The ancestor of the Ellemans in this country was Enos Elleman, a native of Wales. His father, John Elleman, was an Englishman and his mother, Mary, a Welsh woman. The time of his coming to America is not known. He seems to have come to New Jersey [Pennsylvania] and from there to. . .Orange County, North Carolina, before 1758. The family remained here until sometime between 1766 and 1769, when they came to Bush River, North Carolina [SC].
"Centennial Anniversary Of West Branch Monthly Meeting of Friends," Internet Archive "American Libraries," No Date, <http://www.archive.org/stream/> 15 March 2009.
John Elleman, Sr. was born 6/5/1696 Oxfordshire, England. John is possibly the son of John Ellyman who is enumerated in a 1662 Hearth Tax for Oxfordshire. The circumstances of John's migration to America are not known. As most of the records for John are found in Quaker records, reasonable conjecture leads to the belief that he was part of the migration stream of Welsh and English Quakers to Pennsylvania. And sometime prior to 1724, John migrated to the Colony of Pennsylvania, a haven for Quakers.
The first record for John is found in 5/1724 where he was appointed a representative from Uwchland Preparative Meeting, Chester Co PA. On 3/25/1724 at Goshen MM in Chester Co PA, John posted bands to wed Mary John b. 10/15/1706 in Wales. And, the marriage was performed on 3/25/1725.
The next record for John is found in 1745 in Berne Twp, Lancaster (now Berks) Co PA where John was granted two acres to establish a Quaker Meeting House. Conjecture leads to the belief that this was Maiden Creek Meeting House, a Preparatory Meeting vic. Leesport PA. John may have not moved his family until 1746 after the marriage of daughter Dorcas. Later John and family are cited attending Exeter MM in Exter Twp. And, this was the Meeting House where Daniel Boone and Abraham Lincoln's grandfather attended.
John's family's migration from Pennsylvania to Orange Co NC can be traced through records of Moses Embree who married daughter Margaret. In 1752 Moses and Margaret were married at Exeter MM in Berks Co PA. On 7/26/1753 they were released by certificate to Cane Creek MM near Snow Camp, Orange (now Alamance) Co NC where they were received in 1754. Family migration was the rule as opposed to the exception. It is reasonable to believe that the Elleman Family migrated either in the company of or directly following Moses Embree to Orange Co NC. And, John and Mary were received at Cane Creek MM which is near Snow Camp, Orange (now Alamance) Co NC.
The family next migrated by 6/3/1769 to Bush River, Newberry Co SC where they were received at Bush River MM. John and Mary lived the remainder of their lives in Newberry Co SC where John died on 9/5/1775. And, John is buried in the Quaker cemetery.
