# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Ellis, Robert Leslie

​ELLIS, ROBERT LESLIE (1817–1859), man of science and letters, son of Francis Ellis of Bath, was born at Bath on 25 Aug. 1817. He was educated first by private tutors at home, and then by the Rev. James Challis, rector of Papworth Everard, Cambridgeshire, and afterwards Plumian professor at Cambridge. Of his early promise a remarkable account is given by Sir W. Napier, who describes him at fourteen as 'such a proud, bright, clever, beautiful boy,' and speaks of his astonishment at the boy's information, thought, and originality. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1836, graduated as senior wrangler in 1840, was elected fellow in October of the same year, and proceeded M. A. in 1843. He resided in college during the years he held his fellowship, giving his attention chiefly, though by no means entirely, to mathematical subjects. On the occasion of the British Association holding its annual meeting in Cambridge in 1845, he undertook a report on the recent progress of analysis, which appeared in the volume of the association published in 1846. Soon after this, in conjunction with Mr. D. D. Heath and Mr. J. Spedding, he undertook to edit the works of Bacon, his especial share being to edit and annotate the philosophical section of his works. His wide reading and great powers are fully evidenced from what he has done in the edition, but ill-health prevented the carrying out of what he had proposed for himself. His health had never been good, and in 1847 threatened to give way altogether. He tried Malvern and then Nice. After leaving Nice, he was attacked at San Remo by rheumatic fever, caught probably at Mentone, and returned to England with difficulty a confirmed invalid. His last years from 1853 to 1859 were spent at Anstey Hall, Trumpington, where he had the comfort of the society of his Cambridge friends, and especially that of Professor Grote, the vicar. The disease gained on him gradually, compelling him to keep his bed, and at last depriving him of signt. He continued, however, to dictate memoirs on mathematical and other subjects, till nearly the end. His death occurred on 12 May 1859, and he was buried in Trumpington churchyard.
During his residence in Trinity College he edited the 'Cambridge Mathematical Journal' for a part of its career, and on the death of his friend, D. F. Gregory, contributed a memoir of him to its pages. His scattered memoirs were collected and edited by his friend, Mr. W. Walton, in 1863. How wide his range of knowledge was may be seen by the titles of a few only of the papers in this volume. Among them are papers on 'Roman Aqueducts,' on the 'Form of Bees' Cells,' on the 'Formation of a Chinese Dictionary,' on 'Vegetable Spirals,' on 'Comparative Metrology,' on Boole's 'Laws of Thought,' on Diez's 'Etymologisches Wörterbuch der romanischen Sprachen,' on the 'Value of Roman Money,' &c. His memory was very extraordinary, and those who remember his conversational powers before (and even after) his illness can testify to their charm and to the exquisite taste which characterised all he said.
[Memoir by H. Goodwin (now bishop of Carlisle) prefixed to Walton's edition of Ellis's Remains; Notes, privately printed, by J. P. Norris (now archdeacon of Bristol); Bruce's Life of Sir W. Napier (1864), ii. 460-2; personal knowledge.]
H. R. L.