[1] Ellis was born on 11 October 1894 in Farsley, City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England.

[2] He graduated from Manchester Grammar School and The Queen's College, Oxford.

In August 1938 he became the Additional District and Sessions Judge of Jessore.

In 1942 he was made the Special Officer of Air Raid Precaution in Bengal.

He was in charge of a probe body that investigated police action during the Language Movement of 1952.