 Ellen was born on 24 October 1856 in Walworth , London , at the Bricklayer 's Arms public house run by her father , George Elliot . In adult life , she worked as a needlewoman and in a jute processing factory . In 1883 , she had an illegitimate daughter , also called Ellen , who died in Poplar workhouse in December 1885 . Within a year of the death of her daughter , she began working for Martin . In March 1888 , Ellen and William left Martin 's employ and moved to a furnished room at 3 Swaton Road , Bow , where they lived together until their marriage on Easter Monday , 2 April 1888 , at Bromley Parish Church . Martin later said he had dismissed William because of unpaid debts . 
