By 1659, when holding the third portion of the rectory of Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, Ellis had thought fit to change sides. In the preface to a little work entitled ‘The Pastor and the Clerk; or a Debate (real) concerning Infant-Baptisme,’ published in June of that year, he took occasion to ‘retract and recall, repent of and bewayl whatsoever he had either spoken or written for the fomenting the late unnatural divisions in the State and Church … particularly what he had said of the one in a “Sermon” … as also what he had disputed for the other in a Book entituled “Vindiciæ Catholicæ,” in answer to Mr. Hudson's “Essence of Catholick visible Church.”’ He also announced his ‘Retractations and Repentings’ on the title-page. As a reward of his apostasy he was allowed to retain his living at the Restoration, and was presented by the king to the first and second portions of Waddesdon, 24 Oct. and 8 Nov. 1661, thus becoming sole rector. He was violently attacked by his former brethren, especially by Henry Hickman in his ‘Apologia pro Ministris in Anglia (vulgo) Non-conformists,’ 1664. Ellis died at Waddesdon on 3 Nov. 1681, aged 75, and was buried on the 8th in the north side of the chancel of the church, within the altar rails (Lipscomb, Buckinghamshire, i. 496, 502, 506, 508). By his wife Susanna, daughter of William Welbore of Cambridge, he had eleven children; John [q. v.], William [q. v.], Philip [q. v.], and Welbore [q. v.], all separately noticed, and five other children survived him. Mrs. Ellis died at Cambridge on 29 April 1700, aged 77 (a copy of her will is in Addit. MS. 28932, f. 15). A few of Ellis's letters to his children and Dr. Oldys, dated 1673, 1675, and 1680, are preserved in the British Museum (Addit. MS. 28930, ff. 32, 34, 52, 153). Wood's editor, who strenuously defends Ellis's return to conformity, gives him the character of ‘a very pious and learned man.’
[Ellis Correspondence, ed. Hon. G. J. W. Agar Ellis, 1829; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 710–11, iv. 371–2; Addit. MS. 28937.]
ELLIS, JOHN (1643?–1738), under-secretary of state, born in or about 1643, was the eldest son of John Ellis, author of ‘Vindiciæ Catholicæ’ [q. v.], by his wife Susannah, daughter of William Welbore of Cambridge (pedigree in the Ellis Correspondence, 1829, i. xxiii). He received his education at Westminster School, whence he was elected student of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1664 (Welch, Alumni Westmon. 1852, p. 159). At college he met Humphrey Prideaux [q. v.], with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. Ellis did not take a degree, but obtained employment in the secretary of state's office. In March 1672 he was under Sir Joseph Williamson in the paper office, Whitehall. On 31 Jan. 1673–4 he was summoned before the House of Lords (Addit. MS. 28875, f. 10), but no allusion is made to him in the ‘Journal’ of that day. On the promotion of Williamson to be secretary of state in the autumn of 1674 Ellis lost his situation, and remained idle for several months, during which he had thoughts of becoming a proctor at Doctors' Commons. He obtained, however, the appointment of secretary to Sir Leoline Jenkins, one of the envoys chosen to attend the conference at Nimeguen, Holland, and set out thither 20 Dec. 1675 (ib. 28953, f. 16). He was employed in this capacity until September 1677. His doings during this busy period of his life may be read in his ‘Journal of Proceedings of the Nimeguen Conference, 1674–1677’ (ib. 28953), and ‘Note Book at Nimeguen, 1675–6’ (ib. 28954). From 1678 to 1680 Ellis acted as secretary to Thomas, earl of Ossory. At the beginning of 1680 he again made a journey into Holland to lay before the States-General the claims of Lord Ossory to the rank of general, which the latter had received from the Prince of Orange. He was successful in obtaining the necessary confirmation. After the death of Ossory in August 1680 Ellis became secretary to his father, James, duke of Ormonde, then lord-lieutenant of Ireland. In October 1682 he received the appointment of secretary to the commissioners of the revenue of Ireland, in which post he continued until the revolution. Having left Dublin for England early in 1689, doubtless to satisfy himself with which party it would be safest to side, his place at the Irish treasury was filled up by some one on the spot, and he was forced to spend nearly a year in idleness. Towards the end of 1689 he became secretary to the young Duke of Ormonde, as he had been before to his father, the Earl of Ossory. Two years later he was one of the commissioners of transports, and finally under-secretary of state in May 1695. He filled for ten years the office of under-secretary to four successive secretaries of state (Luttrell, Relation of State Affairs, 1857, iii. 468, iv. 316, 705, v. 127, 129, 169); but, owing to some misunderstanding with his then chief, Sir Charles Hedges, he resigned in May 1705 (ib. v. 555). If credit can be given to his own account, Ellis was a favourite with William III, who bestowed on him the place of comptroller of the mint, worth 500l. a year, 23 May 1701, ‘as to an old acquaintance,’ he having been with the king ‘when he besieged the city of Maestricht, and afterwards in the campaign where he beat the
