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George Phelps
In New England 1634/5
Written by certified genealogist Margaret P. Swanson.
The Phelps Family of America (page 1259) relates the personal history of George Phelps.
28 Oct 1634, George Phelps chosen one of ten men "to order the affairs of the Colony, for one year." 6 May, 1635, George Phelps chosen a Freeman.
In the fall of 1635 he removed to the founding of Windsor, Connecticut, with the Rev. Mr. Warham's Church. He located in Windsor, at the junction of the Farmington and Great (now Connecticut) rivers, on the second lot south of the Loomis property.
Mr. Phelps married:
1) Phillury Randall, at Windsor, in 1637, daughter of Philip Randall, born in England, and arrived ["Great Migration" says 1633]. She died in Windsor, 29 April, 1648. By her he had six children.
2) widow Frances Dewey, 16 Nov 1648. He was her third husband. She married for her 1st husband Joseph[?] Clark. He was son of one of three brothers William, Thomas and George, but which one we do not know. Says "Harris" these three brothers Clark were in Dorchester in 1640, where they died soon after, and nearly at the same time. [Supposedly, she had two children by her first husband, John Clark, and Mary Clark, who married John Strong, Jr.]
[Frances] married 2nd Thomas Dewey in 1638 or 1639 from Sandwich [now Swanage, Dorset], England, to Dorchester 1633 to Windsor 1638 where he died, 27 Mar 1748. Their children were:
- Thomas Dewey, b. Windsor, Ct., 16 Feb 1640.
- Josiah, bap. Windsor, Ct., 10 Oct 1641.
- Anna, bap. Windsor, Ct., 15 Oct 1643.
- Israel, b. Windsor, Ct., 25 Sep 1645.
- Jedediah, b. Windsor, Ct., 15 Dec 1647.
Mr. Phelps, with part of his family and the children of Mrs. Phelps by her second husband, removed to the settling of Westfield, Mass. in 1670. Some of his children had probably removed there some years previous.
In his will, it is written,
Concerning my Dear wife, I exhort my children to be careful & tender of her, Loveing and duty ful towards her in al things, that she want nothing that may be necessary to her comfortable subsistence, to hearken & attend to her Counsel from time to time: and I give unto my wife, all... if she need it not herselfe, to be disposed of by her to such of her relations as she shall judge have most need..."
"...my three Youngest Sons, Jacob, John & Nathaniel" were the three son of George and Frances.
Children by wife Phillury Randall, born in Windsor, Ct.:
- Isaac, born 26 Aug 1638, married Anne Gaylord.
- A child, died 1647.
- Abraham, born 22 Jan 1641, and married Mary Pinney.
- A child, died 1647.
- Abigail, died 1649.
- Joseph, born 24 Jun, baptized 11 Jul 1647, and married first Mary Porter, second Hestor Hosford.
Children by second wife, Widow Frances Dewey, born in Windsor, Ct.:
- Jacob, born 7 Feb 1648-50, and married Dorothy Ingersoll.
- John, born 15 Feb 1641-52, and married Sarah Buckland.
- Nathaniel, born 9 Dec 1653, and married Eunice ____.
"Great Migration" for George Phelps, born about 1613, page 448, or image page 562, states, "The inventory of the estate of "George Phelps of Westfield, who departed this life May 8, 1687,..." included the homestead and lands in Windsor. Married (1) 1638 Philura Randall, daughter of PHILIP RANDALL {1633, Dorchester}. She died at Windsor on 29 Apr 1648 m. (2) at Windsor November 164[8] Frances (____) (Clark) Dewey, widow of Thomas Dewey {1633, Dorchester}. She died at Westfield on 27 September 1690.
CHILDREN: With Philura Randall:
- ISAAC PHELPS, b. Windsor 20 Aug 1638; m. (1) Windsor 11 Mar 1662/3 Ann Gaylord; m. (2) by 1694 Mary (Newberry) Maudsley, daughter of Benjamin Newberry and widow of John Maudsley.
- ABRAHAM PHELPS, b. Windsor 22 January 1642[/3?]; m. Windsor 6 July 663 or 1665 Mary Pinney, daughter of HUMPHREY PINNEY {1633, Dorchester}.
- Child, d. Windsor 1647 ("G[e]org[e] Phelps child".)
- Child, d. Windsor 11647 ("G[e]org[e] Phelps another child".)
JOSEPH PHELPS, b. Windsor 24 Jun 1647, bp. there 11 July 1647; m. (1) Windsor 26 Jun 1673 Mary Porter; m. (2) by an unknown date Hester Hosford, daughter of John Hosford (on 10 December 1683, "Esther Hosford" received a share in the distribution of the estate of John Hosford, while on 8 Apr 1701, "Esther Phelps" signed an agreement among the children of John Hosford).
With Frances Clark:
- JACOB PHELPS, b. Windsor 7 February 1649/50; m. Westfield 2 May 1672 Dorothy Ingersoll.
- JOHN PHELPS, b. Windsor 15 February 1651[2?], bp. Windsor 15 February 1652; m. by 1675 Sarah Buckland (eldest known child b. Windsor 21 January 1675[/6?], daughter of THOMAS BUCKLAND [1634,, Dorchester].
- NATHANIEL PHELPS, B. Windsor 9 December 1654; m. by 1678 Eunice ____ (eldest known child b. Westfield 10 October 1678).
Reference to George Phelps, the colonist, in the Find A Grave memorial of William Phelps, the colonist. DNA testing has proven that George Phelps is not a genetic match to William Phelps born 1593. William and George can not be brothers.
Robert Charles Anderson 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. For more information, see Margaret Swanson's article for the Phelps Connections newsletter about the Phelps Entries in The Great Migration Begins.
(2) By Margaret P. Swanson "Phelps Entries in The Great Migration Begins," Phelps Connections newsletter. Volume 6, No. 1, Winter 1997, Page 409. Margaret Phelps Swanson is co-founder with Nancy Pennington of the Phelps Connections, the former family genealogy association, no longer in operation. Permission is granted to copy or reproduce information in "Phelps Connection" by any means with the following restriction:
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