Phillip Phillips Sr.
Successful farmer of Greenmoor
Phillip was our 2nd great-grandfather, he was born in Llanover near Abergavenny during 1812. Phillip was the second child born to Phillip Phillips and Ann Williams and as the oldest son he carried his father’s name, in line with family tradition. Generations of Phillips’ had lived in and around Llanover where they were landowners and a significant local family.
Phillip was only four when his father identified an opportunity for ambitious farmers on the Wentloog Levels, south of Newport. With large tracts of land available and favourable farming conditions, it was too good to turn down. Phillip and Ann, along with their four young children, Mary, Phillip, John, and Thomas, packed up their possessions and headed to the coast.
The Levels are land that was first reclaimed from the sea in Roman times. Most of the Levels have been the subject of artificial drainage schemes, and the area is criss-crossed by drainage channels, known locally as ‘reens’. The Levels provide rich, fertile soils that gave rise to high quality pasture. Some farmlands, particularly on higher ground towards the coast, are arable and used for growing quality crops.
The family settled in St Brides; a small rural hamlet dominated by agricultural. Here they purchased Greenmoor Farm, where the family was to stay for more than 160 years. Phillip and Ann had two further children whilst living at Greenmoor, Jane in 1820 and Mary in 1822. Phillip and his siblings grew up on the farm and were all expected to work hard from a young age.
The first national census of 1841 recorded the family at Greenmoor. Eldest daughter Mary had married and left home, but the other five children were still living at the farm. Phillip was now 28 years old and working full time on the farm as he prepared to succeed his father who was 62. They had done well in establishing the farm which was starting to thrive, and they were a key part of the local farming community.
On the 1851 census, Phillip Sr. was in his 70s and widowed but still working daily on the 90 acre farm alongside his son Phillip who was 38. Of Phillip’s five siblings, only Jane was still living at Greenmoor. She was now Jane Evans after marrying a prominent Baptist Minister called David Evans, and they were living at Greenmoor with their three children. Completing the household was two members of staff, William Davies an agricultural labourer, and Catherine Smith a domestic servant.
In 1852 Phillip married, his bride was Mary Richards from Llanedeyrn, a village to the east of Cardiff. Mary had been born in 1825 to Thomas and Anne. Following the marriage Mary moved to St Brides and joined her husband and father-in-law at Greenmoor. Phillip and Mary had eight children: Phillip 1853, Anne 1855, Thomas 1858, John 1860 (our great-grandfather), William 1861, David 1863, Mary 1865, and Rees 1867. The boys all carried the middle name Richards, their mother’s maiden name.
The 1861 census showed a very busy Greenmoor Farm, Phillip (49) and Mary were now head of household and lived at the farm with their first five children. Also at the farm was Phillip’s father, who was 85 and retired, his brother Thomas, niece Mary Evans and two servants. Phillip Sr. died 15th December 1866; he was 92. His executors were two fellow farmers, William Phelps and Isaac Harris. Shortly before his death Phillip had been invited to lay a stone for the new British school in St Brides. At 92 he was the oldest inhabitant of the parish.
The 1871 census recorded Greenmoor at 95 acres, Phillip and Mary were living at the farm with their eight children. Eldest son Phillip was working full time on the farm and preparing to follow the traditional Phillips succession plan. Phillip and Mary were believers in the power of education and all of the children received an excellent education at the local board school.
The success achieved by the children give testament to the upbringings they received at Greenmoor. Phillip, David, and Rees all became landowning farmers, John went on to be a successful farmer and significant public figure and Thomas a notable architect. Anne married a successful grocer and raised a family in Newport, and finally, Anne spent time running a substantial farm with her husband.
In the 1870’s Phillip looked to build on the success of Greenmoor. He added 25 acres of land to the property making it 120 acres, of which 100 acres were saltmarsh, the farmhouse was recoded as having 11 bedrooms. Phillip was still running the farm on the 1881 census, he was 69 and Mary 56, they had been joined by Phillip’s brother Thomas who had retired to Greenmoor. Six of the children were still living at home along with one domestic servant.
Phillip died at Greenmoor on the 4th September 1884 and was laid to rest at the local church. He left a substantial estate and listed his executors as his wife Mary, and two of his sons, Phillip and John. Following his death his sons rallied around and helped their mother and eldest brother Phillip manage the farm, until Phillip was ready to take over.
Mary died in September 1899 at the age of 74 and joined her husband at St Bridget’s Church. Her obituary noted that she had spent more than 50 years in St Brides and was held in high esteem by all who knew her. Newspaper reports show that Mary was an important part of local life and was involved in many local groups and occasions.
In the years that followed many other members of the family were buried at the church and it has become a key location for people researching their Phillips ancestors.