John George "Jack" Phillips Ancestry

[MANDYMGY]

The twins are in one of the photos (and the newsreel footage) of the opening ceremony at the cloister on 15h April 1912. They are sitting on the left of the plaque with their parents, below Gertrude Jekyll and the ladies of the memorial committee who are on the steps and in front of Harold Bride and his parents. Both are wearing large hats and are heavily veiled so you can't really make out their faces. I'm not sure where you would find the picture on the internet but we used it in the exhibition, in 'A Farncombe Lad' and it also features in the Arts and Crafts Movement book.
I have another picture which I am 90% sure is Ethel and Elsie but, as I haven't completely verified it yet, we couldn't use it for the exhibition or the biography. We know the girls weren't identical but, like many pairs of twins, they dressed alike. Although they were a lot older than him, Jack used to tease them as if they were his little sisters on the postcards he sent them while he was at sea. One of the strong factors in favour of the picture I'm working on is that there seems to be a strong family resemblence to him, so I'm hopeful - fingers crossed!

 

[Lana Baker]

Thanks for all your input, Mandy. Have you been able to find much in your research through public records or more through family interviews & private correspondence, etc.? Public records can be dry - it can be difficult to determine someone's personality. I understand that Jack liked to send Elsie postcards which she kept in an album (which was sold and split up about 15 years ago, without being catalogued). Is there any surviving correspondence with anyone else?

 

[J Burdette]

Lana, I think I seen one of those postcards in the book Titanic: Fortune and Fate. That's a shame they were "sold and split up".

 

[MANDYMGY]

My research has been a combination of public records, private correspondance and a large helping of coincidence and sheer good luck! To my knowledge, there is very little first hand correspondance still in existance (although who knows what may be lurking in the attics of Godalming!) but there is certainly a quantity between George Phillips and Marconi in the 12 months following Jack's death that is very enlightening. As Lana says, the primary source for 'first hand' information is Jack himself and his postcards to Elsie and Ethel. There were originally 312 cards in Elsie's album, roughly one for every week of Jack's career with Marconi, and they were separated following the album's sale at Christie's in London in 1997. Individual cards come back on the market from time-to-time and the two that Jack sent from Titanic herself were both up for auction around the time of the centenary). Over the years, I have been gradually acquiring cards as they show up, although sadly the 'Titanic' cards are well out of my reach. We used my collection as the main back drop for the centenary exhibition in Godalming. They give a delightful insight into Jack's character, his highs and lows and perhaps most surprisingly, his wicked sense of humour. He may have been a 'hero' but he was also a nice ordinary guy who clearly adored his family.

 

[George]

Hi everyone. I live in Australia, my parents are English. I need some help with family connections to John George "Jack" Phillips. My Paternal Grandfather, George Edgar Clements, always called him "Uncle Jack". There is also a name, Leah Phillips, and a photograph of her in our old albums. I am told he is my Great, Great Uncle...can anyone confirm? I will speak to my Father and get more info.

 

[AELB]

Hi George
Apologies for the delay in responding - I haven't posted on ET for a while so I had to re-register.

In answer to your question, all of Jack Phillip's Australian relatives are descended from his uncle Fred Phillips who emigrated in the 1870's and became a very successful store owner. I'm afraid Jack wasn't anybody's 'uncle' - neither of his sisters married or had children, so any direct link to him ended with Elsie's death in 1953. I'm not aware of any family members with the surname Clements within the family tree, but it is possible that they could be maternal relatives, descended from the Saunders side of the family. Let me know if you come up with any other names, dates or places once you have spoken to your Father and I will do some more checking for you but, at the moment, I'm afraid that the connection appears to be family folklore.
All the best
Mandy

 

[Helen Smith]

Ah, thank you very much. I had been able to locate George Phillips in the UK Census and it shows he was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire about January 1845. So this helps a bunch. Also the Cenus has Ann as being born in Plymtree, Devon.

I seen where some researchers have Geroge's parents down as a John Phillips and Elleanora Slade. Do you know if this is true?

My grandmother was a relative from the slade line. I always knew Jack was a relative but just recently found out how. I am planning on visiting his memorial in September while in the UK. Sadly the menu from the ship and postcard that were in the family have disappeared over the last 50 years :-(

 

[Helen Smith]

I

Hi George
Apologies for the delay in responding - I haven't posted on ET for a while so I had to re-register.

In answer to your question, all of Jack Phillip's Australian relatives are descended from his uncle Fred Phillips who emigrated in the 1870's and became a very successful store owner. I'm afraid Jack wasn't anybody's 'uncle' - neither of his sisters married or had children, so any direct link to him ended with Elsie's death in 1953. I'm not aware of any family members with the surname Clements within the family tree, but it is possible that they could be maternal relatives, descended from the Saunders side of the family. Let me know if you come up with any other names, dates or places once you have spoken to your Father and I will do some more checking for you but, at the moment, I'm afraid that the connection appears to be family folklore.
All the best
Mandy

My grandmother was a relation her mother’s grandmother and his grandmother were sisters. My grandmother knew him and the families were quite close. He sent my grandmother (or possibly her mother) a menu and postcard, which sadly have been lost but my mum saw them. My grandmother new him as a cousin, but more precisely, her mums second cousin.

 

[Carl Nelson]

I


My grandmother was a relation, her mother’s grandmother and his grandmother were sisters. My grandmother knew him and the families were quite close. He sent my grandmother (or possibly her mother) a menu and postcard, which sadly have been lost but my mum saw them. My grandmother new him as a cousin, but more precisely, her mums second cousin.

My grandmother was also an Australian Slade and was 2nd cousin to Jack Phillips. (Hi Helen, I guess we're cousins.) I have a pretty extensive tree in Ancestry & have updated much on FamilySearch.org, so those interested can find them there, it has 7 generations of Jack's ancestors documented. It's certainly not correct to say that 'all' of Jack's Australian relatives are Phillips descendants, as his Joseph Slade and some siblings and in-laws migrated from Trowbridge and spawned a large family. Joseph was the brother of Jack's grandmother, Ellen Norah Slade (often written Ellenorah, a name used in many generations of Slades). Ellen married John Phillips in Trowbridge 12-Apr-1837, their son George was a draper and moved about a bit, going from Trowbridge to Bath, and eventually dying in Guildford. He was buried in Godalming in 1928. This George and wife Anne (Sanders) were Jack's parents.
The story is that the Slades were to migrate to the US but on arrival at the port it was a week's wait, and a ship to Australia was leaving much sooner, so they took that one (the 'Premier' in 1840).

 

[Carl Nelson]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but one of the more interesting records for Jack is the 1911 Irish census. It shows him in Marconi's training school with other's learning the trade:
Census Years/1911/Galway/Errislannan/Ballinaboy/Residents of a house
Residents of a house 5 in Ballinaboy (Errislannan, Galway)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation Religion Birthplace Occupation
--------- --------------- --- --- -------- --------------------- ----------------- ---------------
ODriscoll Richard 34 Male Head Roman Catholic Dublin City Wireless Telegraphist
Phillips John George 24 Male Boarder Church of England Godalmina, England Wireless Telegraphist
Smith Seton 24 Male Boarder Episcopal Ch of Scotl Northberwick, Scotland Wireless Telegraphist
Sweeney Walter Moss 24 Male Boarder Church of England Liverpool, Eng Wireless Telegraphist
Hosking Leonard George 30 Male Boarder Protestant Episcopalian England Wireless Telegraphist
Earl Henry Edward 29 Male Boarder Church of England England Wireless Telegraphist
Wickham Mary 44 Female Servant(Domestic) R Catholic Co Galway House Keeper

National Archives: Census of Ireland 1911

 

[Mike Spooner]

Hi,
I have visited Godalming Museum a few times now. Yes I have met Ann Laver to. What I found was when you meet Ann it's not long before others will get involved offering information to. I purchase a little book with a brief history of the man. Want I found quite amazing is the size of the memorial for a small town gave to Jack (John George) Phillips. This must be the biggest single memorial given to any of the 1500 who died.
Not knowing were you live and may be a bit out of your way as for me it's about 30 miles away.
Yes the Museum is small but does pack useful information. Weatherspoon with Titanic pictures just opposite with large car at the back and walking distance to Jack Phillips Park and memorial.
The museum has very good photos alums and history of the Wiley Park the lavish palatial mansion were Lord William Pirrie of H&W brought for a small fortune for it, and cost him a fortune to run and becoming a drain on his bank account to! Personal I think he could not pick a worse time to buy the mansion two months after lying the knee down for Titanic in Belfast May1909. Another story.

Mike.

 

[lucykathleenAnnaSmith]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but one of the more interesting records for Jack is the 1911 Irish census. It shows him in Marconi's training school with other's learning the trade:
Census Years/1911/Galway/Errislannan/Ballinaboy/Residents of a house
Residents of a house 5 in Ballinaboy (Errislannan, Galway)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation Religion Birthplace Occupation
--------- --------------- --- --- -------- --------------------- ----------------- ---------------
ODriscoll Richard 34 Male Head Roman Catholic Dublin City Wireless Telegraphist
Phillips John George 24 Male Boarder Church of England Godalmina, England Wireless Telegraphist
Smith Seton 24 Male Boarder Episcopal Ch of Scotl Northberwick, Scotland Wireless Telegraphist
Sweeney Walter Moss 24 Male Boarder Church of England Liverpool, Eng Wireless Telegraphist
Hosking Leonard George 30 Male Boarder Protestant Episcopalian England Wireless Telegraphist
Earl Henry Edward 29 Male Boarder Church of England England Wireless Telegraphist
Wickham Mary 44 Female Servant(Domestic) R Catholic Co Galway House Keeper

National Archives: Census of Ireland 1911

can you send me that picture and other you knows. thank you

 

[Mark Baber]

Click on the link in the message you quoted.

 

[Carl Nelson]

can you send me that picture and other you knows. thank you

Lucy, did you get the link? Here are a couple of Ancestry links with the records (if you have a membership the 'join' bit won't matter):

• Ancestry Join
• Ancestry Join

His parents:

• Ancestry Join
• Census records are easily found for this family and for the previous generation, John Phillips and Ellenorah Slade, eg:
  

  Join Ancestry®

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  Join Ancestry®

  Begin your discovery today by exploring the world's largest online family history resource!

  search.ancestry.com.au

 

[lucykathleenAnnaSmith]

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