Our tradition is that the father of our Samuel Ely,ship's carpenter,b 1780 was a Benjamin Ely. Likely true, for I have a Benjamin Ely on the 1781 tax list [only] of Galloway Twnsp,old Gloucester Co,NJ [now Atlantic Co]. Our tradition is that Benjamin Ely was lost at sea-1781 Galloway twnsp-PORT REPUBLIC-LEEDS POINT-SMITHVILLE-CHESTNUT NECK-COLLINS MILLS CLARK'S LANDING NJ-was a base for privateers. Mullica River and Little Egg Harbor bay. Say he lost his father in 1781-82, born 1780 Samuel Ely was raised by someone.He was in Galloway Twnsp in 1804,when he married Rachel Leeds. If his mother survivied,did she re- marry? The 1820 census of sw Williamsburg Twnsp,Clermont Co,Oh has Samuel Ely with his bro-in-law, Timothy Leeds, and with aWm Johnson and EDWARD Doughty. Just across the creek,he was joined,in very n Tate twnsp by Isaac Higbee m Sophia Somers,and Cornelius McCollum m Leeds. Those,and many others of his Ohio neighbors were from Galloway Twnsp,NJ. Was Wm Johnson, 1820 in sw oh,of the PORT REPUBLIC, GALLOWAY twnsp Johnson's from pre 1773 at Port Republic,NJ? Was Wm Johnson a step-brother of Samuel ELY? Who was that Wm Johnson. My wife is twice from another WM JOHNSON,of Benj,of Tom's River,NJ,up the shore. And she is from an Isaiah Johnson, who 1793,lived in Little Egg Harbor Twnsp,just across the Mullica River from Galloway Twnsp. 1820 n Williamsburg township,Clermont,Oh people. Sam Ely m 2nd Elizabeth Johnson,widow of Joseph Kain. A tradition is that Benj Ely left his belongings with a SOOYwhen he went to sea. Sooy's were Johnson neighbors at Port Republic,NJ. I think Isaiah Johnson's wife was Mary SOOY,though our 1913 history spells it SOAH. Samuel Ely had to be an apprentice ship's carpenter in the 1795 era. Pennington and VAN SANT are a couple boat yards at Port Republic,NJ.