I’m stuck and need your collective help! Barbara Ellyett (21 Feb 1840-1 Sept 1896), d of John Ellyett and Elizabeth McCoy/McCloy, was married to Eli Lewis Fishpaw by Rev James H. Wolf on 18 May 1865 presumably in Virginia, USA, where her parents lived. (Eli was born and raised in Maryland.) I’ve documented Barbara’s siblings and her descendants, which include my mother, but haven’t been able to definitively go back further than her parents.
As you all undoubtedly know, there were a gazillion ways to spell what sounds like “Elliott”. Within the records I’ve found for our line, the letter “e” is usually the vowel; there’s variability over the number of “l”s and “t”s; some end in “e” and some don’t. But there’s one constant with my family, at least from John forward: inclusion of a “y”.
Per his data on Ancestry from the Clarke County, Virginia Deaths 1853-1896, John Ellyett was born in Frederick County, VA in 1807. This jives with the birth year on his headstone (Find A Grave), but Clarke County wasn’t created out of Frederick County until 1836. His parents could have been in what became Clarke County – or in what remained as Frederick County. Per his death record’s data, John’s parents were named William and Mary.
I haven’t been able to locate data for William, Mary, or their family, but there are tantalizing items from Maryland, such as William Elleyeot, listed in the Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol 1, p 47, for 2 Sept 1668, referencing his son William, when he comes of age. There’s also William Ellyott, from Somerset County, Point Patience, with 143 acres on 1 July 1695 in the Settlers of Maryland, 1679-1783 p 212.
I run out of names with a “y” in the area after this. While that’s obviously not the only way to look at the evidence, I haven’t been able to tie any of the other surnames which are spelled differently to John either. Any thoughts regarding these folks whether in the US or in England would be appreciated!
