This story is inspired by the prompt “Quite a Character”, which was a 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks prompt a few weeks ago. I am a bit slow getting around to sharing the story.
George Elye* was probably born in Lincolnshire around
1544. I don’t know who his parents
were. There are some published family
histories that suggest various parents but these can easily be shown to be based
on dubious research.
According to Oxford University Alumni records, George Elye matriculated (enrolled) at Magdalen Hall age 19. He is described as a plebeian (commoner) from Lincolnshire. This suggests his origins were relatively humble. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts on 25 June 1566. George then continued his studies, completing his Masters degree on 3 July 1569. By the way, Magdalen Hall was a separate institution to the well-known Magdalen College, Oxford. A fire in 1820 destroyed most of Magdalen Hall’s records, so I can't find out more about George's university days. Magdalen Hall more recently merged with Hertford College.
