Nat Gould

Joseph Phillips 1844-1929

Joseph Phillips was born in 1844, the son of Joshua Phillips 1817-1888 of Warslow in Staffordshire and his wife née Sarah Hope 1823-1888. He was baptised at Warslow on 25 February 1844. His father was a lead and copper miner.

When the Census was taken in 1861 he was aged seventeen, living with his parents, and working as a lead miner.
In the 1870s he was probably a coal miner on the Lancashire coalfield, as his two eldest children were born in that area.

Skegby Colliery

By 1881 he had married and was living with his wife and family at 27 Stoneyford Lane at Skegby near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, where he was working as a coal miner hewing the coal underground. They had moved to Mid Green Bank in Skegby by 1891 and to Spring Wood there by 1901. His wife was Jane Elizabeth (surname unknown), born in 1850 at Swinton in Yorkshire.

He was still hewing coal when the 1911 Census was taken, the family then living in Skegby at Stanton Hill. The colliery in Skegby was at Stanton Hill, and was opened in 1873. So Joseph Phillips was among the first miners working there. It was later renamed Sutton Colliery, and closed in 1989.

Skegby Parish Church

They had the following children:

Joseph Phillips. He was born in 1872 at Prestwich near Manchester.

Mary Phillips. She was born in 1874 at Pendleton near Manchester.

Alice Phillips. She was born in 1879, and baptised at Skegby on 1 February 1880.
She died in 1880.

Kate Phillips. She was born on 3 January 1880 at Skegby in Nottinghamshire, and baptised at Skegby on 1 February 1880. She married Alfred Marchant a locomotive engine driver born at Matlock in Derbyshire in 1878, and they had a son and two daughters. She died at Melton Mowbray in 1974 aged 94 years.

Edith Phillips. She was born in 1882 at Skegby, and baptised at Skegby on 15 January 1882.

Ellen Phillips. She was born in 1884 at Skegby, and baptised at Skegby on 13 February 1884. When the 1911 Census was taken she was unmarried and working as as shop assistant in the confectionery business.

Amy Phillips. She was born in 1885 at Skegby, and baptised at Skegby on 16 December 1885. By 1911 she was a school teacher, employed by Nottinghamshire County Council, and unmarried. She was married to Thomas Evans in 1916.

Emily Phillips. She was born in 1887 at Skegby, and baptised at Skegby on 30 November 1887. Like her sister Amy Phillips she was by 1911 a school teacher, employed by Nottinghamshire County Council, and unmarried.

Janet Phillips. She was born in 1890 at Skegby, and baptised at Skegby on 5 October 1890. She died in 1892 aged two years.

Signature on 1911 Census Return

Henry Harvey Phillips. He was born on 2 June 1896 at Skegby, and baptised at Skegby on 7 July 1895. When the 1911 Census was taken he was aged fifteen and working as a clerk. He married Kathleen A Lane in 1930, and died in 1982 aged 87 years.

Joseph Phillips died at Mansfield in 1929.

His widow Jane Elizabeth Phillips died there in the following year aged 80 years.