Surname origin
Middle English Elis 'Elias' the Greek form of the Hebrew Elijah. John Elys was the son of Elias de Bampton (1318, 1331 Wills..Court of Husting, London)
A Dictionary of English Surnames by P H Reaney. OUP revised third edition 1997. 019860092-5.

Ellis family forum

Surrey surname link

The Free Men of Charlwood
by Ruth Sewiill & Elizabeth Lane
From which,
'As long ago as the 38th year of King Edward III (1364) John ELYS' name appears in the Court Rolls of Merstham and Charlwood. He was among those who had 'kept themselves without the tithing for a year and a day' and were ordered to put themselves within the tithing before the next court.
Thomas ELYS was in trouble in1413 having been insulted by Robert Turner who was furthermore charged with 'striking him with a stick against the peace but there is no record of the course of justice.
In 1548 and the following four years Thomas ELYS Senr. and Junr. were fined for non-attendance at court though, by this time, this was held in Charlwood.
Richard ELLIS must have gone further afield being one of seven Charlwood men to be 'mustered' in 1569.
In 1662 John ELLES was living at Larkinnes, a house

Thomas ELLIS ( - 1706) married Alice COKRILL at Charlwood in 1685.
They had children:-
• Catherine (c.1685 - )
• Sarah (c.1687 - ) = James PETERS
• John (c.1689 - )
• Thomas (1691 - )
• Josia (1695 - ) = Hannah ? ( - 1751)
  • William (1733 - = Elizabeth WRIGHT (c.1731 - 1780) 
    • Hannah (1755 - 1789)
    • William (1757 -
    • James (1760-1804) = Mary TYLER
      • Elizabeth (1781- )
      • Mary (1783 - )
      • Sarah(1785 - )
        • Richard (1805 - 1895) = Ann BUTWELL (c.1810-1866)
      • Ann (1788 - 1883) = (1) William RICE (c.1786 - 1853) = (2) James WONHAM (1777 - 1867)
      • Lydia (1791 - 1798)
      • Martha (1793 - ) = Richard PENFOLD
      • Richard (1796 - 1881) = Hannah NEWNHAM (1796 - 1853)
        • Eliza (1826 - 1876) (1) = William KNIGHT (1827 - 1904) =(2) Pheobe ELLIS (THORNS) (c.1836 - 1919)
          • (1) Jane KNIGHT (1851 - 1935) = Alfred COX (1852 - 1914)
            • Alfred John COX (1885 - 1954) = Annie Elizabeth WEST (1882 - 1961)
              • Alfred John William COX = Irene FITT
          • (1) William KNIGHT (1855 - 1872)
        • Sarah (1826 - 1851)
        • James (1827 - 1893) = Ann KILLICK (1828 - 1903)
          • Sarah (c.1861 - )
          • Samuel (c.1863 - )
        • Mary (1830 - )
        • Harriet (1832 - )
        • George (1833)X
        • Thomas (1835 - 1880)
        • Jane (1837)X
        • Ann (1839 - 1915) = James WARREN (c.1841 - 1881)
      • Susanna (1800 - 1801)
      • Peter (1802 - 1878) = (1) Elizabeth CHANTLER (1806 - 1826) = (2) Jane WOOD (1807 - )
      • (1) Robert (1825 - )
      • (2) Mary (1828 - )
      • (2) Emma (1831 - )
      • (2) George (c.1834 - ) = Emma HEIGHOE
        • Gertrude (c.1866 - )
        • George (1868 - )
        • Edith (1869 - )
        • Walter (1870 - )
      • (2) Ann (c.1835 - )
      • (2) Thomas (c.1839 - 1880) = Emily FULLER
      • (2) Georgiana (c.1842 - 1933) = Frederick BARBET (c.1842 - 1920)
      • (2) Harriett (c.1845 - ) = James PENFOLD
      • (2) Sarah (c.1848 - )
      • (2) Elizabeth (c.1850 -)
      • (2) Fanny (c.1853 - )
    • Elizabeth (1762 - 1789)
    • Josiah (1763 - 1791)
    • Benjamin (1765 - 1788)
    • Thomas (1769 - 1795?)
  • Henry (1736 - )
  • Josiah  (c.1737 - )
  • Hannah (c.1737 - )
  • James (c.1737 -)
  • Mary (c.1737 - )
• Nehemiah (1699 - )
• Mary (1701 - )
• Dorothy (1703 - )
• Alice (1705 - )