Phillips of Prince George County, Virginia

Text from a Rex Phillips email

One thing that always puzzled me was the fact that from 1769 thru 1778 various payments were made by bristol parish to William Call for "the use of Ann Phillips'. These payments were of a significant amount- ie - 1000 lbs. tobacco. Yet a John Phillips, supposedly her husband, John II, was active in the Parish.

The last data for a John Phillips which I can say that I definitely beleive was John II was this:

PG Deed Book 10 Sept. 1755

Peter Aldrich 1224 Acs. Prince George Co, between Warwick and Second Swamps, adj. JOHN PHILLIPS, JOSEPH PHILLIPS, Francis Patison, Baugh, Birchet, Gary Kirby, Butterworth, Tayler and Russell. 10 Sept, 1755 Lbs.5.S5 200 acres being part of a pat. for 400 acres formerly grntd. Wm. Aldridge 1 Mar 1733/34

[PB 22 p37] and 1044 acs the Residue never before grtd."

Since John Phillips III, son of John II was born in 1740 this cannot be him, so must be John II and son Joseph who was born Nov, 1726. This property was located just about where the Petersbirg Municipal Airport is today just SW of the city.

What if the John Phillips from whom the property of the 1820 survey was not John II but instead was a son of George Phillips the brother of John II? We have a land patent dtd. Sept. 20, 1751 for George Phillips, adj to "HIS FATHER" and on that same date one for John Phillips which by the description is obviously adj. to the one for George.

Then we have this 1738 petition:

Pr. George Co. Records 1733-1792 Sept. 12, 1738

On petition of James Baugh, David Meeks, -----, -----, Richard Phillips, George Phillips etc etc.: they are permitted to clear a road from Plantation of Peter Mitchell, the most convenient way into Monkneck Road. James Baugh appointed overseer.

Monkneck Creek is now known as Rowantey Creek which is fed by Reedy Creek and Gravely Creek, two creeks which show up in deds or patents of neighbors of John Phillips descendants and William Call to whom payments were made by Bristol Parish for Ann Phillips. Rowanty Creek to the south crosses the junction of Dinwiddie, Pr. George, Sussex and Brunswick Cos..

Va State land Office reels 42-190

20 July 1780 Pr. George County William Call 356 acres in Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties on both sides of the Second Swamp, adjoining JOHN PHILLIPS, William Brown & c.

This property would be near the town of Dewitt, VA in present day Dinwiddie Co.

A George Phillips obtains land patents in 1745 and 1763 which I have now determined were located near the present day town of Rawlings, VA would be about 7 or 8 miles SW down todays Interstate 85 from the property immediately above. Thus I suspect the George of these patents is either the George son of John I or George II, GS of John I.

If my theory of the John who owned the large estate whose death caused the survy of 1820 being son of George I, this would explain the name George recurring in that family and also the possible explanation for Ann receiving assitance from the Parish if John II died ca 1767.

I have located a descendant of the George who patented the land in 1745 and 1763 (m. Susannah Dyer and had son Dyer Phillips). However he (Dale Phillips) does not believe in DNA tests and refuses to even consider such a test. He would not even take one if we paid for it so I will continue to search for other descendants who might be more inclined to participate.

If we could the test results could have 3 outcomes:

A DNA match with Grp 5, indicating that George who patented the land in 1745 & 1763 and who m. Dyer was related to your Thomas who m. Isabel(la)

A DNA match with Grp 3, indicating that above George was related to John II and his son Joseph and thus to me and NOT related to Thomas. or

No DNA match with either 3 or 4, indicating the above George is NOT related to either John II or Thomas or George the son of John I.

Let me know what you 3 think.

Rex

Text from Tom Hutchison email back to Rex

Looking through the Bristol records--I put them in chronological order. Being that Ann Phillips got monies for Ann Butterworth in 1782, I would believe Ann was the wife of John Phillips, and this was the John and Ann original. If John and Ann started having children in the 1720's. It is believable that John lived to 1767/68, he would have been in his late 60's or mid 60's. I think the key lies in Butterworth. If Nicholas Butterworth and Ann his wife were the close neighbors of John Phillips and Ann, this may make some sense. It is also possible that Ann Butterworth was John Phillips's sister?

Oct 14th, 1765 - To Jno Phillips for Ann Butterworth 1000 lbs of tobacco
July 10, 1766 - To pd Jno Phillips for Eliza Butterworth by Theo Field 1000 lbs tobacco (is this Ann Elizabeth or Elizabeth Ann-same person?)
Tuesday Jany 27, 1767 - John Phillips for keeping Ann Buterworth 1000 lbs of tobacco
Oct 14, 1769 To Thomas Bonner for ye use of Ann Phillips 1770, 300 lbs of tobacco. Note* Right below the Ann Phillips entry - To Capt Wm. Call for use of Mary Lantrops children De 400 lbs of tobacco
1770 To Field and Call for Wm Aldridge Ann Phillips & Nath Parrot 2,012 lbs of tobacco
Col'r for the year 1771 - Wm Call for Ann Philips 600 lbs of tobacco
Nov 21st, 1771 - To William Call for the Use of Ann Phillips 800 lbs of tobacco
Oct, 1772 - To William Call for Ann Phillips 800 lbs of tobacco.
Oct 23, 1772 - To Wm Call for use of Ann Phillips 1000 lbs of tobacco (was this the accounting of the 1773? Probably, I think)
1773 - To Paid William Call for use of Ann Phillips 1000 lbs of tobacco
Oct 15, 1773 - To William Call for use of Ann Phillips 8 lbs 6 shillings 8 pence
1774 - To William Call for Ann Phillips 8 lbs 6 shillings 8 pence (account of Cash - Oct 18, 1774 for Use of Ann Phillips)
1775 - To William Call for Ann Phillips 8 lbs 6 shillings 8 pence
On March 16, 1782 - To Ann Phillips for Ann Butterworth £13.

The only record of Ann having a child is this:

Chas son of Nico:& Ann Butterworth born 6th Jan: last bapt Feb 14th 172-

Text from Rex’s reply email

Tom- Thanks for sending the PDF on Bristol because I think it possibly sheds a lttle light. It says in one part

Oct 14, 1769 To Thomas Bonner for ye use of ann Phillips 1770, 300 lbs of tobacco

right below the Ann Phillips entry!

To Capt Wm. Call for use of Mary Lantrops children De 400 lbs of tobacco

I suspect Mary Lanthrop is the widow of John Lanthrop, Jr. ( brother of Ann & Isabella) who owned land on South side Second Swamp as did his father . On 18 Feb., 1722, John, Jr. pat. 125 acres on So. side of Second Swamp adjacent to his father's line. Note that the patent reads adj. to his father's line even though his father had been dead for 3 years. So, the Lanthrops were neighbors of Call, Baughs, Phillips et al. I think that this probably helps to confirm that the wife of John Phillips II was Ann Lanthrop. This being the case then Isabel(la) who m. Thomas was probably her sister, and makes it more likely that John II and Thomas were brothers. If this is the case then Joseph the son of John II cannot possibly be my ancestor since Thomas's descendants and I are in different DNA grps. I still would like to see a DNA test of one of the descendants of John II to confirm it one way or another. I am going to try to find a descendant of the Phillips who remained in Pr. George Co. If I do then maybe we can fund a test for them if they will not do it on their own.

As to Butterworth, they were also neighbors but any familial connection would be purely speculative. Ann Butterworth could have been a daughter of John Lanthrop, or even a daughter of John Phillips, though I doubt that the parish would be paying John for assistance to his own daughter

Even though Ann was receiving assistance from the Parish, she still owned land until after 1789. There were two Ann Phillips in the property tax records (An Ann Phillips and an Ann, Jr.) then 10 years later only one.

Theopilous Field was one of the largest landowners in both Prince George and Brunswick Co.s with several thousand acres. I don't think there was any family connection involved, he was probably a pillar of the parish.