William Phelps (colonist)
| William Phelps | |
|---|---|
| Born | c1593 Crewkerne, Somerset, England |
| Died | 1672, age 78 Windsor, Connecticut, United States |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | landowner, magistrate |
| Known for | Founder of Dorchester, Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut; first foreman of a Grand Jury in the New World; one of eight selected to lead first democratic town government in 1637 |
| Spouse(s) | 1) Mary 2) Ann Dover |
| Children | William, Mary, Mary, Samuel, Nathanial, Joseph, Mary, Sarah, Timothy |
| Signature | |
 |
|
William Phelps, a Puritan from Crewkerne, England, was one of the founders of both Dorchester, Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut and was one of eight selected to lead the first democratic town government in the American colonies in 1637. He was foreman of the first grand jury in New England, served most of his life in early colonial government, and according to noted historian Henry Reed Stiles, Phelps "was one of the most prominent and highly respected men in the colony."
William Phelps (c. 1593 – July 14, 1672) was a Puritan Englishman who immigrated in 1630 aboard the ship Mary and John to the American Colonies. Based on The Phelps Family in America, a family history published in 1899 by Oliver Seymour Phelps and his son-in-law, Andrew T. Servin, many researchers mistakenly believed that William Phelps and a brother, George Phelps, both emigrated from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England in 1630, to the New World. Modern researchers have concluded this is incorrect.
Phelps and Servin's identification of the origin of William Phelps of Dorchester, Massachusetts was based solely on an estimate of his birth date, derived from what was thought to be his age of 72 at death on July 14, 1672. Oliver Phelps located a William Phelps who was baptized in Tewkesbury on August 19, 1599, and thus identified him as the original immigrant. He also believed that George Phelps of Windsor, Connecticut, was William’s brother, despite the fact that they could not locate any records for a George Phelps in Tewkesbury. Recent genetic research has shown no biological relationship between the descendants of William and George Phelps.
Additionally, the will of William Phelps’ mother Dorothy in Tewkesbury, probated on May 5, 1617, mentioned a brother-in-law, Edward Phelps. His will in turn, probated on July 1, 1637, named as overseer of his estate his nephew, William Phelps, likely placing William Phelps of Tewkesbury in England and not across the Atlantic in the Massachusetts Bay.
More recent expert research has identified William Phelps of Crewkerne, Somersetshire, England as the immigrant.
...
Wikipedia