Deborah ELLIS

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of John Ellis and Elizabeth Freeman

Deborah married Joseph DOTY about 1674. Joseph (son of Edward DOTY and Faith CLARKE) was born on 30 Apr 1651 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died between 03 May 1731 and 18 Sep 1734. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Theophilus DOTY was born on 22 Feb 1674 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts; died on 18 Jan 1746 in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
2. Ellis DOTY was born on 16 Apr 1677 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts; died in Mar 1728/9.
3. Elizabeth DOTY was born in 1680 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
4. Joseph DOTY was born on 31 Mar 1683 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died after 18 Jun 1749 in Sharon, Connecticut.
5. Deborah DOTY was born on 31 Mar 1685 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died on 13 Jan 1781 in Sharon, Connecticut.
6. John DOTY was born on 01 Mar 1688 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died after 1749.
7. Mercy DOTY was born on 12 Jan 1691 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
8. Faith DOTY was born on 18 Jan 1696 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died on 18 May 1770 in Plympton, Massachusetts.
9. Mary DOTY was born on 28 Jul 1699 in Rochester, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died after 11 Oct 1761 in South Amenia, New York.

Notes:

Name:
The first list of Sandwich settlers is dated 3 April 1637 (see "Annals of Sandwich," in Frederick Freeman, 'History of Cape Cod', 1858, Vol. 2, p. 15). No one of the Ellis name appears on it, but in the list of 1643 Jon Ellis' name is among those between the ages of 16 and 60 and able to bear arms. Therefore, we know that he was born not later than 1627 and it seems safe to assume that the date of his birth was not far from the year 1620.

The next mention of his name shows that he was in rouble. At the court held on 20 Aug. 1644 he was accused of fornication, and the record shows that "A warrant was set forth to bring in the bodies of Jonathan ffish & Mary his wife; Nathaniell ffish; Jane, the wife of William Wood; Rose the wife of Joseph Holly; the wife of Richard Kerby; the wife of Michael Turner & Joanna Swyft, widdow, to give evidence in John Ellis and his wife's case." (Nathaniel B. Surtleff ed., 'Records of the colony of New Plymouth', vol. 2, pg. 75. 4 June 1645 "John Ellis of Sandwich...and his now wife...is censured to be whipt at publicke post and Elizabeth his wife to stand by whilst execucon of the sentence is pformed; which was accordingly done. And the said John Ellis for his long and tedious delayes occasioning much trouble and charge to the countrey, for that he would not confess the truth until the present, is fyned 5 li".

It has often been observed that neither the colony nor the ecclesiastical courts of the period were apt to view with favor the possibility of a premature birth. In this instance the stubborn refusal of Ellis to admit guilt may have been based on some other argument. The prominence of the Freeman family may have played a part in the case. It would be interesting to read a transcript of the testimony presented by the young couple and their neighbors.

Whatever may have been the merits of the case, it is clearly of interest genealogically speaking that the marriage almost certainly took place before 20 Aug. 1644 and that the first child by Elizabeth Freeman was born about that date. Yet the first recorded birth, that of "Benet Elles" (no parents listed), took place in 1648-1649.

John married Elizabeth FREEMAN about 1647. Elizabeth (daughter of Edmond FREEMAN and Bennett HODSOLL) was christened on 11 Apr 1624 in Parish of Billingshurst, co. Sussex, England; died after 24 June 1692. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
Elizabeth (Freeman) Ellis was baptized in the parish of Billingshurst, co. Sussex, England, 11 April 1624, the fourth of the six children of Edmond and Bennet (Hodsoll) Freeman. She died probably in Rochester after 24 June 1692 - we suspect that the actual date of her death may have been not long before 20 April 1714, when her son William Ellis recorded a number of deeds bearing various dates, which suggests the probability that they were recorded in connection with the settlement of his mother's estate. She evidently died intestate, having already distributed her property among her children. There is no probate of her estate.

She must have possessed great strength of character as well as a good physical constitution. At the time of her husband's death she was fifty-three years old. Her three daughters and probably the eldest son Mordecai were then already married, as we believe. The five surviving unmarried sons ranged in age from about twelve to twenty. Perhaps all but the youngest were apprenticed and did not live at home. It may well be that she went to keep house for her father since her stepmother had died in the previous year. In any case, with the help of her eldest son, she promptly assumed responsibility for the administration of her late stepson's (?) estate.