John Randal Phillips junior

Counterclaimed on Haggatt Hall in Barbados, when he was identified as of Ryde, Isle of Wight.

There is potential for confusion here. There were at least three John Randal[l] Phillips alive in the 1830s.

1. Deaths are registered for two John Randal Phillips: Q3 1837 Isle of Wight and Q4 1845 Newton Abbot Devonshire. John Randal Phillips and J.R. Phillips junior, both witnessed the marriage of Philip Lovell Phillips (q.v.) to Mary Anne Hawkes Collyer at St Giles Camberwell 09/08/1832. John Randall Phillips is also shown as an Australian colonist, arriving in Fremantle 25/02/1830 and dying there in 1852. Philip Lovell Phillips is shown as born Barbados 26/10/1805, the only son of John Randall Phillips and Elizabeth Went [sic]. This John Randall Phillips reportedly returned to England, lived at Tor Villa, and died in 1845 at Newton Abbott. Philip Lovell Phillips is shown as the son-in-law of the evangelical preacher based at Peckham, William Bengo Collyer.

2. John Randall [sic] Phillips married Elizabeth Went Lovell, Winterbourne Gloucestershire 14/10/1803.

3. John Randall Phillips was one of the subscribers to John Poyer's History of Barbados (1808).

4. In 1841 John Phillips aged 70 was living with Lovell Phillips aged 30, physician at Torville, Devon.

5. There is an inscription recorded by Oliver: 'Sacred to the memory of John Randall Phillips of Lamberts in this Island. He died at Torquay Devon Sept 9th 1845 aged 86. Also of Elizabeth Went, wife of the above and daughter of Philip Lovell Esq. She died at Edinburgh July 20 1831 aged 61.'

6. The John Randal Phillips who died at Ryde is described on his gravestone as 'John Randal Phillips jnr of the Island of Barbados, long illness, died 29/08/1837 aged 38 years'.

7. The will of George Phillips of Turnham Green Chiswick proved 19/12/1817 appears likely to have been the father of this man John Randal Phillips jr. It refers to reverses in fortune for George Phillips, identifies his son as John Randal Phillips, mentions both his young friend and relation Philip Lovell Philllips and his dear valued friend John Randal Phillips of Barbados, makes John Daniel of Mincing Lane an executor and refers to the possibility of the recovery of funds from an amount assigned to Stephen Walcott of Barbados.

It thus appears that the John Randall Phillips who died at Devon in 1845, rather than the man who died at Ryde in 1837, was the father of Philip Lovell Phillips and was the awardee on the estate identified as Lamberts and probably the other awards. The John Randall Phillips who died at Ryde was counterclaimant on Haggatt Hall. The two men were presumably uncle and nephew, great-uncle and great-nephew or cousins of some kind. The connection with the Australian colonist however remains unclear, and this John Randal Phillips in Australia might conceivably have been the awardee for Brittons and/or Lascell[e]s or more plausibly the attorney in Jamaica in the mid-1820s.

For further information about John Randal Phillips (1795-1852), his (and his family's) possible connections to the West Indies and his life in Western Australia see Xavier Reader, Diane Brunning and Jane Lydon, 'Phillips, John Randal (1795–1852)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . Note 24 offers some clarification of the various John Randal Phillips.

T71/895 Barbados claim no. 92 (Brittons or Brettons); T71/897 Barbados claim no. 2545 ; T71/899 Barbados claim nos. 4368 (Lascell[e]s) and 4615 (tentatively identified as Lamberts).

T71/895 Barbados claim no. 139 counterclaim identifies a John Randal Phillips as of Ryde, Isle of Wight, as an assignee of Thomas Went. Awards no. 92, 2545, 4368 and 4615 are tied by the same attorney, Edward Thomas.

1. FreeUKGen, England and Wales Free BMD Database, Deaths, 1837-1983 [database online]; Ancestry.com, London, England, Marriages and Banns 1754-1921 [database online]; http://www.valuingheritage.com.au/adoptagrave/Phillips_George.html [accessed 27/04/2012]. http://www.wbcollyer.org/index.php?p=1_5_Who-s-Who [accessed 27/04/2102].

2. Ancestry.com, England and Wales, Marriages and Banns, 1538-1940 [database online].

3. John Poyer, The History of Barbados, from the first discovery of the island in the year 1605 till the accession of Lord Seaforth 1801 (London, J. Mawman, 1808), p xxv.

4. 1841 census online.

5. Vere Langford Oliver, Monumental Inscriptions in Barbados p. 12 item 60.

6. http://www.rydecemetery.org.uk/grave_record.asp?graveid=8519 accessed 11/09/2013.

7. PROB 11/1599/284.