Nicholas Phillips (1611 - bef. 1672)

Born 6 Oct 1611 in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England

Husband of Elizabeth (Jewson) Phillips — married 26 Jun 1631 in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, , England

Descendants

Died before 3 Oct 1672 before age 60 in Weymouth, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Nicholas Phillips migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 263) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disambiguation

There were at least two distinct Nicholas Phillips in New England in the 1600s:

1. Nicholas Phillips of Weymouth (this profile) - d. abt 1672, m. Elizabeth Jewson
2. Nicholas Phillips of Boston - d. 15 Mar 1669-70, m. Hannah Salter.

These two had children of the same name as well. The three girls listed by the Boston Registry Department (listed in the sources in the other Nicholas' profile) as children of Nicholas and Hannah Phillips were previously attributed as children of this profile, which is incorrect.

Biography

Nicholas Phillips was born in Buckinghamshire, England.

Nicholas Phillips was born around 1611 in England. He is said to be the son of Nicholas Phillips and Abigail Sewell but no evidence has been found. They are attached as uncertain parents along with Nicholas' brothers.^[1]

Nicholas married Elizabeth Jewson June 26, 1631, in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England.^[2] It seems likely that they had children immediately with one or two born in Wendover.^[3]

Nicholas and Elizabeth emigrated to America sometime before Nicholas and his brothers, Henry and Martin, signed the covenant at Dedham in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on August 18, 1636.^[4] He was granted 12 acres of land there on the same day. Nicholas was absent from the first town meeting but attended the second in November 1636.

At the town meeting September 28, 1637, the three Phillips brothers were present along with Abraham Shaw. At the meeting on November 1 the brothers were again in attendance when it was decided to build a Meeting House and that the town would pay "for felling pynes of two Foote, 6 pence each" and "for Oake of the same thickness, 8 pence" and "for greater and smaller after ye same rate". Nicholas was commissioned, with three other men, to clear the trees.^[5]

At the April 6, 1638, meeting Nicholas and Joseph Kingsbury were named for "laying downe each a p'cell of grownd for a burial place, (and) are to have a good allowance of Grownd in some other place for ye same. As also ye Nicholas for a p'cell of grownd layd down at the Keye."^[6]

By the August 28, 1638, meeting the Meeting House was ready for the thatch roof. Nicholas and John Howard were chosen to "mowe, gather up and bring home thatch for ye meeting house." On November 23, the council granted him a new plot of ground on the hill between the "highway and Jonas Humphrey."^[7] He was fined ten shillings for having "felled certain trees" which were not on his land. He was a selectman in Dedham from 1636-1639 and attended many town meetings.^[8]

On July 19, 1639, there was a document that stated that "Nicholas Phillips alienateth and granted unto John Allen Pastor and to his heyers and assinges forever both his dwelling house and yt wholl portion of Land ... 12 acres together with two acres of Swampe. And also his Right and clayme unto Fower acres of Medowe." His bill of sale under his hand and seal bears the date of First of August 1639 and demonstrates that he did not forfeit his lands in Dedham but rather sold them. He was not present at subsequent meetings in Dedham.^[5]

Nicholas moved the family to Weymouth, still in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, probably in late 1639 or 1640.^[5] He was made freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 13, 1640.^[9] This allowed him to be recognized as full citizen with rights in the town and in the church.

He purchased a lot from Philemon Dalton and sold it to his brother Henry Phillips 19 Jul 1639.^[10][11] He is last mentioned in Weymouth on February 23, 1650.^[12]

In January 1644, the First Congregational Church was organized with Rev. Thomas Thacher as pastor. Rev. Thacher was well received and remained as pastor for the next twenty years. Nicholas became Deacon at this church sometime before he was called "Deacon Phillips" on February 8, 1660.^[13]

He was one of the appraisers of the estate of William Brandon of Weymouth, 23 Nov, 1646.^[14]

On the 11th day of the 6th month 1651, Elizabeth gave her consent for Nicholas to sell a house and several parcels of land to Francis Smith of Hingham.^[8]

He was again one of the appraisers of Dorothy King's estate, 18 Oct. 1652.

Deacon Phillips received thirteen acres (lot #3) in the Pint Division and thirty nine acres (lot #24) in the Second Division in Weymouth, 14 Dec. 1663. His brother, Martin Phillips, had three and a half acres adjoining his land and an acre of salt marsh.^[15] Their lands were in an area called "old Spain" on a creek that emptied into the Weymouth river. The creek eventually became known as Phillips Creek. John King and Joseph Shaw lived in the same area.^[5]

His wife, Elizabeth, and son , Caleb, died sometime before June 2, 1671, in Weymouth.^[16]

Nicholas Phillips died before October 3, 1672, when his will was proved in Weymouth.^[17]

Children of Nicholas and Elizabeth

Phillips mentions Elizabeth Phillips as the eldest child without citing any source. She is thought to have died in England or shortly after arriving in America. Phillips also offers birth dates for the younger children "from other sources" (also uncited). From Will-Phillips-140 (below) Richard is named as "eldest son" and Alice as "eldest daughter". Alice is also named one of the "six younger children" (out of seven). So Richard is eldest surviving child on 2 Jun 1671. The birth date for Alice was given (in this profile) as 24 Feb 1631 without source, but that seems unlikely. Need a source. Perhaps Richard was born out of wedlock? First two children born in Wendover, England? As Caleb is not listed in the will, he is presumed to have died prior to June 2, 1671 (when the will was dated). Phillips argues that Caleb's birth date is "almost certainly" November 22, 1638 but not say why. The birth date for Experience was given (in this profile) as 8 May 1641. If this is true, then Nicholas and Elizabeth went 5 years in America without a child. Chamberlain in Volume 2, page 947, says that Experience and Caleb were born in Weymouth in 1641 and 1643 and refers to Joshua as the eldest (which must be a mistake).

1. Elizabeth Phillips, b. 1633 in England, d. young?
2. Richard Phillips, b. 1635 (before Alice), m. Mary Packard
3. Alice Phillips, b. abt 1636, m. John Shaw
4. Experience Phillips, b. 8 May 1641, Weymouth
5. Caleb Phillips, b. 22 Jan 1643-4, d. before 2 Jun 1671
6. Joshua Phillips, b. 1647
7. Hannah Phillips, b. 1652
8. Benjamin Phillips, b. 1654
9. Abigail Phillips, b. 1660

Will of Nicholas Phillips of Weymouth (Will-Phillips-140)

Nicholas Phillips of Weymouth, dated 2 Jun 1671, proved 3 Oct 1672.^[18]

"Age Sixty Yeares, or thereabouts having a very weake body." To eldest son Richard Phillips the marsh which is now in his possession. To his three sons Richard, Joshua and Benjamin Phillips his wearing apparell. To second son Joshua Phillips £6. To third son Benjamin Phillips £6. To eldest daughter Alice Shaw £10. To my six younger children, viz., Joshua Phillips, Benjamin Phillips, Alice Shaw, Experience King, Hannah White, and Abigail Phillips, the rest of his estate to be equally divided. Overseers: sons Richard, Joshua and Benjamin Phillips. Son Richard Phillips, executor. " My loving brother Henry Phillips and my loving friends Thomas Dyer and Jonas Humphrey " mentioned, Witnesses: Elizabeth Shaw and Thomas Dyer, Jr.

Inventory taken 7 Sept. 1672, by William Torrey, Thomas Dyer and Jonas Humphrey. Among the items mentioned were "bookes in leather and 7 pamphlets," ;£2 2s., total £257 11s. 6d., presented by Richard Phillips as the estate of his late father Nicholas Phillips, 3 Oct. 1672.

DNA

There has been much confusion in the Phillips line but y-DNA testing is being used to sift through the many Phillips lines in America (73 identified by January 2012).^[19]

There are 4 Phillips males who have had their y-DNA tested and have been put in Family Group 18. All four of the test takers indicate their descent from Richard Phillips as their most recent common ancestor. Further, they all indicate Richard's grandparents as Nicholas Phillips and Abigail (Sewell) Phillips.^[19]

Since no genealogical evidence has been found that Nicholas Phillips of Weymouth is the son of Nicholas and Abigail, we cannot attach such a statement to the DNA results. The test results do not indicate that these four ARE descended from Nicholas and Abigail, only that these four are descended from a common Phillips ancestor that they believe to be Nicholas. The descent of the four test takers from Nicholas of Weymouth is well documented, so these results can be taken to confirm that the four test takers and all direct male ancestors are descended from him.

NOTE: The members of groups 18 and 19 are not descended from a common ancestor within the last 1000 years. Nicholas Phillips of Weymouth and his descendants from Family Group 18 are not related to the William Phillips clan from Family Group 19.

Sources

1. ↑ Phillips Page 4 says it has not been discovered where he was born nor who his parents were. However, "from records in America Nicholas is known to have had two brothers, Henry and Martin," but no records are found for them in Wendover.
2. ↑ Phillimore, W. P. W., Buckinghamshire Parish Registers. Marriages, Vol 2, Pg 6. On Archive.org
3. ↑ No similar text of baptism records has been located for Wendover but one would be most helpful
4. ↑ Chamberlain Dedham Town Records, 1: 20
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Phillips Page 4
6. ↑ Chamberlain Page 464
7. ↑ Chamberlain Dedham Town Records, 1: 84
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Frost Page 35-6
9. ↑ New England Historic and Genealogical Register 3: 187. List of Freemen https://archive.org/stream/newenglandhistor1849wate#page/186/mode/2up
10. ↑ Hill, D. G. "The Early Records of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts. 1636-1659.", Vol. 3. Printed Records of the Town : Dedham, Mass., 1892. https://archive.org/details/earlyrecordsofto03hill/page/56 : 2024.
11. ↑ Chamberlain Dedham Town Records, 1: 84
12. ↑ Chamberlain Dedham Town Records, 1: 178
13. ↑ Chamberlain Page 465 simply asserts this and Phillips repeats it both without a source. It is not clear that Phillips was saying Nicholas was definitely pastor at this church but it appeared so. A more direct reference would be better.
14. ↑ Chamberlain Register, 7: 35
15. ↑ Chamberlain Weymouth Land Grants, 272, 282, 283.
16. ↑ Will-Phillips-140 Since the will does not mention his wife or son Caleb, we can infer that they had already died.
17. ↑ Will-Phillips-140
18. ↑ Chamberlain Suffolk Probate Records 7: 248-50.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} yDNA

• yDNA: Phillips DNA Project: Family Group 18
• Will-Phillips-140: Will of Deacon Nicholas Phillips of Weymouth, Dated 2 Jun 1671, Proved 2 Oct 1672. Abstracted in Chamberlain but still looking for facsimile of original.
• Frost: Frost, Josephine C. Ancestors of Amyntas Shaw and His Wife Lucy Tufts Williams (Not Published, 1920) Page 35
• Chamberlain: Chamberlain, George Walter. History_of_Weymouth_Massachusetts, Volume 4, Weymouth Historical Society, Weymouth, Mass. (Wright & Potter Printing Co., Boston, Mass.), 1923 On Hathitrust.org
• Phillips: Phillips, C. Arthur. Deacon Nicholas Phillips of Dedham and Weymouth, Mass., 1636-1672, Unigraphic, Inc., Evansville, Indiana, 1976. On Archive.org - Available by joining Internet Archive Library (free).
• Welch Genealogy, Library of Congress CS71.W442 1902
• Chamberlain, George Walter, M.S. Genealogies of the Early Families of Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore: Reprint, 1984)
• Dedham, Mass and Worthington, Erastus, The town of Dedham. 250th anniversary. 1636-1886 Proceedings at the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, September 21, 1886, pg 157. Cambridge, J, Publisher, 1887. On Archive.org
• Massachusetts (Colony); Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, Records of the governor and company of the Massachusetts bay in New England. Printed by order of the legislature, Volume 1, pg 377. http://archive.org/stream/recordsofgoverno01mass#page/376/mode/2up/search/nicho

Notes

• In Buckinghamshire Parish Registers, there are also marriages for:

Ralphe Grace and Jane Phillipps, 17 Feb 1621, page 4

Tho. Humfry and Anne Phillipps, 31 Jan 1629, page 5

A whole host of Phillips (one "p" at the end) but mostly after Nicholas and Elizabeth had left.

Hen. Jewson & Anne Tracher, 15 Oct 1638