Philip Constable Ellis (1822 – 10 May 1900) 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 ...

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition and one of the earliest Tractarians in north Wales. Ellis studied at

Beaumaris Grammar School Beaumaris ( ; cy, Biwmares ) is a town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town of Anglesey. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey from ...

and Jesus College, Oxford, where he matriculated at the age of 18 in 1840. He graduated in 1843 or 1844, coming under the influence of the Tractarian movement whilst at Oxford. He did much to promote Anglo-Catholicism after his ordination in 1846, refusing to deal with non-conformists, holding daily services and making changes to church ritual and furnishings. He was the

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

of Charles Williams at

Holyhead Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...

in 1847 and in 1850 became perpetual curate of Llanfaes and

Penmon Penmon is a promontory, village and ecclesiastical parish on the eastern tip of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, about east of the town of Beaumaris. It is in the community of Llangoed. The name comes from cy, pen (which can mean "head", "end" ...

, all on the island of Anglesey in north Wales. His final position was as rector of Llanfairfechan,

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

, from 1862 until his death in 1900. He refused three offers to become a Dean of a cathedral in Wales. His refusals to compromise his Anglo-Catholic principles led to conflict with

Christopher Bethell Christopher Bethell (21 April 1773 – 19 April 1859) was Bishop of Bangor. Bethell was the second son of the Reverend Richard Bethell, the rector of St Peter's Wallingford, Berkshire, who died 12 January 1806 having married his wife Ann in 177 ...

, the Bishop of Bangor (despite Bethell's own views), but Ellis had influential support within the diocese and Bethell did not pursue his attempts to discipline Ellis.

References

1822 births 1900 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford 19th-century Welsh Anglican priests Welsh Anglo-Catholics People from Anglesey Anglo-Catholic clergy Tractarians {{UK-Anglican-clergy-stub