Thomas Phillips, Son of John, Grandson of Thomas

Thomas, PHILLIPS

son of John I, Grandson of Thomas I

THOMAS PHILLIPS - SON OF JOHN AND ELIZABETH

Thomas is a proven son of John and Elizabeth per John's Will. He was still

alive in l807 when his mother's estate was settled. Beyond that, it is difficult

to prove anything because he lived in Lenoir County and there are no records.

There is a fair amount of circumstantial evidence available that enables us to

weave a possible record for him. The land he inherited was in Lenoir County

and can't be traced. We do not know who the father of Sidney and William

Phillips, found in their grandfather's Will, was and we can't PROVE any children for

Thomas.

Starting with this lack of information - we guess. Thomas was on the l790

Census in Craven County, but his brother John was not. Thomas had children living

in his household so we can assume they were his. John appears to live with his

parents with no children; therefore, Sidney and William must have been the

children of Thomas. The name Thomas comes down both Sidney and William - John does

not. There are several records showing a close relationship between Sidney and

William - especially Coward estate records found in Greene County. In the

Dobbs Cross Indexes there are at least two transactions between Thomas and the

following people - William, Thomas, Barney Phillips, Sidney Coward, and William

Croom. All these were about the same time and just before Thomas died. I assume

Thomas was giving away his property to his children.

We have no idea who Thomas married and indeed he may have been married twice.

If we go on the assumption that John listed all his living Phillips

grandchildren in his Will, then Thomas probably had two wives. The first was the mother

of Sidney and William and she probably died. I think Thomas may have remained

unmarried for a fairly long time and remarried and had his second set of

children after his father died. Based on Census Records and the transactions in the

Dobbs Indexes we can make an educated guess of other children. I recently ran

across William's Bible so maybe other Bibles exist. Unfortunately, William did

not name his parents. Two good choices for the wife or wives of Thomas were

Argent Lassister and Elizabeth Bond who was probably the daughter of William

Bond. If Holland Phillips Harper was a daughter of Thomas, then her daughter

Argent L. which could have stood for Lassister, gives additional evidence as to the

Lassister connection.

The only way we can determine which was this Thomas on the Census Records was

by the number of slaves he had as he had the most on every Census except the

l790 one. He appears to have lived to a ripe old age.

This Thomas was probably on the l779 Tax List, but we can't be sure.

The names Spencer and Stephen come down this line and the name Stephen comes

down Peter who was probably the son of John, Jr.

NOTES FROM LENORE PHILLIPS SMITH

l. l800 Craven County - This may certify that I have agreed to and with my

brother Thomas Phillips to relinguish my claim to an entry of land lying in Craven

Co., which he, the said Thomas has suspended and requested that the Secretary

of State ----- grant to the said Thomas Phillips, he - I myself, having

compromised and settled our disputes respecting the said lands.

Given under my hand l6 April l800 - John Phillips

I agree to dismiss the suspension alluded to in the above certificate. Thos

Phillips

from LPS

2. l9 Sept l793 - To Sheriff of Lenoir: You commanded to summon William

Peters to appear District of New Bern, 5 May l794 on behalf of Elizabeth

Peters....wherein Thomas Phillips, plantiff, Elizabeth Peters defendant.

by Silas Cook, Cl of Ct. New Bern

NOTE: There was a William Peters on l790 Dobbs Census near the Wetherington

families. An Elizabeth Peters on l790 Dobbs living next to Thomas Phillips Jr.

3. From Land Grant Office - State of N.C. - Lenoir County

I, Frederick Jones, Entry Officer to Claims for lands in the county aforesaid

to the Surveyor of said county: Greetings you and hereby requesting as soon as

may be to lay off and survey a certain tract or parcel of land for Thomas

Phillips containing l50 Ac and lying on the NS of Neuse River and on the SS of

Contentnea Creek - adj of John Phillips (dec), Langston and his own land as per

Entry No 545 entered the 5 day of Jan l8ll observing --the direction of act of

assembly in such cases made provided for running out lands. Given under my hand

and office this 8 Aug l8ll.

Surveyor Report: By virtue of a warrant issued to Thomas Phillips for l50 acs

and issued 8 Aug l8ll and No 545, I have surveyed for Thomas Phillips a

plantation containing l23 acs lying on the NS of Eagle Swamp and SS of Contentnea Creek

and begining at -----reverse of a patent line granted to John Phillips for 500

acs, No 40 ---

Surveyed l2 Nov l8ll by James Loftin, Surveyor

Chainbearers - William Phillips and Spencer Phillips

CHILDREN OF THOMAS

l. Sidney Phillips - b c l780 - d l850-l860 - md c l8 Dec l799 in Craven County

(Marriage Bans) - to Cullen Coward, Jr. - bc l775 - dc l842. There are other

marriage Bans for a Sidney Phillips and Reubin Witherington in August l796. I

have no way of knowing if this Sidney was engaged twice and something happened

the first time, or if there was another Sidney Phillips. I suspect the former.

There are estate records for Cullen Coward Jr. in May l842 in Greene County

the following information from "Greene County Estate Records" by William Murphy

a. Eliza wife of Charles Joiner

b. Elizabeth - wife of John Phillips

c. Willis Dixon who had purchased legal interest of Spencer Coward, dec

d. Dilly Ormond - late wife of William Ormond

e. Pearcy wife of William C. Henry

f. Amos Joiner who purchased legal interest of Stephen Coward

g. Limson, Jane and Elizabeth Phillips - l84l account with guardian

Willis Dixon - money from Charles Joiner, Administrator of Cullen Coward

h. William Ormond, guardian of Jane, Leuriza and Elizabeth Phillips

l840

i. Spencer Coward - l0 Feb l840 - guardian William Phillips

j. Spencer Coward - Feb l844 - settlement of Estate with Charles Joiner,

Administrator - money went to Roderic Phillips

k. Elizabeth Phillips - l3 Feb l843 - Account with guardian Willis Dixon

- money paid for petition for division of land - Charles Joiner, George Crofton

- division of Cullen Coward, Dec

l850 Census - Sidney Coward - aged 70 - Greene County - Elizabeth Phillips age

25, Malvina Henry - age 9, Oliver Lockhard, overseer

T here are several Supreme Court Cases for this family found by Ruth Fentress

l. Book 53 - June l86l - Gardner Jones vs Isaac C. Edwards - against Clarisa

Joyner estate

2. Book 57 p 257 - Stephen Coward estate - he married Martha who remarried

Gardner Jones - their 2 children Mary and Martha Coward died young and the estate

of Stephen was divided as follows

a. Percy Potter - sister

b. Caroline (niece) who md Isaac C. Edwards

c. John Joyner - nephew

d. Dilly and Susan Ormond - nieces

e. Louisa Hart - niece md William T. Hart

f. Jane Dunn - niece md Jetha Dunn

g. Elizabeth Spivey md Ephraim Spivey

3. Gardner Jones and wife Martha vs Isaac Edwards and C. W. Potter - l857

Will of Sidney Phillips Coward - l3 Aug l854 - Edward Carmon named Executor.

Sidney died in l869 and Joseph Dixon became administrator in May Term l860 Will

filed in Greene County

Daughter Pearcy Potter; grandaughters Mary and Malvina Henry, Lumisa Hart, Jane

Dunn, Elizabeth Spivey, Caroline Edwards, Luvenia Joiner, Sidney Ormond, Susan

Ormond, Sidney Hart (she was great granddaughter): grandsons John Joiner,

Thomas Ormond.

According to Lenore Phillips Smith some of the legatees were dead at the time

of settlement.

Children of Sidney Phillips and Cullen Coward

a. Eliza Coward - d l5 Jan l838 - md on 6 Dec l83l to Charles Joiner

l. Mary Joiner - b l826

2. Caroline Joiner - b l833 - md Isaac C. Edwards

3. Elisa Ann - b l837 - died young

4. John Joiner - b l839

5. Luvenia Joiner - b l842 died young

b. Elizabeth (Betsy) Coward - md on l9 Mar l8l8 John L. Phillips (Could his

middle initial have been F for Franklin instead of L.?)

l. Lumiza Phillips - md William T. Hart

NOTE: Could this be Louisa? A similar name runs in the Edwards family of Pitt

County at this time.

a. Sidney A. - b l843

b. Washington - b l847

c. M. A. H. - b l845 - died before l850

d. William T. - b l849

e. Edward

f. Joseph

g. L. T.

h. John

i. Laura E.

2. Eliza Jane Phillips - md Jeptha Dunn d by l850 as Eliza aged 27 in on

l850 Census

a. Elizabeth md on l6 Mar l892 Abner Stanley.

Elizabeth had a Will written on 3 Aug l894 probated 27 Nov l894 where she gave

her 50 acs and household furniture to step-daughter Susan Stanley and her

husband Abner Stanley. Abner Stanley is buried in the Grifton Cemetery

b. Jeptha Dunn - There are records in Lenoir County Deed Book l4 p

520 where Elizabeth Dunn, Stephen C. Phillips and J. W. Grainger had received

land from Jeptha Dunn and the three were Tennants in Common - l888. In Book l6 p

l40 in l893 J. W. Grainger and wife C. A. sold the land they received from the

division of land of Jeptha Dunn to Stephen Phillips. Same Deed book p l4l -

Stephen C. Phillips sold this land to James Harper for $l.00 and love and

affection. Elizabeth would have been Jetha's sister, Stephen C. Phillips a cousin. J.

W. Grainger may have been Jesse Willis who md Sallie Lucretia Coward daughter

of John Holliday and Mary Elizabeth Dixon Coward and after she died he married

Clara Albritton Dixon - no issue of 2nd marriage. Grainger's first wife may

have been a cousin on the Coward side. The Dunn's lived next to Stephen C.

Phillips and must have enjoyed a very close family relationship.

Infor from Martha M. Marble

c. Samuel Houston Dunn who appears to have taken the last name of

Abbott. According to Lenore Smith's records in Book A of Lenoir Wills the Will of

S. G. Abbott written 6 June l862 probated 7 July l878 left several gold items

to Samuel Houston Dunn son of Eliza Jane Dunn plus part of his land and Negroes

who were also to be shared with Idelia Jones daughter of Kissiah Jones and a

child to be born to Louisa Dunn daughter of Eliza Jane Dunn.

d. Louisa Dunn - It is not known who Louisa married or what happened

to her. She is not listed in her mother's Will.

Eliza Jane Phillips Dunn had a Will written 23 Sept l886 probated l6 Nov l886.

Exec was Samuel Houston. G. Abbott, her son. He received 50 Ac. She gave her

daughter Elizabeth the other 50 Ac of the l00 Ac where she had lived for the

last 38 years adj the property of Stephen Carr Phillips, John King and Stephen W.

Dawson

3. Elizabeth Phillips - b l825 - md Ephraim Spivey - b 2 Jan l827

NOTE: In the Book of Letters and Compositions of Memon Patrick of Greene

County now in the Archives there is the mention of the marriage of John L. Phillips

to Betsy Coward daughter of Cullen Coward - l9 March l8l8. This appears to be

a different John L. than the one whose daughter Claudia who was bc l838 d in

Trenton in l856

c. Dilly - probably Cordilla - Coward - d before l842 - md William Ormond - b

l790 - she was his 2nd wife

l. Dilly Ormond - b l828 - md John E. F. Harper son of James and

Elizabeth Edwards Harper - b 3 Oct l835 - d 5 Oct l899 - he is buried at the J. J.

Edwards Family Cemetery near Ormondsville. The stone is marked JEFH

a. James Harper

b. William F. Harper - b 20 Oct l869 - d l9 April l933 md 6 Jan l9l5

to Jennie Barwick b ll Dec l879 daughter of Craven Tull and Nancy Ann Brooks

Barwick

l. William J. Harper - b 6 Feb l9l8 - d l5 Feb l9l8 - only child

2. James Thomas Ormond - b l829

3. Sydney Argent Ormond - b l83l - md John E. F. Harper - b 3 Oct l835

- d 5 Oct l899 - son of James Harper and his wife Elizabeth Edwards

a. James E. Harper - bc l860 Lenoir County

b. William F. Harper - b 20 Oct l869 - d l9 April l933 - md 6 Jan

l9l5 to Jennie Barwick daughter of Craven Tull and Nancy Ann Brooks Barwick - no

issue

NOTE: something is not right - will ask Lenore

NOTE: There seems to be a VERY close relationship between this family and the

family of William Phillips - we think Sidney Coward and William Phillips were

brother and sister

l. The Will of William Phillips, grandson of above William

mentions his cousin James E. Harper -

2. Stephen C. Phillips son of William listed above - gave a farm

to James E. Harper for $l.00 and love and affection

4. Susan Ormond - b l833

5. William L. Ormond - b l834

all listed on l850 Census

d. Pearcy Coward - md William C. Henry first md 2nd John W. Potter

l. Mary Henry - b l836

2. Malvinia Henry - b l84l

e. Spencer Coward - d c l842

f. Stephen Coward - b l8l2 - md Martha who md 2nd Gardner Jones

l. Mary - d young

2. Martha - d young

2. William Phillips - b 2l February l782 - see William's pages

It is possible that Thomas's wife died and no additional children were born

until after his father died. John Phillips mentioned most of his known

grandchildren in his Will and Sidney and William were the only ones with the last name

Phillips. We can only assume Thomas remarried and additional children were by

his 2nd wife.

3. Barna Phillips - bc l794 md Elizabeth ?

a. There were two transactions between Thomas and Barna

b. Stephen C Phillips inherited the lands owned by Barna Phillips from James

Canady. We don't know how Canady got the lands nor the relationship between

Stephen and Canady. This land appears to be in this same area as the land

Stephen inherited from his father.

c. Children - He appeared to have no sons, but several daughters were on

the Census

l. Eliza E. Phillips - b 30 September l82l - d 27 September l855 - aged

34 years, 3 days - the only proven daughter - md on 6 June l838 to William A.

Pugh. The Bible of William and Eliza Pugh are in the possession of Martha M

Marble.

a. Barney P. Pugh - b l6 Aug l842

b. William Nicholas Pugh - b 7 Nov l845

c. Sarah Elizabeth Pugh - b l5 Oct l848

d. Martha Jane Pugh - b l0 Jan l85l

William Pugh md 2nd Lydia Mewborn

2. Susan Phillips - md James Canady - could this be possible? Could this

be how James Canady got the lands that belonged to Barna?

4. Thomas S. Phillips - b by l793

a. Transactions between Thomas and Thomas S. on Cross Indexes. Also there

were additional transactions on the Cross Indexes for Thomas S. - one between

Louisa Allen Phillips Branton and Thomas S. - Louisa was his aunt by marriage.

b. This Thomas was in the War of l8l2.

c. Another reference on the cross indexes was for

d. I suspect the S. stood for Spencer - William had a son Thomas Spencer

and a grandson Thomas Spencer. Or it could have stood for Stephen. I suspect

either Stephen or Spencer may have been named Thomas S. and used their second

name to avoid confusion with the numerous Thomas' of the time.

e. I have thought this Thomas may have been the Thomas of Pitt County and

the ancestor of Howard Phillips. A Flanagan was in the same company in the War

of l8l2 as Thomas and William and Thomas of Pitt married into the Flangan

family. If this is the case, this Thomas would have been born 7 or 8 years earlier

5. a daughter who may have married William Croom

transactions on Cross Indexes

6. Stephen Phillips -

a. In war of l8l2

b. William named his oldest son Stephen and the name comes down in the

Sidney line

nothing else known

c. there was one transactions between Thomas and Stephen in the Cross

Indexes.

7. Holland Phillips - bc l789 - d 4 March l828 - md Delaney Harper son of

Francis Harper, Jr. and his wife Theresa Hopton - they lived in Greene County.

After Holland died, Delaney md Martha Suggs Harper daughter of John and Martha

Aldridge Suggs Jr. and widow of Blaney Harper, Jr. nephew of Delaney

Julia Moseley Combs sent this information and she said an OBIT was in "The

Raleigh Register" 28 March l828, but it did not give her parent's names

I have put Holland under Thomas because of the names of her children - Thomas

H., Spencer P. (which probably stood for Phillips), and Argen L. These are

names that show up in Thomas' other grandchildren. We also know there are other

intermarriages with Thomas' line and the Harpers. I have not seen any

transactions between Thomas Sr. and Holland, but she died before he did.

CHILDREN OF DELANEY AND HOLLAND PHILLIPS HARPER

Blaney Harper - b 20 Mar l8ll

Elizabeth Harper - b 5 Mar l8l3

Thomas H. Harper - b l8 Mar l8l5

Spencer P. Harper - b 26 April l8l7

Nancy Caroline Harper - b 29 Aug l8l9 - d 8 Aug l89l - md Calvin Tucker

Argen L. Harper - b 5 Sept l82l

William Green Harper - b 25 Dec l823 - md 6 June l872 to Mollie E. Oast

Holland D. Harper - b l9 Dec l826 - d 22 Sept l862 - md Sarah

Children of Delaney and Martha Suggs Harper

Mary C. W. Harper - b 25 Jan l834 - d 29 Sept l90l

Frank Harper - b 3 Nov l835 - d 26 Aug l896

NOTE: Above information from a Bible owned by Ruth Harper Edwards of Snow

Hill, N.C. Some of this family is buried in Laney Wood Cemetery in Greene Co.

8. Spencer Phillips

a. A Spencer was a chainbearer with William for a Grant to Thomas in l8ll

b. A Spencer in the War of l8l2

c. Big question - was Spencer really Thomas S. and elected to use the name

Spencer to separate him from his father?

DEEDS THAT WE FEEL SURE BELONGED TO THIS THOMAS

Thomas' land was in the Edwards Bridge, Eagle Swamp and Bethel Church area.

This area was in Craven County until the l790s when it came into Lenoir.

No doubt, there was more than one Thomas of this era and it is difficult to

separate them on the Cross Indexes or in Craven County. At this time, I do not

know when Thomas who married Hannah Wetherington moved from Lenoir County.

Thomas who d in l789 was not a factor, but that leaves at least one other possible

Thomas of the same generation. Plus by l800 or so it is possible we are getting

into another generation.

l. Grant 953 - p 252 entered 2 May l795 isued 7 June l799 - Thomas Phillips 23

A June l790 - SS Contentnea adj fathers 500 A, Moore, Wm Peters, father's l6

acs, CB George Oxley, Wm Phillips

2. Same Book as above - p 253 - Thomas Phillips 40 A - l799 - NS Neuse River -

SS Contentnea - adj John Phillips, Jordans

3. Patent Book 2 - p 83 - Thos Phillips - 200 A NS Neuse River - SS Contentnea

Creek joining own land and adj to his fathers - Sept l785

4. Patent Book 3 - p 25l - Thomas Phillips 33 A NS Neuse WS Contentnea adj

John Phillips corner and his own 200 Ac - this may not be in the right place

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