Col. Abner Ellis (January 4, 1770 - December 14, 1844) represented

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest b ...

in the

Great and General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

for five years. Ellis was the son of Abner and Meletiah Ellis and was born on January 4, 1770. He was also

town clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a To ...

and selectman in 1780. In 1792–3, Ellis was teaching in one of the

Dedham Public Schools The Dedham Public School System (Dedham Public Schools) is a PK– 12 graded school district in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is the oldest public school system in the United States. History On January 2, 1643, the Town Meeting set aside land for ...

. He was a charter member of the

Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves is one of the "oldest continually existing horse thief apprehending organization in the United States, and one of Dedham, Massachusetts, Dedham's most venerable social organizations." Since its ...

. Ellis was married to Mary Gay by Thomas Thatcher on December 18, 1793. He died on December 14, 1844 and is buried in the

Old Village Cemetery The Old Village Cemetery is an historic cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts. History The first portion of the cemetery was set apart at the first recorded meeting of the settlers of Dedham on August 18, 1636, with land taken from Nicholas Phillips a ...

. Among Ellis's descendants was great-great-grandson

Charles G. Sawtelle Charles G. Sawtelle (May 10, 1834 – January 4, 1913) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of the American Indian Wars and American Civil War, he served from 1854 to 1897 and attained the rank of Brigadier general (United St ...

, who served as

Quartermaster General of the United States Army The Quartermaster General of the United States Army is a general officer who is responsible for the Quartermaster Corps, the Quartermaster branch of the U.S. Army. The Quartermaster General does not command Quartermaster units, but is primarily f ...

from 1896 to 1897.

References

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Abner Members of the Massachusetts General Court 1770 births 1844 deaths Dedham, Massachusetts selectmen Dedham Town Clerks Members of the colonial Massachusetts General Court from Dedham Burials at Old Village Cemetery Military personnel from Dedham, Massachusetts Educators from Dedham, Massachusetts