Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-07-29

SO long, Although many times pur-
sued by superior forces, and though
he served in many engagements, there
is no record he ever was wounded,
and he survived the Revolutionary
war many years.
In December, 1776. just before the
battle of Trenton, body of Jersey
militia was pursued by Count Donop
(Who afterwards was wounded, and
cared for in this very house of Ann
WhitalD. The militia retreated, and
gave way before the Hessians, and the
outlook was very discouraging, and
many Americans, who had been wav-
ering, availed themselves of General
HoWe's offer of amnesty, and took the
oath of allegiance to the king. Soon
after this retreat, Colonel Ellis met
Charles Petit, then Secretary of State
who was much depressed and repre-
sented to Colonel Ellis that our af-
fairs were desperate. Colonel Ellis
endeavored to dissuade him from said
opinion, and possibly with some sue
cess, for Mr.. Petit did not leave this
State till 1778. O..
Colonel Ellis father-in-law John
Hinchman, was Tory, or "loyalist,"
as he called himself, and after the re-
treat of the British army from Phila-
delphia to New York, affairs got too
warm for him and his fellow tories,
and he, with many of his associates,
left New Jersey. BY virtue of writ
issued out of the Court of Common
Pleas of the County of Gloucester,
December term, 1778, he, and nearly
thirty other persons, after due notice,
had his personal property confiscated.
On March 2, 1878, ahis brick house and
twenty acres of land and all his right
and interest in an adjoining property"
were ordered to be sold by John Sparks
and Samuel Kaighn, commissioners, on
April 10, 1879. A few days before, on
February "a, 1878, at the instance of
Joseph Ellis. plaintiff, three auditors
were appointed by the Gloucester
County Court to meet at the house of
Hugh Creighton, in Haddonfield, the
old Tavern House, to adjust all claims
against said John Hinchman an abb
sconding debtor" and the latter's
creditors were to meet there and make
distribution according to Act of As
sembly
It is probable there was no love lost
between Ellis, the patriot, and Hinch-
man, the Tory. AS Ellis was the plain
tiff, Hinchman may have been indebt-
ed to him. Then again Ellis may have
tried to save something out of the
wreck.
During the Revolutionary War and
afterwards, Colonel Ellis represented
Gloucester county in the House of AS
semb1y, serving in 1778, 1881 1882,
1888, 1884 and 1855, and in the Legis-
lative Council from 1887 to 1884, so
that through those stirring times he
not only fought for his State, but he
helped to weave the laws for the gov
ernment of the State.
In addition to his work in legislat-
ing for the people, and in fighting for
his State and country, he was chosen
Sheriff to enforce the laws he had help
ed to make, as in Book B of Deeds, ap-
pears a record of deed from Joseph
Ellis, high Sheriff of Gloucester county
AS the minutes of the court in these
days were brief, there is no mention
of him by name as Sheriff, so we have
no clue to the years he served as High
Sheriff of this bailiwick
For his services to his State and be-
cause of the confidence and trust re-.
posed in him, Joseph Ellis was appoint
ed one Of the Judges of the Court of
Common Pleas in 1785,and reappointed
in 1890 and 1895. The records of the
Court show that he first took his seat
at the December term, 1885, the court
being held in Gloucester town." He
attended court pretty regularly. In
the December term, 1888, he did not sit
with the other Judges, but was APP
pointed one of the three arbitrators in
case of debt between Thomas Hodg
son and John Warrick The last term
of court held in Gloucester town was
the December term, 1856; the March
term. 1887, and all subsequent terms
were held at Woodbury., but the place
of meeting prior to the erection of the
Court house is not given. The compile
tion of that building was reported to
the Board of Freeholders at its May
meeting in 1888, and the records show
that the June term, 1888, was held in
the Court House at Woodbury." and
the records also show that Joseph El-
lis was present, and sitting as one of
he Judges at the opening of the new
Court House in 1888 (M).
At the December term, 1890, he was
the presiding Judge and the minutes
show that he was present at the June
term, 1896, and after that time there
is no record of his name and it is prob
able he deceased in that year (M).
On account of the absence Of town
ship books no record is found of his
death, and it is uncertain when and
where he died, and where he was bur-
led. Access to the records of Friends.
many of whom kept daily journals of
passing events, might give us valuable
information. No wills prior to 1906
can be found at the Surrogates Office
in Woodbury., and diligent inquiries
from Lineal descendants of this sturdy
patriot throw no light on this impor
tant point. We know he married Mary
Hinchman in 1860, but we don't know
when Mary Hinchman Ellis died.
Colonel JOS Ellis married Abigail
Clement Blackwood, widow of his
friend Samuel Blackwood, who died in
1774 The date of this marriage was
either 1776 or 1777. Two children were