Jonathan Phelps (1707 - 1800)

Born 30 Oct 1707 in Reading, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Judith (Cox) Phelps — married 23 Mar 1729 in Beverly, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 29 Dec 1800 at age 93 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA

Biography

Jonathan Phelps was born on 30 October 1707 to Henry and Rachel (Guppy) Phelps^[1] in Reading, Massachusetts.^[2]

Jonathan Phelps married Judith Cox, daughter of Thomas and Judith (Elliot) Cocks/Cox, intention recorded 23 March 1728/9 in Beverly, Massachusetts.^[3][4]

Children of Jonathan and Judith (Cox):^[5]

• Judith Phelps, b. 3 November 1731, m. John Webb
• Rachel Phelps, b. 1 June 1734, m. Daniel Hathorne
• Emma Phelps, b. 20 April 1737, m. George Southward
• Elizabeth Phelps, b. 14 August 1739, m. Thomas Safford^[6]
• Jonathan Phelps, b. 2 August 1741, m. Joanna Herrick^[7]
• Henry Phelps, b. 27 November 1743 -- see below
• William Phelps, b. abt. 1747, m. (1) Hannah Holt, (2) Sarah Punchard ("Sally")^[8][9]
• Mary Phelps, b. abt. 1752, m. Hugh Smith^[10][11]
• Eunice Phelps, b. abt. 1752, m. Nathaniel Perkins^[12][13][14]
• supposedly three more sons

Henry Phelps it the last child of the couple whose birth is recorded in Beverly, after which the family removed to Salem. Both the Beverly vital records and Rev. William Bentley assert they had a total of 12 children,^[15] and Bentley gives that they had 6 daughters.^[8]

16 December 1772 -- Jonathan Phelps, blacksmith of Salem, to George Southward, mariner of Salem, land 72 ft. by 42 ft. in Salem, bounded easterly on Long Wharfe Lane, southerly on land of sd. Phelps, westerly on land of Jonathan Whitefoot, northerly on land of Thomas Stafford [Safford]. Wits: Thos. Safford, Joseph Phelps.^[16]

Rev. William Bentley's diary entry, remarking on Jonathan's death, reads:

"1 January, 1801... Last Tuesday evening [29 December 1800, 1 January 1801 being a Thursday] died Mr. Jona. Phelps, æt. 93 last October & the oldest man in Salem. He has been able to go about till the close of life, excepting a little confinement to the house in his last illness. For the last fortnight he took little nourishment, but preserved his senses in his last hours & his love of life. He was by trade a Blacksmith. Not over fond of labour, scheming, warm in the vulgar theology of strong passions, but addicted to no excesses. Interested himself easily in everything he said. In person of moderate size, a good chest, slender legs, large head, vigorous eye, long depressed nose, small hand. He has left a numerous offspring... Mr. Jonathan Phelps had posterity, 12 children, 83 g. children, 97 g. g. children & 2 g. g. g. children, 194, of which 138 are now living."^[15]

No probate records are found.

Henry Phelps Confusion

28 February 1786 -- Jonathan Phelps, blacksmith of Salem to Henry Phelps, mariner of Beverly, £50 money of this state, about 35 acres in Salem, bounded northly the country road, westy the great pasture, southerly the mill pond, easterly land of Wm. Hathorne, with a dwelling house & barn & all other buildings. Be it understood that if sd. Jona. Phelps shall pay or cause to be paid to the sd. Hery on or before the 20th December ensuing certain notes of hand given by Jona. with interest to the said Henry so that the said Henry shall not suffer therein, then the above deed to be void. Wits: Eliza. Herrick, Ruth Smith. A marginal note reads, "Essex Nov 10 1795. I Hannah Symonds (formerly Phelps) administrix of the estate of the mortgage in the instrument here recorded acknowledge all sums are paid to secure the payment of which this mortgage was given. I therefore hereby discharge the mortgage."^[17]

6 April 1788 -- Jonathan Phelps to Theophilus Herrick and Henry Phelps of Beverly, gentlemen, £318 lawful money, all that part of Hathorne farm so-called in Salem, 36 acres, 154 poles with farm & dwelling house thereon & other buildings, which was assigned & set off to Daniel Hathorne for his moiety & share of said farm in a deed of partition made on 15 May 1754 between his, said Daniel's, brother William Hathorne on the one part & the said Daniel on the other part, referring to deeds 111:260, it being the same which I purchased of said Daniel Hathorne by deed recorded 112:226, excepting only out of that, two house lots, one of which I have heretofore sold to Jacob Barret & the other I have heretofore sold to Hugh Smith. Wts: Benja: Pickman, Edward Pulling.^[18]

The purchasers in the latter above deed are Dr. Henry Phelps, son of Capt. Henry Phelps who died at sea, and his uncle Theophilus Herrick. Aside from being Henry's uncle, Theophilus was also the brother of Henry's daughter-in-law by his son Jonathan. Capt. Henry Phelps, the doctor's father, was the right age to have been Jonathan's son Henry, but his descendants have a war story of their great grandfather that matches the vague outline of Jonathan-the-proband's brother Henry's life.

See Phelps Family of America..., 2:1593-4 and 2:1606-8.^[19]

Assuming the descendants to be correct, the life and death of Henry, son of Jonathan, is a mystery. Nonetheless it is curious he was transacting to this extent with his nephew and grand-nephew. It is not unbelievable that Jonathan would sell land in his nuclear family's neighborhood to his grand-nephew, nor take a loan from his nephew.

Yet, the supposed Henry, Jonathan's brother, doesn't have a birth record in Reading, and the life that is granted to this Henry in the Phelps Family genealogy, namely that he lived with his sister Mary in Salem at some point, and that he was captain of a privateer in the 1770s, could have, in fact, been the same person who was lost at sea in 1786, months after he made the load to Jonathan. For these reasons, it seems within the realm of possibility that Capt. Henry was, in fact, Jonathan and Judith's son.

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage of Henry Phelps and Rachel Guppy, 1706. Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts, p. 481.
2. ↑ Birth of Jonathan Phelps, 1707. Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts, p. 181.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (25 September 2017), Jona. Phelps and Judith Cox, 23 May 1729; citing Marriage Notice, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 760,604.
4. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (25 September 2017), Thomas Cocks and Judith Elliott, 15 Dec 1709; citing Marriage, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 760,604.
5. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (25 September 2017), Jonathan Phelps and Judith Cox, 23 Mar 1729; citing Marriage Notice, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 760,604.
6. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (17 October 2017), Thomas Safford and Elizabeth Phelps, 27 Apr 1764; citing Marriage, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 877,448.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (10 February 2018), Jonathan J. Phelps and Joanna Herrick, 20 Apr 1777; citing Marriage, Beverly, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 864,851.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} William Phelps, brother of Eunice Perkins and the widows Harthorne, Webb, and Southard, died in December 1812, age 65. Notes that Eunice was the youngest of 6 daughters. Bentley, William, The Diary of William Bentley..., 4:116.
9. ↑ Marriages of William Phelps with Hannah Holt and Sally Punchard. Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts, 4:186.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (5 November 2017), Hugh Smith and Mary Phelps, 12 May 1772; citing Marriage, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 761,210.
11. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 01 October 2018), memorial page for Mary Phelps Smith (unknown–7 Mar 1782), Find A Grave Memorial no. 17882719, citing Broad Street Cemetery, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Bob on Gallows Hill (contributor 46630279).
12. ↑ Rev. William Bentley assigns Eunice (Phelps) Perkins to the Jonathan and Judith (Cox) Phelps family, by naming her as the youngest sister of Emma Southward and Judith Webb. Bentley, Record of the Parish List of Deaths..., pp. 135-6.
13. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (5 November 2017), Nathl. Perkins and Eunice Phelps, 04 Aug 1773; citing Marriage, Danvers, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 877,468.
14. ↑ Death of Eunice Perkins, 21 April 1827, a. 75 y. Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts, 6:129.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Bentley, William, The Diary of William Bentley..., 2:360.
16. ↑ Jonathan Phelps to George Southward, 1772. "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (22 May 2014), Essex > Deeds 1769-1774 vol 132 > image 133 of 293; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
17. ↑ Jonathan Phelps to Henry Phelps, mortgage, 1786. Essex Deeds, 145:81. "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (22 May 2014), Essex > Deeds 1784-1786 vol 143-145 > image 723 of 957; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
18. ↑ Jonathan Phelps to Theophilus Herrick and Henry Phelps, 1788. Essex County Deeds, 147:164-5. "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (22 May 2014), Essex > Deeds 1787-1789 vol 147-149 > image 182 of 889; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
19. ↑ Profiles of Capt. Henry Phelps (1720-Rev. War) and Capt Henry Phelps (abt. 1745-1782). Phelps, Oliver S, and Andrew T. Servin. The Phelps Family of America and Their English Ancestors... Pittsfield, Mass: Eagle Pub. Co, 1899, 2:1593-4 and 2:1606-8.

• Baldwin, Thomas W. Vital Records of Reading, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. Boston, Mass: Wright & Potter Print. Co., 1912.
• Bentley, William, The Diary of William Bentley, D.D., Pastor of the East Church, Salem, Massachusetts. Salem: Essex Institute, 1905-1914.
• Bentley, William. Record of the Parish List of Deaths: 1785-1819. Salem: Printed for the Essex institute, 1882.
• Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. Salem, Mass: Essex Institute, 1916.
• http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Jonathan_Phelps_%286%29