Joseph PHELPS of Shepton Beauchamp, Som.

[Peter Ferreira]

Hi Bill,

Greetings from Toronto, Canada. 

I have an extensive PHELPS family tree, as Joseph Phelps was an ancestor of mine;  it includes more than about 150 Phelps descendants.  I am not descended from the Willy family and have only researched the Willy branch within my Phelps tree. 

In case anybody out there is interested in the Willy / Phelps branch that we have improved upon, here is my update of it: 

E.   Elizabeth Phelps, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Phelps, was baptized in Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, on May 5th., 1767.  On July 23rd., 1787, in Shepton Beauchamp, Elizabeth Phelps of Shepton Beauchamp married Ambrose Willy of Kingsbury, by licence, in the presence of Joseph Phelps and John Robinson.  Ambrose signed his will in Norton Fitzwarren parish, in 1810;  he was buried in that parish on May 25th., 1810.    Ambrose and Elizabeth had issue:
1.   Joseph Willy,
2.   Thomas Willy, buried in Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, on May 1st., 1801.   
3.   Jane Willy, 
4.   John Willy, baptized in Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, on December 30th., 1795;  buried there on August 18th., 1797; 
5.   James Willy,
6.   Robert Willey, son of Ambrose and Elizabeth Willey of Middle Lambrook in the parish and the census district of Kingsbury Episcopi, baptized in Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset, on May 4th., 1802; 
7.   Elizabeth Willey, daughter of Ambrose and Elizabeth Willey of Middle Lambrook in the parish of Kingsbury Episcopi, baptized in Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset , on November 30th., 1803. 
 
[An Ambrose Willey 7 was buried in Kingsbury Episcopi on May 28th., 1831.] 

Best wishes. 


Peter.

[Kamante]

Peter, your Elizabeth Phelps married my Ambrose Willy, as we have discussed. In case I have not sent you the summary of Ambrose's 1810 Will (from the estate duty files), here it is:

Ambrose Willy made a Will in Norton Fitzwarren and he died in Norton Fitzwarren and was buried there on May 25,1810 (no age at death given). The Will is summarized by a tax record, as follows: 1810 Archdeacon's Court of Taunton (UK National Archives' reference IR 26/293/123):
*Date of Probate and Sum sworn: October 30, Under 1500 L, case #409.
*Name and Description of Testator or Testatrix: Ambrose Willy of Nortonfitzwarren, yeoman; two numbers in this column: 91011121314 and 166124.
*Name and Place of Abode of Executor or Executrix: P. 3 May 1824, Joseph Phelps of Combeflorey and John Phelps of Sheptonbeauchamp in the County of Somerset and Testators wife Elizabeth Willy, moved by said Joseph Phelps and John Phelps.
*Name of the Legatees, distinguishing the Residuary Legatee: NFP 10 Sept 1824 said Joseph Phelps John Phelps and said Elizabeth Willy.
*Particulars of the several Specific Legacies, Bequests in Trust - and of the Residue: All Testators Lands and personal Estate In Trust to apply the rents and profits to be made thereby and any advantage to be made therefrom in the maintenance of the Testators Wife and the maintenance clothing and education of his children respectively until the three oldest of such children should attain the age of 28 years namely Joseph Thomas and Jane when they should receive the Sums of L150 each as they should respectively attain that age to be raised and paid by his Trustees by sale or mortgage of his Messuages Tenements Lands Heraditaments and Premises or from the  conversions of the personal Estate and from thenceforth to stand possessed of the remaining part thereof In Trust to apply the rents and profits thereof and any advantage to be made therefrom in the maintenance of the Testators Wife and the maintenance clothing and education of his four other children namely John James Robert and Elizabeth until the youngest of them shall attain the age of 21 years and then in trust by sale of the Testators messuages lands tenements heraditaments and premises and the conversion of the personal estate as aforesaid to pay his Wife and children respectively the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds each and In Trust to pay the surplus monies remaining in any to his said wife and all his said children respectively share and share alike and in case any or either of his said children should be under the age of 21 years unmarried and without issue of his her or their body or bodies then he gave the share or shares of him her or them so dying unto the Survivors or Survivor of them his said children and the issue of such of them as might be dead such issue to take the proportion which their respective parents if living would have been entitled unto.

It is interesting that there is a son John alive in 1810. We know there was an earlier John who died, as you have noted. There is a good probability that second John was the John Willy transported to Tasmania in 1841 (one of his children resided in 1851 in South Petherton with John's sister Jane, also mentioned in the 1810 Will).