Mary Dodgson (Phillips) Whitfield (1823 - 1903)

Born 3 Nov 1823 in Fish River, Cape of Good Hope

Ancestors

Wife of Leo Africanus Whitfield — married 1 Nov 1841 in Cuylerville, near Bathurst, Eastern Cape

Descendants

Died 22 Oct 1903 at age 79 in 69 Durban Street, King William's Town, Eastern Cape, Union of South Africa

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Moira Macdonald [send private message] and John Walsh [send private message]

Biography

On 3rd November 1823 Mary Phillips became the first born child of ten, to British 1820 Settlers John Phillips and his wife, Sarah (Hayhurst) Phillips, and was baptized some sixteen year later, in 1839. Her next four sibs were batch-baptized some years later in 1842, and the following five at the age of 2 or less. Being resident at Great Fish River Mouth, it would have been difficult to travel the considerable distance to Grahamstown, before the church became established in Bathurst and Cuylerville. In 1841 at age 18, she married the boy next door, 19-year-old Leo Africanus Whitfield, also of Fish River Mouth. Together they produced thirteen children. At some point they moved to farm and trade in the Fort White area, Debe Nek. Their home, Gum Grove sometimes called Myrtle Grove was West of King William's Town in British Kaffraria near Debe Nek. Her husband died in 1887 and the widow Whitfield continued to live thereabouts for some 16 years. Her death is recorded at King William's Town, a few days shy of her eightieth birthday in 1903, but her tombstone is found at Debe Nek, in a now desolate spot.

rumors of birth place

Persistent rumors state that she was born at Debe Nek are false. At the time of her birth (1923) there was no Settler presence at Debe Nek. However she later made her home there. Her baptismal record repudiates this and states her birthplace as Fish River Mouth. This note by Dennis Maeder

adoptive status

There are several sources which have suggested that Mary was adopted by the Phillipses. DNA evidence now refutes that suggestion. In order to do this, various descendants of John & Sarah Hayhurst have volunteered their autosomal DNA. Key to this was asking the question

"Do descendants of John and Sarah Phillips NOT descended through Mary Dodgson Phillips share DNA with those descended through Mary?"

The key volunteers were Jen (Phillips) Bales-Smith descended though John Phillips III and Moira MacDonald descended though Mary Dodgson (Phillips) Whitfield. If Mary were adopted then Jen and Moira would be unrelated. DNA segment matches conducted on GEDmatch show significant shared DNA at the expected level for 4th cousins. Cousins descended from Thomas Wood were excluded because of the marriage of his daughter Jane Wood and John Phillips III. This note by Dennis Maeder

Name: Mary Dobson Phillips. Given Name: Mary Dobson. Surname: Phillips. Married Name: Whitfield. A Given name was found in addition to a first name in the NAME tag.

Died Y. 22 OCT 1903. Age: 79.

Buried Fort White, Amatole, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Sources

1823 birth

[1] Grahamstown, Bathurst, St John the Evangelist Baptisms, marriages, burials 1829-1849, Image 15 of 108 baptismal entry #226 dated 8 Dec 1839

Baptized a daughter of John and Sarah Philipps <sic> of Great Fish River Mouth, by the name of Mary Dodgson; born 3rd November 1823. James Barrow, Colonial Chaplain.

note

This source contains an index at the back which lists the entire family with references to the baptisms of all the children.

1841 marriage

From marriage certificate [2]:

1841. Marriage solemnized at Cuylerville in the Parish of Bathurst in the District of Albany. 1841.

when married: Nov 1st 1841

names and surnames:

Leo Africanus Whitfield, Batchelor, Farmer

Mary Dodgson Phillips, Spinster

Residence at time of marriage: Fish River Mouth (both)

after Banns

Consent: John Phillips, Father (of bride)

married by James Barrow, Colonial Chaplain at Bathurst

signed Leo Africanus Whitfield & Mary Dodgson Phillips

In the presence of us J Phillips & R Blackbeard

gravestone near Fort White

From site [3] image [4] Titled "NEW - Charlotte's grave, Fort White, Debbie Nek, Gum Grove"

Transcription:

In loving memory of our dear father & mother

LEO AFRICANUS WHITFIELD

Died October 24th 1887 aged 65 years

MARY DODSON WHITFIELD

Died October 22nd 1903

Aged ?? Years

1903 death

Transcript of barely legible photo of MOOC 6/9/676 2843 WHITFIELD, MARY DODGSON. NEE PHILLIPS. DEATH NOTICE. 1911 [5] and Legible copy img 111 of 2013 [https:/familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQF-QSH6-Z?i=110] [6][7] by Dennis Maeder

Filed 13 October 1911 Death Notice #2843

Name: Mary Dodgson Whitfield (born Phillips)

birthplace: Fish River, Cape of Good Hope

father: John Phillips

mother: ? Phillips, born Hayhurst (?Hayshot?)

age: about 80

condition: domestic

marital status: widow

last marriage: Leo Africanus Whitfield. died 24 October 1887

day of decease 22 October 1903

at what house: 69 Durban St. King W Town

names of children

Charlotte Sarah Gormaud <sic not Gorman> (born Whitfield)

John Henry Whitfield

Cordelia Ann Hains (born Whitfield)

Mary Elizabeth Wood (born Whitfield)

Oscar Leo Robert Whitfield

Leo Africanus Whitfield

Jane Lawrence (born Whitfield)

Arthur Whitfield

Virginia Ellen Jones (born Whitfield)

Edith Emily Phillips (born Whitfield)

Saul Whitfield

Wallace Whitfield

Ada Maude Ewels? (born Whitfield)

property?: none The deceased has left a joint will with her predeceased spouse.

dated at King William's Town

20 September 1911

signed J.H. Whitfield (son)

"South Africa, Cape Province, Probate Records of the Master of the High Court, 1834-1989", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7L-PM15 : 28 April 2023), Mary Dodgson Phillips Whitfield, 1911-1912.

Profiles on other servers

Geni [8]

MyHeritage [9] Jen Bales-Smith PHILLIPS/Bales-Smith Family Web Site

1820Settlers.com [10]

• Source: S500081 Dennis Scott Scott Web Site

  MyHeritage family tree

  Family site: Scott Web Site

  Family tree: 314698521-1 Smart Matching Media: 314698521-1Mary Dobson Whitfield (born Phillips) Certainty: 3 4 NOV 2017 Added via a Person Discovery Event: Discovery

• Source: BillionGraves Publication: MyHeritage <A href="http://www.billiongraves.com/" target="_blank">www.billiongraves.com Collection Media: 10147https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10147-139152431/mary-dodson-whitfield-in-billiongraves Certainty: 4 Mary Dodson Whitfield&lt;br&gt;Death: Oct 22 1903&lt;br&gt;Burial: Fort White, Amatole, Eastern Cape, South Africa&lt;br&gt;Note: Unmarked grave next to him is thought to be that of his mother Charlotte Turkington born Circa June 1797 and died 21 June 1875. See http://pelejab.page.tl/Charlotte-h-s-grave%2C-Fort-White%2C-Debbie-Nek%2C-Gum-Grove.htm&lt;br&gt;Epitaph: In Loving Memory of Our Dear Father & Mother&lt;br&gt;Relatives: <br>Relation Name Birth Death<br> <a>Leo Africanus Whitfield</a> 1887 Event: Record Role: 10147:139152431-: