A will for JAMES ELLIS, dated Aug. 10, 1724, shows him to be a carpenter of Charleston, SC. His wife must have predeceased him as his will includes her "waring Cloaths." He mentions five children, four sons and a daughter.

Early Charles Town (settled in 1670) In 1663, King Charles II of England granted the Carolina territory to eight of his loyal friends, known as the Lords Proprietors. Seven years later (1670) the area was settled, on the west bank of the Ashley River (across the river from present day Charleston, SC). This new settlement was called Charles Town, in honor of the king. South Carolina became the third area, in America, settled by the English. First there was Jamestown in 1607, then Plymouth in 1620, and finally Charles Town in 1670. There are several reasons why Carolina was settled directly from England and not an expansion from New England or Virginia. It was (1) too far from New England by land and (2) too difficult from Virginia by land. And, it was (3) too dangerous by ship, from either location, because of Cape Hatteras. Furthermore, the Proprietors were promoting immigration through offers of land grants to Irish and French families who were willing to settle in Carolina. Finally, in 1696, the first settlers from New England arrived. A group from a Congregational Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts, with their minister Rev. Joseph Lord, settled about twenty miles from Charles Town, and named their new home, Dorchester. Charles Town was occupied by the British during the American Revolution. After they left, the city's name was changed to Charleston in 1783.