THE EARLY POTTERIES OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 43 



and that their biography has until now been entirely neg- 

 lected. The family of Elers is one of considerable antiquity 

 in the northern part of Lower Saxony, where several places, 

 as for instance Elersdorf, Elersdorpt, and Elerswolf, bear 

 their name. In Hamburg, hereditary posts of honour and 

 distinction were long attached to the family. Of this 

 family was Admiral Elers,* who was commander of the fleet 

 at Hamburg, and who married a princess of the royal house 

 of Baden. By this marriage it appears the Admiral had one 

 son, named Martin Elers, born in 1621. After his father's 

 death, this Martin Elers is said to have asserted his claim 

 to some of the Baden family honours and distinctions, which 

 were made the subject of long and expensive litigation, 

 and in the end judgment was given against him in the Aulic 

 Councils of the Empire. Disappointed at the result, and 

 affected by the great expense attending the litigation, 

 Martin Elers at once removed into Holland. In 1650 this 

 Martin Elers married a daughter of Daniel Yan Mildret, a 

 rich burgomaster of Amsterdam, with whom he is said to 

 have received a tun of gold as dower. In the house of this 

 burgomaster, the queen of King Charles I., Henrietta 

 Maria, is reported to have sought an asylum, and to have 

 frequently nursed their daughter on her lap. By this 

 marriage Martin Elers had two sons John Philip and 

 David ; the first one being named after the Elector of 

 Mentz, who was his godfather (Queen Christina of Sweden 

 holding him. in her arms at the baptismal font). Martin 

 was a man of considerable ability and learning, and was 

 appointed ambassador to several courts. 



John Philip Elers was a good chemist and an excellent 

 mechanician, and was held in much esteem by Boerhave. 

 On the Revolution of 1688, he with his brother accompanied 

 the Prince of Orange, afterwards King William III., to 

 England. The Prince, however, did nothing to further the 



* For much of the information contained in this notice of the family of 

 Elers, I am indebted to Major Lacy, whose wife is a lineal descendant of 

 this Admiral Elers. 



