- 1706: Born in Kington, Herefordshire to Giles Lloyd (an affluent merchant) and Mary Gronous Lloyd
- By 1730: had moved to London as did a number of her siblings. Their mother, Mary Gronous, had London Merchant relatives.
- 1731: Opened a haberdashery shop called The Three Angels on Lombard Street with Elizabeth Storey and Martha Williams.
- 1743: married John Ellerker, an attorney who divided his time between Doncaster, Yorkshire and London
- 2 July 1787: Sibbella Ellerker died, age 81, and was buried at St George’s in Doncaster
Trade Card: “Sibbella Lloyd, Martha Williams & Elizabeth Storey. Sells all sorts of Baskets, Pincushions, Chimney Lines, Blankets, Rollers, Mantles, Cradles, & Linings, Bed Chairs & Tables, Childrens Dimity Coats, Holland Frocks, Flannel Petty-coats, Stockings & Shoes, Quilted Gowns & Bed Gowns, Wastcoats and Holland half Shifts, Sattin & Callicoe quilted Bed Quilts, Toilots for Tables, Damask & Diaper Clouting Hollands & Callicoes, India & French Quilting, Dimitys strip’d & figur’d, best Bone & Cane Hoops, Sattin, Sarcenet, Persian, Callicoe Russel, & Callimanco Quilted Petty-coats, Velvet and Silk Scarves, Manteels, Mantilets, Pilgrims & Hoods, silk, scarlet & light colour’d Cloth Cloaks, double & coloured Velvets of all sorts. N.B. Likewise Makes & Sells all sorts of Riding Dresses, Widows Weeds, Mens morning Gowns & Bannyans Vests & Tunicks, Jocky Caps silk & Leghorn Hatts.”
Sybilla Ellerker’s Will and Last Testament
Sybilla Ellerker’s Will is a good example of an 18th century will of a widowed lady with no children but disposable income. Sybilla’s husband, (John) had acquired a portfolio of property both in Yorkshire and elsewhere. When he died in 1774, he appointed trustees to sell all his properties for the “best price” and then to use the proceeds to fund the many bequests he made. Sybilla was given the use of the Ellerker house on Doncaster High Street and some income-producing land in Cantley parish just to the east of the city “for her natural lifetime” and then those too were to be sold.
John Ellerker (an attorney) was the last of the Ellerkers of Doncaster, a family who had accrued their wealth as wool merchants; the Ellerker land holdings and wealth had descended to John and to his brother William but neither were survived by children. William died before John and left his property to John who, in turn, was left to appoint trustees to sell off Ellerker-owned houses, farms, and liquidate centuries of land acquisition.
So, Sybilla’s task was to dispose of John’s money, her money, bank stock, and the furnishings of the Doncaster house and it took a 5 page will, with a 2 page codicil to do so.
Note: Name was spelled ‘Sybilla’ throughout the Will.
The Will and Last Testament of Sybilla Ellerker of Doncaster, the Widow and Relict of John Ellerker Esquire, late of Doncaster, dated 13 January 1785
Bequests to Children and Grandchildren of Sybilla’s sister, Hester Lloyd who married Joseph Boulcott, a Ludlow Merchant:
- £2000 to John Boulcott of Ludlow, Shropshire (Gentleman) plus a silver tankard and household furniture not specifically bequeathed – Sybilla’s nephew;
- £500 to William Boulcott of Ludlow, Shropshire (Grocer) – Sybilla’s nephew;
- £2000 to John Boulcott of Limehouse, London (Timber Merchant) plus a mahogany cabinet, Mr. Ellerker’s picture, two looking glasses, my best bedstead, with mahogany posts, my feather bolster, a Sea Picture, and more – son of Sybilla’s nephew, Anthony Boulcott (deceased);
- £1000 to Mrs. Sybilla Stratton plus Ellerker family portraits, a gold watch, silver plate, dinner services and more – Sybilla’s niece, formerly Sybilla Boulcott, and previously married to Edward Cook of March, Cambridgeshire; £100 to William Stratton, Grazier of March, Cambridgeshire – Sybilla Boulcott’s second husband; £500 to Edward Cook – Sybilla’s son from her first marriage.
Sybilla’s Bank Stock
John Boulcott of Limehouse to manage £800 of Bank Stock in the Bank of England, with dividends and interest going equally to the following nieces and nephews:
- Mrs. Elizabeth Hickman (formerly Elizabeth Boulcott)
- Thomas and Edward Boulcott (Sybilla’s great nephews)
- Mrs. Esther Stubbs and Mrs. Mary Archer – Sibbella had a number of sisters so these may be daughters of one or more of those sisters
- Following the death of these people and their heirs, John Boulcott is to sell the bank stock for the best price and give the proceeds to his son, Joseph Crew Boulcott, if living and if not, to John Boulcott’s next oldest son.
Bequests to Non-Family Members
- £300 to Rev Morton Rockcliffe plus a clock and pictures, £400 to his wife, Martha Rockcliffe, and £100 to Sybilla Rockcliffe, their daughter – Sybilla was Sybilla Ellerker’s Goddaughter; Morton Rockcliffe was a London clergyman who married Martha Leigh Bennett, and the couple had just the one child. Sybilla Rockcliffe later married Sir Thomas Harvie Farquahar and the couple had a number of children, including a daughter they called Sybilla.
- £400 to Mrs. Rockcliffe, the widow of Mr. Morton Rockcliffe Senior of Woodford, Essex, plus a purse with several pieces of gold and other coins [The link between Sybilla Ellerker and the Rockcliffe family is not known]
- £200 to Richard Bowzer son of Mrs. Richard Bowzer of Doncaster – he was one of John Ellerker’s Trustees, Richard Bowzer, Glue Maker of Southwark, Surrey; £10 to Sybilla Bowzer – Sybilla Ellerker’s Goddaughter and daughter of Richard Bowzer. The Bowzers were a Doncaster family but Richard Bowzer Junior went into business in Southwark as a glue and felt maker: ‘Coates and Bowzer’ Company.
- £100 to Francis Sydall of York (not traced);
- £30 to Rev George Hatfield, Vicar of Doncaster – Vicar from 1762 until his death in 1785. Buried at Doncaster;
- £50 to Miss Catherine Granville of Doncaster (not traced);
- £20 to Mrs. Elizabeth Webster, wife of Mr. Webster, Surgeon of Doncaster;
- £300 to Miss Anne Tyas ‘currently residing with me’, plus my laces and best wearing apparel – probably a member of the Tyas family, long established in Yorkshire;
- £100 to Miss Elizabeth Gee, youngest daughter of Osgood Gee (deceased) – this was the Gee family of Beckenham, Kent and Elizabeth was born there in 1746;
- £100 to Mrs. Jane Judd, widow of Stamford, Lincolnshire, daughter of Rev. Digby of Tinwell – Jane Digby married William Judd of Stamford in 1764 at Tinwell, Northants and settled in Stamford;
- £30 to Thomas Sherwood of Doncaster, Watchmaker – ‘Thomas Sherwood of Doncaster, was born about 1748, completed an apprenticeship as a watchmaker and silver smith and operated his own business in Doncaster in 1771 and worked there till his death in 1792’;
- £30 each to Maid Servants, Anne Petty, and Anne Whitworth, plus the remainder of my cloaks and wearing apparel;
- To George Whitaker of Doncaster, a diamond ring with a single diamond, to Temperance Whitaker (his wife) a Dressing Glass in my best bedroom – George Whitaker was another watchmaker and he married Temperance Whitaker of Worksop, Notts in 1769 (presumably related);
- To Mrs. Marriott, wife of Samuel Marriott, the rest of my diamond rings – Mrs. Marriott was Sarah Sudger of ‘the ancient family of Islington’ who married Samuel Marriott (discussed below) in 1778; Sarah lived a long life and at age 91 was buried in Limpsfield Cemetery, Surrey – the Marriotts owned property in Limpsfield.
‘By the will of my late husband John Ellerker, I am entitled to dispose of any sum of money that I think proper, not exceeding £600’:
- £400 to Samuel Marriott of the Excise Office, London – Samuel Marriot was Accountant General of the London Excise Office and his connection to Sybilla has not been established but he was related to the Morton Rockliffe family discussed above);
- £200 to Mrs. Catherine Jennings, wife of Edward Jennings of Doncaster – Catherine Jennings (formerly Cabbes) was the daughter of Sybilla’s sister Mary Lloyd Cabbes.
‘The residue of my personal estate to go to niece Sybilla Stratton and to Samuel Marriott who I appoint as joint executors of my will.’
Codicil: Rev. Morton Rockcliffe, Rev George Hatfield, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hickman are now deceased and bequests revised as follows:
- John Boulcott no longer to receive the Looking Glass in the study and Sea Picture; the Looking Glass now goes to Mrs. Harrison, now the wife of Rev Harrison of Hooton Roberts – William Harrison was Rector of Hooton Roberts near Rotherham from 1757 until he died in 1794
- The Sea Picture to Childers Walbanke-Childers of Cantley Lodge (wealthy local land-owner and co-owner of a bank on Doncaster High Street; he purchased John Ellerker’s Cantley properties from Ellerker’s trustees);
- Sybilla Rockcliffe to receive the clock and best bed quilt in addition to the legacy of £100 already given;
- Additional £400 to Miss Anne Tyas;
- Additional £10 to the 2 maid servants;
- Legacy of £400 to Samuel Marriott of the Excise Office, London now reduced to £300 and legacy of £200 to Mrs. Catherine Jennings increased to £300;
- Additional £100 to niece, Mrs. Mary Archer;
- £30 to Edward Bower, Surgeon of Doncaster – listed in The Universal British Directory of 1791 as Surgeon and Apothecary of Doncaster
- £100 to Mrs. Marriott, wife of Samuel Marriott, in addition to the diamond rings.
This codicil revokes “The residue of my personal estate to go to niece Sybilla Stratton and to Samuel Marriott who I appoint as joint executors of my will”. Instead, all residue of my personal estate to go to niece Sybilla Stratton, and she to be sole Executrix. Samuel Marriott of London and Richard Bowzer of Doncaster to aid and assist Sybilla Stratton in the execution of the Will. Probate granted 3 August 1787 to Sybilla Stratton
Select Sources
- England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
- England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973
- UK and Ireland, Find a Grave™ Index, 1300s-Current Memorial ID 220122184
- The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1156
- The Clergy Database
- FreeReg.org
- Dugdale’s Visitation of Yorkshire available on Archive.org