Seeking info on William George Phillips - Kidderminster area

[chrisw1961]

Hi Jo, Kay and Trish

Many thanks for the details of the Phillips family in Birmingham. I must admit that it hadn't occurred to me to try to find William George Phillips in Birmingham, given that my grandfather and great Uncle were born in Kidderminster. However, the "professional singer" occupation for the William Phillips you found is certainly enticing, even though he was about 10 years older than Charlotte Louisa. The 1891 census record states that he was married so, assuming that was true, it's curious that he was at his mother's house then without his wife, although he could have just been visiting for the day of course.

Although Charlotte Louisa plus her siblings and parents were living in Kidderminster by 1891 (at 24 Park Street), they were still in Birmingham in 1881 at the back of No.5 Wheeler Street in the Newtown/Lozells area. As her sons for whom WGP was the father were born in Kidderminster in 1892 and 1895, it seems most likely that he spent time in Kidderminster rather than her being in Birmingham.

I wonder where the William Phillips from Bordesley was in 1901? Unfortunately Ancestry, which is the only genealogy service I have a sub for, isn't any good for filtering by occupation.

[jomcd967]

Another possibility….
William Phillips, 29, vocalist, single, departed Liverpool aboard Vancouver to Canada, 24 Aug 1893, everyone else on that page of the passenger list is also a vocalist…

There is the following resource listing performers of D’Oyly Carte, no William Phillips…
https://www.gsarchive.net/whowaswho/

Jo 

[jomcd967]

It is interesting that there was an Acton Phillips Snr & Jnr in London at that time and they were very involved in the theatre….

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Hammersmith.htm#acton

Jo 

[chrisw1961]

Another possibility….
William Phillips, 29, vocalist, single, departed Liverpool aboard Vancouver to Canada, 24 Aug 1893, everyone else on that page of the passenger list is also a vocalist…

There is the following resource listing performers of D’Oyly Carte, no William Phillips…
https://www.gsarchive.net/whowaswho/

Jo 

Many thanks for digging out the William Phillips departure to Canada, Jo. Unfortunately, I can't find this on Ancestry. I don't have an international subscription, but I can see the UK and Ireland Outward Passenger Lists from 1890 onwards and I've failed to find the entry you unearthed on it. Did you find it on Ancestry or elsewhere?

As you say, the D’Oyly Carte performer list doesn't have a William Phillips, but it does have a "Mr. Philips" (only one "l"). The family story may well be wrong with regard to the D’Oyly Carte association.

[chrisw1961]

It is interesting that there was an Acton Phillips Snr & Jnr in London at that time and they were very involved in the theatre….

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Hammersmith.htm#acton

Jo 

Many thanks for your efforts on this Jo, you're a star! Acton was certainly a very unusual middle name for my great uncle to have, so it's very tempting to wonder if WGP knew Acton Phillips Snr and/or Jnr, and had some input into his son's name in this regard?

[jomcd967]

[/quote]
Many thanks for digging out the William Phillips departure to Canada, Jo. Unfortunately, I can't find this on Ancestry. I don't have an international subscription, but I can see the UK and Ireland Outward Passenger Lists from 1890 onwards and I've failed to find the entry you unearthed on it. Did you find it on Ancestry or elsewhere?
[/quote]

The passenger list was on Find My Past 

[chrisw1961]

The passenger list was on Find My Past 

Thanks for confirming. Unfortunately I can't afford to have a FindMyPast sub as well as Ancestry and had a trial on FindMyPast earlier in the year to do some 1939 Register stuff 

[Kay99]

The passenger list was on Find My Past 

Thanks for confirming. Unfortunately I can't afford to have a FindMyPast sub as well as Ancestry and had a trial on FindMyPast earlier in the year to do some 1939 Register stuff 

The record is also on Anc but he is transcribed as H Phillips b 1864  Departure date 24 Aug 1893    From England    to Quebec, Canada  Ship Name Vancouver

It is debatable whether his initial is H or W 

Kay

[chrisw1961]

The record is also on Anc but he is transcribed as H Phillips b 1864  Departure date 24 Aug 1893    From England    to Quebec, Canada  Ship Name Vancouver

It is debatable whether his initial is H or W 

Kay

Thanks for digging that out Kay, I've been able to find it on Ancestry now. It's hard to decipher the typically flowery writing as you say, and it's interesting that his first name got transcribed as William on FindMyPast.

61 vocalists on this voyage it would seem - I wonder what the collective noun for them is?! 

It seems rather unlikely that they were all unmarried - I suspect whoever filled the page out on the ship was being a bit lazy....