Welcome to The Ellis Family website.

Our History - Thank you Margaret!

This site would not be possible without the contributions of many family members, but we are especially indebted to Margaret Ellis Sepello. Margaret has written two excellent histories on our family; Joseph Ellis and Charlotte Redwine, and John Ellis and Jane Murray. These two volumes were written by Margaret after hearing the stories told by her grandmother that had been passed down orally from Charlotte Ellis herself. We are so fortunate that we have these, and we dedicate this site to Margaret. She has spent many years and many long hours in libraries, homes, cemeteries, and at the typewriter doing research on our ancestors. In addition to her work on the Ellis family, Margaret has written 30 genealogy books, and compiled the 1850 census for Washington County, Tennessee. But she says she is most proud of her role as the editor of the book, Carter County Tennessee and Its People. Click the button below to read her book about Joseph and Charlotte.

Joseph & Charlotte

Years Later

In 1825 when John Ellis purchased what is now known as the “Ellis Family Bible”, it would’ve never crossed his mind that almost 200 years later, a group of his descendants from different states, age groups, and backgrounds would all be gathered around the very same bible that he likely regarded as a prized possession. Not only is the existence of it a treasure in itself, the information recorded in it is a genealogist’s dream. We’re blessed to have a family bible with pages of handwritten records of births, marriages, deaths, and more.These are familiar names of Ellis descendants for many generations, starting with his own children. Truly a nostalgic moment as one turns the brittle pages of our past and tries to imagine what their world and lives were like. Oddly enough, as you get to know those standing in the same room, you see that the Ellis legacy lives on. The intelligence, generosity, quick witted humor, kindness, ideology and hard work are still present in each descendant. It’s taken a lot of time and effort from many to build this database. It’s taken hours of research, luck, providence, and crossing paths with other descendants. The journey of learning about the Ellis family has been a roller coaster and it has all led to this family website. A collection of information, stories and photos that tell the story of each Ellis, building a portrait of their lives, their jobs, their community service, their beliefs and standards. Just as a puzzle is never solved without all the pieces, this story of the Ellis family isn't complete. Each descendant reached, each date added, each photo shared is a piece of the puzzle. We ask you to use this space as a way to share their story. Ask questions, share stories that you heard, add photos that were inherited and document heirlooms that have been handed down. There is no such thing as oversharing and there is no piece of information that is too mundane. We need you; you are a part of this story too! This group, among others, met to view the John Ellis bible. Click the button below to see some pictures from that visit.

John Ellis bible