ELLSWORTH





The surname Ellsworth is derived from that of a small village a few miles from Cambridge, England. The village is on a small stream once remarkable for its eels, hence the name of the village, place of eels. The name is spelled in various ways - Elswort, Elesworth, Elsworth, Ellesworth, and Aylesworth.
(I) John Ellsworth, said to have been a descendant of Sir John Ellsworth in the time of Edward III, resided in Cambridgeshire, England. This conjecture is derived from Mr. John Ellsworth, a respectable merchant of London early in the ninteenth century. The latter stated that it was a tradition in his family, which had long resided in Yorkshire, that a member of it had formerly removed to foreign parts; that he was a young man when he left and never returned. This young man is believed to have been Josias, son of John mentioned above.

(II) Sargeant Josias, son of John Ellsworth, ws born in 1629. He was in Connecticut as early as 1646. In 1654 he bought a house and lot in Windsor, south of the rivulet near the old mill, on what was afterwards known as the Gillet place. In 1655 he bought the property afterwards known as the Chief Justice Ellsworth place. He was a juror in 1664; admitted a freeman May 21, 1657. His wife was admitted to the church in Windsor about 1663, and he contributed three shillings to the Connecticut relief fund for the poor of other colonies.
He died August 20, 1689, leaving an estate valued at 655 pounds. He married, Nov. 16, 1654, Elizabeth Holcomb, who died Sept. 18, 1712. Children: 1. Josiah, born Dec. 5, 1655. 2. Elizabeth, Nov. 11, 1657. 3. Mary, May 7, 1660. 4. Martha, Dec. 7, 1662. 5. Sergeant Thomas, Sept. 2, 1665. 6. Jonathan, June 28, 1669, mentioned below. 7. Lieutentant John, April 13, 1674. 9. Benjamin, Jan. 16, 1676; died April 14, 1690.

(III) Captain Jonathan, son of Sergeant Josias Ellsworth, was born in Windsor, June 28, 1669, according to the family record. He resided in Windsor, where he kept a tavern and a small store of West India goods, and was engaged in many small business ventures. He was a man of sterling good sense, but was of such wit and humor that he went by the name of "Doctor Ellsworth." he was tall and strong. His death was caused b his being thrown from a horse, Sept. 13, 1749, when eighty-one years old.
He married, Oct. 26, 1693, Sarah Grant, born Sept. 19, 1675; died Nov. 9, 1755, daughter of Tahan Grant. Children: 1. Jonathan, born March 11, 1695-6. 2. Sarah, Jan. 8, 1698-9. 3. John, 1701. 4. Giles, Aug. 6, 1703. 5. Mary, March 1, 1706-07. 6. Esther, March 9, 1708-09. 7. David, Aug. 2, 1709. 8. Hannah, Sept. 10, 1713. 9. Jonathan, Aug. 22, 1716, mentioned below. 10. Ann, August 12, 1719.

(IV) Jonathan (2), son of Jonathan (1) Ellsworth, was born Aug. 22, 1715, at Windsor, and died there April 1, 1775. He married Sarah Allyn, who died Jan. 25, 1707. [transcriber's note: couldn't have died in 1707.] Another account gives her name as Abigail, daughter of Jonathan Allen, a merchant of Scotland. (See Stiles' Windsor history.) Children, born at Windsor: 1. Sarah, born Sept. 16, 1739. 2. Jonathan, born May 28, 1742. 3. Alexander, born June 9, 1747.

(V) Jonathan (3), son of Jonathan (2) Ellsworth, was born at Windsor, May 28, 1742, baptized May 29, 1743. He was a soldier in the revolution, a corporal in Captain John Skinner's company, Major Sheldon's light horse regiment, in the retreat with Washington through New Jersey in 1676.
He married (first) Jerusha _____; (Abigail, who died Jan. 25, 1801, aged seventy-nine years, was wife of Jonathan, evidently of an older Jonathan, however). Jerusha died, aged sixty, May 8, 1804. Children, born at Windsor: 1. Grove, mentioned below. 2. Hannah, July 11, 1767, married Samuel Stiles. 3. Jerusha, March 6, 1770, married Ethan Barker. 4. James, Nov. 14, 1772, married Ursula Phelps. 5. Jonathan, June 8, 1775. 6. Charles, Jan. 8, 1779. 7. Allen, Nov. 1, 1781. 8. Elizabeth, Aug. 15, 1784. 9. Abigal, April 1792.

(VI) Grove, son of Jonathan (3) Ellsworth, was born at Windsor, Feb. 23, 1765, died March 10, 1805. He married Sarah Pinney. Children, born probably at Windsor, given thus in the Windsor history: 1. Grove, Feb. 15, 1784, mentioned below. 2. Sally, April 14, 1790. 3. Ann, Oct. 21, 1798, married Quartas Searl of Lowville, Lewis county, New York.

(VII) Rev. Grove (2) Ellsworth, son of Grove (1) Ellsworth, was born at Windsor, Connecticut, Feb. 15, 1784. He was educated in the public schools and studied for the ministry. He was one of the pioneers in Lewis county, New York. The Windsor history mentions two wives; the family gives Sarah Parry as the name of the first wife, but no children are mentioned. He married, Dec. 14, 1809, at Windsor, Eunice Phelps, died Nov. 3, 1816. He married again, July 2, 1818, Anna Bailey. Eunice Phelps was a descendant of William and Mary (Dow) Phelps, who came from England in the ship "Mary and John," and settled at Dorchester, removing to Windsor with the pioneers in 1636.
Children of Rev. Grove and Eunice: 1. Rev. John Phelps, born Oct. 27, 1810, at Windsor. 2. Elizabeth brown (Bailey?), Nov. 9, 1813; married Jonathan Lanpher (See Lanpher).
Children of Rev. Grove and Anna (Bailey): 3. Rev. Caleb Bailey, born July 22, 1819; married Nov. 8, 1849, Angelina Maria Foote; resided at Maspeth, Queens county, New York. 4, Loren Leonard, Feb. 2, 1822.

Back to
INDEX OF NAMES