William Ellery

He married Ann Remington in 1750. The couple had seven children, of whom five survived to adulthood. Ann died in 1764.

His second marriage was to Abigail Cary in 1767. With her, he had ten more children, many of whom died in their infancy. His second wife died in 1793.

He lived a long and fruitful life and spent his retired years in the company of his numerous children and grandchildren. He died of natural causes on 15 February 1820 at the ripe old age of 92.

William Ellery was born as the second son of Elizabeth Almy and William Ellery Sr., a businessman, in Rhode Island.

His father was a Harvard College graduate who educated his son at home.

Following in his father’s footsteps, he also attended Harvard College where he excelled in Greek and Latin, and graduated in 1747 at the age of 20.

He started his career as a merchant, working alongside with his father in his business. He learnt about the prevalent practices in trade and shipping.

He became a Naval Officer of the Colony of Rhode Island on the basis of the shipping knowledge he had. After a short stint, he became a Master Mason in the First Lodge in Boston.

In 1750, he became a Clerk of the Court where he learnt about legal practices and procedures. He served in this position till 1763.

He helped in co-founding the Rhode Island College in 1764 in his city and acted as one of its incorporators.

When The Stamp Act, which imposed a tax on the colonies of British America, was passed in 1765, it was met with wide spread opposition by the patriots. Ellery, along with others, led a march in Rhode Island to resist the Act.

He is mainly famous for being one of the 56 signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. He was originally not even a member of the Continental Congress, but had been chosen to replace a deceased delegate.