Phillip Elen (1765 - 1811)

[Olicana]

Hi,

Can anyone please help me find out information about Phillip Elen, who definitely died in 1811, but may have been born in 1760 or 1765 in Arlington, Sussex? He was married twice -  to Mary Moon and Mary Page (or Mary Goldsmith Paige). I cannot find any information at all on Mary Moon. I believe Mary Page may have been born in Lower Dicker, Sussex in 1765 and may have married Phillip on 2 November 1785, but she was also supposed to be his second wife, so unless he married Mary Moon when he was very young and she died very quickly, she couldn't have been!
 
I would like to find out who his parents were and whether he had any siblings, but seem to have hit a brick wall. I know he had at least 6 children, although I'm not sure with which wife. They were Philip (1786 - 1862), Mary Ann (1789 - ?), John (1791 - 1862), Richard (1792  - 1871) possibly Sarah Elizabeth  (1796 - 1883) (although she may have been Richard's wife) , David Leonard (1795 - 1844) and Leonard William (1800 - 1858) as far as I know.

Any confirmation or extra help would be much appreciated, thank you

[groom]

Welcome to Rootschat.

You may already know this, but his abstract of will is available to download from the National Archives, that might give more information.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7171126

[groom]

A tree on Ancestry has his marriage to Mary Moon as 27 Jun 1773 in Isfield, Sussex, but that seems highly unlikely as he would only be 8 years old! Where did you get the information that he married her from?

[Christine53]

Philip Elen married Mary Moon by license 22 Jun 1773 at Isfield. He was a bachelor , brick maker , aged 28 of Arlington and she a spinster aged 30 + of Isfield. On the later marriage he is described as widower and brick maker. There is a Mary Moon 14 Dec 1740 Isfield , parents Thomas & Mary, who would fit as 30+ in 1773. Philip Elen would have been born about 1745 if 28 in 1773 but I haven't found his baptism.

[Christine53]

Possible burial for Mary Elen , nee Moon :

Mary Ealing 2 Apr 1784 , wife of Phillip , Arlington St Pancras.

[Christine53]

Sussex Marriage Index has the second marriage as Philip Elen and Mary Pace:

Philip Elen widwr bricklayer otsp and Mary Pace , aged over 30 , sp of Arlington 29 Oct 1785

[groom]

Good finds, CB53, so it looks as if Phillip was a lot older than it was thought.

[Olicana]

Wow! Such quick replies! Thank you both very much indeed.

Most of the information I have on Phillip is from ancestry.com members and vague reports from distant relatives. On ancestry.com, 22 members also have Philip (1765 - 1811) and 21 members have Mary Page (1765) born in Lower Dicker. However, if Phillip married Mary Moon first and Mary Pace was his second wife, then it would certainly make sense that he was born in 1745, not 1765. Also, the date of death of Mary Ealing would fit in with the timing of the second marriage. The only oddity is the lack of children from the first marriage. If the marriage lasted 11 years, there would most likely be some, although not necessarily of course. Are there any other Elens that could be Phillip's parents or siblings by any chance? Your help is much appreciated

[Christine53]

I looked at the Ancestry trees and no one appears to have any sources to back up Phillip Elen's age. In all probability someone made a guess at his age and lots of others have come along and copied. I have looked through the Arlington records and cannot find any baptisms before those of Phillip and Mary's children nor have I found him in any other Sussex parish - a mystery at present !