Elizabeth Philips (née Spence)

Heiress of James Spence of Jamaica and mother of Hon. James Philips (q.v), George Washington Philips (q.v.) and Henry Leigh Philips (q.v.). From the tenor of her will she and her husband Charles Philips were estranged when she made it in 1809. To date no death-date has been found either for her or for her husband.

1. Administration of the will of Elizabeth Philips wife of Charles Philips late of the island of St Christopher but now of Ruxley Lodge Surrey [made in March 1809 with a codicil of May 1809] granted 15/06/1841 to George Washington Philips (a son), given in the will as George Philips. In the will she rehearsed the will of her father James Spence formerly of Jamaica and afterwards of St Clement Danes dated 07/10/1783 in which he had left all his property real and personal (his trustees were Neil Malcolm, Samuel Span and Henry Holt) to pay the income to her for her separate use and for her to dispose of at her death among her children in the proportions she saw fit. She had, she said, seven children (and then named six: James, Charles, George, Henry, Maria Tharp (wife of John Tharp) and Louisa Wilson, wife of Edward Wilson Esq.). The personal property of her father consisted of £5000 secured by mortgage on her husband's estate in St Kitts, and £2500 in the hands of the executor of the surviving acting trustee of her father's will. She left £2500 to her daughter Fanny, £500 to her son Henry and £250 each to Charles, George, Maria Tharp and Louisa Wilson. She made her son James her residuary legatee. Later in 1809 she revoked the £2500 to Fanny, and instead left it to James on condition he granted Fanny an annuity of £100 p.a. until married.

1. PROB 11/1947/303. The index gives her as of Buxley [sic] Lodge.