was the son of Thomas and Mary Phipps. He died January 6, 1712. This information is recorded on his gravestone. But who was Thomas Phipps and what was his family story? As with most family dynamics… its complicated.
HERE LYES Y e BODY
OF THOMAS SON
TO THOMAS & MARY
PHIPPS DEC d JAN r y
Y e 6 th 1712.
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GENEALOGICAL RECORD vol. i. July 1903— April 1904
Thomas Phipps, Sr. was born to Soloman and Mary (Danforth) Phipps November 22, 1676 in Charlestown, Massachussetts. He graduated from Harvard College and moved to Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1696 to work as a schoolmaster, which he did until 1701. He served as a justice of the peace and a Clerk of the Council in Portsmouth before being appointed the High Sheriff of New Hampshire in 1709. Phipps served as High Sheriff until 1717, when he began practicing law. In 1727 he served briefly as a King’s Attorney, appointed by the courts, and exercising within his jurisdiction the powers belonging to an attorney-general. Harvard Library
Thomas married Eleanor Harvey Cutt on May 4, 1699. Her previous husband, Samuel Cutt, died just six months earlier on October 25, 1698. Eleanor had two known children from her previous marriage…
John born December 22, 1694
Samuel born February 23 1697/8
Thomas and Eleanor had 4 known children
Eleanor Phipps born August 11, 1701 – married Joseph Sprague
Mary Phipps born November 7, 1703 – married Peter Greeley
Elizabeth born circa 1707 – married Caleb Gardner
Danforth Phipps born February 4, 1710/11 – married Elizabeth Skillings
I don’t think the above is entirely correct. It is known that Eleanor married both Samuel Cutt and Thomas Phipps. It is unlikely that she married John Pray, unless she and Thomas were divorced. Thomas’ WIDOW, Mary Phipps, married a John Pray, so perhaps the writers of this registry got the two wives confused.
Thomas Phipps and Mary (Plaisted) Hoddy were married on February 25, 1711/2. They had the following known children…
Thomas baptized December 14, 1712 died January 6, 1712/13 Portsmouth, New Hampshire
James
Mehitable baptized October 18, 1714 – married Thomas Shepard
Sarah baptized April 1 , 1716 – married Joseph Chadbourne
Olive – married 1st Samuel Winkley – married 2d Cyprien Jeffrey (Jefferies)
Thomas baptized March 5, 1720-1 – died young
John baptized April 8, 1722 died after July 1740 of Smallpox
Bethia baptized April 8, 1722
Hannah baptized January 5, 1723/4 – married November 16, 1738 Jonathan Sprague
Thomas, born circa 1726/27 – died circa November 17, 1739 – from a fractured skull… **see newspaper article below
Jane born 1728 – married Wm. Doake
Thomas Phipps died in September of 1737. Some sources say cause of death was Smallpox. Thomas died intestate (without a will). It took many years for his estate to go through Probate. I find this interesting, as Thomas was a lawyer and should have known better.
Thomas Phipps’ Probate Records
Mary Phipps married again to John Pray. Mary died in 1766.
Mary Pray’s Will
The Phipps had three sons named ‘Thomas’. Only one burial location is known to date.
