Barrister, local politician and Mayor of Hornsey 1908-9. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and published a number of books on historical subjects. In the 1890s the College of Arms, London, granted Arms to Ebblewhite and his heirs.
His connections with the City of London include being, at various times, a Citizen of London, Master of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks, Senior Warden of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers and Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners.
Ernest Arthur Ebblewhite was born on 2 March 1867 in Woodford, Essex, the eldest of the twelve children of John Henry Ebblewhite (1828-1901) and his second wife Amy Louisa Ebblewhite née Price (1850-1916). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1867 in the West Ham registration district, Essex. He was baptised together with his sister, Amy Ethel Ebblewhite (1868-1935), on 19 January 1869 at St Botolph's Church, Aldgate, where the baptismal register shows his family residing at 24 Aldgate High Street and that their father was a musical instrument maker.
He is shown in the 1871 census as still living at 24 Aldgate High Street, with his parents, his two half-brothers: Henry William Ebblewhite (1847-1877) & George Ebblewhite (1853-1940), his sister Amy Ethel Ebblewhite and his brother Albert Victor Ebblewhite (1871-1939), together with a female general domestic servant and a nurse. His father was described as a musical instrument dealer whilst half-brother Henry was shown as an assistant musical instrument dealer and half-brother George as a clerk.
On 28 June 1888 he married Blanche Amy George (1867-1942) at St Cuthbert's Church, Wells, Somerset, where the marriage register describes him as a bachelor and gentleman living in South Hackney, Middlesex, whilst his wife was shown as a spinster living in Wells and the daughter of Maurice Charles George, a hotel proprietor. They were to have four children: Ernest G. Ebblewite (1890-1927), Maria Ebblewhite (b.1893), Ursula Ebblewhite (1893-1992) and Joyce Ebblewhite (1898-1997).
He was described as a genealogist in the 1891 census living at 26 Cheverton Road, Islington, with his wife, their son Ernest G. Ebblewhite, his sister Mabel Frances Ebblewhite (b.1874), together with a female general domestic servant. On 22 April 1891 he was admitted into the Freedom of the City of London by patrimony, his father having been admitted into the Freedom on 20 October 1856.
The 1901 census shows him as a barrister-at-law, genealogist & clerk to a livery company residing at 'Tintern', Christ Church Road, Stroud Green, Hornsey, with his wife, their son Ernest, two of their daughters Ursula and Joyce, together with a nurse, a cook and a housemaid.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as a barrister-at-law living at 1 Windsor Mansions, Luxborough Street, Marylebone, with his student daughter, Ursula, and a female general domestic servant.
Telephone directories in 1921 list him as a barrister-at-law at 5 Essex Court, Temple, London, EC4 and at The White Cottage, West Hill Avenue, Epsom, Surrey.
On 22 July 1927 he married Lizzie Blanche Ries (1881-1953) by means of an archbishop's licence at St Martin's Church, Horley, Surrey, where the marriage register describes him as 'aged 60 years, a barrister-at-law & a Justice of the Peace, formally the husband of Blanche Amy Ebblewhite, formally George, spinster, from whom he had obtained a divorce, residing at The White Cottage, Epsom, Surrey', whilst his wife was shown as aged 45 years, a spinster living at The Railway Hotel, Horley, Surrey, the daughter of Robert Hermann Ries a deceased wine merchant who had originally been a subject of the German Empire and had become a naturalised British subject in 1887.
Probate records confirm that his address had been The White Cottage, West Hill Avenue, Epsom and that he died, aged 80 years, on 25 March 1947 at The Court Recreation Ground, Pound Lane, Epsom. Probate was granted on 23 September 1947 jointly to his widow, to Lloyds Bank Ltd and to Colonel Arthur Julian Walter Bavin. His effects totalled £49,126-17s-4d. His body was buried in Plot O56 in Epsom Cemetery, Ashley Road, Epsom, KT18 5BP.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
