William Ellis was the son of Richard and Hannah Ellis. They were originally from Magherafelt but they went to live in Scotland and then on to the north of England. William L Ellis was born about 1881 in Grangetown, Yorkshire. By 1901, William was living with his aunt, Esther Ellis in Castledawson, County Londonderry. William was a labourer. William Ellis married Alice Evans on 20th August 1914 in the parish of Magherafelt. William enlisted in Clandeboye, Co. Down. They were living in Toome at the time. Corporal William Ellis was serving with the 11th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles when he was killed in action on 1st September 1916. He was 36 years old.
Further Information
There are two soldiers named William Ellis who lived in the Toome. The other, who became a captain in the Royal Irish Rifles, was the son of William Ellis, the Petty Session’s clerk. He went on to win a Military Cross and survived the war.
William Ellis was the son of Richard and Hannah Ellis. Richard Ellis married Hannah Ewart on 24th March 1874 in the parish of Magherafelt.
They went to live in Scotland and then on to the north of England.
William L Ellis was born about 1881 in Grangetown, Yorkshire
The 1901 census lists William as age 17 living with his aunt, Esther Ellis, at house 36 in Creagh, Castledawson, County Londonderry. William was a labourer.
The 1901 English census shows the family living at 19 Bolckow Terrace, Eston, North Eston, Yorkshire (North Riding). His father was a steel works contractor.
Family: Richard Ellis, Hannah Ellis, Annie Ellis (born about 1880, Scotland), William Ellis (born about 1881, Grangetown, Yorkshire), Samuel E Ellis (born about 1884, Grangetown, Yorkshire) , Margaret Ellis, (born about 1887, Grangetown, Yorkshire), Elizabeth Ellis (born about 1890, Stockton, Durham), Lilly Ellis (born about 1893, Stockton, Durham).
The 1911 census lists William as age 27 living with his aunts at house 87 in Creagh, (Etra and Otra), Castledawson, County Londonderry. William was working a farm labourer. Coincidentally, William’s father was over visiting at the time of the census.
William Ellis married Alice Evans on 20th August 1914 in the parish of Magherafelt.
William enlisted in Clandeboye, Co. Down. They were living in Toome at the time.
There were two men called William Ellis from the Castledawson area who died in World War One. Corporal William L Ellis (4612) and Rifleman William Ellis (15/11924). The Castledawson L.O.L. No. 97 World War One Roll of Honour includes a picture of a ‘Corporal’ William Ellis. For this reason it has been decided to allocate the image to Corporal William Ellis (4612). However, it cannot be cannot be confirmed that this is correct.
Corporal William Ellis was serving with the 11th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles when he was killed in action on 1st September 1916. He was 36 years old.
His wife Alice was informed that he has been killed in action in France and received a decent burial behind the lines at the hands of his comrades.
From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 23rd September 1916: Private Ellis Toome
The family of Private William Ellis, 11th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, of Blackpark, Toomebridge, have been informed that he has been killed in action in France and received a decent burial behind the lines at the hands of his comrades. The first news was in a letter from Robert McMillan, of the same battalion, and was confirmed in a letter from the company Sergeant. Private Ellis was a prime favourite in the district, and the news of his death is genuinely regretted. He was quite recently married, and with his young widow and his other relatives, the utmost sympathy is felt.
Corporal Ellis has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres.
The CWGC record Corporal William Ellis as the son of Richard and Hannah Ellis, of Yorkshire. They also record he was the husband of Alice Mary Ellis, of 24 St. Kilda Street, Belfast.
