trevor, in to whose possession they ultimately passed. His cousin, William Strode of Barnington, Somersetshire, was heir-at-law and contested the will in the court of chancery, but without effect. Ellys's splendid library was removed from Nocton to Blickling, Norfolk, then a seat of the Hobarts and now the property of the Marquis of Lothian.