Christopher Phillips, of Raynham, Norfolk

Do not confuse him with:

• Christopher Phillips, of Stepney (London)
• Christopher Phillips, of Stoke in Teignhead (Devon)

The father of Rev. George Phillips is known to have been Christopher Phillips, of South Raynham (Norfolk). According to the Norfolk Archives website, there are no surviving parish records for Raynham South (St Martin) prior to 1740, although there are some Archdeacon's and Bishop's transcripts dating from 1600: Some fragments appear in neighboring parishes.

His date of birth is unknown. Richard Ripley believed he was the Christopher Phillips who was born 17 Jun 1565 in Stoke In Teignhead, Devon, England, but that is a different man. His date of birth is sometimes given as 4 November 1577 at West Raynham, but that is the marriage date of a Christopher Phillips and Elizabeth Shyming at Wingfield (Suffolk).

The name of his wife is not known. Richard Ripley believed he was the Christopher Phillips who married Agnes Abram, 26 Oct 1587 in Chichester, Sussex, England but the distance between South Rainham and Chichester makes that identification unlikely. Some sources suggest he might have been the Christopher Phillips who married Elizabeth Shyming at Wingfield (Suffolk) n 1577, but would put him a generation too early.

From the parish registers:

• Marriage of Walter Saunders and Alice Phillips, 8 April 1553 at West Raynham perhaps his sister
• Baptism of Mary Phillips, daughter of Christopher, 2 April 1594 at Colcreak (now Colkirk)
• Baptism of Katherine Phillips, daughter of Christopher, 19 October 1595 at Colcreak (now Colkirk)
• Marriage of Nicholas Phillips and Martha Large, 1 September 1618 at West Raynham perhaps his son
• Burial of Anne Phillips, daughter of Christopher, 20 November 1618 at West Raynham
• Burial of Xtopher Phillips, 3 February 1621 at West Raynham

He seems to have lived his entire adult life in the neighborhood of South Raynham (Norfolk). He was named as churchwarden in 1606 (Archdeacon's Transcripts). In the account book of Edward Anguish, steward to Jane, Lady Townsend at Raynham Hall in 1594, "Paid to Christopher Phillips for making a pair of great doors for heye Coame." In another account book in 1607, "Edwyar Anguish To Christopher Phillips one day work XIVd. To his son XIIId."

Sources

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 52 (1898), pages 318-320.

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The family of Christopher Phillips is steeped in the lore of the founding of America. His son Thomas is found on the list of people who were to sail on the Mayflower in 1620. Thomas, for some reason, did not make the journey, and stayed the rest of his life in England. Two other sons, John and George, made the passage 10 years after the Mayflower, on ships of the Winthrop Fleet. Son William came to America, apparently not on the Winthrop ships, but by some other similar means, and raised his family, and died, in New England.