Henry Ellis

Sir Henry Ellis, KCB, PC (1 September 1788 – 28 September 1855), was a British diplomat and politician. He was born in 1788 and died in 1855.

Early Life

Henry Ellis was the illegitimate son of Robert Hobart, the 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire.

Career

Ellis initially served for six years in the civil service of the East India Company. During his tenure in the Bengal Presidency, he held the position of private secretary to the president of the board of control. In 1814, he was appointed as minister plenipotentiary ad interim to Persia and returned in 1815 after successfully negotiating a treaty of peace.

In 1816, Ellis accompanied William Pitt Amherst, 2nd Baron Amherst, on an embassy to China, serving as the third commissioner. During the return voyage aboard HMS Alceste, the party was wrecked off Borneo. Ellis and Amherst were forced to make land in an open boat and reached Batavia, present-day Jakarta, after a voyage of several hundred miles. Ellis participated in rescue efforts, returning on the Indiaman Ternate to recover other survivors.

Ellis believed that a comprehensive understanding of the United Kingdom's military strength was essential for influencing perceptions at Beijing. Following the death of his father in 1816, Ellis's financial situation declined. In 1819, he accepted the position of deputy colonial secretary in the Cape of Good Hope. The following year, in 1820, he was elected Member of Parliament for Boston as a Tory. His parliamentary role conflicted with his responsibilities in the Cape, leading to the invalidation of his election by William Augustus Johnson in 1821, after some delay.

European Service and Appointments

Between 1824 and 1825, Ellis served as commissioner of customs. From 1825 until 1834, he held the position of clerk of the pells, until the post was abolished. Concurrently, from 1830 to 1835, he was commissioner of the board of control. In 1831, he was appointed to the Government Commission on Emigration, which was dissolved in 1832.

Diplomatic Posts

In July 1835, Ellis was appointed ambassador extraordinary to Persia but resigned in November 1836. In August 1842, he was dispatched on a special mission to Brazil. At the end of 1848, he was appointed to attend the conference at Brussels concerning Italian affairs.

Honors and Retirement

Ellis was made a privy councillor in 1832 and was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) in 1848. Upon retiring from his diplomatic career, he received a pension of £1,400 annually, along with a second pension related to the abolished post of clerk of the pells.

Death

Henry Ellis died at Brighton on 28 September 1855.

Published Works

In 1817, Ellis published an authorized narrative of the Amherst embassy’s journey and transactions. In 1830, he issued a series of letters addressing the East India question, directed to members of both houses of parliament.