At his funeral it was said of him that, "The diocese of Ripon owed a great debt to the work of Canon Elliston in laying down sound principles of Church finance.

[2] His father William Alfred Elliston MD (1840–1908) was a physician and surgeon of Stoke Hall, Ipswich.

[10] His older brother was Major William Rowley Elliston OBE (1869–1954), who was a barrister, Recorder for Great Yarmouth and Mayor of Ipswich.

[2][11][12] Another younger brother, George Elliston KGStJ MC MA (1875–1954), was a publisher and barrister, and Conservative Member of parliament for Blackburn 1931–1946.

[1] His youngest brother Chatterton Eric Elliston (1882–1960) trained as a surgeon but practised as a GP at Porthleven, Cornwall.

[3][14] He married Amelia Tanner Causton (1870–1925) of Bickley, south-east London, in Paddington in 1904; she was a niece of Lord Southwark.

[24][5][6] His funeral took place on 26 October 1943, conducted at Killinghall by the Bishop of Knaresborough, the Archdeacon of Leeds, and Canons R. Pulleine and H.J.

Keene, vicar of St John the Baptist church, Misson, Nottinghamshire, where the bridal party wore satin, silk and velvet and carried gifts of gold, refreshments were provided by Buzzard of Oxford Street, and the married couple were to honeymoon on the Continent.

[27] When he left Blyth Church, he was presented on Monday 25 June 1898 by 200 people from the parishes of Blyth, Ranskill and Barnby Moor with an illustrated address and a gift of "solid silver communion plate and candlestick enclosed in a handsome leather bag, suitably inscribed, together with a purse containing thirty sovereigns."

Using the designs of C. Hodgson Fowler, he raised the floor, replaced the chancel steps, and extended the choir stalls.

[29] Elliston "was involved in many aspects of village life [and] was responsible for plans to improve and alter the chancel of the church in 1905."

However the school continued to require space in the village hall for many years, showing Canon Elliston's objection to be valid for other reasons.

He also proposed an inscribed brass war memorial tablet within the church, and this was also designed by Wood and unveiled on the same day.

[34] In June 1927, Elliston had a spat in The Yorkshire Post with D'Arcy S. Rudd, vicar of St John's church, Leeds, about attendance rates at Sunday schools.

Leigh, secretary of the Ripon Diocesan Board of Finance, said that, "The diocese of Ripon owed a great debt to the work of Canon Elliston in laying down sound principles of Church finance, and the clergy of the diocese were indebted to him for his interest in the improvement in their incomes.