Family background
James Ellis was born in 1833 at Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England son of James Ellis. He arrived in Sydney on 5 March 1866. On 2 December 1869 he married Elisabeth Ester Brooks at St Pauls Church of England, Redfern. There were four sons and four daughters of the marriage. He died at 26 Golden Grove Street Redfern on 14 August 1900, aged 67 years. Elisabeth Ellis died on 6 December 1895 aged 48 years.
Occupation & interests
Ellis worked at Eveleigh Railway workshops, servicing and repairing the NSW rail fleet. An engineer, he was foreman of the iron moulding works in the locomotive department. He left an estate valued at 394 pounds for probate purposes.
Community activity
A resident of Greek Street Glebe during his years on Glebe Council, he moved to 26 Golden Grove Street Redfern by 1890. Ellis was a member of the Federated Ironmoulders of Australasia and a member of Masonic Lodge Zetland No 9.
Local government service
James Ellis was an alderman on Glebe Council from 1874 to 1878. Ellis, a member of Glebe Council’s finance and improvement committees, sought to promote the interests of Outer Ward residents, be it metalling Bay Street, kerbing and guttering Greek Street or urging repair work at Franklyn place, all on Bishopgate estate, the municipality’s poorest precinct.
References
Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February 1874, p. 7
Sydney Morning Herald, 2 March 1874, p. 3
Sydney Morning Herald, 14 September 1874, p. 2
Sydney Morning Herald, 8 March 1875, p. 3
Sydney Morning Herald, 12 August 1878, p. 1
Sydney Morning Herald, 15 August 1900, p. 12