Abner Phillips &
Elizabeth Phillips(?)

Abner Phillips, possibly the son of Richard PHILLIPS & Hannah ANDERSON(?), was born Sept. 15, 1737, in Hunterdon Co., NJ, and died Nov. 18, 1813, in Surry Co., NC. He married Elizabeth Phillips(?), around 1763. She was born abt. 1745 and died after 1813 in Surry Co., NC. Abner and Elizabeth Phillips are believed to be buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Elkin, Surry Co., NC, but their gravestones can no longer be found.

Children of Abner Phillips & Sarah Phillips(?):

1. Ephraim Phillips, b. 1755-1765, Hunterdon Co., NJ; d. bef. Aug. 1827, Surry Co., NC; m. Rebecca PHILLIPS, Aug. 14, 1784, Wilkes Co., NC. Rebecca may have been Ephraim's cousin but her parents have not been identified. At least 2 children, according to census records: a boy and a girl born bet. 1800-1810. Daughter might be the Rebecca PHILLIPS who m. John HOPKINS and moved to Tennessee, then Camden Co., MO.
2. Prudence Day Phillips, b. 1760-1770, Hunterdon Co., NJ; d. abt. 1845, Surry Co, NC; m. Gideon WOODRUFF, son of Moses "Manassa" WOODRUFF & Phebe MARSH, abt. 1785 (b. Aug. 6, 1764; d. Oct. 24, 1820); bur. Gideon Woodruff Cemetery, Yadkin Co., NC. Children: Abner (b. 1780's, m. Nancy BURCH), Cornelius (b. 1788, m. Elizabeth HURT), Mary (b. abt. 1789, m. Sinclair MCMICKLE), John (b. abt. 1790), Phebe (b. 1790's, m. Jesse BURCH), Samuel (b. 1793, m. Keziah BURCH), Elizabeth (b. abt. 1794, m. 1st cousin Micajah NICHOLSON), David Henry (b. abt. 1794, m. Elizabeth DAVIS), Moses (b. 1800, m. Charity COCKERHAM), Micajah Washington (b. 1800-10, Rebeckah (b. 1800-10, m. John ASHBY), Jennett (b. 1800-10, m. James ASHBY), Lucinda (b. abt. 1809, m. Reuben SHORES), Allen (b. abt. 1812, m. Celia CARTER).
3. Cornelius Phillips, b. Oct. 29, 1767, Hunterdon Co., NJ; d. 1834, Wayne Co., KY; m. Rhoda SHORES, daughter of Reuben SHORES & Susannah SPARKS, 1791 in KY. They moved to Wayne Co., KY, between 1800-1810. Children: Alfred (b. abt. 1784, m. Susannah CULLUM), Ephraim (b. 1780's?), George (b. 1780's?), Pleasant (b. abt. 1792, m. Lucinda ROBERTSON), Micajah (b. abt. 1796, m. Eliza JONES), Mary (b. abt. 1796, m. Micajah VANWINKLE), James (b. abt. 1798), Abner (b. abt. 1803, m. Bulia SCHOOLER), Hiram (b. abt. 1807, m. Vienna BERRY), Nancy (b. abt. 1808, m. Berry GATEWOOD), John (b. abt. 1812, m. Elizabeth BERRY), Lucinda (b. abt. 1816, m. Henry GATEWOOD).
4. Micajah Phillips, b. 1770's?, Hunterdon Co., NJ, or Virginia; d. unk.; m. Mary SMILEY. He reportedly moved to Ohio and later to New York.
5. Abigail Phillips, b. 1770-1780, Hunterdon Co., NJ, or Virginia; d. abt. 1850, Wilkes Co., NC; m. Abel NICHOLSON (b. 1770's; d. abt. 1832). Children: William Nicholson (b. 1790's. m. 1st Jensey SALE, 2nd Patsy SALE), Rebecca Nicholson (b. 1790's, m. Beverly COLEMAN), Sarah Nicholson (b. 1792, m. John MESSICK), Ephraim Nicholson (b. abt. 1794, m. 1st cousin Prudence WOODRUFF), Micajah Nicholson (b. abt. 1794, m. 1st cousin Elizabeth WOODRUFF), James Nicholson (b. abt. 1797, m. Susannah SALE), Elizabeth Nicholson (b. abt. 1814, m. 1st William KEMP, 2nd Martin NICHOLSON).
6. +Sarah Phillips, b. abt. 1776 in Virginia; d. abt. 1855, Surry Co., NC; m. (1) Moses WOODRUFF, JR., son of Moses "Manassa" WOODRUFF & Phebe MARSH, abt. 1795 in Surry Co., NC (b. Jan. 30, 1772; d. May 1803); m. (2) William BAGBY, Nov. 7, 1809, Surry Co., NC (b. bef. 1765; d. bef. 1830.)
7. George Phillips, b. 1770's, probably in Virginia. He may have gone to Wayne Co., KY, with his brother Cornelius.
8. Richard Phillips, b. Aug. 15, 1777, in Virginia; d. Sept. 6, 1851, Marion Co., TN; m. Susannah CHAMBERS, abt. 1797 (b. Jan. or June 4, 1778 or 1780; d. Mar. 5, 1853 in DeKalb Co., AL). Moved to Marion Co., TN, in the 1820's. Children: Rebeckah (b. 1800), Matilda, Lucinda Cynthia (m. Hugh ELLISON), Elizabeth (b. 1803), Abner (b. 1805, m. Martha ELLIS), Sarah (b. 1807), Pleasant Dallas (b. abt. 1809, m. unk. BEESON), Ephraim & Margaret (twins, b. 1809), Mary Ann (twin, b. 1811, m. James ELLIS), James Fletcher (twin, b. 1811, m. Lucinda RAYFIELD), Gideon (b. 1813), William & Nancy (twins, b. 1816), Prudence (b. 1818, m. P. Morgan PRICE), Cornelius (b. 1821, m. Sarah PRICE), Richard (b. 1823).
9. Elizabeth "Betsy" Phillips, b. abt. 1784, in Virginia; d. aft. 1860, Surry Co., NC; m. Robert King HURT, Sept. 11, 1803 (b. ?; d. 1830-1840.) Children: Mary, Rebecca.
10. Phillip Phillips, b. 1785-1794, Virginia or Surry Co., NC; d. bef. 1850, Surry Co., NC; m. Carolina Susannah "Suki" SPENCER, daughter of John SPENCER & Sarah LYNCH, Feb. 2, 1809, Surry Co., NC (b. abt. 1779; d. abt. 1860); bur. Greenwood Cemetery, Elkin, Surry Co., NC. Children: John Spencer (b. 1810, m. Susan ROBERTS), Nancy (b. 1812, m. 1st cousin Richard P. WOODRUFF), Abner (b. abt. 1816, m. 1st Susannah WILBORN, 2nd Nancy COCKERHAM), Sarah (b. 1817, m. Meredith GREENWOOD), Elizabeth (twin, b. 1818), Micajah (twin, b. 1818, m. Rachel JOHNSON), Mary (b. 1822), Harriett (b. abt. 1823, m. James PERDEE), Omey (b. abt. 1828), Phebe (b. abt. 1829, m. Ambrose ROBERTS).

Notes

bner Phillips arrived in Surry County, North Carolina, before 1785, when his name first appears in the records. His parents have not been positively identified. However, there is at least circumstantial evidence indicating he was a member of the large Phillips family of Hopewell, New Jersey.

The Phillips of Hopewell and the neighboring town of Maidenhead, New Jersey (now called Lawrence) were the descendants of two men—Maj. Phillip Phillips (1673-1740) and Theophilus Phillips (1678-1709)—who came to Maidenhead in 1694 from Newtown, Long Island. Note that Hopewell and Maidenhead (Lawrence) were originally part of Burlington County, NJ. This area became Hunterdon County in 1714, and Mercer County in 1818.

During the latter half of the 18th century, so many people from the Hopewell Valley migrated to Surry County, North Carolina, that their community became known as the Jersey Settlement. The exodus was the result of a bitter, long-running land dispute with an Englishman named Colonel Daniel Coxe.  Col. Coxe's father, Dr. Daniel Coxe, had been one of the original colonial "Proprietors" of New Jersey. The "Proprietors" were basically real estate developers, who were granted rights by the British Crown to economcally develop the colony. New Jersey did not have the climate for large tobacco or sugar plantations, so the only way to build a lucrative colony was to distribute inexpensive plots of land to a large number of settlers. The settlers, in turn, grew crops, paid taxes, produced goods for export, and served as a market for imports such as tea and sugar, thus generating still more tax revenue. By giving lots of common people useful work to do to, things to buy, and money to buy it with, everyone was enriched—especially the British treasury, which was perpetually drained of cash by costly foreign wars. America's consumer society was born.

The land in the Hopewell Valley of New Jersey was sold to settlers during the 1690's by a group of Proprietors called the West Jersey Society. In 1731, Col. Daniel Coxe suddenly showed up, claiming that he possessed superior title to this same land via his father, who had recorded a superseding deed some years earlier. To the dismay of the settlers, the courts agreed with Col. Coxe's claim. Hundreds of hardworking farm families were forced to repurchase their own property from Col. Coxe or face forcible eviction. The scandal that erupted was one of many injustices that enflamed American passions against the British during the years leading up the Revolutionary War. There were lawsuits; there were riots; Col. Coxe was burned in efigy; but to no avail. As a result, many Hopewell residents simply left New Jersey, either unable to pay Col. Coxe or disgusted with the colony's rampant political corruption. One group of Hopewell expatriats eventually settled on the Yadkin River in what was then Rowan County, NC. This community, the Jersey Settlement, continued to attract new settlers from the Hopewell area for several decades. (Source: Ethel Stroupe, "First Families of Jersey Settlement", Rowan County Register, Vol. 11, No. 1, Feb. 1996.)

Some researchers believe that Abner Phillips of Surry County, NC, was the son of a man named Phillip Phillips (b. 1704) of Hopewell, NJ. Abner's wife, Elizabeth, may have been Abner's first cousin, the daughter of Phillip Phillips's brother Richard Phillips (b. 1705). Other researchers believe that Abner Phillips was himself the son of Richard Phillips (1705), but his wife Elizabeth may still have been a cousin on the Phillips side.

Unfortunately, the Phillips and their cousins, the Hunts, frequently married each other, and they used the same first names generation after generation. Sorting out all the Richards, Phillips, Hannahs, and Elizabeths is a frustrating and often impossible task.

A connection between Abner Phillips and Richard Phillips (1705) is suggested by two unrecorded deeds in the possession of the New Jersey Historical Society (a transcription is posted on the Hunterdon Co., NJ, GenWeb Archives).  On April 3, 1770, Abner PHILLIPS "of Hopewell" and his wife Elizabeth conveyed their one-half interest in "all that tract and Parcel of land situated and being in the town of Hopewell aforesaid on Smith's mountain and butted and Bounded as by the survey thereof According to a Survey of a deed given by Daniel COXE unto Job PHILLIPS and Abner PHILLIPS containing forty acres of land … " The deed states that the parcel was purchased by Richard PHILLIPS from Daniel COXE, and that Job PHILLIPS and Abner PHILLIPS became tenants in common after the decease of Richard PHILLIPS.

Subsequently, on April 16, 1770, Abner PHILLIPS and Elizabeth signed over to Job PHILLIPS their interest in a property that Richard PHILLIPS had purchased from Cornelius ANDERSON in 1749.

The above documents suggest that Abner and Job were the sons of Richard Phillips (1705) and inherited his property. Then, Abner and Elizabeth gave their share of the property to Job prior to leaving New Jersey. There is no record of them in Hunterdon County after 1770.

o where did Abner Phillips of Hunterdon County and his family go after 1770? According to research shared by Susan J. Avery, there was an Abner Phillips who, on June 19, 1775, bought 200 acres "in the great fork of the Rapahannack River" in Culpeper County, VA. He sold this land 8 years later, on Nov. 21, 1783 (Culpeper Deed Book H:93 and M:92).

Susan Avery also discovered the following tidbit from the court records of Fauquier County, VA, which is next to Culpeper County. In 1783, Abner Phillips acted as the "attorney in fact" (i.e., agent) for "Phillip Phillips of Maidenhead, New Jersey" in a lawsuit against one David Cale. This suggests that the Abner Phillips in Culpeper County was related to the Phillips of Hunterdon County, NC.

Because Abner Phillips disappears from Culpeper County, VA, after 1783, then it at least possible that he is the same Abner Phillips who was in Surry County, NC, by 1785. Another piece of evidence is the names of Abner Phillips's children, which include several names traditionally favored by the Phillips of Hunterdon County, NJ, such as Phillip, Richard, and Abigail. Note that Abner also had a son named Cornelius. Abner's (possible) father Richard Phillips purchased land in Hopewell, NJ, from a Cornelius ANDERSON (see above). This Cornelius Anderson may have been related to Richard Phillips's wife, who is identified as Hannah ANDERSON by some sources (which I have not been able to verify). At the very least, the fact that Abner Phillips named one of his sons "Cornelius" -- a common Dutch name -- suggests a tie to New Jersey or New York, where there was a strong Dutch influence. The Andersons of Hunterdon County, NJ, were the descendants of Dutch settlers.