John Ellis (scrivener) facts for kids
John Ellis (born 1698, died 1791) was an English scrivener, which means he was a professional writer of legal documents. He was also a well-known literary figure, meaning he was involved in the world of books and writing.
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John Ellis's Early Life
John Ellis was born in London on March 22, 1698. His parents were James and Susannah Ellis. His mother, Susannah, was a very strict dissenter, which was someone who disagreed with the official church.
John went to a few different schools in London. At one school, he learned the basics of grammar. It's said that while he was still at school, he translated a Latin poem. This poem was called 'Marston Moore,' and it was published in 1750.
John started his career as a clerk or apprentice to John Taverner. Mr. Taverner was a scrivener in Threadneedle Street, London. John improved his Latin skills by listening to his master help his son with schoolwork. His master's son went to Merchant Taylors' School.
A Career in Business and City Government
The job of a scrivener was to create important legal papers. These included documents about land and other writings that needed to be officially sealed. John Ellis worked as a scrivener for a very long time. He even outlived every other scrivener in his profession.
When his master, John Taverner, passed away, John Ellis took over the business. He worked in partnership with young Taverner. John Ellis was very active in the Scriveners' Company, which was like a guild for scriveners. He was chosen as the master of the company four times.
John Ellis was also an important part of the corporation of London for 40 years. This was the local government of the city. He was elected as a common councilman for Broad Street ward in 1750. Later, he became an alderman's deputy. He worked hard in this role until he retired in 1790, not long before he died.
Later Years and Passing
John Ellis lived in different parts of London for many years. He never got married. He lived to be a very old man. Even when he was 85 years old, he often walked 30 miles in a single day!
James Boswell, a famous writer, visited John Ellis when he was 93. Boswell noted that Ellis's mind was still very clear. His memory was also good, especially after he thought about things for a moment. In his last year, John Ellis faced some money problems. However, his friends helped him out.
John Ellis died on December 31, 1791. He was buried on January 5, 1792. His burial place was the church of St Bartholomew by the Exchange.
Friends and Literary Connections
John Ellis had many literary friends. Early on, he was friends with Dr. William King and his student Lord Orrery. They often visited each other. He also wrote letters, often in verse, to the Rev. N. Fayting. Mr. Fayting was the master of Merchant Taylors' School.
In 1742–43, John Ellis translated a poem by King into verse. Like many of his writings, it was not printed. Another close friend was Moses Mendez. Mendez wrote a poem to Ellis about a trip to Ireland. This poem, along with Ellis's reply, was printed in a 'Collection of Poems' in 1767.
One of his most famous friends was Samuel Johnson. Johnson was a very important writer and dictionary maker. Johnson once told Boswell, "The most literary conversation that I ever enjoyed was at the table of Jack Ellis." This shows how much Johnson valued Ellis's company and intelligence.
Even though John Ellis didn't try to publish much, he kept writing poems for over 70 years. He could even recite poems of a hundred lines when he was over 88 years old!
John Ellis's Published Works
John Ellis's biggest work was a translation of Ovid's Epistulae ex Ponto. Samuel Johnson even suggested that he publish it. Here are a few pieces he did publish:
- The South Sea Dream: This was a poem written in a humorous style.
- The Surprise, or the Gentleman turned Apothecary: This was a verse translation from Latin. It was a funny story published in 1739.
- A humorous version of Maphæus: This was published in 1758.
He also wrote short pieces for Robert Dodsley's 'Collection of Poems'. These were printed with his name in the last volume of the book. One of his poems, The Cheat's Apology, was turned into a popular song. It was sung by Joseph Vernon at Vauxhall Gardens. Another short poem, Tartana, or the Plaidie, appeared in the European Magazine in 1782. He also had many verses printed for various printers.
John Ellis left behind many poems that were never published. These included his versions of stories by Æsop and Cato, and parts of Ovid's Metamorphoses. It is said that he used to meet his literary friends every Friday evening at the Cock tavern in Threadneedle Street.
