Notes for Mary Nichols Phillips

Possibly housekeeper of Thomas and first wife Martha Pitts.

1829 - left Indiana for Illinois with Thomas H. Phillips and two of his children from his first marriage

1830 census - ? Mary would be age 32

1830 son Annanias born in IL
1832 son Ebenezer born in IL

1835 - stepdaughter Easter married to Robert Feaster in Cole Co., MO

1836 - daughter Mary Jane born in MO
1838 - daughter Malinda born in MO

1840 census Greene Co., MO
Thos. H. Philip 0120001-1100001
1 male 40-50 (Thomas, age 46)
2 males 10-15 (Greenberry, age 12 & Annanias, age 10)
1 male 5-10 (Ebenezer, age 8)
1 female 40-50 (Mary, age 42)
1 female 5-10 (Mary, age 5)
1 female under 5 (Melinda, age 2)
Living next door to Jeptha Mason & Robert Feaster

1850 census Boone Township, Greene Co., MO, page 324
Household #1199
Thomas H. Philips, age 56, b. NC
Mary, age 52, b. NC
Greenberry, age 22, b. IN
Annanias, age 20, b. IL
Ebenezer, age 18, b. IL
Mary, age 14, b. MO
Melinda, age 12, b. MO
Amos, age 6, b. MO

1854 - Thomas H. Phillips died. Will probated in Barry Co., MO

1860 census Center Township, Greene Co., MO
#373
Mary Phillips, age 62, b. NC
Amos, age 16, b. MO
N. Mason, age 25, b. TN
Malinda Mason, age 22, b. MO
Buchanan, age 2 months, b. MO

1870, age 72?

1870 census Davis Township, Caldwell Co., Mo - there is a Mary Phillips, age 73, born North Carolina living in household with Harvey Wright (30), Mary (28), Francis S. (3), and Mary M. (1). Also living in household is Celia Sheets (64), also born North Carolina. Harvey & Mary born Indiana. Francis and Mary M. born Missouri. This is NOT the same Mary Phillips as above as there is an Abraham Philip, age 68, b. VA with wife Mary, age 63, b. NC living in Washington Co., IN in 1860. Next door is Cela Sheets, age 54 with Susanna Sheets, age 48, both born NC

________________________________________
From: Matt Phillips
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 8:56 AM
To: John Phillips
Cc: Mike Phillips
Subject: RE: Phillips family

Hi John and Mike. According to the family tree my Grandad Phillips (Amos' grandson, Columbus' son) gave me years ago (that, I'm sorry to say, I just recently uncovered from a box in my parents' house), Mary's last name was Nichols. That family tree is the one that says Thomas was "probably" born in England around 1790, but given the other evidence you and others have collected, it's clear that information was incorrect, perhaps a misunderstanding based on an earlier English origin of someone else in the family. This family tree also says Amos was born in 1837, but I think your information says 1844 based on census records which are probably more accurate since they're contemporary. (I think a cousin of my grandfather's drew up this family tree sometime in the 1960s or '70s).

So to whatever extent this familiy tree from my family holds any weight, I guess it strengthens the evidence for Amos being Thomas and Mary's son. I suppose if I do the DNA test it could confirm Amos as Thomas' son if my results match the other descendants of Thomas closely enough. Of course, as you also hypothesize, it could also mean Amos was an illegitimate son of Thomas or one of his sons too, but at least it could shed some light.

I'm definitely interested in anything further on the line going back further than Thomas. Was Ezekiel's case for being Thomas' father strengthened through the DNA system, or other evidence or both? Is there any information, by chance, to indicate Revolutionary War service by Ezekiel or Philemon Phillips (Ezekiel's father, right?)? Or any other historical information about any of the Phillipses going further back than Thomas? And if it looks like Thomas is Ezekiel's son and Philemon's grandson, that connects him to the earlier ancestors in the Phillips Surname Project website, going back to the 16th century James Phillips from Cornwall. Has anyone researched the line further back than that?

I don't know of Elwyn Simons or Ruth Browning and their work on this; anything you can pass along would be greatly appreciated. I'm located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Thanks for the quick response!
Matt

> Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:43:04 -0800
> From: jphil36
> Subject: RE: Phillips family
> To: mattphillipsdc
>
>
> Hi Matt: Great hearing from you! Amos has always been the mystery child in our branch. Actually, I never even was 100 percent positive he was a son of Thomas and Mary. Hopefully your personal knowledge will erase that slight doubt. Any idea what Mary's last name was?
> As to the DNA, yes, I did participate and matched up appropriately, I guess. Actually, Mike Phillips is the one to talk to about the project. I'll enter his email address above in the copy field. I don't fully understand the DNA. We also had the relatively recent "English" ancester in our family stories, only he was supposedly a prominent politician. As you know, poor Tom was merely an illiterate farmer. His father appears to have been the Ezekiel mentioned, I think, on Kari's web site. Elwyn Simons has done a lot of work on this recently. Are you in touch with Ruth
> Browning in Arkansas? Where are you located?
> --- Matt Phillips
>
> >
> > Dear John - I got your email address from Kari Northup's website. I found your research fascinating; I'm a descendant of Thomas H. Phillips through his son Amos, and Amos' son Columbus (my great-grandfather). I was wondering if you were aware or participated in the DNA genealogy project for Phillips families listed here:
> >
> http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/p/phillips/index.html

> > Apparently someone has participated who listed Thomas H. as an ancestor, and the results came back indicating a direct relationship with a Philemon Phillips of Dorchester Co., Md., and - further back - with a 16th century James Phillips of Cornwall, England. I'm considering participating - the rates look better than other DNA services I've seen, and the existence of a specific Phillips project is intriguing. Have you done anything like this? Do you know of another service that's better? It interests me because it could finally provide a Phillips link further back than Thomas. As I told Kari when I first contacted her several years ago, I'd grown up thinking Thomas was born in England around 1790, because that's what it said on a family tree my grandfather had given me when I was a kid. Other than that, the information largely matches what you and Kari have about Thomas and his descendants. I hope you don't mind me contacting you. Thanks and take care!Matt Phillips

-----Original Message-----
From: John Phillips
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 6:28 PM
To: Ardath Blue; Ruth Browning; Donna Clark; Don Coatney; Jon Creasey; eileen cufr; becky ennis; Robert C. Haefner; joe doug phillips; richard mann; Jen McBride; nancy; kari northup; Horace B. Peele; Mike Phillips; Lee Phillips; gareld phillips; leon phillips; Laurie reilley; herbert simons; elwyn simons; janice west
Subject: Nichols info

As mentioned, Kari Northup has turned up a Phillips who identified Thomas H.'s widow as the former Mary Nichols. I've been looking for that name for 30 years. I'm searching my records for more Nichols info but I'm not in D.C. anymore. My stuff is hit and miss. Here's what I have so far:

On November 14, 1844, Silas Grantham (future witness of Thomas H. Phillips' will), as a Greene County justice of the peace, performed a marriage ceremony for Lindsey Nichols and Louisa Redfern.

On May 18, 1858, Malinda and Amos Phillips, "minor heirs of Thomas H.," went before the court over in Greene County and chose Lindsay Nichols as their guardian. He had been born about 1822 in Tennessee. Obviously, he was a relative, especially with Mary (Nichols) Phillips having entrusted him with some of Tom's money for "safekeeping."

FamilySearch says Lindsey Nichols was born April 6, 1818 in Tennessee or North Carolina, married Louisa Redfearn on November 14, 1844 in Greene County MO. He's said to have died February 6, 1894 and was buried in Johns Chapel Cemetery, where many Phillipses are buried.

There are no Nichols families, any spelling, in Cole Co. MO 1840.

There are two Nichols families in Greene Co. MO in 1840:
Page 127: :Lindsy Nichols, one male in household 20/30, no one else. Obviously our guy.
Page 135: Lazurus Nichols and family, but he's in his 30s.
Our Thomas H. Phillips is on page 136. No other names except John Smith pop out.

There are four Nichols families in Barry Co. MO 1840.
(Thomas, John and two Samuels),
1) Samuel Nickols; he's in his sixties:
210001001-00001
2) John Nichols: 121001- 111101
3) Samuel Nichol: he's in his sixties;
100110001-00001001
4) Thomas Nichols: 0001-10001
So perhaps Lindsey's father was named Samuel or John.

Dorchester Co. MD: Richard Busick, 1771, Dor. L38
F429, sons Benjamin and Thomas, daus Mary Fitchew, Elisabeth Nichols and Rebeckah Gade. Wit: John Mace, Nicholas Mace. Recorded by Benjamin Busick Oct. 1771 on 7th, 17th or 27th.

1980s note: Carol Wells, 607 Williams Ave., Natchitoches, La. 71457, is working on Phillips, Wright, Nicols, Flowers and Parker, especially Isaac Nichols, who bought land in Edgecombe Co. NC 1761. She wonders if his dau. Lucreecy m. Lemuel Wright and if Edgecombe neighbors Mark and Joseph Phillips were related to Phillipses of Dorchester. Also if John and Jacob Flowers of Edgecombe were from Dorchester and if Solomon Dawson Parker of Edgecombe was from Dorchester.

Green Co MO records p 297/298.
Lindsey Nichols admin of William Lower, deceased Plaintiff vs Civil Action
James T. Abernathy & Jesse N. Redfearn Defendants
Now at this day comes the Plaintiff by attorney and it appearing to the Court that the Defendants have been duly served with process as required by Law and having failed to plead, answer or demur to Plaintiff's petition and the same being founded on two promissory notes signed by Defendants and the amount ascertained thereby, the Court doth find from an examination of the same that the Defendants are indebted to the . . .etc.

He was JP in Center twp in 1850s.

You'll remember that the Phillips brothers left Dorchester for, mainly Rockingham Co. NC. The 1800 census of that county shows a flock of Nichols families:
p11: Bidy Nichols (an older woman)
p18: William, James, John, Alex., Abraham, Thomas and Jeremiah (?) Nichols families. (Neighbors probably are from Dorchester: James and Nathan Busick families. But Phillipses had gone west by then)