~ ISAAC PHILLIPS ~

1766 - 1834

Son of Deacon Ebenezer Phillips and Susannah Manley

Slave Trader

A SEARCH FOR A SLAVE-TRADER'S FORTUNE

Source: The History of Easton by W. L. Chaffin
Transcribed by John Phillips Buczek

On the second day of May, 1766, Isaac Phillips, a son of Dea. Ebenezer Phillips, was born in Easton. March 15, 1786, he married Rachel Hayden. They had one child, but finally separated. It is said that about 1813 he went South, engaged in the slave-trade, acquired a fortune, gaining an estate and having a large deposit of money in the Manhattan Bank in New York City, and died about 1834, leaving no family to inherit his property. In 1871 the relatives of Isaac Phillips living in Easton and elsewhere, hearing of these facts or supposed facts, made strenuous exertions to obtain further information in the hope of getting possession of the property left. They were able to learn from an official in St. Stephens, the county-seat of Washington County, Alabama, that an Isaac Phillips from the North had lived in that county and (died there about 1834, having an estate which was held by a person who was thought to have a very imperfect title or right to it. Application was made to the Surrogate Court at New York for authority to oblige the Manhattan Bank to disclose any facts relative to a deposit of money there by Isaac Phillips; but the judge of the Surrogate decided that this could not be done until those making the demand should furnish information of the time and place of death of said Phillips. This they had no means of doing, and nothing further was done about the matter.

While these proceedings were going on, it was thought desirable to get the authentic record of the birth of Isaac Phillips and also of his family connections, whose descendants might claim some share in the fortune that was supposed to have been left. Then the question arose as to where was the old family Bible. Deacon Phillips, pious Baptist that he was, was sure to have had one, and to have made a careful family record. It was remembered that his son Jacob had inherited this Bible; that Jacob fell from a load of hay July 17, 1812, and broke his neck; that his widow was dead, and the Bible had descended to the daughter Susanna, who was second wife of Mr. Macy Randall, and who died June 4, 1866. It was remembered also that at her earnest request this family Bible had been laid under her head in her coffin and buried with her in the Washington Street cemetery. Permission to open the grave was applied for and obtained of the selectmen. The grave was opened and the Bible removed, which was found somewhat, but not seriously, decayed. The birth and death records were thus obtained ; and the Bible is now in the possession of Lewis Rancid.

No progress has been made toward recovering the fortune supposed to have been left by the slaveholding Isaac Phillips. The statements made are however sufficiently probable and well authenticated to warrant further investment in the attempt to regain it. The story is interesting, and when first given to the papers by D. C. Lillie, of Easten, it excited much comment and inquiry.

POSEYVILLE NEWS - Sat. April 18, 1891

BIBLE IN A TOMB

RECORDS EXHUMED THAT WERE BURIED WITH A WOMANS BODY

Twenty five years ago, widows established ownership to $6,000,000

A curious story of the preservation of records in a tomb has been developed in Chicago in connection with the discovery of the inheritance of a fortune.  Mrs. Sidney Hendricks, of Chicago, has been notified that she has fallen heir to $6,000,000 from the estate of an uncle long since deceased.  Isaac Phillips, from whom the estate decends, was born May 2, 1766 at Easton, Mass..  He went South in 1812, engaged in the slave trade and accumulated an enormous fortune.  Of this he deposited the cash in the Mahatten Bank of New York city, and invested the remainder in land along Long Branch in Holeston, S. C., and in houses and lots in Baltimore.  The cash now in the Manhatten Bank aggregates $5,000,000.  He died in 1834, his wife and only child having previously died.

In 1871 the heirs began to search for facts to prove their right to the property.  On an application to the courts to compel the Manhatten Bank to disclose all of the facts relative to the deposit with that institution, the court held that the heirs must furnish exact information as to the time and place of Isaac Phillips death.  This they were unable to do and the matter was dropped.  The next thing was to get authentic record of his birth.  It was finallu dioscovered that the family Bible of good old Baptist Deacon Nicholas Phillips, Isaacs father, had descended to Isaac's brother Jacob and that it had been buried in the coffin with Jacob's daughter, Susanna, on June 4, 1866 in the Washington St. Cemetery at Easton.

Permission was obtained from the selectmen a few days ago to open the grave.  The family Bible was found, somewhat decayed, but with good record still perfectly legible and furnishing the missing link.

The fortune is estimated at $6,000,000 to which Mrs hendricks is heir to one-third, the other heirs being her two brothers, William T. Carrol, a maunufacturer of patented articles at Worcester, Mass. and Daniel W. Carroll, a machinist of Canton, Mass..

NOTE: The article states that Isaac and Jacob were sons of the "Baptist Deacon Nicholas Phillips".  This is an obvious errot, for Deacon Nicholas Phillips died 1672 in Weymouth, Mass..   Isaac's and Jacob's line goes back to Ebenezer their father born 1726 in Easton, Ebenezer's  father John Phillips Jr. born 1692 in Easton, John Jr.'s father Captain John Phillips born 1670 in Weymouth, Captain John's father Richard born 1635 Dedham, Mass. and finally, Richards father Deacon Nicholas Phillips born 1611 at Wendover Buckinghamshire, England.

...........john

Submitted by Martha Ries

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