Enoch Philips

GEDCOM Note

Notes from Family Bible indicate Enoch was born about 1 or 2 o'clock on 4 May 1771. Grew up around Canonsburg, PA. Served as a major in the War of 1812.

His commission as a captain in the 4th Company, 53rd Regiment, 1st Brigade, 12th Division. (As a captain, he would have been in command of 60-100 men). The document is dated April 15th, 1805, for a term of 7 years, effective from the date of August 2nd, 1800. It is signed by M. Thompson, Secretary to Gov. Thomas McKean. Over the next several years, Enoch was promoted to the rank of Major, One family history notes that he was involved in recruiting. A portrait, painted by a traveling artist, shows Major Enoch Philips in uniform.

Enoch married Elizabeth Gault on 11/15, 1792 by a Rev. Henderson. She died 9/24/1807. He then married Catherine Anderson on 5/10/1808. The wedding was performed by Rev. David Philips--likely Preachin' David Philips, supposedly a cousin of his father, Fightin' David Philips.

A photograph from the 1880s-1900 shows a number of his descendants standing before what was left of his home built in 1812 or 1815. Boyd Crumrine's History of Washington Co, PA indicates that Enoch Philips operated a tavern, more like a restaurant/bar or inn--and was also a Justice of the Peace for 21 years. He was also a devout Presbyterian.

Enoch Philips was married twice. In 1837, he and his wife Catherine moved to Harrison Co, OH, near Steubenville (their market town) and the post office in Jefferson.

A letter to his son in law Amos Holland (still living in PA) dated 3 June 1845 was found in the WSU archives, and I have transcribed it. The spelling is very odd. He and his wife, along with their two youngest sons, still at home at the time, moved to Bloomington, IN, in 1857, where daughter Eliza Jane Philips Bryan was living with her family and her husband, Rev. John Bryan. A photograph of Enoch and Catherine was taken about this time in the latter part of their lives. They died within a year of moving to Bloomington and are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery there.

(From the memoirs of Smith G. Philips-P. 4)

"My great grandfather Enoch, became a well-to-do farmer in Pennsylvania. he was married first to Elizabeth Gault, by whom he had seveal children. Some time after his first wife's death (actually it was only a year and there were 4 young children to care for), he was married to Catherine Anderson, and there were twelve children by this marriage. My grandfather Alfred Wilson Philips, was the youngest child. He was born January 1, 1836 in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania.

After the close of the Revolutionary War, there was again trouble in England, for she insisted in pressing American seamen into the English Navy. Soon war was declared against England, and the War of 1812 began.

Great-Grandfather Enoch obtained some prominence in this war, as he was comissioned a major. A large oil painting of him in his major's uniform, is still preserved in the family."

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Enoch Philips Primitive Portrait

(From notes of A,W, Philips.Jr. - brother of William Harbison Philips)

"Enoch Philips, my grandfather, was a Major in the war of 1812. The family portrait which my sister Ada has, was taken during the war when he was acting as a recruiting officier, The painting was made at Washington, Penn., by a boy artist whose mother was also an artist and probably assisted in the work."

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More on Enoch's Portrait - Sally Philips

At some point, Ada gave the painting to her brother , William. It then hung in Olive and William's homes in Waitsburg, Mount Vernon and on Palitine Avenue in Seattle, Washington.

In the early 1950s, it was given to their son Smith, who immediately had it boxed and sent back to Worcester, Massachusetts. Once there, it was taken to the Worcester Art Museum, and cleaned and restored. Eventually , it was hung in our dining room on Burgess Road in Worcester.

In 1956, it was re-hung in the new dining room on Trowbridge Road. Later, Enoch hung in the study in Leicester. In 1978, Enoch was moved to the living room in Mesa, Arizona, and then still later, to another living room in Friendship Village, Tempre , Arizona.

In 1990, when Beth and Smith moved into the Health Center, Enoch moved north again to Torontno, where he still observesd his descendents in my living room.

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In a letter from William H. Philips to his son Smith Philips, dated Feb. 13, 1957 he wrote:

"We are glad you have the old Grandfather picture nicely up. His birth was 1771 and death was 1857. The parents moved form Ohio to Indiana in '57 and both Grandfather and Mother died that fall."

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