The origins of Thomas Felps d

Could the Phelps of Limerick have been the Barbados Phelps? Highly unlikely:

To believe that Thomas Sr was the Barbados Thomas one would have to believe one of the following incredible and extremely improbable stories - even though they are based on recorded events - as seen in the table below. IMHO, I think these are best case stories. Unless something huge turns up I personally put no value on either story. No doubt other scenarios could be written, but I suspect all will seem incredible.

I. Summary: Thomas Sr in Limerick takes his son, Thomas, to Barbados, marries a second wife, baptizes his son and another dead son there, and returns to Limerick to his first wife where he dies. It ends with a single Thomas PHelps, Jr in Limerick.

His first son Thomas died at age one in Limerick, His second son Thomas, was also born in Limerick, 1656. This scenario has Thomas Sr, with a wife in Limerick taking son Thomas with him to Barbados where he married a new mother. They baptize the dead son Thomas, 7 years after his 1656 death, seeming more like Mormons than Quakers who don't baptize, especially in an Anglican parish. They also baptize the living son.

After the 5/1662 baptism of the dead Thomas, he sails to Limerick by 6/1663 to impregnate Susanna for the birth of John 2/1664 - and is there 11/1664 to impregnate her again for the birth of Joseph 7/1665. He apparently is not present at the 9/1664 baptism in Barbados of son Thomas (unless there is a quick sail over and back). He

then dies in Limerick in 1697, before likely marrying another wife after Susanna dies. Nothing further is heard of the wife in Barbados. Thomas Jr. is in Limerick in 1676 and in 1682 for a land purchase in Pennsylvania and very likely removed there, married, and died somewhere by 1704 .

II. Summary: Thomas maintains similar families in Barbados and Limerick traveling back and forth. It ends with a Thomas Phelps Jr in both Barbados and Limerick.

Since Thomas was in Limerick in 1660 and 1661, Thomas likely sailed to Barbados by 9/1661, leaving son Thomas in Limerick, to conceive another Thomas, born at least 9 months before his baptism in Barbados in 5/1662. Thomas and Jane had married 4 months earlier, 1/1662. Since another Thomas is baptized 9/1664, the first Thomas apparently died young. Therefore the second Barbados Thomas was likely born after the first baptism (5/1662) and before his baptism of 9/1664, with his conception 9 months earlier: between 9/1661 and 1/1664. Another major problem with this scenaro is that Quakers don't baptize, especially in Anglican parishes.

He apparently impregnated Jane again before early 1663 because he had to sail back to Ireland by 6/1663 to impregnate wife Susanna for the birth of their son John, 9 months later on 2/1664. He remains there and in 11/1664 impregnates her again for the birth of Joseph 7/1665. He apparently is not present at the 9/1664 baptism in Barbados of Barbados son Thomas (unless there is a "quick" sail over and back). He then dies in Limerick in 1697, before likely marrying another wife after Susanna dies. Nothing further is heard of the wife in Barbados, but another Thomas Phelps, jr would remain in Barbados or elsewhere- in this scenario . Limerick Thomas Jr. is in Limerick by 1682 for a land purchase in Pennsylvania and very likely removed there, married, and died somewhere by 1704 .

To further question the theory that the Limerick Quakers were those in the Barbados marriages and baptisms, consider the improbable scenario of Richard Pearce of Limerick being the Pearce in Barbados records. - by Phelps & Emery:

A Richard Pearce, m. Mary Reynolls 5/1669 in Barbados. Richard Pearce is already married to a Mary in Ireland and having several children dying (four between 1663 and 1669) before his marriage in Barbados to Mary Reynolls in 1669,. If he were the 1669 Barbados marriage, he would have to return to Ireland to get persecuted along with Thomas Phelps and be there for the death of his wife Mary (of Ireland) in 1775 . oh wait! he would have had to have made a trip or two back in between since Joseph his son dies in Ireland in Dec 1669 age 3 months. So... he impregnates Mary of Ireland in Jan or Feb of 1669 with Joseph and then says sorry honey I have to dash to Barbados I'm getting married in a couple of months??? See the Quaker death register for dates .

There are no other Thomases recorded in Limerick in that time period except for the Thomas who died at one year of age. I RESEARCHED ALL THE MICROFILM OF ALL THE EARLY LIMERICK QUAKER REGISTERS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY OTHER THOMAS PHELPS IN ANY REGISTER THAT MIGHT APPLY TO OUR BARBADOS EVENT.

The following is an attempt to connect by chronology the Limerick Phelps, the Barbados Phelps, and the colonial America Phelps. Key sources were the LDS microfilm of the Limerick Irish Quaker meetings (register of deaths, birth, marriages) complemented by the 1899 Phelps in America book narrative and the chart on page 24A Other sources are noted.

Note: The Phelps family in America book used several sources - some not primary . Page 28 of that book refers to a "Record of Births, etc, belonging to Tariner's "Monthly Meeting" by J.W. Harvy" This book has not been found and appears to be something different than the microfilm version of the Irish Quaker meeting register which has less information that reported in the Phelps book. Also the Lemirick Paper used several sources not readily available.

Ancestry using the Phelps in America book, and the Lemerick and Dublin Quaker registers. (This descendant list has not been reviewed and is under development)

1. Thomas Phelps (b.1623) Tewkesbury, England Source: Phelps in America Removed to Limerick, Ireland and soon became a Quaker Source: The Phelps Family in Europe p. 27; m. Susanna, Source: both Phelps in America and the Limerick Quaker register naming her as spouse at his death; She d. 1684 (Limerick Quaker register) ;

m. Anne Bradford 1688 Source Phelps in America However the LImerick Quaker register says 8/10/1687; d. 8/10/1697 Source: both Phelps in America and the Limerick Quaker register and Will of 1698

2. John Phelps b. 2/1664 Settled in Bristol, England
2. Thomas Phelps b. 3/11/1656 merchant O.J.E. (??) Source: Phelps in America Confirmed by Limerick Quaker register

2.. Thomas Phelps died without issue Source: Phelps in America. d. at age 1, 2/1656 Source: Limerick Quaker register
2. Joseph Phelps Merchant of Limerick b. 7/13/1665 d.1737 Will 1734 m. Hanna Taylor in England 3 wives Source: Phelps in America

3. Thomas Phelps b. 6/26/1711 Settled in Dublin, 1741 d. 1787 m. Sarah WIlcox of Dublin Source: Phelps in America Wilcox marriage confirmed and dated 1761 by Limerick Quaker register Also confirmed as son of Joseph, Oakhampton in Limerick Source: Dublin Quaker register d. 1787 Source: Dublin Quaker register

4. Joseph b. 1747 d 1788 Source: Phelps in America 1788 Will- Joseph Phelps, Moyallen, Co. Down Source: Index to Prerogative Wills of Ireland , p 3

4. John Settled in Dublin d. 1818 Source: Phelps in America son of Thomas and Sarah, m. Elizabeth Shaw Source: Dublin Quaker register

4. Wilcocks Source: Phelps in America son of Thomas and Sarah m. Sarah DInham in Bristol d. 1818 husband of Sarah. Source: Dublin Quaker register

Joseph Clark (?) d 1816 son of WIlcocks and Sarah Source: Dublin Quaker register

4. Joshua Source: Phelps in America d. 1762 son of Thomas and Sarah Source: Dublin Quaker register

Quaker Limerick death,birth,marriage registers 1619-1859 These (and other Irish Quaker registers) are on microfilm orderable from LDS as film numbers 0571395 through 0571398 . Go here for the details.

Barbados

1650-1700 Quakers freed 133 slaves in Barbados Englishmen Transplanted: The English Colonization of Barbados 1627-1660 p 164

1670/71 George Fox, a Quaker leader had been in Limerick and also Barbados with a delegation of Friends. Fox and others were there in 1671 to convert slaves to Christianity. Quakers had begun work there earlier. Englishmen Transplanted: The English Colonization of Barbados 1627-1660 p163

1682 Thomas Phelps of Limerick buys Pennsylvania land rights. Recent research indicates he may have been there and married, but died before 1704. See this new research here

All of the Prerogative Wills of Ireland were destroyed by a fire in the Dublin courthouse in 1922, but before that Sir William Betham had made abstracts of the genealogical data in the wills from 1536 to 1800. In 1897 Sir Arthur Vicars prepared this index to Betham's abstracts.

The index has 40,000 entries arranged alphabetically by the name of the testator, showing his rank, occupation, or condition; his town or county of residence; and the year when the estate was probated. In view of the loss of the original wills, this is one of the most useful tools in all of Irish genealogical research.

1679 Will- Thomas Phelpes, the elder, par. St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Middlesex, Coachmaker (Copy) (note: this is apparently not one of the Limerick Phelps)

Wormeley Plantation record : "Christopher Wormly (Wormeley), Esqr., 800 acs., in Middlesex Co., formerly Lancaster; a mile from the river, 21 Apr. 1690, p. 62. Beg. by the Church Path from Col. Antho. Elliott's house; by sd. path from Col. Smith's house, & c. Granted to Col. Antho. Elliott's house; by sd, path from Col. Smith's house, &c. Granted to Leu't Col. Anthony Elliott, 26 Feb. 1661, deserted, & now granted by order, &c. Imp. of 16 pers: Jno. Smith, Ja. Tutnell, Robert Cuningham, Jno. Cross, Sarah Cross, Robert Palmer, Wm. Witherington, Jane Roberts, Ann Finch, Tho. Felps, Adam Eland, Geo, Knott, Su. Tilley, Jno. Elliott, Wm. Rogers, Joan Sibbs." Source: Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia land Patents by Nugent, Vol II 1666-1695, p. 345

Doug Phelps researched the Limerick-Wormeley Plantation - Maryland connections and found:.

"A true account of the captivity of Thomas Phelps at Machaness in Barbary [electronic resource] : and of his strange escape in company of Edmund Baxter and others"

While this Thomas has not been previously linked to our related Phelps lines, there is a very interesting statement by Phelps as he is about to be taken as a slave on the high seas. He writes that the captain of the Moorish vessel says "he was suspicious that I was a Portuguese" as he had claimed about some of the crew. (See page 4 at http://www.archive.org/stream/trueaccountofcap00phelrich - or in clearer English on page 200 here

With the recent YDNA knowledge that our related Phelps lines all have a haplogroup of E1a, rather than the expected and typical haplogroups of European origin, this accusation conceivably has new meaning. Clearly Thomas was an educated Englishman, but apparently his physical characteristics suggested his ancestry may have been otherwise. One article comments on the Portuguese characteristics as "Most of the current Portuguese population grew from the mixture of all the peoples who have inhabited and traded in the region over the centuries. The first to settle were the Iberians, and over the years Celts, Romans, Germanic tribes, Moors, Jews, and others migrated into the area and combined to develop a people with unique physical characteristics. Most Portuguese have typical Mediterranean features like brown eyes, dark hair, and a height of less than 6 feet. Evidence of the Germanic tribes can still be seen in the north of the country, where taller, light-haired and light-eyed people are occasionally encountered, and in the south, traces of the Moorish period are seen in both the physical type and the way of life. "

On the other hand, other Phelps researchers disagree with the Portuguese track. "After all the men had been taken in twos and threes (after being accused of being Portuguese) finally Thomas Phelps and one other were the last two men on the ship and, only then, were accused of being Portuguese. Unless they all "looked" Portuguese, it doesn't seem like the statement has much truth. It actually seems like he was using it as an example of their duplicity and being a "faithless Barbarian" Sorry to be so picky but, I really feel that in the context of the story he was using Irony for dramatic effect."

The captivity occurred between August 1684 and the published date of the article in 1685.

English vessels could sail in the Atlantic and Mediterranean unmolested by the Algerian corsairs as long as they did not carry passengers hostile to Algiers (such as Portugal). A treaty gave Algiers a "right of search". Piracy, Slavery, and Redemption: Barbary Captivity Narratives from Early ... p 194 By Daniel J. Vitkus,

"By the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese and Spanish had expelled the Moors from their countries. The fall of Grenada in 1492 forever ended Muslim rule in Iberia. Exhilarated by their achievement, the Iberians were then prepared to chase the Moors from Northern Africa as well. Due to this rivalry between the Europeans and the Moors, the Portuguese were accustomed to black slave labor. Each group enslaved prisoners of war. In 1500, there were thousands of Moorish slaves in Portugal; so the Portuguese slave trade with the West Africans was a continuation of earlier contact. The additional slave labor also helped to alleviate the hard pressed labor market. Slavery in Portugal in the early 15th century was mostly domestic, and slaves could buy their own freedom." http://library.thinkquest.org/13406/ta/2.htm

"There were more African slaves in Portugal than in any other European country: in 1550, Lisbon boasted 10000 resident slaves in a population of 100000, and Portugal as a whole probably had over 40000 (Thomas, 1998)." http://www.white-history.com/portugal.htm

Sarah (likely) followed by the two Thomas boys (one died a year old). Images viewed from microfilm are better... names correspond to those seen in other reports .

The Irish Quakers, a short history by Maurice Wigham, Now in its second edition, this book provides an outline history of the Society of Friends in Ireland and an introduction to Quakerism in general. The author, born into a Dublin Quaker family, was a teacher all his life and headmaster of Newtown School for 17 years. 170 pages with illustrations. (Paperback 260g). €10.00, £6.50, P+P Ireland €3.50, GB Eur €4.50 (1) (Available in Guilford College) This was used in the Limerick paper

Hatton, Helen E. 1993. The Largest Amount of Good: Quaker Relief in Ireland 1654-1921. Buffalo, NY: McGill- Queen’s University Press.

Richard S. Harrison; A Biographical Dictionary of Irish Quakers, Four Courts Press 1977
Maurice J. Wigham; The Irish Quakers, Historical Committee 1992 Isabel Grubb; Quakers in Ireland, 1654 to 1900, The Swarthnmore Press Ltd.1927
Rob Goodbody; A Suitable Channel: Quaker Relief in the Great Famine, Pale Publishing 1992
Transactions of the Central Relief Committee of the Society of Friends during the Famine in Ireland 1846 & 1847, Edmund Burke 1996
Robin G. Goodbody; Quaker relief work in Irelandâ€™s Great Hunger (5 copies), Quaker Tapestry Booklets, 1995
Mary Leadbeater (ed John MacKenna); The Annals of Ballitore, Stephen Scroop Press, 1986
EJ McAuliffe; The Roll of the Quaker School At Ballitore (2 copies), Irish Academic Press, 1984
Richard S Harrison:
. Cork City Quakers, 1665 to 1939: A brief History Red Barn Publishing, 1992
. Richard Davis Webb, Dublin Quaker PrinterRed Barn Publishing 1993
Fiona Murdoch (editor); Victor Bewleyâ€™s Memoirs (2 copies), Veritas 2002
Mona Hearn: Thomas Edmondson and The Dublin Laundry, Irish Academic Press 2004
Billy Wigham; A Life of Usefulness
Colin Rynne; Abraham Beale & the Monard Ironworks, Sitka Press 2000
Maurice J Wigham; Newtown School Waterford: A History 1798 - 1998(2 copies), Newtown School 1998
Members of Monkstown PM, The Religious Society of Friends in Ireland Since 1654
David M Butler; The Quaker Meeting Houses of Ireland Irish Friends Historical Committee, 2004
Charles B Lamb; Love Your Neighbour as Yourself (3 copies)
John M. Douglas; The Beginnings of Quakerism in 17th Century Ireland, Irish Friends Historical Committee, 2004
Bill Jackson: Ringing True, The Bells of Trummery and Beyond, 350 years of an Irish Quaker Family, Sessions of York
J Anthony Gaughan (Ed); Memoirs of (Senator) James G Douglas, Concerned Citizen, UCD Press 1998
GEORGE FOX; John L. Nickalls (Ed): Journal of George Fox, Religious Society of Friends 1986
. Ditto (1st Volume); Anthony Prickard 1836
Rex Ambler (Ed); Truth of the Heart, An anthology of George Fox, Quaker Books 2001
Joseph Pickvance; A Reader's Companion to George Fox's Journal, QHS 1989
Lewis Benson; What did George Fox teach about Christ? New Foundation Publication 1984
. Ditto; The Truth is Christ, Ditto 1981
Early Prophetic Openings of George Fox. Tract Association of Friends, Philadelphia 1986
Douglas Gwynn; Apocalypse of the Word: The Life and Message of George Fox, Friends United Press 1986
Passages from the Life and Writings of George Fox, Philadelphia 1881
Elfrida Vipont; George Fox and the Valiant Sixty, Hamish Hamilton 1975

Thomas Phelps "Sr"of Limerick, Ireland	Thomas Phelps "Jr" of Limerick, Ireland	Barbados
1623 Thomas Phelps born Tewkesbury, England settled in Limerick Ireland . Became a Quaker Two named wives
		1650 Quakers In Barbados begin freeing slaves 133 freed through 1700
1654 First Quaker meeting…William Edmondson, inspired by George Fox, comes to Ireland.
	2/1656 One year old Thomas Phelps dies, son of Thomas and Susanna -- born apprx 2/1655 (The first Thomas) 3/11/1656 Thomas (the second Thomas) Phelps of Limerick born (son of Thomas and wife Susanna) (Source: The Phelps Family in Europe & Quaker Limerick registers.) No record of his death in the Limerick Quaker registers .No record of a marriage. (For this person to be the Barbados Phelps he would be apprx 6 years old (For this person to be the Baltimore Felps d. 1758 he would be 102 years old.)
1658 First record of Thomas Phelps persecuted in Limerick
1660 Thomas Phelps named in the Limerick Quaker paper I suggest this Thomas has to be the Thomas born 1623, not his son. 1660 8/16 and 1661 Thomas Phelps imprisoned in Limerick (See the two sources below) (Most likely the Thomas Sr, b 1623)
		5/9/1662 Barbados baptism: Thomas son of Thomas & Jane Phelp Christ Church Parish 135 blacks baptized here (37 free, 37 adults 42 children, 19 mulattos. Mulattos, slaves, freemen were identified in the list. Thomas was NOT so identified. 1/26/1662 Barbados marriage of Thomas Phelp and Jane Reynald Christ Church Parish.
1663 Thomas Phelps mentioned in the Limerick Quaker paper
2/1664 John Phelps born to Thomas and Susanna (source Lemirick Quaker register)		9/15/1664 Second Barbados baptism of a Thomas son of Thomas and Jane Phelp
7/13/1665 Joseph Phelps born to son of Thomas and Susanna (source Lemirick Quaker register)
		1670 George Fox, a Quaker leader had been in Limerick and now in Barbados with a delegation of Quaker Friends
1673 Thomas mentioned in the Limerick Quaker paper 1675 Thomas mentioned in the Limerick Quaker paper 1679 Thomas mentioned in the Limerick Quaker paper 1681 Thomas mentioned in the Limerick Quaker paper
7/13/1665 Joseph Phelps born to so Thomas mentioned in the Limerick Quaker paper
	1682 Thomas Phelps and other Quakers of Limerick are granted Pennsylvania land by William Penn.. ( He is considered to be Jr and is so indicated in the "Phelps Family of America" book. It is later sold in 1704. See the study, did Thomas actually come to America?.
7/1684 Susanna, wife to Thomas, dies (Noted on the Quaker Limerick Register).
	2/26/1684-5 Thomas Phelps/Phillips of Pennsylvania marries Mercy Jefferson in RI - no further record See the study, did Thomas actually come to America?. After 1686 Thomas "Phillips" seems to vanish from Philadelphia records.
1687 A Thomas Phelps of Limerick marries Anne Bradford after wife Susanne died in 1684. . (Source: Quaker Limerick register) It is unclear at present whether this Thomas or his son married Anne Bradford.	1687 A Thomas Phelps of Limerick marries Anne Bradford after wife Susanne died in 1684. . (Source: Quaker Limerick register) It is unclear at present whether this Thomas or his father married Anne Bradford.

8/1697 Thomas Phelps of Limerick dies (Source: Quaker Limerick register) The death register for Thomas has the words "husband to Susanna". However Susanna died 1684. So the marriage to Anne Bradford in 1684 must have been his second marriage and the note on his death simply a notation to define him better. Also note there was no parent named when he married Anne Bradford. If it had been Thomas jr there would have been a notation. 1698 Irish Will of Thomas Phelpes, Limerick, merchant
	1704 John Phelps “son and heir” of Thomas Phelps (Sr) sells this fathers land to James Shattick and Edward Lane. (Apparently Thomas (jr) has died)

Barbados

1650-1700 Quakers freed 133 slaves in Barbados Englishmen Transplanted: The English Colonization of Barbados 1627-1660 p 164

1670/71 George Fox, a Quaker leader had been in Limerick and also Barbados with a delegation of Friends. Fox and others were there in 1671 to convert slaves to Christianity. Quakers had begun work there earlier. Englishmen Transplanted: The English Colonization of Barbados 1627-1660 p163

"A true account of the captivity of Thomas Phelps at Machaness in Barbary [electronic resource] : and of his strange escape in company of Edmund Baxter and others"