Robert Ellyson

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Robert Ellyson (c.1615/20– 1671) was a politician and physician in the Province of Maryland and Colony of Virginia, respectively.

He appears in the Maryland records as early as 1642. After holding the office of sheriff of Saint Mary's County there, he emigrated to Virginia. There, he became high sheriff of James City County and the sergeant-at-arms of the House of Burgesses between 1657 and 1658 and a leading burgess with various ranks in 1656, 1659-60, 1660-61, 1663. Many records can be found of Ellyson managing matters regarding merchants, and he was an official for the Committee on the Levy.[1]

Life[]

Robert Ellyson was possibly born between 1615 and 1620 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, although this range of dates and this location have not been confirmed. His parentage is also unknown.[2][3]

The year in which Ellyson arrived in the American colonies is unknown, although it was likely in the early 1640s, when he first appeared in the levy of Saint Mary’s Hundred in Maryland on August 2, 1642 for accessing thirty pounds of tobacco. In September of that year, the records denote his presence in Kent County, where he may have been a landowner in addition to his holdings in Saint Mary’s County. Identified as a “barber-chirurgeon” in January 1643, he served patients on Kent Island, practicing as a physician to the locals. He encountered difficulties with several of his patients who had failed to present him with payment for his medical service. He demanded that the patients indebted to him pay their due amounts. While he claimed the possession of more minor quantities of tobacco from many residents, such as the 250 pounds of tobacco from Henry Brooks and the 190 pounds from John Dandy, he ordered that some of his patients pay him in greater amounts, like the 1,156 pounds of tobacco he requested from Sir Edmond Ployden.[2]

In addition to his medical practice, Ellyson engaged in local politics as the sheriff of St. Mary’s County, entering into that role in January 1643. During his brief tenure, he was among those who investigated the case of treason of Richard Ingle, who later spearheaded a rebellion against Lord Baltimore, Maryland’s Catholic governor. His post as sheriff lasted until February 9, 1643. His final mention in Maryland records was in February 1644.[2][4]

By 1646, Ellyson had established himself in York County, Virginia, being listed there as a lawyer. He was involved in the settling of several estates, claiming 1,030 pounds from the property of Robert Jackson. Sources indicate that he resided in James City and Gloucester Counties during the 1650s, and that he was an active participant in all localities in which he was present. In James City County, the General Assembly elected him to serve as a burgess for the 1655/56 session. Serving as a justice for that county in 1657, he was reelected as a burgess in 1663, and even became the high sheriff at this time. Gloucester County elected him as a burgess in 1656. In addition to these roles, he entered into the position of sergeant-at-arms, being appointed to a committee tasked with examining burgesses who had reclaimed their post in the General Assembly. Along with Walter Chiles, he was one of the selected few appointed to a committee of the Council and Assembly in 1660 to draft plans for the third state house at Jamestown. In order to solve the boundary dispute that had arisen with Maryland, he accompanied Edmund Scarborough, the Surveyor General of Virginia, to Manakin to consult with commissioners to reach a conclusion.[3][5]

In 1657, Ellyson obtained land in New Kent County and on the narrows of the York River by patent, and he increased his landholdings when he acquired 200 acres in James City County on Burchen Swamp. His additional property included land on Ware Creek, which he owned in the 1660s.[4]

Ellyson’s exact date of death is unknown, although may have died in September 1671. Captain George Lydall was ordered by the General Court to pay a debt of 593 pounds of tobacco from the estate of Ellyson.[4]

Marriage and children[]

Sometime during the 1650s, Ellyson married Elizabeth (née unknown). Some have suggested that she was the daughter of Thomas Gerrard, a Catholic physician from Maryland, due to the first name of her eldest son, although this claim is not supported by documentation that points to a connection between the two families. Ellyson’s wife was present at the baptism of William Randolph, the son of Henry Randolph, in 1658.

They had two children, both of which survived into adulthood:

  • Gerrard Robert Ellyson (about 1658–unknown), married Anne Myhill.
  • Hannah Ellyson (about 1650–about 1728), married Captain Anthony Armistead on July 18, 1698.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner (1915). Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Vol. 1. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 229.
  2. ^ a b c Doliante, Sharon J. (1991). Maryland and Virginia Colonials. Genealogical Publishing Company. pp. 235–240.
  3. ^ a b "Robert Ellyson I, Burgess from James City County". Jamestowne Society. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Davis, Virginia Lee Hutchinson (1998). Tidewater Virginia Families. Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 382.
  5. ^ "House History". history.house.virginia.gov. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
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