19th century adoption—seeking PHILLIPS cousin

[BMcAleer]

Thank you everyone for all of your helpful questions. I have not confirmed that John Campbell Phillips (1844-1918) is the brother of Maria Jane (Phillips) Cole, but I am gathering evidence and getting close.

To begin with, I had a photocopy of a letter from 1893, written by Charles Goddard who adopted Rachel Sarah Cole in 1869 and changed her name to Lucy Goddard. After Lucy (Goddard) Brigham died and left 4 small children, Charles Goddard wrote a letter to Mrs. Noyes who adopted my grandmother. The letter stated that Lucy's only brother John Phillips was an officer in the British army.

Family tradition said that when Lucy was a teenager, she visited her Phillips cousins and her grandmother Hulda Campbell. I looked for Hulda many times and couldn't find one anywhere, and when I found in the census Hilda with John Phillips I thought the family was worth investigating, because family traditions sometimes get generations confused. "Hilda" was probably Lucy's aunt, not her grandmother, but grandmother still may be a Campbell.

I also had a poor quality photocopy of a photograph of Lucy with Grandmother Campbell. I asked my cousin if she had the original photograph; she had a better copy that I did, and she found in her mother's possessions an additional picture labelled :

MAUD FRANK EMILY ENGLISH COUSINS
72 68 70 1962

I suspected they were Phillips cousins. They all resembled Lucy's grandmother.
I tracked down my second cousin, and discovered that my great Aunt Florence had kept in touch with our Phillips cousins during World War II, and that our cousin had visited them in 1962 when taking her daughter to an eye specialist in London. My second cousin had small children and was not interested in genealogy at the time.

I searched Ancestry.com and found a record with Maud, Frank and Emily together. It was the Military pension file of their father, Captain Frank Hickling PHILLIPS of the Royal Engineers, which lists his wife and children. Regimental no. 20627 Frank Hickling PHILLIPS was in the Royal Engineers for many years and his career took him to Saint Lucia, South Africa, and Ceylon.

Frank Hickling PHILLIPS (Frank senior) was born at Saint Helena Island, October 1867. He enlisted at Chatham in the Royal Engineers, 7 January 1886; he married Louisa Robinson on 26 October 1889 at Aston, Warwickshire, England. (Marriage Certificate Dec Qtr 1889 Aston 6d 1889)

Children of Frank Hickling PHILLIPS and Louisa ROBINSON, as listed in the pension file:

Maud Annie Phillips b. 15 April 1890, at Aston, Warwickshire
( Free BMD index Births Jun 1890 Aston 6d 393)
Frank Campbell Phillips b. 3 August 1891, at Aston, Warwickshire
( Free BMD index Births Sept 1891 Aston 6d 411)
Emily Hilda Phillips b. 2 September 1892, at Medway, co. Kent
(Free BMD index Sept 1892 Medway 21 628)

Frank Hickling Phillips parents are not listed on this document, but he is the son of John Campbell Phillips (1844-1918) and his wife Hilda Minnie, who was born in Naples, Italy, about 1844. John Campbell Phillips is the probable brother of Maria Jane (Phillips) COLE, my ancestor. He was also a Major in the Royal Engineers, who served at St. Helena and Ireland.

John Campbell Phillips was born c 1844 at Bideford, Devon, England, and d. 8 May 1918 at The Mount Romsey Road, Southampton, Southampton Western, County Of Southampton C.B., England. (Certificate: June Qtr 1918 Southampton Vol. 2c p. 74)

John Campbell PHILLIPS married Hilda Minnie (?) about 1866; she was born about 1844 in Naples Italy; she d. 6 Sep 1918 at The Mount.(Death certificate: Sept Qtr 1918 Southampton Vol. 2c p. 82)

1867-1868: two sons were born at Saint Helena, according to later census records.
c. Sept. 1870: daughter Hilda born at Westminster, London, England
1871: census lists family at the Barracks, Brentford, Heston St. Paul, co. Middlesex, England
1877: son Arthur Thomas Phillips was born at Portsea Island, co. Hampshire, England.
18 Dec 1889: Phillips, John Campbell Woolwich Quarter Master & Hon Lt. The Army List 1899
1891: census lists Hilda without her husband, who may have been stationed abroad.
With her are listed her daughter Maud, son Frank, daughter-in-law Louisa, and granddaughter Maud.
1894-1895: The Army List, at Curragh, Ireland
1896-1899: The Army List, at Dublin, Ireland.
1901: census lists family at 101 Belmont Road, Portswood St. Denys, Hampshire Co., England; 1911: census lists John, Hilda, and son Arthur at Southampton. )

John C. Phillip's son Frank was listed living with Hilda in the 1891 census at Chester, Cheshire; his daughter-in-law Louisa Phillips was informant at the death of John Campbell Phillips.
John C. Phillips is listed as the father of Frank Hickling Phillips in Frank's marriage record.

I have traced the photograph of cousins Maud, Frank and Emily, back to their grandfather John Campbell Phillips, but of course I can't be sure that he is Maria Jane's brother until I find more evidence. Maria Jane Phillips was born about 1840 according to her passenger list, census records, death record. Her husband George Cole was born about 1837 in Dublin according to his Civil War pension file; census records vary a little.

[Geoffers]

Thank you everyone for all of your helpful questions. I have not confirmed that John Campbell Phillips (1844-1918) is the brother of Maria Jane (Phillips) Cole, but I am gathering evidence and getting close.

Do you know roughly when Maria was born (census returns, age at death)? Can you then locate her and John Campbell PHILLIPS in a census return as children?

[BMcAleer]

According to the passenger list and death record, Maria Jane Phillips was born in 1841. John Campbell Phillips was born about 1844. I haven't found any conclusive census records with John and Maria Phillips as children. I don't have her in any census records. Family information said he was her only brother, and the father's name may have been John. George Cole was at Corfu in 1861, and they may have been married by then.

[BMcAleer]

Photos of my Phillips relatives are posted on FLICKR: If you see anyone familar, please contact me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3973109...7621470312956/

[BMcAleer]

Breakthrough! The correct certificate of birth for my second great grandmother arrived in the mail today. Jane Phillips, daughter of John Phillips, sergeant XI Regiment of Foot, and Maria Phillips formerly Campbell, was born 23 November 1840 at Cumberland Square, Devonport. She was abandoned by her husband George Cole, and died as Maria Jane Cole 5 July 1868, at Boston, and is buried in a pauper's grave in Cambridge, Mass., USA. I will visit her there this week. I also received a Chelsea Pensioner's record for a John Phillips which I will decipher soon, and hopefully it is her father. There are always more mysteries. Thanks everyone for your help.