Elizabeth Jane (Smith) Ely (abt. 1727 - abt. 1798)

Born about 17 Oct 1727 in Leinster, Dublin, Ireland [uncertain]

Wife of Thomas Ely — married about 1750 in Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died about 1798 at about age 70 in Lee, Virginia, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Thanks to Julie Grabill Rasmussen for documenting Elizabeth Jane Smith's life and writing the following:

Elizabeth Jane Smith was born on October 17, 1727, in Dublin, Ireland,^[1] the child of John Smith and Jane Ford (possible parents). Emigrant Jane Smith met emigrant Thomas Ely (1725 - 1782) aboard a ship headed for the American Colonies in the middle of the eighteenth century. Thomas was a young man of about 24 years when he left England. They married either on board ship or when they reached the mainland. She married Thomas Ely in 1750. Thomas and Jane remained in Pennsylvania for a few years and their first two sons were born there: Thomas, abt 1750; and William abt 1753. Jane and Thomas, Sr. had a total of nine children--In addition to Thomas, Jr. and William, born in PA, the following children were born in Stafford County, VA: John Ely (1755 - 1839) who married Barbara Jane Fry; and Isaac Ely (1757 - ____) who married Catherine Fry; Rachel Ely who married Edward Napier; Jane Ely who married Rene Napier; David Ely who married Sarah Claypool; Robert Ely (1773 - 1843); and Joseph Ely (1775 - 1827) who married Francis Hix (Hicks). There is evidence they had 12 children in 30 years.

Jane's husband Thomas was a soldier in the war between Great Britain and France. (For his military service, he received 50 acres in a Land Office Warrant, any county within the Commonwealth. His land was probably in Stafford County,Thomas Ely of Bedford Co., VA purchased land there (Deed book D-4, p. 415 Bedford Co., VA)) . He was under the command of Colonel Byrd. In 1772. Thomas Ely, Sr., and three sons: Thomas, Jr., William, and John fought in the American Revolutionary War. Thomas Jr. lost his life fighting. Thomas, Sr. was severely wounded but returned home and died about two years later. Tradition : "Wounded at Buford's Defeat, Thomas Feigned death...a British soldier said, "This old man is not dead" and ran a bayonet through him...asked, "Why are you fighting against the King?" Thomas replied, "I married here, my family is here, my home is here and I think I have a right to fight for my country."

Son William was also severely wounded on his head and shoulder by a saber at Buford's Defeat, Hanging Rock, South Carolina. He was taken prisoner but released a few days later to go home. It is said that his head wound was so severe that a silver plate was put in his head and remained there.

Sometime after Jane's husband Thomas, Sr. passed away, the family left Bedford County and settled in Montgomery County VA. They received small land grants and lived for several years in Montgomery County. Son John went scouting on the western frontier of Virginia, came back with his report, and sons William and John bought land and presumably moved Jane with her large family to Sugar Run, Lee County, Virginia. Her sons, with other investors, owned thousands of acres, including land in what was to be Knox County, KY, later known as Harlan Co., KY. Jane's name has not been found on any Lee County land records.

She died in 1798 in Lee County, Virginia, at the age of 71,^[2] and it was here on Sugar Run, where Jane is thought to be buried in Ely Cemetery, Lee County, Virginia, USA, near the graves of her son and daughter-in-law, John and Barbara Jane (Fry) Ely. Her actual death date is unknown. Field stones were originally used as grave markers. [Some researchers are using the year of her death as 1798].

Children

1. Thomas Ely
2. William Ely^[3]
3. John Ely^[4]
4. Isaac Ely^[5]
5. Rachel Ely^[6][7]
6. Jane Ely
7. David Ely
8. Robert Ely^[8]
9. Joseph Ely^[9]
10. George Ely
11. Sarah Ely
12. Margaret Ely

Sources

1. ↑ "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FR94-BJT : 5 February 2020), Elizabeth Smith, 1727

   Elizabeth Smith's Parents and Siblings

   John Smith Father M

   Jane Mother F

2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138675116/jane-elizabeth-ely : accessed 06 April 2022), memorial page for Jane Elizabeth Smith Ely (1730–1798), Find A Grave: Memorial #138675116, citing Ely Cemetery, Lee County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Julie Grabill Rasmussen (contributor 47927883) .
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138657404/william-ely : accessed 07 April 2022), memorial page for Pvt William “Warrior Bill” Ely Sr. (25 Mar 1753–11 Sep 1850), Find A Grave: Memorial #138657404, citing Ingle-Ely-Russell Cemetery, Rose Hill, Lee County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Julie Grabill Rasmussen (contributor 47927883) .
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33837927/john-ely : accessed 07 April 2022), memorial page for John Ely (1755–Feb 1839), Find A Grave: Memorial #33837927, citing Ely Cemetery, Lee County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Steve & Donna Gagne' Woodward (contributor 48075515) .
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49964492/isaac-ely : accessed 07 April 2022), memorial page for Isaac Ely (1757–1849), Find A Grave: Memorial #49964492, ; Maintained by Ed Thurman (contributor 46846073) Burial Details Unknown.
6. ↑ "Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940"
   Ancestry Record 60214 #1542320 (accessed 7 April 2022)
   Jiney Eley child marriage on 28 Dec 1786 in Montgomery County, Virginia.
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197654137/rachel-napier : accessed 07 April 2022), memorial page for Rachel Ely Napier (1763–unknown), Find A Grave: Memorial #197654137, ; Maintained by Napes (contributor 47760708) Burial Details Unknown.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23261332/robert-ely : accessed 07 April 2022), memorial page for Robert Ely (9 Mar 1773–27 Aug 1843), Find A Grave: Memorial #23261332, citing Ely-Mcpherson Farm Cemetery, Lee County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by marisnonna (contributor 46908946) .
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97135210/joseph-ely : accessed 07 April 2022), memorial page for Joseph Ely (12 Nov 1775–2 Nov 1827), Find A Grave: Memorial #97135210, citing Riverside Cemetery, Pennington Gap, Lee County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Wamplerg (contributor 47280568) .

• I n the Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911, Father John Smith and mother Jane

• England, Select Bishop's Transcripts, 1576-1933

• "Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FR94-BJY : 5 February 2020), John Smith in entry for Elizabeth Smith, 1727. Father's Name John Smith, Mother's name Jane Unknown.

• Passenger List: "U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s"
  Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Year: 1750; Page Number: 106
  Ancestry Record 7486 #3199067 (accessed 7 April 2022)
  Name: Jane Smith; Arrival Year: 1750; Arrival Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Primary Immigrant: Smith, Jane; Source Publication Code: 1224.2; Annotation: Date and place of death or date and place of mention in the New World. Extracted from Administration Act Books: PROB 6/76 (1700) to 175 (1799); Probate Act Books: PROB 8/93 (1700) to 192 (1799); and Limited Probate Act Book: PROB 9/1 (1781). Name and mari; Source Bibliography: COLDHAM, PETER WILSON. English Estates of American Colonists, American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1700-1799. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1980. 140p.;
  Household Members:
  Jane Smith.

• Marriage: "U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900"
  Source number: 8549.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: WAY
  Ancestry Record 7836 #1121294 (accessed 7 April 2022)
  Jane Smith marriage to Thomas Ely in 1750 in PA.

• Child Marriage: "Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940"
  Ancestry Record 60214 #1542320 (accessed 25 May 2022)
  Jiney Eley child marriage on 28 Dec 1786 in Montgomery County, Virginia.

• Marriage: "U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900"
  Source number: 8549.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: WAY
  Ancestry Record 7836 #1121294 (accessed 25 May 2022)
  Jane Smith marriage to Thomas Ely in 1750 in PA.

• Family History or Pedigree: "U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970"
  Volume: 222
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2204 #538838 (accessed 7 April 2022)
  Name: Jane Smith; Death Date: 1830; SAR Membership: 44225; Role: Ancestor; Application Date: 2 Nov 1927; Spouse: Thomas Ely; Children: Robert Ely.

• Source: "Early Settlers of Lee County, Virginia" Descendants of Thomas Ely, Excerpts by Hattie Muncy Bales, edited by William C. Reed.

• Ely Family. Specifically names Jane Smith as Thomas' wife

See also: