William Phillips

Born [date unknown] in England

Died before 4 Dec 1655 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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William 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

Biography

Origins

According to the Great Migration Directory, the origins of William Phillips are unknown.^[1] Certainly he left no records in New England that would give us any clue to his origins. He left no will, and there was no court ordered distribution of his estate. His widow Ann was given administration of his estate and when she died her will indicates that she had no surviving children.

Hartford

William was in Hartford early, and is named on the Founders Monument. He was not an original proprietor but was granted Land by "The Townes Courtesie"^[2] He owned several parcels of land in Hartford listed in the land enumeration starting in 1639: his homelot containing his house and garden (lot on 78 on the map); a four acre parcel of swamp on the east side of the river; about one rood in the soldiers field; a parcel in the westfield with a tenement, bought of Nathaniel Kellogg; another parcel in the swamp of about eight acres, bought of John Bronson; about eleven acres in the cowpasture, bought from Thomas Porter; a three acre parcel of swamp bought of Thomas Porter; two acres of the north meadow; and about sixteen acres purchased from Thomas Porter on the East side of the river.^[3] He had several parcels as grants from the town.^[4]He sold about one and a half acres to John Talcott, which was confirmed by Ann Phillips, executrix of his will in 1659.^[3]

In 1641, the town ordered that he build four rods of fence.^[5] He was a chimney viewer in 1643.^[6] In 1644, he and two others were to view land.^[7] In 1648, "william philiups" was to pay his rate of 7s 6d in clapboards.^[8] He was elected townsman in April 1649.^[9] In 1652 he was chosen surveyor.^[10]

His earmark was recorded in 1645. "Willim fillips marke a crop one the nere eare and a slit one the ofe eare one the onder sid of it."^[11]

In 1644, he was the plaintiff against Thomas Waples, and in 1653 he and William Lewis for a hundred pounds indebted themselves to the court for the good behavior of John Doyes.^[12] He also served as juryman of the Particular Court several times in the early 1650s and was involved at "Particular court on various matters. The last mention is dated 1 March 1654/5^[13]

Probate

William's inventory, valued at £314-04-00 was taken 4 December 1655, by John Talcott, William Westwood, Edward Stebbing. It was presented in court and the widow Phillips was admitted as administrator.^[14][13]

The Will of Ann Philips

Invt. £391-16-09. Taken 13 November, 1669, by Richard Butler & Bartholemew Barnard. Will dated 31 March, 1668-9.

I Ann Phillips of Hadly, in the Massachusets Jurisdiction, Widdow, considering the uncertainty of the time & maner of my death: & that my Estat emay be disposed according to my own minde and Will though at this present I am in health of body & having my perfect memory & understanding, Doe make & ordaine this my last Will & Testament, Wherein I give unto my brother John Rogers now liveing in Old England one hundred pounds ... But in case my Brother have departed this Life before the time afoarsayd then my will is that his sonn John Rogers shall possesse & enjoye the sayd Hundred pownds in Like Mañer, ... And in case my cousin John Rodgers shall depart this life haveing noe Heire of his own body ... then my will is that what I have given to him my will is that it be equally divided amongst the children of my Brother Samuel Young ... I give to my Brother Samuel Young £100." Special provision is made, if some of them come to live in this Country, of Lands in Northampton and Hartford. "I give unto Mr. John Hooker, now living in England, tenn pounds if he shall come to live in this country within three years after my decease;" if he come not, then what I have given him I give to the eldest son of Mr. Samuel Hooker. Also I give to Mr. Samuel Hooker £10. I give to my Sister Mrs. Wilson £10. I give to Mr. John Russell, pastor of the church at Hadley, £10. I give £5 to the Church at Hadley to buy Potts or Cups for the Communion Table. My will is that all those Legacies I have given to such as live in this Country be payd to each and every one of them within eighteen moneths after my decease, Except the Child or Children of my brother Young if any of them come hither, to whom it is to be paid at their several ages. My will is that after my decease my Executor or his assigns doe take the first opportunity to Send to my friends in England & give them full and Clear information of this my Last will so far as it Concerns any of them, and continue a yearly sending to them till he shall receive an Answer of or from them, within ten years. If no answer is Come nor order from them in ten years, then my will is that the Legacies I have given them to be disposed off for the reliefe of the honest poore & Encouragement of Schooling in Hartford & Hadley by an equal proportion. I give to my Executor & his heirs all other of my Estate. Item. I give to Samuel Shepherds heir, if living, œ5; but if not, I give this œ5 to Mr. John Wilson, pastor of the church of Meadfield. Also my will is that my Overseers shall be paid for their pains. I make Mr. James Ensign sole Executor; Mr. Richard Goodman & John White Overseers.Ann X Phillips.Court Record, Page 111--5 April, 1671: Upon Motion of David Ensign, this Court having viewed the last Will of Ann Phillips, do declare that the Executor of the Will of sd. Ann Phillips stand obliged to make payment of the Legacies bequeathed to John Rogers & Samuel Young here in Hartford, & that they are not to stand any venture of Transportation.^[15][16]

Disputed Information

Unsourced Birth 5 JAN 1573/1574, Bideford, Devon, England

An Amy Leeming married a William Phillips 25 Nov 1597, Little Ponton, Lincolnshire, England,^[17] but there is nothing that connects this marriage to this man.

Probate indicates he had no children.

Sources

1. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration Directory (The). Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640. A Concise Compendium. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.) p. 263.
2. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society (The Connecticut Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, Hartford 1860-1928). Vol. 6 Hartford Town Votes, Vol. 1, 1635-1716 (1897) p. 19, 24, 35, 53, 60, 67, 71, 72, 87, 89, 91, 96, 97, 101, 336
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society (The Connecticut Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, Hartford 1860-1928) Vol. 14 Original Distribution of The Lands in Hartford Among the Settlers 1639 (1912). p. 161; p. 82
4. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 24 p. 35; p. 53
5. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 60
6. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 67
7. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 71
8. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 87
9. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 91
10. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 101
11. ↑ Hartford Town Votes p. 336
12. ↑ The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Vol. 1, 1636-1665 (Hartford, Brown & Parsons, 1850) pp 117, 241.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Vol. 22 Records of the Particular Court of Connecticut 1639-1663 (The Connecticut Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, Hartford 1860-1928) juryman pp 79, 112, 119; other 127, 133, 138, 141; widow appt. admin p. 155
14. ↑ Manwaring, Charles William. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. Volume 1. Hartford District 1635-1700. Hartford, Conn., R.S. Peck & Co., Printers, 1904.) pp 143, 144.
15. ↑ Manwaring, Charles William. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. Volume 1. Hartford District 1635-1700. Hartford, Conn., R.S. Peck & Co., Printers, 1904.) pp 225, 226.
16. ↑ Connecticut Probate Court (Hartford District); Connecticut Colonial Probate Records, Vol 3 page 70. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 [database on-line]. link Ancestry
17. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NV5C-KBZ : 12 March 2020), Willia Phillips, 1597.

• Barbour, Lucius Barnes, 1982, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, Connecticut pp.454
• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. (Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862). Text: "WILLIAM, Hartford 1639, perhaps earlier, but not an orig. propr. d. aft. May 1653, leav. wid. Ann, but no ch. as is thot. for in her will of 31 Mar. 1668, pro. 6 Nov. 1669, she disposes of est. of wh. the val. was L391, to her br. John Rogers, as well as br. Samuel Young, both in Eng. L100 ea. to Mr. John Hooker (I suppose he was br. of Rev. Thomas), liv. in Old Eng. L10 if he come to liv. in N. E. to Mr. Samuel Hooker L10, and to his sis w. of Rev. John Wilson of Medfield, L10. Without doubt she or her h. was relat. of famous Hooker"
• 'William Phillips, Hartford Founder" on Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford website (accessed 7.27.2021.