N.N. Schweitzer

Phillip was a lay minister for the Methodiism on the Southwell Estate at Rathlkeale. His own personal salvation came Christmas day 1752. By 1758 he was involved in the building of the Methodist Church at Courtmatrix. At the time he was a carpenter, living at home. He married Margaret Switzer 31 oct 1758. she was 16 years old. In 1759 he took a personal inventory of his estate and it is assumed he was complenting leaving Ireland for in June 1760 folks gathered around to say their goodbyes to several Palatines...Phillip and Margaret Embury were amid the group leaving. She was pregnant. His brother John Embury also travelled with them. In 1763 a group of Palatines petitioned for land under what is known as the Wilson patent.David,Philip , John and Peter Embury, as well as james, George and sam Wilson and it was not until 1770 Philip was able to get to hius patent. They sailed away on the Pery, and it took 9 weeks for them to arrive in New York.Legend is that Phillip was so sick he had to be carried off the Pery. Phillip as well as his cousin Barbara Heck began the First Methodism in America about 1765-1768.The Church was known as the John street Church. In 1768, He and Margaret along with their two remaining children moved into the parsonage and he finished the interior of the church before departing to the north in April 1770. When leaving New York and going to the Camden valley in May 1770, Phillip became a leader and would choose the amount of acres of a fair share allotted to the settlers. He was appointed by the Provincial Governor to be a Justice Of peace. In The Camden he was joined by Peter Switzer who also got a share. When Charlotte Twp came in to being in 1772, his Justice of Peace was renewed and he was designated commission of a 13 man road commission. It took some time for their lands to be allotted ...cming from Duane on May 1 1773.

Phillip and a Thomas Ashton formed the Methodist Society in Ashgrove and a class in West Camden.

In August 1773 while working in the fields, Phillip was stricken with pleurisy and after a few days illness died.

On 6 June 1832, the tory Conference the meeting at Ashgrove his bones were exhumed for the first time and moved from the secluded spot on Bininger farm in the Camden Valley to the Ashgrove Burial ground.

In the Centinnal year 1866, 100 years after he preached his first sermon his remains were again exhumed and moved to Cambridge New York where he preached his first American sermon.