This may not be quite the correct forum for my query but it fits a bit. Thomas William Phillips was born 23 May 1814 in Horsleydown, London to William Phillips + Elizabeth nee Bailey, Baptised 19 June 1814 St.Saviour Southwark. 4th Aug. 1851 his Masters & Mates certificate was issued at Guernsey- "having been for 22 yrs employed in the capacities of Boy, Mate & Master in the British Merchant Service in the Coasting & Foreign Trade." Birth year agrees with that on his Baptism. This would put his sea time beginings at about 1829-1830. I have not found any apprenticeship records or similar. His Father died in 1831. My next sighting to be sure of is the 1861 census at Nicholson wharf, Middlesex, 'master' aboard the 'Dolphin'. Not yet found his arrivals in Australia. I have anew 'cousin' who is concerned that her T.W. Phillips may be the wrong man. Prior to that he had been in South Australia & married 'Isabella Hawkins Davis' [ b.1835 'I. of Wight'] 25 Sep. 1855 St John Church Adelaide, Sth. Australia. Their 1st child was born 24 June 1857, so Thomas W. had been back in Australia for a time then. Births followed in 1859, 62,65 67, 1870 +1874, so I am unsure if he kept up his mariner's life or not. He died 1905 & was buried in Payneham Cemetery, S.A. I have access to Ancestry which has been a great help along with S.A. Genealogy, but I do wonder if anyone can pick out any earlier times for Thomas that I have missed ? 1841 +- 10years would be great.
FMP have a record of him receiving a ticket on 8 May 1845 at the age of 31. It says he first went to sea as an Apprentice in 1828. When unemployed he resides in Guernsey. Years on this ticket (no. 68859) are from 1845 to 1848.
Sorry Wendy, don't have a sub with FMP anymore. I did have a look there, but without being able to look at the documents or transcriptions nothing obviously came up. Couldn't see anything more on Ancestry either.
Wendy, have you looked at page 2 of the certificate? It gives the dates of his service, the vessel he was on, the port it belonged to and in what capacity he was on board.
The 1841 census has what looks like Thomas at Cornet Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey. Aged 27 born England. Also with him is a 27 year old Mary Phillips and a 2 year old Thos. Phillips - both born Guernsey. HO107 / Piece 1460 / Book 10 / Folio 14 / Page 22
Thank you so much Annie, -I've been 'Troving'. I will check again that certificate, didn't realise there was aother page so intent on finding other items. forgot to press 'post reply', so far Ancestry is giving up nothing for Guernsey Will try harder.
There is a Thomas Phillips age 20 arriving on the Trafalga 17/1/1849 from London via Plymouth. I know he isn't the sailor but he's the only one i can find arriving in that time line. This would make him 60 when the last child was born.........how old was Isabella when she married?
Sorry Sue, was just about to reply to that question. Isabella died at Glenelg, S.A. 23 Sep. 1914. I've been pondering & worryiing at the Guersey Thomas & Mary & li'l Thomas. Quite possible for him to have married back then but am having trouble finding it. 1851 seems to have young Thomas as a boarder with David & Mary Wilson at Guernsey, St. Peter Port. him a ship's carpenter b. locally. edit to hide typos
I’m also having trouble with a young Isabella marrying a man 20 years her senior when he was also a ships master and coming and going. An age for Thomas in 1905 when he died might put us on the right track. The 20 year Thomas on the Trafalgar looks a better fit or someone closer to her age.
Reportedly 91 yrs of age at death. PHILLIPS Thomas William 06-Sep-1905 91 M Norwood 312/191 Death Date: 06-Sep-1905 Age: 91 Place of Death: Payneham Residence: Payneham District: Norwood Book/Page: 312/191 ...................... I've not found sensible travel doc. for Isabella coming to Australia.It's bound to be there somewhere. It was not unknown for a female without parents to be taken on as a wife by a much older man, - so I have read. Particularly if she had no-one to care for her.
Forgive my coming back to this post but I can't leave it with a huge gap between 1861 & Thomas' life in Australia. I have found on 1861 census in Middlesex a Peter Benjamin Le Page listed on the "Dolphin" with Thomas W. Phillips which caused a slight stir as I remembered a 'Marg't Le Page' being on same page of 1841 census in St. Peter Port with the aforementioned Thomas , Mary & Thos. jnr Phillips. After following Peter B. LePage for secvveral years worth in Ancestry I think is was a false lead. I see mentions of Guernsey records on Family Search but they are not available to me- BMDs- & I wonder if any one has had experience in searching the Channel Islands or knows how it's done? Specifically I'd like to find the birth record of Thos. jnr to see who his mother was or a possible marriage there for Thomas W. senior. The 1851 census which had a young Thos. Phillips of same age, also had two Phillips girls aged 8 & 6 with the Wilson Family. I found a Laura Mellish Phillips b. 1843 with father Thomas William & Mother Margtte Foy, but no Elizabeth of right birth year. I somehow doubt they belong to my Thomas William, but can be wrong. For all I know he took any earlier children to Australia unless he was divorced & they stayed with the Mother. I saw two trees with the correct T.W. P. but wrong info thereafter. Once again any help very much appreciated.
Not much help I guess.... Civil Registration (Births, marriages and deaths) Civil Registration of births and deaths begain in Guernsey in 1840 (three years later than the UK, but two years before Jersey). Registration of marriages did not begin until 1919, before which marriages can only be found in the church registers. None of these records can be found online. The States of Guernsey Greffe (Guernsey’s Registry Office) holds the originals, and they are available on microfilm in the Priaulx Lib
Also, have a rummage around this website: Code: https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Family_History_in_Guernsey I have found it to be rather helpful.
