Scott Polar Research Institute
Alias: None
Title: Mr
Rank: Able seaman
Dates: 1878-unknown
Nationality: Unknown
Awards: Polar Medal (bronze)
Ellis was born in Grimsby in 1878 and later joined the Merchant Navy. He joined the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 (Nimrod) at the age of 29 as an able bodied seaman, and was appointed as assistant steward on the return voyage of the Nimrod from Lyttelton, New Zealand to London.
Very little is known about the rest of Ellis's life after he signed off on 31 August 1909. He probably carried on sailing until he retired and then lived out his life in Grimsby. A Burberry jacket worn by Ellis on the Nimrod Expedition is held in the Museum Victoria Antarctic collection in Australia.