Daniel Ely (abt. 1693 - 1776)

Born about 1693 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Champlin) Ely — married 5 Jan 1715 (to 1725) in East Hartford, CT

Husband of Ruth (Wells) Ely — married after 5 Jan 1725 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

Husband of Ruhamah (Arnold) Ely — married 10 Nov 1736 in Lyme, New London, CT

Descendants

Died 14 Mar 1776 at about age 83 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut

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Biography

This person is an ancestor of President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr.^[1]

Daniel was born ca. 1693^[2]. Daniel Ely ... He passed away March 14, 1776. ^[3][4] His grave inscription gives his death date as "Ca. April 1776".

Daniel Ely, better known as Major Daniel Ely of Lyme, was born at that place in 1693, and was the third son of William Ely, and grandson of Richard Ely, the emigrant. Major Ely was married four times, thus atoning for the deficiencies of some of his descendants. His first wife, Mary Ann Champlin, was born in 1692, and died 1725. His second wife, Ruth Wells, was born in 1696, and died in 1731. The third wife, Mary Rose, was born in 1703, and died 1735. The fourth wife, Ruhama Turner, was born 1704, and died in 1788. Children of Daniel Ely and his wives, Mary Ann Champlin, Ruth Wells, and Ruhama Turner:

1. Mary, b. 1714; m. 1736, Benjamin Lee.
2. Ann, b. 1716; m. Benjamin Harris.
3. Elizabeth, b. 1718; d. Feb. 21, 1759; m. Abram Perkins.
4. Daniel, b. 1721; d. 1767; m. Abigail Denison.
5. Sarah.

Second Wife.

1. Ruth, b. 1727; m. 1750, Samuel Beckwith.
2. Wells, b. 1729; m. ist, Elizabeth Williams; 2nd, Rebecca Selden.

Fourth Wife.

1. Col. John, M. D., b. 1737; d. Oct., 1800; m. Sarah Worthington.
2. Amy, or Anne, b. 1740; d. 1776; m. Ezra Selden.
3. Lucretia, b. 1742; m. Benjamin Colt.
4. Christopher, b. 1743; m. Eve Marvin, Esther Hunt, and Eliot.
5. Elisha, b. 1748; d. 1801; m. Susannah Bloomer.

There is mention of a thirteenth child of Daniel Ely, but no reliable information of such child has been obtained ; it probably died in infancy.

We make the following extracts from the "Public Records of Connecticut," regarding Mr. Daniel Ely :

In October, 1728, the General Assembly commissioned Daniel Ely as Ensign of the North Company of Lyme, Richard Ely being then Lieutenant and Daniel Star- lin Captain, (p. 195.)

Daniel Ely was commissioned by the Assembly as Lieutenant, page 434.

Daniel Ely was the representative of Lyme at the General Assembly held at Hartford in May, 1729 (page 221).

Daniel Ely was returned as representative of Lyme, with Moses Noyes, to the General Assembly at Hartford, May, 1731. The election was contested, and neither were allowed to take their seats, (page 312.)

Mr. Daniel Ely was the deputy of Lyme at the Assembly held at New Haven October, 1734.

On petition to the General Assembly in May, 1740, of Thomas Fosdick, Nathaniel Saltonstall and Lucretia, his wife, in right of Lucretia, all of New London, and Daniel Ely of Lyme, and Ruhamah, his wife, in right of Ruhamah, all of the County of New London, against Ralph Stoddard, Junr., of Groton in said County, a certain judgment of the Superior Court held at New London in September, 1739, relative to two certain tracts of land, was declared null and void and a new trial ordered. (i735-i743j page 3'!^3-)

Daniel Ely, John Griswold, and John Ely, selectmen of the town of Lyme, presented a memorial to the Assembly in October, 1742, relative to certain property belonging to William Borden, a cripple, which land the selectmen desired authority to sell for the benefit of said cripple. The Assembly authorized the eale of Borden's land to the amount of £17 los. od. (page 507.)

In May, 1738, the Assembly voted to commission Daniel Ely as Captain of the Company of Lyme, (page 162.)

And in October, 1739, the Assembly appointed Daniel Ely, Esq., to be Major of the Third Regiment of this Colony, page 279.

Besides the occasions already named, Daniel represented the town of Lyme in the following General Assemblies :

At New Haven, October, 1735. At New Haven, October, 1738. At Hartford, May, 1741. At New Haven, October, 1742. In October, 1739, Capt. Daniel Ely was appointed Justice in and for the County of New London by Act of the Assembly, was reappointed in May, 1740, and again in May, 1741, May, 1742, and in May, 1743.

The Public Records of Connecticut, 1744-1750, mention Daniel Ely as repre- senting Lyme in the General Assembly : At Hartford, May, 1744 (p. 2) . At New Haven, October, 1745 (p. 164). At New Haven, October, 1749 (p. 459) . At Hartford, May, 1750 (p. 500). At New Haven, October, 1750 (p. 547). At Hartford, November, 1750 (p. 584). and as Justice, commissioned by the Assembly, in May, 1744 (p. 26) ; reappointed in May, 1745 (p. 105) ; and again in May, 1746 (p. 197) ; in May, 1747 (p. 270) ; in May, 1748 (p. 353) ; May, 1749 (p. 416) ; May, 1750 (p. 504) ; May, 1758 (p. 120) ; May, 1759 (Vol. XL, p. 7) ; and in May, 1761 (Vol. XL, p. 493).

Vol. X., 1751-1757, states that in October, 1751, Major Daniel Ely of Lyme, with Sarah Tiffany, administrators of the Estate of Nathan Tiffany, late of Lyme, were authorized by the Assembly to sell lands of the deceased to the amount of £330, S.I, d.9, to pay debts of the Estate to that amount. (Page 50.)

On October 23, 1752, Richard Ely of Lyme had a petition before the Assembly against Daniel Ely, which was not granted; costs allowed respondent £25. (page 52.)

In October, 1752, Major Daniel Ely and Sarah Tiffany were empowered to sell more lands of Nathan Tiffany, deceased, to the amount of £90 S13 d7. (page 124). Daniel Ely represented Lyme in the Assembly, October, 175 1 (p. 38), and in addition to serving as Justice as mentioned above, was appointed Justice May, 1751 (p. 13), also in May, 1752 (p. 73), in May, I753 (P- ISS), in May, 1754 (p. 246), in May, 1755 (p. 357), and in May, 1756 (p. 492).

In October, 1767, Daniel Ely and others, owners of lands adjoining Eight Mile River in Lyme, memorialized the Assembly for repeal of the law forbidding the use of the seine for the taking of fish, and desiring the appointment of a Committee to examine into and report on the subject. The Committee was accordingly appointed to take testimony, etc., 'all at the expense of the memorialists.'" (Col. Rec. of Conn. Vol. XII. 1762-1767, p. 639.)

In October, 1766, Nathaniel Matson, Junr., of Lyme, administrator on the Es- tate of Daniel Ely, Junr., deceased of Lyme ,petitioned the Assembly to be authorized to sell certain lands belonging to the deceased, since his debts exceeded the value of his personal estate by the sum of £154 37 d3. The Assembly granted the necessary authority. (Vol. XII., page 536.)

In October, 1767, Nathaniel Matson, Jr., petitioned for authority to sell still more land, that sold under the former order being insufficient by the sum of £29 SI3 d7 to pay all the debts of the deceased; and the authority was given for a further sale, (page 641.)

In Vol. XIII., 1768-1772, it is related that in January, 1796, Daniel Ely of Lyme in New London County, petitioned the Assembly, "showing that in the year 1741, he mortgaged a tract of land to the Government, redeemable in the year 1745 upon the payment of £25; that he hath never yet redeemed the same, and he prays that some suitable person may be empowered to give a deed of release of said lands upon the memorialist securing the payment of the sum due to the Government on said mortgage in some reasonable time as per memorial on file."

"Resolved by this Assembly, that Matthew Griswold, Esq., of Lyme, be, and he is hereby, fully empowered to execute a deed of release on all said lands in said Deed to said Daniel Ely, upon his, said Ely's, first securing with good security to the satisfaction of said Matthew Griswold, Esq., to be paid to the Treasurer of the Colony within one year from the rising of this Assembly the sums still remaining due on said mortgage." (Page 164.)

In October, 1769, Daniel Ely of Lyme memorialized the Assembly, then sit- ting at New Haven, "showing that by his Deed dated January 14, A. D. 1741, he mortgaged a piece of land lying in said Lyme, bounded as in said deed, recorded in the records of said Lyme, may appear; that the whole of the monies due on said mortgage have long since been paid, but no deed of release given, etc. ; praying that a deed of release may be executed, etc., as per memorial on file ;

"Resolved by this Assembly, that upon said memorialist evidencing the pay- ment of said money due as aforesaid, a deed of release be executed in the name and behalf of the Governor and Company to the memorialist ;

"And the Honorable Matthew Griswold, Esq., is hereby appointed and fully empowered to adjust and settle the payments made of said mortgage and upon evidence of the payments, to execute a deed of release of the premises in the name of the Governor and Company as aforesaid." (The Ely Ancestry)

Sources

• "The Ely ancestry : lineage of Richard Ely of Plymouth, England, who came to Boston, Mass., about 1655, & settled at Lyme, Conn. in 1660" by Beach, Moses Sperry, 1822-1892; Ely, William; Vanderpoel, George Burritt; Ely, Sumner Adriel, Published 1902 The Calumet Press

[1] "

• Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.

• Find A Grave Memorial# 71747763

References

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents
2. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents
3. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents
4. ↑ Entered by Marty Quebral, Monday, August 26, 2013.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Marty Quebral for creating Ely-607 on 26 Aug 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Marty and others.