William Ellery

For his father, the merchant and politician, see William Ellery Sr.

William Ellery
Engraving of Ellery by Henry Bryan Hall
23rd Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
In office
June 1785 – May 1786
Preceded byPaul Mumford
Succeeded byPaul Mumford
Personal details
Born(1727-12-22)December 22, 1727
Newport, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
DiedFebruary 15, 1820(1820-02-15) (aged 92)
Newport, Rhode Island
Resting placeCommon Burying Ground, Newport
OccupationLawyer
Known forsigner of the United States Declaration of Independence
SignatureCursive signature in ink

William Ellery (December 22, 1727 – February 15, 1820)[1] was a Founding Father of the United States, one of the 56 signers of the United States Declaration of Independence,[2][3] and a signer of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Rhode Island.[4]

In 1764, the Baptists consulted with Ellery and Congregationalist Reverend Ezra Stiles on writing a charter for the college that became Brown University. Ellery and Stiles attempted to give control of the college to the Congregationalists, but the Baptists withdrew the petition until it was rewritten to assure Baptist control. Neither Ellery nor Stiles accepted appointment to the reserved Congregationalist seats on the board of trustees.[5]

  1. ^ "William Ellery".
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference EB1911 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Bernstein, Richard B. (2011) [2009]. "Appendix: The Founding Fathers: A Partial List". The Founding Fathers Reconsidered. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199832576.
  4. ^ "The Signers". harvard.edu. Declaration Resources Project, Harvard University. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. ^ Historical Catelogue of Brown University,Providence: Brown University, 1914.