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Descendants of

? PHELPS and Eleanor Moutton

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First Generation

         1.? PHELPS was born about 1600 in England, he married¹ Eleanor MOUTTON about 1624 in England. Eleanor was born about 1605 in England, she died in 1655 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts.

The earliest record of the Phelps family in Salem is when Eleanor married her second husband, Thomas Trusler. They were members of the first church of Salem in 1639. Tusler was in Salem by 1629 when a kiln for burning bricks and tiles was built, a business he operated until his death in 1654. Eleanor had five Phelps children of which only two are known to me. Perhaps some of the children stayed in England. There was a William Phelps, who came to America from Tewksbury, England on the Mary and John in 1630. Whether he is related to this family is unknown. Eleanor Trusler was taken to court, in April 1644, for her Gortonist opinions, saying "our teacher Mr. Norris taught the people lies."Governor Winthrop was advised to bind her over to Boston Court as an example others might fear, lest "that heresiee doeth spread which at length may prove dangerous." At the Trusler trial, one Consandra Southwich testified that Eleanor "did question the government ever since she came."[1] Eleanor Trusler died in 1655, and her sons Henry and Nicholas Phelps inherited her farm in West Peabody, Massachusetts. The first meeting of the Friends (Quakers) was held in this house. Nicholas Phelps half of the house and lands were taken for the payment of fines. Batter, the treasurer, apparently turned it over to Nicholas brother, Henry, who owned the other half interest. Henry may have married Batter's sister. Henry sold the entire estate to Joseph Pope on 18 Jul 1664. Many years later, the place returned into the Phelps family and then remained in the family until Francis Phelps took the ancient house down in 1856. Henry, may have had children who remained in Massachusetts[2].

A variant spelling of Phelps is Phillips.

? PHELPS and Eleanor had the following children:

+          2 M     i.  Nicholas PHELPS was born about 1625 in England and died before 1664. (See Below)

             3 M    ii.  Henry PHELPS was born about 1627 in England. He died before 1676. Henry may have married 1^st ? Batter and they had a son named John. He married 2nd his brother Nicholas' wife, Hannah (Baskel) Phelps, and they moved to Perquimans County, North Carolina.

Henry took the oath of supremacy and allegiance to pass for New England in the Mary and John of London on 16 Apr 1634. He along with five others were left behind to sail in the Hercules with Mr. Kiddey[3]. His destination was said to be Salem. After Nicholas and Hannah were imprisoned Henry managed to gain control of Nicholas property. There is no record of Henry being fined for Quaker leanings, but by doing this he became suspect. He was complained of at the county court in Boston on 31 July 1660, for beating his son, John Phelps born about 1645, and forcing him to work carrying dung and mending a hogshead on the Lord's day, for intimacy with his brother's wife, and for entertaining Quakers. John was to be given over to his uncle, Mr. Batter (presumably his mother's brother) and to pay to Mr. Batter what the boy's grandmother left to him.

On 18 July 1664 Henry Phelps sold the property that he and his brother had inherited from their mother in 1655 and he, Hannah, and the children including his son John left Massachusetts. Presumably they married in a Quaker meeting before setting off by ship with the possessions they had left.

In March 1672 William Edmudson, an English Quaker, was visiting Albemarle County, North Carolina. He came upon the home of Henry Phillips (sic) on the Perquimans River and discovered Henry was a Quaker from New England who had not seen a member of the faith for seven years. However,  Christopher and Hannah (Rednap) Nicholson and Isaac and Damaris (Shattuck) Page (also our ancestors) were also in North Carolina before this time. Edmundson held the first recorded religious service in North Carolina on Sunday. He noted in his journal that the people in the area had little or no religion and came to the meeting smoking their pipes, but listened carefully. Since Henry had not seen another person of the faith for seven years it appears he arrived in North Carolina about 1665[4].

Second Generation

2. Nicholas PHELPS was born about 1625 in England. He died before 1664. Nicholas married Hannah BASKEL about 1650 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. Hannah was born before 1630 in England. She died after 1695 in, Perquimans County, North Carolina.

It seems ironic that the Puritans having come to America for religious freedom did not extend this same right to the Quakers.

Nicholas was called "a weak man, and one whose back was crooked... by some historians, “but it can be argued that he had a strong spirit". Nicholas and Hannah had two children with whom they lived on the Trusler farm in the woods about five miles from the meeting house in Salem. It was situated at the site of modern town of West

Peabody. The farm was devised to Nicholas and Henry jointly, by their mother in 1655. Nicholas' half of the house was forfeited for fines he and Hannah incurred for holding Quaker meetings in their home. However, Henry brother of Nicholas, managed to obtain control of the entire farm and allowed Hannah and the children to remain there.

Excerpt of court record

"Nicholas Phelps is sensured by this court to pay 40s to the treasurer of this county for defending a quakers meeting & allsoe to be sent to the house of correction at Ipswich for owning himselfe to be a quaker & there to continue at this Courts pleasure: to pay costs 20s."

In Salem the path of Quaker conversion followed women. Gardner, Southwick, and Buffum women accounted for thirteen out of twenty-five women in the meeting. In June 1658, John Smith had helped the Salem constable arrest Quakers at the homes of Lawrence Southwick and Nicholas Phelps.  One of the Quakers was Tamosin Buffum.  Within a year Smith himself was in jail with his wife for Quaker-related crimes.  His wife was Tamosin's daughter; another daughter was Deborah Wilson, who had walked naked down Salem's main street and the Essex County Court called the young woman "distempered on mind." and remanded her to the custody of her Quaker husband.  Buffum also had two sons, Joshua and Caleb, who were also active in the sect[5].

On 27 Jun 1658 the Salem constables learned of another Quaker meeting, this time at the home of the Phelps.  Upon investigation the constables discovered the presence of two visiting Quakers, William Brend and William Leddera. Apparently aware of Brend's notoriety, the constables arrested him and Leddera and sent them to Boston

for further punishment and ordered all the local participants to appear in court on June 29.  The men appeared and refused to remove their hats, symbolically declaring their affiliation with Brend and Leddera and denying their obedience to the authority of the court. Shattock, Joshua Buffum, and Samuel Gaskin openly admitted that they were Quakers.  This admission forced the court to act. It cited Shattock, Buffum, Gaskin, Phelps, the three Southwicks, and twenty-two other town residents for absence from regular church services.  The courts also ordered that Shattock, Buffum, Phelps and the three Southwicks be sent to Boston with Brend and Leddera. [6](SEE SHATTUCK FAMILY).

About 1661 Samuel Shattuck and Nicholas Phelps sailed to England to petition parliament to help the Quakers. They returned to New England, but Mr. Phelps, being weak in body died soon after[7].

Shattock, Buffum, Southwick and Phelps refused to conform.  The care of family, the arguments of John Norton, a minister in Boston, and the threats of General Court failed to bring about any minimal conformity by the six Quakers. Martyrdom, however, was avoided.  In an apparent exchange for dropping

the threat to sell Daniel and Provided Southwick into servitude, the older Southwicks agreed to leave the colony and presumably precipitated the departure of the other three Salem Quakers[8].

NICHOLAS and HENRY PHELP'S HOUSE, Salem, Massachusetts

.

Hannah Baskel/Baskett married 2nd Henry Phelps, the brother of Nicholas, 3rd James Hill between 1672-1676 Perquimans. Hannah married 4th Joseph Smith on 7 Mar 1695/6 at Perquimans Quarterly Meeting. In her youth Hannah appears to have been wild and of poor moral standing.

"Hannah held the first Quaker meeting in the Massachusetts Bay colony in her home in Salem and later opened her home to the first Quaker meeting in the Albemarle settlement of Carolina" She came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652 from England

Excerpt from court record

At the time of this updated deposition Hannah was the wife of Nicholas Phelps. This is the only record of Hannah's maiden name.  "Deposition of Jane Johnson: Saith yt: coming ov'r in the ship with henry Phelps & Hannah the now wife of Nich: Phelps: Henry Phelps going ashore the ship lying at the Downes: Hannah wept till shee made

herselve sick because mr Fackner would not suffer her to goe ashore with Henry Phelps: & Henry came aboard late in the night, the next morning mr Falckner Chid Henry Phelps & Hannah & said was it not for y'w to let Hannah lay her head in y'r lapp but must shee ly in ye Cabbin to & called Hannah Strumpet & this deponent saith farther yt she saw Henry Phelps ly in his Cabbin & Hannah Baskel the now wife of Nich Phelps came & lay down her head by him & pull her head up again often as he lay in his Cabbin: Y when he was smocking in the Cook roome tobacco Hannah tooke the pip out of his mouth, etc., etc."[9]

In 1694 Hannah was the only one of the original family still living, it was she who proved headrights for fifteen persons transported into the county of Albemarle. They were Henry Phelps [her 2nd husband], Hannah, his wife [herself], John Phelps [Henry's son], Johathan Phelps [her son], Hanah Phelps, Jr. [her daughter], Robt. Pane, James Hill, her 3rd husband, Saml. Hill [son of James Hill], Mary Hill, Nathanl. Spivey and his wife, Judith, John Spivey, Sarah Spivey, Anne Spivey, [and] Jonathan Phelps, his freedom. This amounted to 750 acres, 50 acres per right. Hannah assigned the first six rights to her grandson, Jonathan Phelps, who was then seven years old; eight rights

to her grandson, Samuel Phelps, age ten; and the last right to Robert Wilson, the executor of the estate of her son Jonathan.

In 1709 Mr. Gordon, a Church of England missionary, stated in a letter that the Quakers then numbered "about the tenth part of the inhabitants" of Carolina and in Perquimans Precinct they "are very numerous, extremely ignorant, insufferably proud and ambitious, and consequently ungovernable."[10]

Nicholas and Hannah had the following children:

+          4 M     i.  Jonathan PHELPS was born about 1652 and died on 21 Feb 1688/1689. (see below)

               5 F   ii.  Hannah PHELPS was born about 1654 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. She died between 1687 and 1689 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Hannah married 1st James Perisho about 1672 and 2nd George Castleton in 1679/80, son of George and Mary Castleton of New Castle on Tyne, England.  Hannah and George had a daughter Hannah born 13 Mar 1679.

The Court records of October 1685 mention that "George Castleton hath absented himself from the County and Imbezled the estate belonging to the Orphans of James Perisho deceased". In October 1687 the court ordered that Hannah Castleton,  the wife of George Castleton "doe repaire home to her husband an live with him". She probably died shortly after this because she did not attend her daughters wedding on 5 August 1689, although grandmother, Hannah did. In October 1689 Hannah Hill, grandmother of James Perishaw, petitioned the court to have the management of the stock belonging to the said James Perishaw for the child's care.

Third Generation

4. Jonathan PHELPS (Nicholas) was born about 1652 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts. He died on 21 Feb 1688/1689 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Jonathan married Hannah SMITH daughter of Joseph Smith in 1674 in Perquimans. Hannah was born about 1650, she died on 15 Feb 1700/1701 in Perquimans. She had a brother named Joseph Smith.

 Hannah married 2nd John Lilly "last of March 1690" and had Sarah b.15 Jun 1691, Perquimans, Hannah b.29 Sep 1694, Perquimans, and John d.17 Jul 1701, Perquimans[11].

In 1684 Jonathan took out a patent containing 400 acres in Perquimans County on the West side of Perquimans River and south side of Wilsons Creek, running down the river 116 perches. Robert Wilson in a grant to him (same year) names the same creek, and calls it a "branch". This grant is of interest because it was exactly where the town of Hertford is now located.  Old papers in Perquimans, show that Jonathan Phelps held land in the same locality, and that he sold land to the Directors of Hertford to build that town. Many of the early Quaker meetings were held at his house.  A monthly meeting was established there in 1683. On 13 September 1679 twenty-one Quakers including Jonathan Phelps, son of Nicholas and Hannah drew, up a "Remonstrance" to the proprietors protesting their treatment, declaring they were "a peaceable people." It stated that most of the subscribers "have been Inhabitants in Carolina since the yeares 1663 and 1664." The Quakers in Carolina had been persecuted before this time and in the minutes of Perquimans Monthly Meeting in 1680 it is noted nine Friends were fined and put into prison for refusing to bear arms in the muster field.

Jonathan's will written 11, Mar 1688, proved 4 Apr 1689 is very old and faded and the only names legible are Jonathan and Hannah, but he evidently gave the four hundred acres, where he lived, to his son Samuel. In 1692, Robert Wilson and John Lilly, executors of Jonathan Phelps will, went to court to divide the property. The suit was

continued in 1693, when Hannah Hill petitioned for "hur Halfe of the plantation" and it was ordered that "Shee be posesed with it." This Patent was renewed by Samuel Phelps as son and heir in 1695. [12]

Jonathan and Hannah had the following children:

   6 F        i.  Sarah PHELPS was born on 15 Jan 1676 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. She died before 1688 in Perquimans[13].

7 F       ii.  Elisabeth PHELPS was born on 2 Apr 1679 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. In the will of Elizabeth's father he calls her daughter Elizabeth Yholes[14].

   8 M     iii.  Jonathan PHELPS was born on 6 Nov 1681 in, Perquimans County, North Carolina. He died before 1687 in, Perquimans[15].

   9 M     iv.  Samuel PHELPS was born on 6 Aug 1684 in, Perquimans County, North Carolina. He died between Apr and Jul 1728 in, Perquimans[16].

                              Samuel married Hannah ? about 1705 and they had Samuel b.17 Nov 1706/7, who died young; Jonathan, who died young; John b.13 Jan 1716/7[17], also died young, he was left the land in "balehack" in his father's will; William d.Apr 1752, Perquimans. William Phelps died without issue. He left his estate to John Harvey and James Sitterson (cousins) William Barker, Sarah Elliot, and Samuel Sitterson (perhaps his mother was the daughter of James and Hannah Sitterson, since her name was Hannah and she had a son named James)[18]. In 1719 there was a James and Hannah Sitterson in Perquimans County where Henry Phelps and his family relocated[19], Samuel mentions grandfather Joseph Smith[20]. In these abstracts Sitterson is shown as Litteson); and James Phelps, who died young. Some of the children may have died young, but they are all named in their father's will[21]. It appears that there was no one to carry on this line. Samuel Phelps took up 150a of land 10 Feb 1718 on S W side of Perq River adj Sarah and Hannah Lilly. In 1701 he and James Chesen petitioned the court for a share in the crop made that year at John Lilly's, his stepfather, saying that they had lived with lilly until he died. He was awarded a full share and Chesen was given a half share. By an act of assembly in 1715 Samuel was appointed Vestryman in the established church; and in 1724 Samuel was appointed justice of the peace for the precinct of Perquimans[22].

As you see some members of the family left the Society of Friends. It was not easy being a Quaker.  

+        10 M       v.  Jonathan PHELPS was born on 13 Apr 1687 and died on 4 Dec 1732.

Fourth Generation

      10. Jonathan PHELPS (Jonathan, Nicholas) was born[23] on 13 Apr 1687 in, Perquimans County, North Carolina, he died on 4 Dec 1732 in, Perquimans. Jonathan married Elizabeth TOMS, daughter of Francis TOMS and Margaret BOGUE, on 16 Feb 1720/1721 in Perquimans. Elizabeth was born[24] 20 9mo (Nov) 1699 in Perquimans, died between 16 Feb and Jul 1769. (SEE TOMS AND BOGUE FAMILIES).

Jonathan is the 2nd child in this family with this name, the 1st Jonathan probably died young[25].

Jonathan purchased 100 acres from Francis Tomes on the NE side of Perquimans River on 18 Jan 1728[26].

On 8 Aug 1733 Elisabeth, widow of Jonathan, of Massachusetts Bay, Boston purchased 100 acres from Wm Jones for 140 pounds on the NE side of River ajacent to Wm Lawrence[27] and on 7 Jul 1734 gave 80 acres of this land to Morning, her daughter, for affection[28], I wonder why she is said to be from Boston, maybe because Jonathan was a merchant. Could they have been there when he died?

Elisabeth married  2nd Zachariah Nixon, Jr. soon after 3 Jul 1734, Perquimans. Her will was dated 16 Feb 1769, proved July court 1769. In her will she names son: Francis, grand-children Joseph Nixon, Zachariah, Miriam, Caroline, Christopher, and Samuel Nicholson; grand-children: Margaret, Miriam, Jonathan, Mourning, and Elizabeth Newby;  grand-sons: Zachariah Newby and Jonathan Phelps, grand-children Elizabeth Winslow, Benjamin and Dorothy Phelps, Mourning Henley and Elizabeth Toms; sons Zachariah and Francis Nixon, Exrs. Test, Francis Tomes and Caleb Toms[29].

Jonathan and Elizabeth had the following children:

          11 M       i. Henry PHELPS was born on 5 Mar 1724/1725 and died between May and Jul 1752.

          12 F       ii. Elisabeth PHELPS was born[30] on 28 Aug 1729 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Elisabeth was reported married to John Symons 6 Jan 1747/8 in Perquimans. She married 2nd Joseph Anderson 5 Dec 1750. They had a daughter, Mourning, who married 9 Jan 1768, Joseph Henley[31].

          13 M   iii.   Jonathan PHELPS was born on 28 Feb 1730/1731, Perquimans County, North Carolina and died in 1759. He announced his intention to marry[32] Dorothy JORDAN 5 Dec 1750 in Perquimans. Dorothy was born about 1730 in Nansemond County, Virginia. She was the daughter Mathew Jordan and Dorothy Newby of Isle of Wight, Virginia. Jonathan Phelps petitioned the court July 1755, for "Lycence to keep an Ordinary at his now Dwelling house", which was granted.  An Act of Assembly was passed the same year for "Establishing a public Ferry, from Phelps point, to Newby's point, whereon the Courthouse Now Stands, on Perq Rier," and it was agreed to pay said Jonathan "one of said ferry men 4 pounds, and Nathan Newby the Other Ferry man," the same, for "setting over ferry free Inhabitants of said County at Court times, Elections, Members of Assembly, Vestry men, and Musters, In said County" Security; James Sitterson, Joseph Ratcliff. in April 1759 Jonathan Phelps and Nathan Newby petitioned for their pay, "for Maintaining a Publick ferry, from Phelps Point to Newby's Point", it was granted.

      14 F       iv.  Mourning PHELPS was born on 10 Dec 1732, Perquimans County, North Carolina and died before 1775. She married Mark NEWBY 4 Feb 1750 at the house of Zachriah Nixon, her step father, in Perquimans.

Fifth Generation

11. Henry PHELPS (Jonathan, Jonathan, Nicholas) was born[33] on 5 Mar 1724/1725 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. He died[34] between May and Jul 1752 in Perquimans. Henry and Margaret NEWBY announced their intention to marry on 3 Aug 1748, at the house of John Phelps in Perquimans. She was the daughter of Francis NEWBY and Huldah HUNNICUTT. (SEE NEWBY and HUNNICUTT FAMILIES) Margaret was born on 29 May 1728 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Margaret was reported married 2nd to Joseph Outland 3 Oct 1753, Perquimans Monthly Meeting[35]. She probably died before 1789 when Joseph's will was made. Margaret is mentioned in her 1st husband's will, but not her 2nd husband's. Joseph Outland mentions, daughters: Mary, Sarah, and Martha[36].

In a deed Margaret Barrow, spinster, of Perquimans for a "Sum pd to my Mother," by Jonathan Phelps, Merchant, sold to Henry Phelps, son of afsd, 20 acres, adjacent land formerly belonging to William Lawrence on NE side of land taken by Francis Toms, 19 Jan 1740/1”[37]. The dates of the deed from the History of Perquimas County are probably the dates the deed were registered. Many times deeds were not registered for many years after they were written.

In Henry Phelps's will[38]  proved 1752 Perquimans County he called Zach Nixon his Father-in-law, which really meant his step father. Zach Nixon was his mother’s 2^nd husband.  

Henry and Margaret had the following children:

    15 M     i. Jonathan PHELPS was born about 1749 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. On 6 Jan 1768 Jonathan married[39] to Mary Newby and on 6 Sep 1775 Jonathan was disowned by the meeting for attending, his cousin, Benjamin Phelp's wedding[40]. It was probably not a Quaker service.

In his fathers will Jonathan received all of his father's lands and plantation and the fourth part of his Negroes, Foxes Journals, etc.

  16 F     ii. Elisabeth PHELPS was born about 1750 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. She died on 4 Jan 1807 in Randolph County, North Carolina. She is mentioned in her father's will. Elisabeth married[41] Thomas WINSLOW, son of John WINSLOW and Mary Ann PEARSON, 13 Jan 1768 in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. Thomas was born ^[42] on 8 Jan 1745 in Pasquotank. He died on 29 Jan 1826 in Randolph County. (SEE WILSLOW AND PEARSON FAMILIES)

Thomas and Elisabeth probably moved to Guilford County, North Carolina between 1771 and 1775. Their land later became part of Randolph County, North Carolina, when Randolph was formed from Guilford in 1779. Thomas was the first surveyor of Randolph County. He deeded a 26 acre tract to the Quaker Meeting in 1787. He was a charter member of Back Creek Monthly Meeting and two of his sons were among the earliest burials in what would become the Back Creek Cemetery[43].

On 13 Jul 1789 Thomas bought 250 acres on Two Mile Branch of Uwharrie from William Lytle of Orange County, North Carolina for 200 pounds, witnesses: Absolom Tatom and Pharoh Ventriss (Phentriss), Jur.[44] On 10th day, 3d mo (Mar) 1790 Thomas of Randolph sold 14 acres on Uwharrie for 14 pounds to Samuel Bundy of Randolph Co. Witnesses: John Winslow and Samuel Charles[45]. A land grant dated 7 Jul 1794, to Thomas, 150 acres on Warree (sic) Waters, adj. Sam Bundy[46]. On 29 Jul 1795 or 1796, Thomas sold to William Trueblood, for 180 pounds, 120 acres on the west side of Uwharrie being part of a tract purchased from William Lytle[47].

Thomas Winslow's will was dated 13 6th month (June) 1825 and probated August 1826[48].

Thomas married 2nd Mary [-?-] (1780-1811) and 3rd Elisabeth Albertson 26 Jun 1812.  Elisabeth was the daughter of Elihu Albertson and Jean or Jane Anderson. This Anderson family is also in our ancestry.

Thomas owned at least three slaves: Moses and Peter Winslow were freed and in his will he instructed his sons, Henry and Eleazor to make sure that their freedom was not interrupted. His slave, Joanna, was given to his wife in his will. It appears that Moses and Peter and other free people of color were living on the land of Nathan Winslow in 1830[49], after Henry left North Carolina. 

The DAR Patriot Index. Centennial Edition, part III, Washington 1990, pg. 3236, shows Thomas b.1-8-1745/6, North Carolina, d 6-29-1826, married Elizabeth Phelps, PS (Patriotic Service), North Carolina. I joined the Daughters of the American Revolution under Thomas Winslow. My national number is 0769624.