An Historical Narrative of the ELY, REVELL AND STACYE FAMILIES who were among the founders of Trenton and Burlington in the Province of West Jersey 1678-1683 with the genealogy of the Ely descendants in America COMPILED BY THE LATE REUBEN POWNALL ELY, OF LAMBERT­ VILLE, NEW JERSEY; BY WARREN SMEDLEY ELY OF DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, AND BY DANIEL BRITTAIN ELY, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO Fleming H. Revell Company LONDON AND EDINBURGH Copyright, 1910, by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY New York: 15B Fifth Avenue Chicago: 80 Wabash Avenue Toronto: 25 Richmond St., W. London : 21 Paternoster Square Edinburgh: 100 Princes Street ELY, REVELL AND STACYE FAMILIES DEDICATION On an ancient tomb in an English Parish Church is an Epitaph to one John Ely, Gentleman, to the effect that in all his life he was "no traytor to his tryst." In Mans­ field, England, in 1693, in the age of great religious pre­ judice, Elizabeth Heath, a member of the Society of Friends, from whose family the Elys' of New Jersey ap­ pear to be descendants, founded and endowed twelve houses for the poor, "six for members of the Society of Friends and six for those of the Established Church." These two incidents, one exemplifying loyalty and the other charity and tolerance are the messages from by­ gone days to the present and future generations of the family, to whom this volume is dedicated. 5 Till; ··T.\TI•: C.\l'lTOI. OF NEW JERSEY i\T THENTON PREFACE The noted historian Thomas Carlyle wrote that "of all things which man can do or make here below, by far the most momentous, wonderful and worthy are the things we call books,'' and it may be added that not the least worthy of these results of man's labor are the rec­ ords of Ancestry. To perpetuate the good deeds of those who have passed away; to know the parts they have taken in the Nation's history, the sacrifices they have made of life and treas­ ure in the building of the State; such may be fruitful lessons to the new generations, inspiring them to greater and nobler e:ff ort for the good of the commonwealth and teaching them to realize, as those do who have studied genealogy, that few families are always great and nearly all families are sometimes great; thus increasing the spirit of forbearance and broadening and strengthening the ties of kinship that should exist between both families and nations .• The late Reuben Pownall Ely, of Lambertville, New Jersey, had during the latter part of his life devoted a great amount of labor to the work of compiling the genealogy of the descendants of Joshua Ely, one of the founders of Trenton, in the Province of West Jersey. .At his death, in 1899, the manuscript was laid aside and carefully preserved by his daughters, with the hope that at some future date the results of their father's work might be transmitted to the many descendants. During a casual visit, in 1903, to that great repository of the World's knowledge, the .Astor Library of New York, I noticed in a book of English pedigrees refer­ ences to a family of Elys with the same christian names as are still common among the descendants of Joshua Ely of Trenton. This led to further search, and the interest in the work increased as each new fact was found which led to the 7 8 PREFACE. connection between the American branch and the family in England~ , Little by little over a period of several years the leaves of an interesting history were woven together, including records of the Revell and Stacye families, who were also among the founders of Trenton and closely related to the Elys. The plan was then formed for publishing this data in connection with that of the American family. The co-operation of Warren S. Ely, genealogist by profession and Librarian of the Bucks County Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and of Dr. Wm. S. Long, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, whose wife is a descendant of Mahlon and Rebecca (Ely) Stacye, was secured, and the collection of a fund for publication undertaken. The work was sub~divided; to Dr. Long was allotted the history of the descendants of Mahlon Stacye and Re­ becca (Ely) Stacye; to Mr. Warren Ely the completion to date and re-arrangement of Reuben Pownall Ely's work on the American descendants of Joshua Ely; and to the writer, the compiling of the English records of the Elys, Revells and Stacyes, and the collection of the funds for publication.• After many vexatious delays, covering a period of four years, due principally to the fact that the work of compiling was in each instance accomplished only after the daily professional and business duties of the mem­ bers of the committee were over, the manuscript assumed a tangible shape, but was found to be twice the ex­ pected amount. It was then mutually agreed that Dr. Long's work should be omitted from the present book and published independently by him at a later date. With considerable trepidation, the mass of data in this volume is submitted to the subscribers, who have waited so patiently for the delivery of the long-delayed work. There may be many errors. Much of the information was accumulated hurriedly and at di:ff erent times and places, but at any rate, with all the difficulties with which we have been confronted, we cannot help a feeling of satisfaction in having at least delivered "a book." The original plan to have this work edited and re­ viewed by Mrs. Marietta Ely Gambrill had to be in part abandoned. Her eloquent biography of General Hugh PREFACE. 9 Ely, her father, and that of her late husband, Captain Horace J. Gambrill, are good examples of what this work might have been under more favorable auspices. In concluding this introductory notice, the publication committee desire to extend their thanks to those who con­ tributed to the special fund which enabled the committee to secure the report of the College of Arms upon the Elys of Mansfield in England. We also desire to ac­ knowledge the courtesy of L. C.R. Norris-Elye, Esq., of Utterby Manor, Lincolnshire, and of Gladwyn M. Revell Turbutt of Ogston Hall, Derbyshire in making their kind replies to our many inquiries. Nor should this para­ graph be closed without special mention of the late Rev­ erend J. Evelyn Stacye of Yorkshire, the last of the Balli­ field Hall family. It was through him that much of the Stacye data was secured, including the copies of letters sent by the West Jersey family in 1763 to their then cousins across the sea. I shall always cherish the cordial reception ac­ corded me in 1903 on the occasion of my trip to England, by both Mr. Stacye, at that time Rector of Grenoside near Balli:field, and Mr. Norris-Elye at Utterby Manor. The Turbutts of Ogston Hall were in London at the time of my visit to that place but the American descendants have to thank Mr. Turbutt for the principal notes on the ancient Revells which he sent by mail subsequent to my visit. DANIEL BRITTAIN ELY. Montclair, New Jersey, 1909. CONTENTS PREFACE ••••••• •.•...................... • . • • • • • • • • 7 ILLUSTRATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • 17 AUTHORITIES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • 19 INTRODUCTORY • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 THE ELY FAMILY. Chapter I. Origin of the Name of Ely; legend of the New Jersey family . 27-36 Chapter II. Chronological Record from year 987 to present time; in Normandy, Yorkshire, Derby­ shire and Lincolnshire. Sir Richard De Ely, Lord Treasurer for Richard the Lionhearted. William Fitz Ely, sheriff of London. Nicholas De Ely, Lord Chancellor for King Henry III, Bishop of Winchester and Worcester; bore al"llftl of Elys and of family of De Gaunt, Earls of Lincoln; entertains the King and Queen at Win­ chester; journeys to Paris to meet Edward I on his return from Holy Land. Philip De Ely, Lord Treasurer. Ralph De Ely, Baron of the Ex­ chequer. William De Ely; took up the Cross in the last Crusade. Humphrey Ely, President of St. John's College, Oxford. Major John Eley of Derbyshire, Commandant of the Coromandel Coast for the East India Company . 37-60 Chapter III. The Elyes of Great Carlton and Ut­ terby Manor, Lincolnshire; descendants of the Veseys of Brampton and the Revells of Ogston. A visit to Utterby in 1903. Elye arms in the Manor church at Utterby . 61-69 Chapter IV. The Elys of Mansfield, Nottingham- shire, ancestors of the New Jersey family. Con- nected with the Revells and Stacyes. Held prop- 11 12 CONTENTS. erty "the heritage of Thomas and Elizabeth Vesey" . 70-79 THE REvELL FAMILY. Chapter I. Origin of the Revells. Hugh De Revell, Grand Master of the Knight Hospitallers; of the Nobility of Dauphiny, France; witness to the Will of Edward I of England in the Holy Land. 83-91 Chapter II. The Revells of Ogston Hall, Derbyshire. Revell arms in the Templars Church in London. Trustees for Knight Templars in England. Hugh Revell of England a rebel against King John ... John Revell involved in plot with the aged Count­ ess of Northumberland to effect the escape of Mary, Queen of Scots. Captain Edward Revell captured by Cromwell's followers. John Revell godfather to Lucres, the sixteenth child of Sir William Cavendish, whose wife was the famous "Bess of Hardwicke," afterwards Countess of Shrewsbury. A visit to Ogston Hall and Revell Grange in 1903. The Revell Chart. Richard Revell with Richard III at Bosworth,-'' Loyal to the last" .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92-108 Chapter III.