Candidates for the Father of
James Phelps of Caswell Co.
(ca 1730 – 1786)
New items will indicated;
Last change
07/08/2012. Check back often for updates.
Many claims exist on the internet which name a
father and wife of our James Phelps. After careful research of original
records and the documented research of others, I found no support for any of
the claims. Moreover, there is very good evidence to deny the
validity to all those parents who have been named as his father or even
to the maiden name of James' wife, Mary. It seems that most if not
all claims used previously undocumented claims, which has compounded the
challenge of getting to the truth. This is perhaps understandable
because it is probably true that the current researchable world is
considerably larger and more complete than in the past. Even books
written in the early 1900's may be incorrect due to their authors not knowing
what is known today. An exception to this would be those people who had
a direct recollection or family Bibles; they must be honored. Oddly,
very little of that has turned up, but that resource may eventually be far
more helpful.
Adding to the challenge are the many Phelps lines that appeared in Virginia, NC, and Maryland in the 1700's. It is tempting to become totally immerged in unraveling the many lines; I have attempted to do so when it makes sense. Nor did I attempt to connect the various lines, except to make sure I had covered the time period of our James Phelps. (Finding a James Phelps in the 1800s hardly helps.) Perhaps the Y-DNA chromosome tests will open previously closed doors.
(Click the candidate below to view the detailed information. Use your back button to return. Footnotes are often available and can be seen by clicking on the footnote numbers.
4. William Phelps, husband to ANNA NANCY BABER - It appears this candidate was the same as the William Phelps of Albemarle. Revised 1/2005
5. Aquilla Felps of Baltimore Co, Md who moved to Rowan Co, NC. - Of the extensive work done by others this reported James was likely born too late for our James. Revised 5/2006
- There is nothing to
support this candidate. There is much research available on this family.
Revised 1/2005
7.
John Phelps (d. 1747 Goochland
Co, VA) - I could find nothing to support this
candidate. Revised 1/2005
8. The father of a James Phelps with 5 children in the 1776 All Hallows Parish census of Anne Arundel, Maryland - Anne Arundel is the most likely origin of our James Phelps. Major revisions 8/2007
9.1 A father or relative from Bedford Co, Va. – A James, son of John, lived past our James’ time. Revised 2//2007 with information about the children of John d 1801 who moved to GA from Bedford and other GA Phelps..
9.2 A father or relative from Halifax County Co, Va. Incld info about John Phelps d1794 and his sons, John and William. Major revision 7/8/2012
10.
A father in King and Queen Co,
Va. - A very interesting possibility, but nothing seems
available to prove this link.
Revised
1/2005
11.
A father related to the Phelps
from Forsyth Co, NC area. - A remote
possibility but not fully investigated.
12. A father from Tyrrell
County, N.C. Revised 9/2004
13. Assuming James’ wife, Mary, was a Killingsworth, a Phelps who was from where her family came from, possibly Johnston or Edgecombe counties, NC or Surry Co, VA Even though there is no evidence to disprove a Killingsworth connection, I found no such marriage claim by the Killingsworth researchers nor was there any other evidence. Revised 12/2005 Link repaired 2010
14. Some researcher wonder if the "older" Thomas Phelps of Caswell Co, could have been James' father. In addition to the current evidence that they were born not many years apart, only one record has been found of any relationship or contact with the othe lder Thomas with James Phelps. The Caswell Co marriage records shows that Reuben Phelps, now known to be one of Jame's sons, was the security for the marriage of George Roan and Delphia Phelps 29 Mar. 1788. Delphia was one of the daughters of the older Thomas Phelps.
Omitted paragraphs are in separate web pates
1 Thomas of Balt Co Md Felps 1664 - 1758
.. +Rosannah Swift
......... 2 Aventon/Avinton ofMd&RowanCo Felps 1711 - 1762
............. +Rachel McElroy
.................... 3 Aquilla Felps
.................... 3 John ofRowanCo Felps 1743 - 1794
........................ +Jane Smith
............................... 4 Avington Felps
5. James Felps/Phelps?????? B 1760?? Rowan Co?
............................... 4 John of RowanCo Felps, Jr
............................... 4 Thomas ofRowanCo Felps
............................... 4 Samuel Felps
............................... 4 Brittain Felps
............................... 4 William of RowanCo Felps
............................... 4 Kelling Felps
............................... 4 Ezekiel Felps
............................... 4 Pherabe Felps
............................... 4 Ede Felps
............................... 4 Jane Felps
.................... 3 Laurania Felps
Of the extensive work done by others on this line this reported James likely was born later than our James. At least one researcher names a James Felps (b. perhaps around 1760 in Rowan Co) as a son of an Aquilla Felps, Jr (b. abt 1735 in Baltimore Co, Md). Unfortunately, I am unable to find documentation for a James in this area other than that he was in the 1790 Rowan census. The 1790 census shows a number of Felps in Rowan, Iredell and Rockingham counties. James Felps is listed in Rowan Co, NC likely the one named by other researchers. Obviously this James outlived our James. This James is reported to have a son named James also. There is an unsourced LDS record reporting a James Felps, b abt. 1761 in Rowan Co, d. 1834. The best work done on this line appears to have been done by an Ed Phelps, but of the work I have seen from him, he never mentions a James Phelps. (I was unable to contact Ed.) The work of the researchers describe the move of an Avington Felps (b. 1711) from Baltimore Co, Md to Rowan Co as early a 1762. (From "Marylanders to Carolinas Migration prior to 1800": Avington Phelps was in Rowan Co, NC by April 20, 1762 when he and David McIlvain sold 50 acres ot Edward Morgan in Baltimore Co Md. Baltimore Land records Liber B#K folio 72.)
Claims are made of an ancestor Phelps/Felps coming from Barbados. This line
develops an extensive genealogy in Rowan County. Based on brief observations
this line probably linked into Surry County
(Surry
County will book 4, 51b. 2/3/1832
There is nothing to support this claim, even though much research has been done using an abundance of source information, such as very detailed parish vital records.
This
William and Elizabeth are named as our James’ parents in the LDS FamilySearch
Pedigree file. It is based on an old "Ancestrial File", Disc #6
[10]
I had no success in contacting the person who entered the data. It lists
as his son, James Phelps of Caswell Co. (b abt 1697 Caswell Co, d. Aug
1785 Caswell) and says that James married b. 1773 to Mary C. Bateman (b bef
1748). This claim can also be found in the World Family tree
records. So far, I have found no one with sources to support these
claims.
There is a
great deal of documented Phelps genealogy from Anne Arundel Co, especially
from All Hallows Church documents.
Of tremendous help to us
is a very complete and documented report“The Phelps Family” appeared in
the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin, Vol 34 #4 in 1993. A
follow-up appeared in the same publication in 1996, “Further Notes on Phelps”
These professional articles document the Phelps ancestries in this area and it
is clear from those records that no James was the son of this candidate.
For further discussion see ".8.
The father of a James Phelps with 5 children
in the 1776 All Hallows Parish census of Anne Arundel, Maryland - It is
conceivable that this James was ours, but there is no family connection."
I found
no James in this line. Occasionally researchers have confused this line with
the Albemarle Co. Phelps line which does include a James. In any event,
there is never a James mentioned by any researchers of the descendants of John
d. 1747 in Goochland.
Mary Galgan
reports that John’s son William ended up in Butler Co. KY. She says they are
not in the line of Thomas Phelps d. 1749 Albemarle, Va.and I agree completely.
Further details are from the deed records of Cumberland, 1751 through 1765,
recorded by Mary Galgan. Further information is from OJ Herman.
u2sweetie@ka.net His web page (confusing but very good) is at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~phelps/phelps_roots/question.htm
Based on
census records, by 1810 there were no Phelps recorded in Cumberland. It is
generally agreed that these descendants moved to Butler Co, Ky
The
following are the key documents naming this line:
1 John of Goochland-Cumberland d1747 Phelps - 1747
.. +Margaret
......... 2 John of Goochland-Cumberland Phelps, Jr
.................... 3 John of Cumberland Phelps III
......... 2 Samuel of Goochland-Cumberland d1790 Phelps
............. +Elizabeth
.................... 3 Peggy Phelps
.................... 3 Elizabeth Phelps
.................... 3 Sarah Phelps
.................... 3 Polly Phelps
.................... 3 Patty Phelps
.................... 3 Nancy Phelps
.................... 3 Mary Ann Phelps
......... 2 William of Goochland-Cumberland Phelps
Click on this to see a map of Virginia showing the approximate property owned by this line.
Goochland County Deeds and Wills Deed Bk. No. 5, 1745-1749 before the
formation of Cumberland Co.
1747
- From Goochland County Deeds and Wills Deed Bk. No. 5, 1745-1749, p.389-390.:
Will
of John Phelps (x), of Goochland Co., sick,
To
my son, John, the use of the land where he (John) lives, next to John
WOODSON and John PLEASANTS, and at his death to his son, John PHELPS.
To my
son, John, one negro woman Sarah.
To my
son, Samuel, land where John STAFFORD lives and where George BUTS
lived, next to WADSON(sic) and John PLEASANTS, [*note- this property is near
the old Court House of the said county, but is in present day Powhatan Co.]
and also to him negroes: Charles, Dick, Hanah, Cate, Peter and York; also 500
acres on Fleamon's Creek, 400 being part the plantation is on and 100 acres of
the joining survey; also items and livestock;
To my
son, William, all the rest of my land at Fleamon's Creek, being 560 acres held
by him, and also land and plantation where I live at my wife's death. Also
negroes: Franky, Harry, and Ned; items and livestock.
To my
grandson John PHELPS, 54 acres next to CARDWELL, TABORS, Horsepen branch &
Col. RANDOLPH; also one negro Joe, when he comes of age.
To
granddaughter Mary PHELPS, one negro; granddaughter Sarah PHELPS, one negro;
To
Dorothy LEARWOOD, 1 young mare and 4 cattle.
To
wife Margaret, for life, 3 negroes: Thom, Jeney, and Robin, and then to my
son William. The use of plantation where testator lives, &c &c; the negroes
given grandchildren to be in the care of William Phelps.
Rest
of my estate to my wife and son William.
Executors: sons Samuel and William.
Dated
Feb 14 or 10, 1747;
Wit:
Wm. STONE, Joseph WOOD, James BARNES
Signed: John (F) PHELPS
Recorded 16 March 1747
proved in Goochland March 1747.
Deed
Bk. No. 5, 1745-1749 (Reel 2), p.389-390. Will pro. 16 Mar 1747.
Transcribed and submitted by Mary Galgan ©2001
County
formation:
Goochland
County formed from Henrico in 1728
Albemarle
County formed from Goochland Co in 1744
Cumberland
County formed from Goochland Co in 1749
A very
interesting possibility, but nothing seems available to prove the link.
This suggestion was
based on two clues:
Secondly,
the Caswell County Heritage Book, item 427, has an article about James Lea, a
son of William Lea of King and Queen. Thomas Phelps (likely the "older"
Phelps) was given power of attorney by Lea to obtain lawful title to land in
King and Queen. The article reads, "Phelps may have returned to VA to claim a part of the
Lea estate himself as both Lea and Phelps had daughters that married into the Sargent family." Apparently the Sargent
and lea family had King and Queen ties.
Thirdly, a
Thomas Phelps is listed on the 1704 Rent Rolls in King and Queen, VA. However
this date was about 23 years before Thomas Phelps's birth. Perhaps this
1704 Thomas was his father?
I checked
all the available K&Q records plus the parish records.
K&Q is one of
the “burn” counties of 1864, so most early records were lost.
King and
Queen County was formed from New Kent in 1691.
King
William County was formed from King and Queen in 1701.
A remote
possibility but after extensive research, no link can be seen.
An interesting point is that the great-grandson of James, Jacob AI Phelps (my
great grandfather), moved his mother and siblings to Forsyth Co in 1876 after
marrying a woman from Surry Co. Surry Co records show some Phelps not
yet identified. Surry Co was formed from Rowan in 1771. It is
north of Forsyth Co and beside Stokes Co.
The clues
to this possibility include Phelps from Surry, Stokes, Rowan, Forsyth and
Davidson Co. Clearly there was one or more other Phelps lines which appeared
in these counties. The given names in the 1800's and early 1900's often are
the same as those of the Jacob Phelps line. Additionally, there was a Samuel
Phelps who moved from Mass in 1818 and had descendants. It may be that many of
the other Phelps in this area descended from the Phelps who moved to Rowan
County from Baltimore
(see Aquilla Phelps).
·
Mary Jones' 1833
will in Surry Co (She was a Mary Phelps since her sons were Thomas,
Avington and Samuel Phelps, Others also listed.
·
Hiram Phelps was BM at a
wedding in 1822 in Surry
·
Thomas Phelps was BM at a
wedding in 1830 in Surry
·
My great grandfather
Jacob Phelps married Nancy Marion in Surry in 1874.
· My great grandfather Jacob Phelps, great-grandson of James, his mother and siblings signed Caswell deed (selling property) in Surry in 1876.
[15][23]
[8] Surry
County will book 4, 51b. 2/3/1832
[9] NC
Voter Registration of 1867 (12 Phelps from the general area declared no
previous support for the Confederacy), which likely included blacks based on
census records.
[10] Submitted by Phyllis Hyams, 790 Hinton Place , Cincinnati, OH, United States of America 45240 Submission Search: 439666-100899195003 CD-ROM: Pedigree Resource File - Compact Disc #6
[11]
Maryland Calendar of Wills, p. 153
[13] DAR Rev War pensions abstracts, Vol III N-Z page 2961
[14][22] Raleigh Register reported that Thomas Phelps died in 1823 at age 96.
