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By Margaret
P. Swanson
Many Phelps researchers have relied on the book The
Phelps Family of America and Their English Ancestors (available
at a 25% discount) as the basis for concluding that their original
ancestor in England was either William or George phelps of Tewkesbury.
While a valuable research tool, the book is wrong about the origin of William
and George. As a result of the book The
Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633,
(available in hardbound or CD-ROM)
by Robert Charles Anderson, it is accepted by a consensus of recognized
genealogical scholars that William
Phelps of
Massachusetts and Connecticut is NOT the William Phelps of Tewkesbury records.
This book provides ample detail as to the Phelps found in early Connecticut
and Massachusetts.(1)
The first of these is Richard Phelps, origin and date of immigration
unknown, who is mentioned in only two records. The earliest is in Dorchester,
MA, 1633, and mentions his fence as a boundary. The second entry is
a fine for drunkenness in 1635-36. Anderson states that no evidence
exists for the hypothesis that Richard had a relationship to William
Phelps or George Phelps who also lived in Dorchester.
Indeed he states the possibility that each incident refers to a different
individual. [In 1650, Dorchester was renamed Windsor.]
The second item, William Phelps, has a far more extensive entry
and is of special interest to many PC [Phelps Connections] members.
Of special significance is the recognition of his origin as Crewkerne,
Somerset, and his birth date, about 1593. Twenty five years was the
approximate age of the first marriage of a man so his estimated birth
was calculated from his marriage date. This marriage date is unknown
but is presumed to have occurred by 1618, since he had a child baptized
at Crewkerne, 9 September 1618.
Of special note is the omission of George Phelps as an immigrant
on the Mary
and John. Two George Phillips are
identified as immigrating before 1633. The first was George Phillips,
minister, from Boxted, Essex, who migrated in 1630 to Watertown.
The second is George Phillips, origins unknown, who migrated
to Dorchester in 1632 and subsequently
went to Windsor in 1635. This George was born by 1592 (estimated birth
date based on the age of his wife) and died at Windsor, 9 Jul 1678.
He had no children. Anderson comments that the earliest record that
can be assigned to George Phelps with confidence is dated 6
May 1635 when he was admitted a freeman in Dorchester.
Anderson also states that the town clerks in both Dorchester and Windsor
seem to have been quite precise in distinguishing between George
Phillips and George Phelps, and in no instance in those
two towns has a record been noted Phelps was called Phillips or vice
versa. Anderson also mentions that there may have been a relationship
between William Phelps and George Phelps, but that it
remains unestablished. [For more information, see Researching
George [Phelps?] of the Ship "Mary & John"]
Perhaps the most important conclusion to come from this Great Migration
Study is recognition by a consensus of recognized genealogical scholars
that William Phelps of Massachusetts and Connecticut is NOT
the William Phelps of Tewkesbury records.
Their conclusions reinforce those reached through the research done
by Burt Spear and The
Mary and John Clearing House which some have refused to accept.
Several family genealogies were listed in the key to titles used
in more than one biographical sketch. Where a title is used in only
one sketch, the full bibliographic entry was contained in the sketch. The
Phelps Family in America by Oliver Seymore Phelps and Andrew
T. Servin was not identified as a source. This is only one more indication
that any statement it contains needs careful verification from records
which were not available to the authors one hundred years ago. Certainly
errors it contains should not be perpetuated when those errors are
identified and supported with evidence from primary sources.
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