Patrick Henry ELLIS was born in Dublin, Ireland abt 1775. He married Margaretha Magdalena JOUBERT on 14 Aug 1803 and died on 7 Aug 1850 . Family lore has it that Patrick and two brothers came to South Africa, but that the brothers "went back" - presumably to Ireland.

Unconfirmed records show:

Patric (now without the K?) Henry ELLIS is the eldest son of John Christiaan (Christian?) ELLIS and Joan Mary ELLIS (nee?). He was born in 1775 in Dublin, province of Leinster, Ireland. At age 16, in 1791, he joined the Norwegian Navy (don"t know if it was merchant or military) as a "student" sailor (in Afrikaans a "leerling matroos" ). His trade is given as blacksmith. With the British occupation of the Cape in 1795 he is in service of the occupation forces as blacksmith. In 1800 when the occupation forces withdrew he attained Cape citizenship. On 14 Aug 1803 he married in Drakenstein, Margaretha Magdalena JOUBERT, daughter of Gideon Jacobus JOUBERT and Maria Elizabeth van Zyl. Gideon Jacobus was the elder brother of Maria JOUBERT who was married to Jan LOOTS, the progenitor of the LOOTS family. Patric Henry ELLIS is one of the first pioneers that trekked east. He settled at Knysna (that later became part of the Swellendam district) where he worked as blacksmith and wagon maker (wa-maker). His first three children were christened here.

Between 1812 and 1816 he moved to Worcester where he started a wagon making business. When business became less prosperous he went back to Knysna in 1817 where he started a "saagpunt". (I have no idea what this is. A direct translation could be a "wood point". This could be a selling point or a sawmill). It is also possible that he went to Knysna to sell wood (If so, where did he get it from. Knysna was the centre for wood at the time), but also to get wood for his wagon-making. (It seems that he moved between Worcester and Knysna as it also said that he was in Worcester in 1823 again to build wagons.

In his latter years he settled in Francisbaai (Francis Bay - could this be St Francis Bay?) close to present day Port Elizabeth. He died there on 11 August 1850 at 75 years of age. He had 7 sons and one daughter.

Queries: His death notice gives his place of death as "Lange Berg" - I must confirm the relation between Lange Berg and Francis Bay. There is also reference of Louis Berg. His death notice is unclear.

Thanks to research by:
Adré Ellis adreellis@lantic.net

Webpage http://users.lantic.net/adreellis/

Additonal data:

Supplied by: Daniel Eduard ELLIS

Patrick Ellis' background remains a mystery.

I have gone through sensus records, hunting licences, Oaths of Allegience to the Batavian Republic, Arrival and Departure Notes established during the British Occupation without success.

The names John and Mary as Patick's parents are suspect. I spent time in Ireland and found no trace of them.

At the time the British arrived in 1795 there were only four towns apart from Cape Town, namely Paarl, Stellenbosch, Swellendam and Graaff-Reinet and a few settlements. In the case of Worcester the name Wamakersvallei or Wamakersvlei is used as if it is a farm but Wamakersvallei was the name for the entire valley region from Paarl to beyond Worcester and Wamakersvlei was the former name of Wellington.

That Patrick moved from place to place often cannnot be true. To move to St Francis Bay over 350 kilometers away? To reach it by ox wagon would have taken roughly six weeks or even longer and why will a man do this, a man who would ultimately have over a hundred grandchildren!

As far as names are concerned, their birth date were obtained mainly from official sources and to a large extent from Dutch Reformed Church records as well as Heese and Lombaard and Pama. This gives an excellent idea of approximate location.

My interest is in the descendants of Patick's fifth son Daniel Eduard.He had 21 children.
I knew my great Grandfather born in 1843, a grandson of Patrick Henry Ellis whom he knew well.

Jan Ellis;    ellislaw[@]lantic.net

Ek doen navorsing oor al sy nasate, help graag met inligting en verwelkom navrae.

Patrick Henry ELLIS (Els) * Noorwee volgens huweliksinskrywing en van Dublin Ierland volgens sterfkennis *c 1775 , grofsmid + 7.8.1850 (75) woonagtig te Touwsberg, Ladismith met oorlye x 13.8.1803 Margaretha Magdalena JOUBERT = Paarl 24.9.1788 [d.v. Gideon Jacobus Joubert = Paarl 30.11.1766 + 5.4.1819 en Maria Elisabeth van Zyl = 7.2.1768 d.v.Johannes van Zyl en Maria Magdalena de Jager] (Colenbrander,dr. H.T. “de Afkomst der Boeren “ Struik 1964 Tweede Uitgawe bls. 100 noem Patri Hendrik van Noorwegen x 14.8.1803 M.M. Joubert ) (Patri Hendrik Els van Noorwegen volgens Geslacht-Register van Oude Kaapsche Familien deur Christoffel Coetzee de Villiers bl 208)(Patrie Hendrik Els van Noorwegen, jongman x 13.8.1803 Margaretha Magdalena Joubert van Cabo de Goede Hoop-jongedochter volgens huweliksregister).

In die oudste beskikbare rekords word sy van as ELS geskryf, maar dit het mettertyd verander en vanaf ongeveer 1850 word hy en sy afstammelinge as ELLIS aangetoon. ‘n Moontlike verduideliking hiervoor kan wees dat die van “Els” reeds gevestigd en goed bekend was aan die Kaap toe Patrick Henry hier aangekom het en dat dit uit verwarring as Els geskryf is omdat dit soortgelyk op die oor val.

As grofsmit vestig Patrick Henry hom in Knysna en bedryf ‘n saagput aldaar. ‘n Saagput is ‘n metode wat gebruik is om groot houtstompe op te saag . ‘n Gat word onder die stomp gegrawe wat groot genoeg is vir ‘n man om in te staan en dan word die saagwerk met ‘n lang saag van bo en onder die stomp deur 2 man gedoen. Knysna het op daardie stadium binne die distrik van Swellendam geval en dus word die doopplek van sommige kinders aangegee as Swellendam.

Hy het later verhuis na Ladismith en het van ten minste 1822 op die plaas Anysberg gewoon saam met sy oudste seun volgens die sensusrekords van daardie tyd. Die meeste van sy afstammelinge het aanvanklik in die distrik van Ladismith gewoon maar mettertyd het hul versprei na Oudtshoorn, Laingsburg, Prins Albert, Beaufort Wes en verder.

Na sy troue met Margaretha Magdalena JOUBERT kom dit voor of die familie “verafrikaans” het aangesien sy kinders Afrikaanse name gekry het. So is sy oudste seun as Johannes Christiaan gedoop en nie as John Christian wat blykbaar sy vader se naam was nie. Tans is dit, algemeen gesien, waarskynlik dat Afrikaanssprekende Ellisse afstammelinge is van Patrick Henry en nie van verskeie ander Ellisse wat hul later in Suid Afrika gevestig het nie.