| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. From the book "Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33": "William Phelps:
Origin: Crewkerne, Somersetshire Migration: 1630 on Mary & John First Residence: Dorchester Removes: Windsor 1635... Birth: By about 1593 based on estimated date of marriage. Death: Windsor 14 July 1672 ("Old Mr. William Phelps died" [Births Marriages and Deaths Returned from Hartford, Windsor and Fairfield and Entered in the Early Land Records of the Colony of Connecticut..., Edwin Stanley Welles, ed. (Hartford 1898), hereinafter refered to as CTVR, 27]). Marriage: (1) By 1618 Mary ____, who was buried at Crewkerne 13 August 1626. (2) Crewkerne 14 November 1626 Anne Dover. "Mistress Phelps" was the first on the list of women members of the church at Dorchester who came with Mr. Warham to Windsor ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" in Some Early Records and Documents of and Relating to the Town of Windsor, Connecticut, 1639-1703 (Hartford 1930) hereinafter refered to as "Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 9]. She died Windsor 30 August 1689 ("Mrs. An Phelps died" [CTVR 57]). Children:
With first wife
i William, bp. Crewkerne 9 September 1618; m. (1) Windsor 4 June 1645 Isabel Wilson ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55; The American Genealogist, Volume 9 to present (1932+) 52:78]; m. (2) Windsor 20 December 1676 Sarah Pinney ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 72].
ii Samuel, bp. Crewkerne 5 August 1621; m. Windsor 10 November 1650 Sarah Griswold ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55].
iii Infant, bur. Crewkerne 8 January 1623[/4].
iv Nathaniel, bp. Crewkerne 6 March 1624[/5]; m. Windsor 17 September 1650 Elizabeth (____) Copley ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55].
With second wife
v Cornelius, bp. Crewkerne 13 October 1627; no further record.
vi Joseph (twin), bp. Crewkerne 13 November 1628; m. (1) Windsor 20 September 1660 Hannah Newton ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" in Some Early Records and Documents of and Relating to the Town of Windsor, Connecticut, 1639-1703 (Hartford 1930) 57; The American Genealogist, Volume 9 to present (1932+) 65:13-16]; m. (2) Northampton 19 December 1676 Mary (____) Salmon [Manuscript volume of vital records kept by John Pynchon, at Connecticut Valley Historical Museum 20].
vii Mary (twin), bp. Crewkerne 13 November 1628; d. soon.
viii Mary, bp. Crewkerne 6 December 1629; no further record.
ix Sarah, b. say 1632; m. Windsor 9 June 1658 William Wade [Loomis 1:63].
x Timothy, b. Windsor Aug. or 1 September 1639 ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55]; m. Windsor 19 March 1661[/2?] Mary Griswold ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 56].
xi Mary, b. March 1644 ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55]; m. Windsor 17 December 1663 Thomas Barber ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 25]. Comments: In 1919 Mary Lovering Holman prepared a brief account of the family of William Phelps [Mary Lovering Holman, The Scott Genealogy.... (Boston 1919), 252-53]. In 1990 Myrtle S. Hyde resolved the problem of the identity of the wives of William Phelps and was also able to find the baptisms of his children in England [The American Genealogist, Volume 9 to present (1932+) 65:161-66]. All the Crewkerne records cited above are taken from her article."
2. The book "The Phelps Family of America and their English Ancestors," comp. by Oliver Seymour Phelps of Portland, Oregon and Andrew T. Servin of Lenox, Massachusetts, 1899, pp. 72-85:
"William Phelps, (son of William and Dorothy Phelps,) b. ___, bp. Tewkesbury Abbey Church, 19th Aug 1599. Of his wife and date of marriage we find no record. He resided for a time n Tewkesbury, where his first Child, Richard, was born in 1619 and bapt. in the Tewkesbury Abbey Church Dec. 26th, 1619.
Soon after the birth of his first child (and the death of his father) he probably removed to one of the southern counties, either Somerset or Dorsetshire, as after the birth of this first child we find no reference to him in Tewkesbury, nor do we find any record of the birth of his five other children.
Mr. Phelps, his wife, six children, and brother George, then unmarried, emigrated to New England in the ship Mary and John, of 400 tons burden commanded by Capt. Squeb, with 140 passengers. This company had been organized into a church and selected their ministers the day before sailing, as preveiously stated.
They sailed from Plymouth, England, March 20th, 1630, arriving and landing at Nantasket, now Hull, Mass., May 30th, 1630.
This company settled in Dorchester, Mass., the first settlers and founders of that place."
3. Mentioned in father's will per the book "The Phelps Family of America and their English Ancestors," comp. by Oliver Seymour Phelps of Portland, Oregon and Andrew T. Servin of Lenox, Massachusetts, 1899, pp. 72-85:
"The following is the last Will and Testament of Mr. William Phelps, or properly speaking, his Settlement Deed. From Windsor Records,
'These presents testify, that I, William Phelps, of Windsor, on Connecticut, in consideration of a marriage concluded between my son Timothy, on the one part, and Mary, the daughter of Edward Griswold, on the other; have given and granted, and by these presents do give and grant unto my son, that he, the said Timothy, shall jointly enjoin and possess, together with me, all my houseing, lands and accommodations, as also all my estate, both real and personal, both within door and without, with all the property emoluments, products, and income of the same, during my material life; And my said son is to inhabit and dwell in my house, with me and my wife, in joint way; and that it shall continue during my material life; and if my wife shall survive me, she have and enjoy in a joint way with my son the estate for her maintenance as before expressed. But if my wife chooses to settle in any place and to leave the house, then my son shall pay yearly to my wife, the sum of ten pounds during her material life, and in case I myself in my life time, or my wife after my decease, in her lifetime while she abides, to inhabit with my said son Timothy, she see cause or desire it, I do reserve power both for myself and for her, after my decease to dispose a barrel or two of cider and some apples yearly, without any harm to the premises, and likewise I do reserve like liberty for myself and my wife, to dispose of my wearing apparel, and whom we shall meet to enjoy them after our decease. Also I do give full power of bequeathing the great brass pan at her decease; and my son Timothy is to carry the improvements of the whole Estate, and to order and dispose of the stock, so far as the necessity of our subsistance shall require, and after my decease and the decease of my wife, my said son Timothy shall have and enjoy all my whole estate fore mentioned to him and his heirs forever, always provided that in case my said son Timothy shall die and leave no natural heirs begotten by him, that shall either not attain the age of twenty-one years or marry, then the one-half of my lands exempting the orchard and pasture down to the bridge, that goeth into the meadow; also the upper pasture by the house that shall belong to the house, shall return to 'william, the son of my son Samuel. Also my son Timothy is to pay out of the estate: Imprimis to discharge my daughter Mary, with that which is paid, the sum of 34 pounds, which is the full portion I allow her. To my son William twenty shillings, to Samuel ten pounds, to Nathaniel fifteen pounds, to Joseph five pounds - these legacies to my sons to be discharged within two years of my decease. In consideration of the premises we both have hereunto set our hands this 22nd day of April Anno Dom. 1660. Witness to the signatures: Daniel Clark, James Alford, William Phelps, Timothy Phelps. Entered o the Windsor, Conn., Register, July 26th, 1672'."
4. The book "The Phelps Family of America and their English Ancestors," comp. by Oliver Seymour Phelps of Portland, Oregon and Andrew T. Servin of Lenox, Massachusetts, 1899, pp. 19-20:
"William Phelps, b. England, about 1620, emigrated to New England with his father, arriving in Massachusetts Bay 30th May, 1630, settled in Dorcheser with his father, removing from there to the settling of Windsor, with Rev. Mr. Warham's church, in 1635, where he m. Isabel Wilson, 4th June, 1645, (another authority says 16th June 1645 - the first may be publication of marriage.) She was probably a passenger in the ship Mary and John, of 1630. Says the O.C.R., '15th July, 1674, now since 29 years married and has no children.'
She was admitted to the church in Windsor, 11th March, 1654, and died July, 1674, without issue. He m. 2nd, 20th Dec., 1676, Sarah Pinney, (the daughter of Humphrey Pinney and his wife, Mary Hull, who were passengers in the ship Mary and John of 1630,) b. Windsor, 19th Nov., bapt. 3rd Dec., 1648, d. 2nd Nov., 1711.
Mr. Phelps settled one-third of his property on her, before marriage. By her he had no issue.
Mr. Phelps's residence in Windsor was a short distance east of his father's homestead, and on land purchased by his father from the Indians. He united with the church 17th Nov., 1639, and was made a freeman at Hartford 29th May, 1677.
His nuncupative will, dated 7th Feb. 1681, gives all his land to his borther Timothy. He died 10th Feb., 1681.
Mr. Phelps was a worthy man, though not as consipicuous a figure as compared with his father.
Mr. Phelps's house was garrisoned in King Philip's war, 1675-1676, by details of Windsor men. He had one of his wife's nephews reside with him, and possibly adopted him, and gave him lands on the opposite side ofthe road from his own house.
After the death of Mr. Phelps there was a controversy between Mrs. Phelps and adopted son, in connection with the land given her by Mr. Phelps before marriage.
(Note - Humphrey Pinney had several children; of these Sarah m. referred to above, Mary m. Abraham Phelps, son of George, Nathaniel m. widow of Samuel Phelps.)"
5. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, pp. 563-65, has the following information, but I omit the first part which states he was born in 1599 in Tewkesbury in County Gloucester and married Elizabeth since this is not regarded as being correct as explained in notes above: "William... came to Dorchester, Mass., with Rev. Mr. Warham, of whose church, formed in Plymouth, England, he was an original member. - Old Church Records. He was accompanied hither by his wife and five children... He was from the first a prominent and highly respected citizen at Dorchester, his name frequently occurring in the "Mass. Records." 19 Oct 1630, he applied to be made a freeman; 9 Nov 1630, he was one of the jury empaneled for the trial of Walter Palmer for the murder of Austin Brotchus - the first trial by jury in New England; 27 Sep 1631, he was appointed Constable of Dorchester; 4 Mar 1634, Ens. Gibbs and Wm. Felps were appointed by the Genreral Court to go with a committee of three to arrange the borders between Boston and Dorchester, and explain what each town wants; 5 May 1635, he was a member of the General Court of Massachusetts from Dorchester. In the spring of 1636 he removed with his children (his wife having died in Dorchester) to Windsor, whither his brother George is understood to have preceded him, in the first emigration of Mr. Warham's church in the fall of 1635.
In Windsor, as in Dorchester, he ranked as an honored and active citizen; was a member of the first court held in Connecticut, 1636; also in 1637, which declared war against the Pequots; was a magistrate from 1638 to the close of 1642; foreman of the first Grand Jury 1643; deputy to Gen. Ct. 1645, '46-'49, '51, '57; in 1658 was again made magistrate and held the office for 4 years after; is frequeintly named on the petit jury; in 1641 was appointed together with Mr. Welles of Hartford a committee on 'lying'. He was an excellent, pious, and upright man in his public and private life, and was truly 'a pillar in church and state.' His residence in Windsor was about three-quarters of a mile N.W. of Broad St on the road to Poquonock, on a place owned (1859) by Dea. Roger Phelps.
He m. (2) at Windsor, Mary Dover, b. in England, and who is said to have been a fellow passenger with him on the 'Mary and John.' She was a member of original church of Dorchester and Windsor. - O.C.R.
After a residence of 42 years in New England, ow which 36 where passed in Windsor, he died there 14 Jul 1672; his widow d. 27 Nov 1675. - O.C.R.
In the Old Church Records and other Windsor records, Mr. Phelps was distinguished from his son William as 'Ould Mr. Phelps.' children (by first marriage, born in England):
A. William, b. abt. 1620 (in a deposition taken at Hartford 29 May 1677, is mentioned as being about threescore years of age - i.e. b. 1617); removed from Dorchester with his father to Windsor where he was admitted to member of Windsor church 17 Nov 1639. - O.C.R. He m. (1) Isabel Wilson, 4 Jun 1645, 'now since 29 years and has had no child,' 15 Jul 1674 (O.C.R.); she admitted to Windsor 11 Mar 1654 (O.C.R.); d.s.p. He m. (2) Sarah (dau. Humphrey) Pinney, 20 Dec 167 (O.C.R.); she was b. 19 Nov, bp. 3 Dec 1648; he sett. one-third of his ppy. on her before marriage; no issue by her. He was made a freeman at Hartford 1669; d. 7 Feb 1681; contrib. 9 s. to Conn. Fund for Relief of Poor of other Cols., 1676. His noncupative will, dated 10 Feb 1681 gives all his land to his bro. Timothy. (He had land near his father, and his homestead on the N. side of the E. and W. road which ran from Josiah Ellsworth's {late Peter Brown's} house to the Rivulet. It was garrisoned in King Philip's War (1675/6) by details of Windsor men. William,. Jr. was a worthy man, tho' not a conspicuous figure as compared with his father. He had one of his wife's nephew's, Samuel Wilson, reside with him, and possibly (O.C.R.) adopted him. He gave him land on the opp. side of road form his own house. In making Sarah Pinney his second wife he executed a jointure before marriage, giving her much of his property, and a controversy arose, after the death of 'William the younger,' concerning this land, between her and the adopted son. William Phelps owned the W. part of the Ellison-Orton lot, 40 rods on highway, and bought of Sam. Pond 11 rods more, ext'g from his ho.-lot S. 51 rods of present ditch which drained the once swamp W. of old highway. - J.H.H.)
B. Sarah, b. abt. 1623; m. Windsor 9 Jun 1658 Wm. Wade of Middletown, Conn.; she d. 10 Jul 1659; s.p.
C. Samuel, b. abt. 1625.
D. Nathaniel, b. abt. 1627.
E. Joseph, b. abt. 1629.
By second marriage:
F. Timothy, 'was born here in Aug. 1639' - O.C.R.
G. Mary, 'was born here March 1644'; m. Thos. Barber; sett. at Simsbury and became the ancestors of the S. Barbers."
6. From the booklet "Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630," vol. 13, "New Ancestral Discoveries -1990," The Mary & John Clearing House, 1990, Burton W. Spear, 5602-305th Street, Toledo, OH, 43611, copy in the Windsor, CT, Historical Society Library, p. 29:
"William and George Phelps. It has long been accepted that William Phelps was bpt. 19 Aug 1599, in Tewkesbury, son of William and Dorothy Phelps. This has now been discredited by the fact he had children bpt. in Crewkerne, Somerset, as early as 1618, and the William of Tewkesbury, was still there in 1636 (TAG Vol. 58, Oct. 1982.) (See Vol. 3, p. 68.)"
7. On file with me (file 2656) are various maps of early Windsor, Connecticut that are copies of those found at the Windsor Historical Society. Included are:
A. "Plan of Ancient Windsor, 1640-1654." Also includes a blow-up of the Palisado. Ancestral "Heads of Households" shown on the plan include John Bancroft, Thomas Barber, William Filley, Jonathan Gillett, Nathan Gillet, Edward Griswold, Jos. Loomis, Wm. Phelps, Jr., Wm. Phelps, Sr., John Porter.
B. "Map of Windsor, 1633-1650." Shows many ancestral heads of households.
C. A map entitled "Southern New England in the 17th Century," which also shows the "Great Trail" leading from Dorchester, Mass. to Windsor, Connecticut.
D. Misc. other Windsor maps in the same time periods locating ancestral heads of households and their land.
8. "The American Genealogist," 68(Jul 1990):161-166, "The English Origin of William1 Phelps of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn., with Notes on His Marriages," by Myrtle Stevens Hyde:
"William1 Phelps of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn....
Children (Phelps) of William1, prob. by his apparent first wife Mary (___), bp. Crewkerne, co. Somerset:
i. William2 bp. 9 Sept. 1618, d. Windsor, Conn., 17 Feb. 1681[/2] (Welles p. 54); m. (1) Windsor 4 June 1645 ISABEL WILSON (Windsor Early Recs. p. 55), who d. there 15 July 1674 (see George E. McCracken, "Robert Wilson of Farmington, Conn.," TAG 52:76-85, esp. 78); m. (2) Windsor 20 Dec. 1676 Sarah2 PINNEY (Windsor Early Recs, p. 72), daughter of Humphrey1 and Mary (Hull) Pinney of Windsor (Mary Walton Ferris, "Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines" [n.p. 1931-43], hereafter Dawes-Gates 2:662). No issue by either marriage.
His nuncupative will, dated 10 Feb. 1681[/2], left his entire estate to be disposed of by his [half-]brother Timothy, who was to be executor and receive one third of the "Outlands"; the court, however, awarded the widow, "by Virtue of a Jointure agreernent," the personal estate and housing, and two-thirds of the outlands (Charles W. Manwaring, "A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records" [Hartford 1904-6], hereafter Manwaring, 1:348)..."
9. The periodical "The American Genealogist," 75(2000):26, "Phelps Corrections," by Myrtle Stevens Hyde, FASG:
"The purpose of this discussion is to correct two errors in my article on the "English Origin of William Phelps" in TAG 65(1990):161--66 (both corrections belong on page 103).
In that presentation, the death date of William Phelps's wife was, given as 21 November 1675, an error, first of all, for 27 November 1675. But, with sincere gratitude to recent communication from Peter H. Judd of New York City.[1] and assistance to him by Donna Holt Siemiatkoski of Windsor, Connecticut, the date can be totally changed.
The wife that William1 apparently brought to New England with him was Ann Dover. His death occurred on 14 July 1672 in Windsor, Connecticut. The 1675 death that I and others had listed for his wife was as above, the entry in the Windsor Vital Records being for "William Phelps his wife." Another entry in the same records fits much better: "Mrs Ann Phelps" 30 August 1689.[2] The reasons are: first, there is no other Ann Phelps in Windsor to whom this entry might likely apply; second, her name was the same as the wife of William1; third, at that period the "Mrs" denotes a person of respect (which would fit the wife of William1), rather than showing her marital status; and fourth, the 1675 entry of "wife" rather than "widow" indicates a woman whose husband was alive, and WiIliam1 was then deceased. Robert Charles Anderson, in his "Great Migration Begins," gives the 1689 death date for Ann (Dover) Phelps.
The other correction is for the death of the first wife of William2. I gave it as 15 July 1674 in Windsor, citing George E. McCracken, "Robert Wilson of Farmington, Conn.," TAG 52(1976):78. That article gives no specific source for the 1674 date, and that date does not appear in the Windsor Vital Records. In fact, the vital records have no date for "Isabel Phelps." William's first wife, who was first the wife of Robert Wilson. William married, second, in December 1676. Undoubtedly the 27 November 1675 death of "William Phelps his wife" belongs to Isabel.
Footnotes:
1. Mr. Judd's book on the Phelpses has recently appeared: Peter Haring Judd, "The Hatch and Brood of Time: Five Phelps Families in the Atlantic World, 1720-1880" (Boston: Newbury Street Press, 1999).
2. Both of these entries arc in the original Windsor "Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1638- 1925" 1:49 [Family History Library, Salt Lake City, film #1,316,427].
3. Robert Charles Anderson, "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633," 3 vols. (Boston, 1995), 3:1445."
10. The publication "Search for the Passengers of the "Mary & John" 1630," by Burton W. Spear (Toledo, OH; The Mary & John Clearing House, 1989-2004), 15:52, "More on the Possible Wives of William Phelps":
"Until 1982 it was generally accepted that William Phelps of Windsor, CT was bpt. 19 Aug. 1599, in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, son of William and Dorothy Phelps. However, in The American Genealogist, volume 58, p. 243-244 (1982) Myrtle Stevens Hyde wrote an article that revealed this William Phelps was no doubt the overseer of the will of his uncle, Edward Phelps, in 1637 in England.
In 1988, during the second "Mary & John" tour to England, I visited the Somerset Record Office in Taunton and copied the following records from the original registers for Crewkerne. These were published in the Search series, Vol. 11, p. 24:
Children of William Phelps:
William Phelps, bpt. 9 Sept. 1618 (He married in 1645).
Samuel Phelps, bpt. 10 Aug. 1621 (He married in 1650).
Nathaniel Phelps, bpt. 11 May 1624 (He married in 1650).
Cornelius Phelps, bpt. 13 Oct. 1627 (He married in 1660).
There was also another entry:
William Phelps m. Ann Dover, 14 Nov. 1626.
If the above William Phelps was the one at Windsor, CT, then this was a second marriage. Up to now the name of his first wife has never been proven. There was a marriage of a William Phelps to Anne Law in Broadwindsor, Dorset (5 m. S of Crewkerne) in 1618 (no day or month listed). This is the same year that William, Jr., the first known child of William, was born.
Also, it has long been claimed, but not proven, that there was a Mary Dover on the "Mary & John" in 1630, and she married William Phelps about 1638, as his last wife, but this has now been challenged.
In another article by Myrtle Stevens Hyde, in The American Genealogist, July 1990, p. 161-166, she published some additional parish entries found in Crewkerne:
Infant of William Phelps, bu. 8 Jan. 1623/4. ,
Marie, wife of William Phelps, bu. 13 Aug. 1626. NOTE: This is three months and a day before William Phelps m. Ann Dover.
Joseph Phelps, son of William Phelps, bpt. 13 Nov. 1628. (He married in 1660). Mary Phelps, dau. of William Phelps, bpt. 13 Nov. 1628 (Same day as Joseph). (NOTE: She may have d.y. because another was named Mary the next year).
Mary Phelps, dau. of William Phelps, bpt. 6 Dec. 1629. NOTE: There is no other record of this Mary and he named another dau. Mary, in 1644. This was only three months before the family sailed for New England so she must have d.y., possibly at sea.
From these new Crewkerne entries, Myrtle Stevens Hyde suggests that:
1. William Phelps m. (1) Mary ___ who was bu. 13 Aug. 1626.
2. He m. (2) Ann Dover, 14 Nov. 1626.
3. No record has been found for the death of a wife of William Phelps in the 1630's or a record of a marriage to a Mary Dover.
4. Finally, she suggests there was no Mary Dover or another marriage in New England. She suggests the names of his wives, (1) Mary ___, and (2) Ann Dover, became confused. If this is true, then his unnamed widow, who died, 21 Nov. 1675, was Ann Dover and not Mary Dover."
11. The book "Dorset Pilgrims," 1989:
"APPENDIX II WINDSOR INVENTORIES. Total amounts (£s) in orders of magnitude.
First generation: Name/Amount/Birth/Death:
Tudor, Owen 294 England 1691
Gillett, Jonathan 273 England 1677
Stiles, John 222 England 1662
Loomis, Joseph 178 England 1658
Barber, Thomas 132 1614 1662
Bancroft, John 110 England 1662
Skinner, John 90 England 1651
Second generation:
Phelps, Samuel 773 c. 1625 1669
Phelps, Joseph 473 c. 1629 1695
Phelps, William 472 England 1682
Loomis, Thomas 377 England 1689
Loomis, Joseph 281 England 1687
Stiles, John 96 England 1683
Note: The lists in Appendix II should be used with considerable caution and in terms of orders of magnitude only. A few inventories include some land as well as chattels; there are one or two - Matthew Allyn is an example - the bulk of whose possessions lie outside Windsor; and allowance must be made for those, usually elderly, who have already deeded the bulk of their property to children before their death; but even in its raw state the lists reveal the concentration of possessions, if not 'wealth', in the hands of a minority of families and predictable families at that. They bear comparison with the list of grants from the plantation in Appendix I."
MARRIAGE:
1. From the book "New England Marriages Prior to 1700,' by Clarence Almon Torrey, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, copy in the Windsor, CT., Historical Society Library, p. 576:
"Phelps, William (1620-1681/2) adn 1/wf isabel Wilson (-1674); 4 Jun 1645, 1646, 16 Jun 1645, 4 Jun 1646, no issue; Windsor, CT.
Phelps, William (1620-1681/2) and 2/wf Sarah Pinney (1648-1711); 20 dec 1676, no issue; Windsor, CT."
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
1618 - 1682 (~ 63 years)