Early years Ellis was born August 29, 1721, in
County Monaghan,
Ireland, the son of Francis and Joan (
née Maxwell) Ellis. He studied law at the
Middle Temple in
London. In May 1746, he went out as agent of a company for the discovery of the
Northwest Passage. After extinguishing with difficulty a fire in his ship, he sailed to
Greenland, where he exchanged commodities with the
Inuit peoples on July 8. He then proceeded to Fort Nelson and wintered in
Hayes River. He renewed his efforts in June 1747, without success, and returned to England where he arrived on October 14. He published an account of his explorations in 1748, entitled ''A voyage to Hudson's-Bay by the
Dobbs Galley and
California in the years 1746 and 1747 for discovering a North West Passage
" and in 1750 published Considerations on the Great Advantages which would Arise from the Discovery of the North West Passage''. After publishing these accounts, Ellis was inducted into the
Royal Society. From 1750 to 1755, Ellis worked as a slave trader,
purchasing slaves from Africa and shipping them to
Jamaica.
Governor of Georgia Lord Halifax,
President of the Board of Trade, named Ellis
lieutenant governor of Georgia on August 15, 1756. Ellis arrived at
Savannah, Georgia, on February 16, 1757, and, on May 17, 1758, was made
royal governor. His administration of the colony was highly esteemed. Recognizing the danger posed to the colony by hostile neighbors, he established a treaty with the
Creeks. He published "Heat of the Weather in Georgia" in
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1758. The subtropical climate took its toll on his health and he had to be removed from governor then left Georgia on November 2, 1760, stopping in
New York to request military assistance to the southern colonies.
Later years After his return to England, his knowledge of American affairs were called into requisition for developing the plan for taxing the colonies. In return for this service he was rewarded with
sinecure offices. From 1761 to 1763, he held the commission of governor of Nova Scotia, though he did not enter on the duties of his office. He afterward resided in
Italy, principally occupied in scientific researches. Before he died he had a friendship with the Creek leader. ==Death==