A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ellis, William
ELLIS. (Commander, 1842. f-p., 20; h-p., 8.)
William Ellis entered the Navy, 27 Nov. 1819, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Brazen 26, Capt. Wm. Shepheard, in which ship, and, as Midshipman, in the Egeria 26, and Windsor Castle 74, Capts. Sam. Roberts and Edw. Durnford King, he served, on the St. Helena, Irish, Newfoundland, and Home stations, until 1826. He then passed his examination, and, until the receipt of his first commission, bearing date 10 Jan. 1837, officiated, as Mate, in the Tyne 28, Capts. Jas. Kearny White and Sir Rich. Grant, Dryad 42, Commodore John Hayes, Hermes steamer, Lieut.-Commander John Wright, San Josef 110, and Royal Adelaide 104, flag-ships of Sir Wm. Hargood, and Salamander steam-vessel, Capts. M‘Dougall and Sidney Colpoys Dacres, on the North American, African, Mediterranean, and Home stations. His next appointments were – 14 Feb. 1837, to the Seringapatam 46, Capt. John Leith, employed in the West Indies – and, 12 March, 1841, to the Soudan steam-vessel, Capt. Bird Allen, fitting for an explorative voyage to the river Niger. On his return from that deplorable expedition, in Sept. 1842, Mr. Ellis, who for the last seven months had had the acting-command of the Soudan, found that he had been promoted to his present rank on 30 of the previous March. He has had command, since 3 July, 1846, of the Alert 6, on the coast of Africa.