He later found work as a telegraph operator, and received a series of promotions throughout the 1840s and 50s which culminated in his appointment as the first general superintendent of the Western Union Company in 1856.

He accompanied General McClellan during the West Virginia Campaign, and was credited with establishing the first system of field telegraphs during the Civil War.

In 1869 Stager moved to Chicago, and served as president of Western Electric, and later President of the Chicago Telephone Company and Western Edison Company, and had several business interests with "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was the richest man in the world at the time; contemporary sources describe him as the "Chief Representative of Vanderbilt Interests in the Mid-West".

[7] In 1885, accompanied by her sister Annie Stager Hickox, Ellen departed the United States to visit Great Britain and Europe.

She was presented to Queen Victoria at Court, and at a ball given in her honour she met Lord Arthur Butler, younger brother and heir presumptive of the Marquess of Ormonde.

She later visited the Ormonde Family Seat Kilkenny Castle in Ireland in 1886, and it was speculated at the time that this is where the pair became engaged.

A Wedding Breakfast was hosted by Viscountess Maidstone (who was reported to be a friend of Ellen's) at her home at 17 Queen St, Mayfair.

However by 1929 growths in investments, as well as the deaths of her two childless, widowed older sisters, resulted in her fortune likely being closer to $1,500,000 (£300,000) in value.

[12] When applying this figure to the terms of the Will, $70,800 (£14,160) would be paid to Ellen upon her marriage, and the income from the remaining $212,250 (£42,450) would not be transferred to her until this amount her 30th and 40th birthdays (which would occur in 1895 and 1905).

Consequently, it seems more likely that at the time of her marriage to Lord Arthur, Ellen possessed a fortune closer in value to approximately $70,000 (£14,000) with an additional annual income of $8,500 (£1,700) to $10,500 (£2,100) from a remaining amount of roughly $212,000 (£42,200).

Therefore it is highly likely that the value of shares and other assets which formed part of Anson Stager's estate experienced significant growth between 1885 and 1915.

In February 1922, Annie Stager Hickox died in Monte Carlo, Monaco, leaving an estate valued at $847,207.

Despite this, orders made in the New York County Surrogate's Court on 25 June 1923 indicate that the $457,000 residuary estate was split equally between Ellen and Louise Stager Gorton.

[25]: 336–337 The taxation case Ormonde (Marchioness) v Brown (HM Inspector of Taxes (1932) 17 TC 333 provides additional insights into Ellen's financial arrangements during the 1920s.

This amount increases to £313,000 ($1,565,000) if the settlements of £23,000 in 1915 and £15,000 in 1929 to George, Earl of Ossory, £16,000 in 1923 and £5,000 in 1924 to Lord Arthur Butler and £4,000 to Anne Drummond in 1932 are included.

From December 1887 to at least 1893, Lord and Lady Arthur Butler were recorded as living at 21 Park Lane, City of Westminster, London.

[37] The lease over 11 Bryanston Square was renewed for a thirty-six year period from 25 March 1939 for £3,750 and an annual ground rent of £250; however by 1943 the house had been sub-let.

In 1922, Lady Ormonde's sister Annie Stager Hickox died of pneumonia at her home "Villa Menesina" in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

[42] In 1904 Ellen, along with Arthur and their elder son George, were present when Lord and Lady Ormonde hosted King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at Kilkenny Castle.

Within the letter Lord Ormonde outlined several requests pertaining to family property, including that: (1) George not make any alteration of the family seat, Kilkenny Castle, and shooting lodge, Ballyknockane Lodge, without consulting and obtaining the approval of Arthur; (2) that Arthur would have use of Plate and other articles "as he shall desire"; and,

The guest list reported in newspapers at the time includes multiple prominent individuals from British and American High Society during the late 1930's, including the American Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and his daughter Kathleen, Lord Carisbrooke, Viscount Curzon, the Earl FitzWilliam, the Earl Spencer, The Duke of Marlborough, the-then Mistress of the Robes Helen Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, Major the Hon John Jacob Astor, and The Hon Pamela Digby.

[52] As Marchioness of Ormonde, Ellen played a prominent role in high society which was typical for British Peers' Wives in the 1920's and 30's, serving as President of the St Marylebone Conservative Association's Ball Committee in 1933,[53] as well as being a member of the Board of the West Kent Hospital in 1936 and 1937.

[56] Ellen's long-serving Lady's Maid Minnie Eva Chubb died on 12 January 1939 at St Mary Abbots Hospital, London.

The case, Ormonde (Marchioness) v Brown (Inspector of Taxes) (1932) 17 TC 333, involved the taxation of income from a Foreign Trust.

Particulars of the Case noted that in 1929 Ellen resettled her American property in an Ohio Trust, which was to pay her and her husband annuities of £6,000 each during their lifetimes.

The 1940's saw a series of tragedies befall the Ormonde Family; Ellen's two grandsons Viscount Thurles and James Drummond died in 1940 and 1944 respectively, both whilst serving in the armed forces.

[59] There is little evidence of Ellen maintaining a London residence after the outbreak of the Second World War; however she retained the 36-year 1939 Lease over 11 Bryanston Square.