Ellis, John (1606-01-01 - 1681-11-03)

John Ellis, son of John Ellis (d. 1643), was born in Yorkshire. He graduated B.A. from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge in 1634 and was elected fellow before proceeding M.A. in 1638. A parliamentarian, he became infamous at Cambridge for preaching against Henry Ferne’s royalist work “The Resolving of Conscience” in 1642. He found Independent views when he moved to London, defending his positions in his 1647 work “Vindiciae Catholicae”; however, he soon gave up his Independency, a move which he explained in his 1661 work “St. Austin Imitated”. Ellis became a public lecturer at Aylesbury and held an unknown position in Waddesdon around 1649, although he was appointed to a third portion of the rectory at Waddesdon by 1659. Having been disgusted by the regicide, Ellis both refused and preached against the oath of engagement to the new republic. After the Restoration, Ellis was appointed the sole rector of Waddesdon. He was buried there in the chancel of the church in 1681, survived by his wife Susannah (1624/5–1700, m. 1641) and nine of their eleven children, including John (1642 or 1646-1738), William (1641 or 1647-1732), Welbore (1661/2-1734), and Philip Ellis (1652-1726).