BORN HULL 30/10/1884. SON OF ELIZABETH ANN ELLIS (1859-1939) & JOHN THOMAS ELLIS (1844-1892). HIS FATHER WAS A FISHERMAN. HIS WIDOWED MOTHER REMARRIED IN 1893, BECAME MRS THARRATT AND LIVED AT 10 DORSET STREET, HULL (1911 CENSUS). HE HAD FOUR BROTHERS AND TWO SISTERS.
HE LIVED AT 74, WESTBOURNE STREET, HULL (ADDRESS FROM REGISTER OF SEAMAN)
HE WAS SKIPPER, OF THE HULL TRAWLER “EXPEDIANT”, SUNK ON 27/03/1917. ALL HANDS LOST. HE WAS AGED 32.
HIS NAME IS LISTED IN THE LOST TRAWLERMAN OF HULL RECORDS. HIS BROTHER, JOHN THOMAS ELLIS WAS SKIPPER OF THE “SOUTHWARD HO”, SUNK ON 27TH MAY 1915, AGED 29. HIS BROTHER, JOSEPH JACK ELLIS WAS SECOND MATE ON THE HULL TRAWLER “QUAIR”, SUNK ON 3RD NOVEMBER 1916, AGED 30. THEY ARE COMMEMORATED AT ST MATTHEWS CHURCH, BOULEVARD, HULL.
Expedient, built by Mackie & Thomson, Govan in 1893 and owned at the time of her loss by Great Northern Steamship Fishing Co. Ltd., Hull, was a British trawler of 145 tons. On March 28th, 1917, Expedient was scuttled by the German submarine UC-75 (Johannes Lohs), in the North Sea. The crew was ordered to the lifeboats, but none were seen again. 10 persons were lost.
CREW LOST ON EXPEDIENT (H219), enemy action, North Sea, 27th March, 1917.
ADAMS, John (19), 12 Ivy Grove, Rugbt St. Cook
ASKEY, Henry (55), 158 Somerset St, Hull. Mate
BEE, George (29), 6 Thorsby-Ave, Flinton St, Hull. 2nd/Engineer
ELLIS, Benjamin (33), Address not traced. Skipper
HENDERSON, George (31), 89 Westbourne St, Hull. 3rd/Hand
HILL, Daniel (21), 6 Salford-Avenue, Manchester St, Hull. Fireman
JACKSON, J (50), 15 Newbridge Road, Hull. 4th/Hand
TOWNEND, Charles (50), 17 Westbourne St, Hull. Bosun
WATSON, John (57), 38 Whitty St, Hull. Chief Engineer
WOODHEAD, Thomas (37), 7 Alpha Terrace, Nornabell St, Hull. Stoker 1st Class
