Sir John Whittaker Ellis, 1st Baronet (25 January 1829 – 20 September 1912) was

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

for 1881–82, in which year he was made a baronet. Two years later he was elected and re-elected

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for eight years, not seeking further re-election. A very prosperous banking executive, estate agent and auctioneer among his legacies was a fire station at

Byfleet Byfleet is a village in Surrey, England. It is located in the far east of the borough of Woking, around east of West Byfleet, from which it is separated by the M25 motorway and the Wey Navigation. The village is of medieval origin. Its winding ...

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; he sat on the boards of various hospitals and his wife was also engaged in charities.

Biography

Born in 1829, Ellis was the fifth son of Joseph Ellis, owner of the Star and Garter Hotel in Petersham,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, Surrey (now London) from 1830 to 1847. Alderman Ellis

He set up his family in

, living for many years at Petersham House/Place (built in High Road 1859, its surviving front block is 15 High Road, used as

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and a risk consultancy). After a fire there, Ellis organised Byfleet's first fire brigade. He equipped three of his market/domestic gardeners – the Place had attached 17 acres – with three lengths of hose and an obsolete manual pump, put on wheels, kept in a potting shed. He was a banking executive, auctioneer and estate agent, as well as holding local government posts including alderman of Broad Street Ward, 1872–1909,

Sheriff of London Two sheriffs are elected annually for the City of London by the Liverymen of the City livery company, livery companies. Today's sheriffs have only nominal duties, but the historical officeholders had important judicial responsibilities. They have ...

and Middlesex, 1874–75,

, 1881–82, and mayor of Richmond, 1890–91. He was also a magistrate (Justice of the Peace); Governor of the Irish Society, 1882–94, governor of various hospitals and High Sheriff of Surrey, 1899–1900. He was elected for one of the two

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for Mid Surrey at a

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in 1884. When that area was abolished he was nominated for and won the 1885 general election and that of the next year for the inceptive

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seat which took in Richmond but retired in 1892. Hansard records 20 contributions of his, making some each year to 1891 inclusive. On 6 June 1882 he was made a

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, of Byfleet in the County of Surrey, and of

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, Mayfair, in the County of Middlesex, a title which became extinct on his death. He later became the Borough of Richmond's first Mayor, and purchased the site for Richmond's first town hall. In 1899 he was appointed

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for the year. He remarried in 1903, to Marian Bailey. He was appointed Director of Alliance Bank, 1880, then its Chairman, 1883–86; and served years as Chairman of Emanuel Hospital to 1909.

Death and legacy

Richmond Old Town Hall, John Whittaker Ellis

Ellis died without offspring on 20 September 1912 and is buried in St Peter's churchyard, Petersham. His wife shares a large stone monument above their grave; in the related church he has a plaque in the north chancel. In 1885, he funded Byfleet Fire Station which would house a volunteer fire brigade. Initially the (civil) parish managed this, renting its building and an engine from Ellis. The building was used until 1963, latterly as part of the Surrey Fire Brigade. The building is little changed and became a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in 2008. 15 High Road, his former front block of the family home, is locally listed, under category "AH", architectural merit. In 1895 a bust of Ellis was unveiled in Richmond Town Hall by

Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge (27 November 1833 – 27 October 1897), later Duchess of Teck, was a member of the British royal family. She was one of the first royals to patronise a wide range of charities. Mary Ade ...

; this is still displayed in the staircase alcove. He is further commemorated by Whittaker Avenue, Richmond. His probate was resworn in 1912, leaving assets of

Lady Ellis

John Whittaker Ellis married, in 1859, Mary Anne Staples, daughter of John Staples. The first Lady Ellis was a prominent Mayoress both in London and in Richmond, and was identified with many charities in the then greater forms of

(reduced to reflect expansion of

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itself in her lifetime and further in 1965). She was president of the Ladies´ Committee of the Royal Cambridge Asylum for 70 military widows (

East Molesey Molesey is a district of two twin towns, East Molesey and West Molesey, in the Borough of Elmbridge, Surrey, England, and is situated on the south bank of the River Thames. East and West Molesey share a high street, and there is a second retail ...

), and on the death of

Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge (27 November 1833 – 27 October 1897), later Duchess of Teck, was a member of the British royal family. She was one of the first royals to patronise a wide range of charities. Mary Ade ...

in 1897 was appointed to succeed her as county president of the Surrey Needlework Guild. She was also one of the presidents of the

Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, is a UK charity that provides lifelong support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dependents. Anyo ...

and took a prominent part in the establishment of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She died at Buccleuch House,

Richmond, Surrey Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...

, on 18 December 1901.

Publications

He circulated pamphlets entitled or concerning: "The Land Question, Government of Ireland etc."

References

Sources

* Byfleet Heritage Society archives * Stevens, Leonard R (2001, 2nd edition reprint by the Byfleet Heritage Society) ‘Byfleet – A Village of England’ (The Byfleet Heritage Society, Byfleet, Surrey). * Wakeford, Iain (1983) ‘Bygone Woking’ (Phillimore & Co Ltd, Chichester, ). * Wakeford, Iain (2000) ‘Byfleet – A Heritage Walks Guide’ (AK, HR & DA Wakeford, Old Woking, Surrey) * *
Byfleet Heritage Society website

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, John 1829 births 1912 deaths 19th-century English politicians 19th-century lord mayors of London Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Burials at St Peter's, Petersham Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies High Sheriffs of Surrey Richmond, London Sheriffs of the City of London UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892