John Ellis (1674 – July 1735) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

priest and

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

Life

Ellis was the second son of Thomas Ellis, from Llandegwning, Llŷn. He was educated at

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

there on 31 March 1690 aged 16. He obtained his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1693 and his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in 1696. He was also appointed as a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of Jesus College in 1696, holding this position until 1713. In 1703, he obtained the degree of

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

. He was ordained

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

on 7 September 1707, with his ordination to the priesthood taking place on 4 July 1708. He was then appointed rector of

Llandwrog Llandwrog (; Welsh language: meaning 'The church of Saint Twrog') is a village and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, most notable for the presence of the headquarters of Welsh record label Sain and the site of Caernarfon Airport. It has ...

on 30 September 1710; in the same year, he was made a Canon of

Bangor Cathedral Bangor Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor) is a cathedral in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol. The site of the present building of Bangor Cathedral has been in use as a place of Christian worship since ...

. In 1713, he was made

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd is a village and community in Denbighshire, Wales, situated in the Vale of Clwyd about one mile south of the town of Ruthin. By the 2001 census, it had 1048 residents and 50.6% of them could speak Welsh. The figures for t ...

and surrendered his position at Bangor Cathedral. On 24 July 1719, he became rector of

Llanbedr-y-cennin Llanbedr-y-Cennin is a small village in Conwy county borough, Wales, in the community of Caerhun. It lies in the foothills on the western side of the Conwy valley, in Wales. The river Conwy runs through the valley, running into the sea to the no ...

and vicar of

Caerhun Caerhun ( cy, Caerhûn) is a scattered rural community, and former civil parish, on the west bank of the River Conwy. It lies to the south of Henryd and the north of Dolgarrog, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and includes several small villages ...

. His wife, Catherine (whom he married on 13 May 1720), was the

step-sister Step-siblings are children born of two different families who have been joined by marriage, A male step-sibling is a stepbrother and a female is a stepsister. The step-siblings relationship is connected through law and is not a blood relation. ...

Humphrey Humphreys Humphrey Humphreys (24 November 1648 – 20 November 1712) was successively Bishop of Bangor (1689–1701) and Bishop of Hereford (1701–1712). Life Born 24 November 1648 in Hendre, Penrhyndeudraeth, the eldest son of Richard Humphreys and M ...

, Bishop of Bangor from 1689 to 1701. Only one of their children survived infancy, also called John, becoming vicar of Bangor. Ellis had a particular interest in antiquarian matters and assisted with Browne Willis's work ''A Survey of the Cathedral Church of Bangor'' in 1721, as Willis acknowledged. Ellis himself died at Llanbedr-y-cennin in July 1735 and was buried in the parish on 12 July 1735.

References

1674 births 1735 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford 18th-century Welsh Anglican priests Welsh antiquarians People from Botwnnog {{Christian-clergy-stub