General Notes

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Elizabeth Ellis was born at Brixton, Devon 1Apr 1810. She was the daughter of James Ellis and Elizabeth (nee Elliott). Some of her life story is known through the existence of a Settlement Examination paper and Removal Order from the parish chest of Brixton. It is dated 10 June 1834 and reads as follows......

Examination of Elizabeth Ellis, now residing in the Parish of Brixton, a single woman.......who saith, "I was born in the said Parish of Brixton as I have heard and believe and I am now twenty five years old. My Father is a labourer and settled in Brxton. I resided with my parents in that parish until I was sixteen years of age. I then went out to service and lived in several places for nearly five years. On leaving Brixton I went to Modbury where I made a bargain for a year with my Aunt, Mary Ann Spry, a laundress, wages four pounds and ten shillings. I served under this agreement five years, my wages were then increased to five pounds. After I had served under the last hiring about a year I had a bad finger and went home to my parents at Brixton where I remained three months. When my finger was well I returned to my Aunt and continued with her upwards of a year at the same wages I last received, five pounds. My Mother then died and I returned to my Father where I have lived ever since. I have done no other act to obtain a settlement. (She made her mark at the bottom as she was unable to write)

The outcome of this was that Justices of the Peace who conducted the examination decided that she had been too long away from the parish to be given a settlement there so ordered that she be removed to Modbury where she had previously been.  Probably the reason that she wanted a settlement was because she was pregnant and no doubt would be wanting parish relief but obviously the parish officers of Brixton were not prepared to do this so sent her back to Modbury. Her son, John Ellis was baptised at Modbury 12 Oct 1834.  But brighter days were soon to come as Elizabeth married Samuel Beer 29 May 1836 at St Andrew's Church, Plymouth. As Samuel was also from Modbury, one wonders why they were married at Plymouth when their first two children were born at Modbury? Their later children were born in Plymouth and they appeared on the 1841 and later census returns at Plymouth. Elizabeth died March 1854 and is buried at St Andrew's Church, Plymouth.