ELLIS
,
ROWLAND
(
1650
-
1731
),
Welsh-American Quaker
;
b. at
Bryn Mawr
in the parish of
Dolgelley, Mer.
,
1650
, son of
Ellis ap Rees
. He m. twice: (1)
c
. 1692
,
Margaret
, daughter of
Ellis
Morris
, (2)
Margaret
, daughter of
Robert ab Owen
. He joined the
Society of Friends
c.
1672
and because he was steadfast in his new faith he suffered persecution and imprisonment. After the founding of
Pennsylvania
he sent
Thomas
Owen
and his family over to make a settlement. On
16 Oct. 1686
, together with his son
Rowland
and about 100 of his neighbours, he sailed from
Milford Haven
to
Pennsylvania
. He arrived in
Philadelphia
in
April 1687
, and settled at
Bryn Mawr
, now
Lower Merion
. After making arrangements to make this place his new home he returned to
Wales
in
1688
and, later, returned again to
Pennsylvania
with the remainder of his family. Being a man of ability, of good education and estate, and interested in public affairs, he was in
1700
elected to represent
Philadelphia
in the assembly of his province. He was a good and zealous worker with the
Quakers
, to whom he was able to
minister
in the
Welsh
language.
Ellis
translated into
English
David
Lloyd
's revision of
Ellis
Pugh
's
Annerch ir Cymru
(
Philadelphia
,
1721
—
see
Pugh
,
Ellis
) — the first
Welsh
book printed in
America
. The translation appeared in
1727
at
Philadelphia
under the title of
A Salutation to the Britains
. (There were
London
editions in
1732
,
1739
, and
1793
.)
Ellis
bought a tract of land in
Plymouth
which he made his home after selling his
Merion
plantation. He d. early in
Sept. 1731
, at the home of his son-in-law,
John
Evans
, in
Gwynedd
, and was buried in the
Friends' burial ground
at
Plymouth
.
Bryn Mawr College
(now University) for women is a reminder of the
Bryn Mawr
in
Wales
where
Rowland
Ellis
was born.
[On
Rowland
Ellis
's antecedents and connections see further the article
Lewis
(and
Owen
) of
Tyddyn-y-garreg
.]
Bibliography:
-
R. Prys Morris
,
Cantref Meirionydd ei chwedlau, ei
hynafiaethau, a'i hanes
, 1890
;
-
J. Bowden
,
The history of the Society of Friends in
America
, 1850; Vol. II, 1854
, ii,
1854
;
-
Two hundred years of the S. P. G. an
historical account of the Society for the propagation of
the gospel in foreign parts, 1701-1900
, 1901
;
-
‘Dictionary of Welsh Biography.’ 27
vols., N.L.W. MSS. 9251–77
;
-
T. A. Glenn
,
Merion in the Welsh Tract with sketches of
the townships of Haverford and Radnor : historical and
genealogical collections concerning the Welsh barony in the
province of Pennsylvania, settled by the Cymric Quakers in
1682
, 1896
;
-
Jenkins
,
Historical collections relating to Gwynedd a
township of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, settled,
1698
, 1884
.
Author:
Robert (Bob) Owen, O.B.E., M.A., (1885-1962), Croesor
