Notices of the Ellises of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from the conquest to the present time

Alan were then minors, and in ward. Robert Camerarius is
mentioned along with William de la Mara, in the Pipe Roll, 1131,
as vassals of Stephen Earl of Brittany, in Yorkshire. Robert,
the Chamberlain of Conan, Earl of Brittany (who succeeded to
the title in 1165), founded Denny Abbey, in Cambridgeshire, of
which he became a monk. Conan confirms the foundation charter
of Robert, and his confirmation is witnessed by Ralph Came-
rarius, Nigellus Alius Camerarii, Henry de Camera, and John de
Camera, doubtless the sons of Robert, Ralph apparently succeed-
ing his father in his office, his brothers inheriting the name. 1
This Robert was not improbably cousin of William de Mara, and
son of the first Robert de Venuz (or Punchardon, as we shall see
hereafter) , another son, being, there is little doubt, " Elias, the
son of Robert" (witness, along with William de Mara, to a
charter of John, son of Gilbert Marshal). This Elias might
have been father of the four Fitz-Ellises in question. Robert's
children they could hardly be, for they had different Christian
and surnames, though subsequently the name of Fitz-Ellis seems
to have been borne, as well as de Camera, by families so styled, of
Newton-in-the- Willows, who were undoubtedly his descendants. 2
Marrigg Abbey, co. York, was founded by Roger de Aske,
temp. Henry II. The De Cameras, for several generations, are
met with as witnesses to charters of donors to this establishment,
and they also occur in the Testa de Nevill for Lincolnshire.
There is a charter, without date (apparently temp. King John),
of Robert Fitz-Ellis, junior, of Newton. Robert Fitz-Ellis, of
Newton, is a witness to a charter of Elias, son of Philip de
Mortun, about the beginning of Henry III. And about this
time occurs Elias, the son of Robert de Camera de Newton, and
Ada his wife. In the Roll of Arms, temp. Edward III. {Coll.
Top. et Gen. ii. 320), Robert Fitz-Ellis, of Newton, is stated to
bear Argent, a chief azure dancette. Argent, on a chief indented
gules, a lion passant or, are given as the arms of Chamber (in
the dictionaries), and ermine on a chief indented azure, three
cronells (perhaps fleurs de lis) or, as the coat of Chamberlain :
the former closely resembles a coat of Ribald of Middleham, and
of Middleham (descendants of the Earls of Brittany), viz., or, on
a chief, indented azure, a lion passant or. A heiress of one of
this family, there is therefore little doubt, married a Fitz-Ellis,
of Newton; and the canton ermine, in the coat of Fitz-Ellis,
1 Dugdale's Monad, vi. 1552.
2 In Berry's Ordinary of Arms, per pale sable and azure, three fleurs de
lis or, are assigned to the name of Newton, which name was sometimes
assumed by these Fitz-Ellises. See, in the Collectanea Topographica et
Genealogica, vol. v. p. 114, many abstracts of their charters, from the
Cartulary of Marrigg Abbey, co. York.