Nancy Ellis

Daughter of George Ellis and Phebe Stephens of Plymouth. She was one of the “seven Children viz. Sarah, Phebe, Molly, George, Matthias, Nancy & Stevens” whom the Plympton selectmen warned to depart in March 1785, a year after the family came there from Plymouth. In 1805 she and her brothers and sisters quitclaimed to their brother George land “decended to us from our Mother Phebe Ellis Decd who was formerly Phebe Stephens”; the grantors include “Richard Blackmore & Nancy his wife,” and she signed “Nancy Ellis Blackmer.” Her daughter Mary’s death record (1899) gives Mary’s mother as Nancy Ellis.

Her Ellis and Freeman ancestry, and her Mayflower descents through the Warren, Howland and Tilley lines, are in research/freeman-ellis/ and research/warren/.

First marriage: Richard Blackmer

Her intention to marry Richard Blackmer, mariner, was entered at Plymouth in 1801: “Richard BLACKMER & Nancy ELLIS both of Plymouth.” By 29 Feb 1808 he was dead, “late of Plymouth, Mariner,” intestate. His estate, about 7 acres with a house and small barn, 4 acres of pasture and 28 acres of woodland ($600 in real estate; personal estate $124.59), was insolvent (Plymouth probate case 2104). On 5 July 1810 she bought back part of the homestead from the administrator, Dr. Josiah Sturtevant, for $40 (Plymouth deeds 114:28), and kept it for nearly fifty years: in 1858 she sold a lot “being the same conveyed to me by Josiah Sturtevant Administrator on the estate of my former husband Richard Blackmer.” In 1818 Richard’s father, Branch Blackmer, left “George Ellis Blackmar, my Grandson & Son of my Son Richard Blackmer decd” a third of his Plymouth real estate.

Second marriage: Capt. Gideon Holbrook

In December 1818 (intention 29 Nov, as “Mrs. Nancy Blackman”) she married Capt. Gideon Holbrook of Plymouth. His will (18 June 1841) left her the use of his whole estate “In order to enable my wife Nancy Holbrook to bring up those of my children who may be under the age of twenty one years, having entire confidence in her judgment & discretion,” let her sell outlands “without the formality of a License or a sale at Auction,” and made her his executor. In the partition of 1850 one third of his real estate was set off to “his Widow Nancy Holbrook for her use during her life.” In 1850 her son Richard, 27, seaman, was in her household at Plymouth.

Mollie Pfeiffer’s typescript describes her as “a woman of medium height, fair and bright, very calm and neat. She would protest very quietly to the children’s playing noisily on the Sabbath day.”

Her will and death

Her will of 6 Sept 1860, signed with her mark, reads (from FamilySearch’s machine transcription; the image has not been checked): “I Nancy Holbrook of Plymouth, in the County of Plymouth, Widow, being advanced in years but of sound mind … I make no bequest to my children Nancy Morey Richard B. Holbrook, & Eliphalet Holbrook, nor to my Grand children David Clark, Lucy Peterson wife of Charles H. Peterson, Lewis Clark, Sarah Ellis wife of James Ellis for the reason that I feel under obligation to dispose of what little property I may leave to my other children who have chiefly borne the expense of my support and not for want of any affection toward them.” Her household furniture, clothing and “indoor movables in the house where I now reside” went to her daughter Mary, and the rest to Elisha and Mary equally, who were her executors. Witnesses Nathaniel Clark, Israel Clark and Luther Lucas. The four grandchildren were the children of her late daughter Sarah (Blackmer) Clark.

She died at Plymouth on 29 Jan 1864, a widow, aged 82 years 3 months 8 days, and is buried with Gideon in Manomet Cemetery. The will was proved in January 1865 on Mary’s petition.

Open questions

• Born 18 Oct 1781 (the family Bible, via Mollie) or 21 Oct (her age at death)? The Bible itself, or Davis p. 252, may settle it. The same list gives the birth dates of all her brothers and sisters (Mollie’s typescript, scan 84).