Hello All - Please bear with a lengthy request, as we've reached an impasse in our researches. I received an inquiry last week about the family born to William and Jenepher MARKS PHILLIPS in St. Austell and have found the following: William and Jenepher had these children baptized at Holy Trinity: Grace baptized 6 Jan 1774;- William, 4 June 1776;- John, 15 June 1778;- Jenny, 2 Jan 1783;- Sophia, 4 June 1787;- Joseph, baptized 25 Oct 1789;- Joana, 26 Aug 1792;- and Fanny, baptized 1797. Fanny married Thomas Mellen 18 April 1819, raised their family in Phernyssick, and leased land from the Charlestown Corp. There's no problem tracking that family; they appear in the records nicely. But as for Joseph, baptized Oct, 1789, there are problems! It is supposed he married a lady named "Mary" - and there are 3 possible candidates. The first Joseph Phillips married Mary MEDLAND 1 Mar, 1819, witnesses Eliza Warne and Henry Medland. A second Joseph Phillips married Mary LULY 7 May 1820. We don't have a marriage for the 3rd - he appears in the census, however. CHOICE ONE: Joseph PHILLIPS and Mary MEDLAND are in the 1841 census, living in LINKINHORNE (Rillaton): Joseph Phillips, aged 50, farmer, born Cornwall Mary Phillips, aged 42, b. Cornwall Caroline [Medland] Phillips, aged 19 Roxana [Medland] Phillips, aged 16 Eliza [Medland] Phillips, aged 14 William [Henry Medland] Phillips, aged 12 James [Penpraze Medland] Phillips, aged 10 Mary Phillips, aged 7 Jemima Phillips, aged 2 Elizabeth Phillips, aged 45, independent (Missing is Amelia Medland Phillips, baptized 1823) Mary and Jemima Phillips might be daughters to Elizabeth - that's not clear. There were 3 male servants (youngest 13) and one 11 year old girl, Mary CLEMENCE. The baptismal registers for Holy Trinity show the children with the Medland given name all baptized in St. Austell - and in the 1851 census, it shows St. Austell as their birth parish. In the 1839 TITHE APPORTIONMENT INDEX for ST. AUSTELL, there are 3 fields "near Pentewan" being leased by Roxina VIAN and Sophia BARLOW; the occupier is Joseph PHILLIPS. But there is no such person appearing in the 1841 census dwelling in that location that I could find. Perhaps this was a case of 3 lives, and Joseph chose Sophia and Roxina in the hopes they'd outlive him. He, of course, was renting the fields out, and not farming them himself. Or not. ..... CHOICE TWO: In the meantime, Joseph PHILLIPS who married Mary LULY was also having a family, etc. They had Mary Luly, baptized at Holy Trinity 1820;- Honour, 1823;- John Luly, 1825;- Joseph, Sep 1827;- Elizabeth Margaret, 1829;- Drina, 1832. (This MAY be Diana, or Dinna.) James, 1835; - Phillipa, 1837. In 1841, the family seems to appear in St.Blazey churchtown: Joseph PHILLIPS, aged 45, publican, born Cornwall Mary Phillips, aged 40 Honor Phillips, aged 15 John Phillips, aged 15 watchmaker apprentice Joseph Phillips, aged 14 Phillipa Phillips, aged 2 Dinna Phillips, aged 1 month Mary LORD, servant, aged 14 and one Unknown, aged 40, born outside Cornwall (Drinna,aged 9, Mary, aged 21, James, and Elizabeth Margaret are "missing") In 1851 - perhaps the same family appears, living in Tywardreath, on the Highway: Joseph PHILLIPS, aged 55, farmer, born St. Ewe Mary Phillips, aged 52, born St. Austle Joseph, son, aged 23, born St. Austle Philippa, dau, aged 12, born St. Austle Honour L. STEPHENS, dau, aged 28, born St. Austle Richard T. Stephens, lodger, aged 32, born Sithney IF this is the same family, it would eliminate this possibility, as this Joseph Phillips was born in St. Ewe. ....... CHOICE THREE: And there's the third Joseph - in 1841, living in Greenwood's Row, St. Austell: Joseph PHILLIPS,aged 50, cooper, born Cornwall Maria Phillips, aged 40 Joseph Phillips, aged 15 Mary Phillips, aged 12 Sarah Phillips, aged 7 In the 1851, he's living there still, a cooper, with his daughters - all born in St. Austle. Several folks with the surname of PHILLIPS are living nearby. ....... There's actually a fourth possibility, born in St. Austell but living in Alvinney, Altarnun in 1851, married to a "Mary" born Helston, aged 52, with children all born in St. Ewe; he's a mining agent and mine owner, aged 60. Naturally, his oldest son was named William H.M., aged 21; dau Mary M.,aged 15, and dau Jemima M, aged 12. ....... The questions for the list are these: Is anyone researching this line of PHILLIPS? If so, would you care to be in contact with a lady who's also trying to sort out the lines? Does anyone know the million dollar answer to the question WHICH JOSEPH IS THE BROTHER OF FANNY PHILLIPS MELLEN?? The information given to the lady inquiring about these folks was very very confused and misleading - for instance, the original investigator had only one Joseph and Mary, with ALL the children named Phillips assigned to them!! Bits and pieces "fit", but not quite - a case of having information and trying to bend the facts to make it fit, in my opinion. But it makes a muddle of trying to sort things out. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!! Julia Julia Mosman, OPC for St.Austell,Charlestown, and Treverbyn Website at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staustell W. Briton newspaper transcripts at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad Please visit the OPC website at http://cornwall-opc.org