Save $201. Archival Quality Reprints of the 1899 Phelps Family in America family history are now available.
Identity and Family of William Phelps of Tewkesbury, England
Research Proves He is Not the Emigrant to Dorchester
Excerpted from The Phelps Family of America and Their English Ancestors, (Save $200 by ordering through us.) By Oliver S. Phelps and Andrew T. Servin. (Get a free, updated index here.)
The book The Phelps Family of America and Their English Ancestors by Phelps & Servin erroneously concluded based on nothing more than an approximate birth date for William that both he and George Phelps were from Tewkesbury, England. William and George Phelps are not brothers and are from Crewkene. For details, see Origins of William and George Phelps of Dorchester.
Therefore, any information about William Phelps in Tewkesbury is for informational
purposes only. Strikethrough indicates facts that have since been disproven.
Descendants of James Phelps and Joan
James Phelps, b. about 1520, m. Joan. He was thought to have been a half-brother of Francis Phylppe of Nether Tyne, Checkley, Staffordshire, England, 60 miles from Tewkesbury. "Says Prerogative Court of Canterbury, administrations 1587-1591, page 60. May 10th, 1588, commission issued to Joan Phelps, relict of James Phelps, late of Tewkesbury, deceased, to administer the goods and chattels of said deceased. He was possibly the son of Richard Phllyppe of Nether Teyne. Eight children were baptised in Tewkesbury."
- James Phelps and Joan (___), children baptized in the Tewkesbury Abbey Church:
- William, bp. 4th Aug., 1560, m. Dorothy.
- Thomas, bp. l0th Aug., 1563.
- George, (or Giles) bp. 5th Sept., 1566. (In court and other records George and Giles are the same.)
- Alice, bp. 24th Dec., 1572, m. John
- Hope, June 21, 1595. Edward, bp. 10th May, 1578, ancest. of Rev. Wm. Phelps Prior.
- Keneline, bp. 16th Oct., 1580 (prob. Kenelm.)
- Richard, bp. 16th Oct., 1583.
- Robert, bp. 18th July, 1584.
From the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (administrations 1611, 04, page 102):
"May 31, 1613, commission issued to Nicholas Phelps, brother of William Phelps, late of Tewkesbury, deceased, to administer the goods and chattels of the said deceased, during the minority of William Phelps, his son, by reason of the death of Dorothy Phelps, relict of the said William Phelps, deceased, leaving "
"From this it appears that James and Joan Phelps had a son Nicholas, "
Descendants of William Phelps and Dorothy
The following information from P & S (p. 85) stating that the Phelps originated in Tewkesbury has since been proven to be inaccurate. The Phelps descendants named below remained, insofar as is known, in England.
William Phelps, son of James and Joan Phelps (above), b. Tewkesbury, baptized 4th Aug., 1560, m. Dorothy (surname unknown).
"William Phelps was Baliff in Tewkesbury in 1607. Says Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Sept. 28th, 1611, administrations 1611 to 1614: "Commissioned to Dorothy Phelps, relict of William Phelps, late of Tewkesbury, deceased, to administer the goods and chattles of the said deceased." He probably died 1611. His wife, Dorothy, died 1613. They had been baptized in Tewkesbury."
- William Phelps & Dorothy:
- Marie bpt. 23 Apr. 1508, Tewkesbury.
- Thomas bpt. 24 Jan. 1590, Tewkesbury. Two children. One son, John Phelps, during Charles I was sentenced to be "degraded and then taken to be drawn from the Tower to Tribune end imprisoned for life", but he fled to Switzerland and died in exile.
- Dorothy bpt. 29 Feb. 1595, Tewkesbury.
- William bpt. 19 Aug. 1599, Tewkesbury. (P & S mistakenly believed that this William emigrated to the American Colonies.)
- James bpt. 14 July 1601, Tewkesbury.
- Elizabeth bpt. 9 May 1603, Tewkesbury.
- George. [There is no record of him in Tewkesbury.]
Descendants of William Phelps and Elizabeth
The following information from P & S (p. 85) stating that the Phelps originated in Tewkesbury has since been proven to be inaccurate. The name of his wife Elizabeth is not correct; otherwise the names reported are, based on the best available information, accurate.
- Children of William Phelps &
Elizabeth _____ - Richard Phelps bpt. 26 Dec. 1619, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England. He possibly died in England. There was a Richard Phelps on the Mary & John in 1630, but it is unknown if he was the one bpt. in 1619, or another, bpt, 26 Dec. 1609 in Tewkesbury, probably the brother of William & George. This Richard had a house in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1633 and he left for Barbados on 2 May 1635, Nothing more is known about him. If this was the Richard bpt. in 1619, he would have been only 14 in 1633 and 16 in 1635.
- William Phelps Jr. born after 1520, England. m. (1) Isabel Wilson, June 1645 (1616-1674) poss. a sister of Robert Wilson of Windsor. m. (2) Sarah Pinney, 20 Dec. 1676, Windsor (b, 1648) dau. of Humphrey & Mary Hull (Finny 4). William d. 7 Feb. 1681, Windsor. P & S p. 87 reports his first wife was prob. on the Mary & John in 1630, but no supporting evidence has been found. No children.
- Sarah Phelps b. a. 1623, England. m. William Wade of Middletown, Connecticut. She d. 10 July 1650. No children.
- Samuel Phelps b. a. 1623, England. m. Sarah
Griswold, 10 Nov. 1650,
Windsor, dau. of Edward Griswold (emigrant) of Kenilworth. England. She
m. (2) Nathaniel Pinney. 1670 (Pinney 2). Samuel d. 15 May 1669, Windsor.
Children of Samuel Phelps 6 Sarah Griswold (P & S p. 89) - Lt. Samuel Phelps Jr. b. 5 Sept. 1652, Windsor. m. Abigail Williams, 21 June 1675 (b. 1658) dau. of John Williams & Mary Burley. Samuel d. 21 Oct. 1741, No children.
- Sarah Phelps b. 16 Mar, 1653, Windsor m. Andrew
Moore of Simsbury, 15 Feb. 1671. Moved to Poquonock. Phelps Gen. p.
98 & Windsor, p. 506
agree an the children (1672-1698), but Windsor p. 465 says
she m. (2) John Mansfield, 13 Dec, 1683 and had four children (1684-1689).
The following assumes the Mansfield marriage is wrong because her later
children were named Moore.
Children of Sarah Phelps & Andrew Moors (Windsor-506) - Sarah Moore b. 16 Dec. 1672, Windsor.
- Andrew Moore Jr. b. 15 Feb. 1674, Windsor.
- Deborah Moore b. 31 Feb. 1677, Windsor, m. Samuel
Forward Jr., a. 1700 (1671-1738) s. of Samuel Forward & Anne.
She d. 27 Aug. 1734, Belchertown, Massachusetts. res: Simsbury, Connecticut & Belchertown,
Massachusetts.
Children of Deborah Moore & Samuel Forward Jr. (P & S p. 115) - Samuel Forward III b. 20 Aug. 1703, Simsbury. d. 29 July 1762, unmarr.
- Ens. James (or Joseph) Forward b. 10 Nov. 1707, Simsbury. d. 22 May 1766. res: Suffield & Simsbury, Connecticut. Tanner & saddler.
- Abel Forward b. 4 Nov. 1710, Belchertown, Massachusetts m. Hannah Phelps (b. 1717) dau. of Joseph Phelps & Rebecca North. Windsor p. 271 says she was dau. of Ezekiel Phelps (prob. an error). Ten, children (1737-1758). (P & S p. 194)
- Deborah Forward b. 6 Apr. 1713, Belchertown, Massachusetts m. Winchell. (See Winchell Can. V. 484). She d. 2 Aug. 1730.
- Rachel Forward b. 3 Apr. 1715, Belchertown.
- John Forward b. 29 Apr. 1717, Belchertown. d. 24 Apr. 1738.
- Jonathan Moore b. 26 Feb. 1679, Windsor,
- Abigail Moore b. 12 Sept. 1682, Windsor.
- Rachel Moore b. 6 Feb. 1690, Windsor. Prob, m. Timothy Phelps (h. 1671) s. of Joseph Phelps & Hannah Newton, six children (1708-1724). (P & S p. 107)
- Benjamin Moore b. 5 Dec. 1693, Windsor. m. Eunice Phelps, who d. 23 Feb. 1732, age 44, dau, of Nathaniel Phelps & Eunice (G. Phelps 9.5). res: Simsbury 6 Windsor, 1730. Six children (1717-1732), (P & S p. 1295)
- Amos Moore b. 10 Oct. 1698, Windsor. m. Martha
Owen, 21
May 1720 (b. 1698) dau. of Obadiah Owen & Christina
Winchell (NER 83:43)
Children of Amos Moore 6 Martha Owen (Windsor-506) - Amos Moore Jr. b. 21 Jan. 1720, Windsor.
- Nahum Moore bpt. 2 Sept. 1739, Turkey Hills.