Ann Engs

Portrait of Anne Engs

Anne’s paternal Great Grandfather Madet Engs, left Marlborough in 1635 with his wife Joan.

The image shown here is of Ann Engs who married John Phillips. It is not known whether this portrait is still held by Phillips family descendents in 2010. We received a photograph of this print from the Lake family of Vancouver. This photograph has been widely shared and I recently saw another copy in Montreal at the home of Ainsley Stephen, a descendant of John and Ann Phillips. The Moore family of Ann's daugher Grizey Moore had shared letters  (see page at right for John and Ann's children.) telling of the discovery of matching portraits of Ann and her sister Avis Engs by Anne Phillips Payson's family.

Anne’s maternal Great Grandparents Nathaniel Beal and wife Martha were born in England. (See separate page Ann Engs family and Ancestors) Nathaniel was the son of John and Nazarath Beal of Norfolk, England. John Beal and family arrived on the Diligent in 1638. (Click here to find a book about his father, John Beal.) Nathaniel's family is mentioned on page 3, where the marriage of daughter Mary is listed. Samuel Engs (Anne's grandfather) married Mary Beal of Hingham Massachusetts.

Anne Engs Pedigree (click on image to enlarge then ctrl click + to make even larger)

Samuel and Mary Engs son, William Engs married Anne Adams of Boston. William Engs and Anne Adams had six children, Anne (our ancestor), Jane, Avis,William,Samuel and Madet. The Engs continued the fashion of naming children after their parents and grandparents. Below is an image showing births in Boston in1715. Annes birth is listed above the red dotted line.

Birth Notice for Anne Inggs (engs)

Note the family name has been transposed here as Inggs. Our family in NZ had always referred to Anne as Anne Inge, others spelt the name Enge. It seems that spelling of the name has changed over the last 400 years and appears more commonly now as Engs.

Anne married John Phillips at Kings Chapel in Boston. (more about that in John Phillips post) She gave birth to 16 children  between 1735-1959. Click on image for larger view of chart.

John and Anne Phillips 15 Children born between 1735 -1759 

1. 
   
   John I: 1735 - 1736
2. 
   
   John II :1736 - 1794 married Rachel Levy (Our Ancestors)
3. 
   
   Daniel I: 1737
4. 
   
   Anne: 1739 marries Thomas Payson
5. 
   
   Avis: 1740 marries Jedediah Preble
6. 
   
   Daniel II: 1741
7. 
   
   Thomas: 1743
8. 
   
   Penelope: 1745 marries Jacob Rowe
9. 
   
   Elizabeth: 1747
10. 
    
    Sarah I: 1748 dies before 1757
11. 
    
    Grizey: 1749 marries Stephen Moore
12. 
    
    Mary: 1750 marries Hugh Finlay
13. 
    
    Jane: 1751 marries Thomas Scott
14. 
    
    Samuel: 1756
15. 
    
    Sarah II: 1758
16. 
    
    William: 1759 had a Command in Army in Canada 1776

In 2010 I contacted Ann's brother William Engs descendants who have a registered family tree at Ancestry.com. When I get a response I will bring you more of this family later.

Map of Plymouth Rock and Boston Area. Hingham is closer to Boston than Plymouth.

In 2008 my husband and I visited Hingham, where the Beals, Adams and Engs (Inggs) lived, just south of Boston down the coast and just north of Plymouth Rock. Hingham is a charming old  fishing village with wooden houses dating back to the 1700's like the red one pictured blow that housed the restaurant where we lunched on creamy New England chowder and local fish and chips!

Hingham village, Red house built in 1723

A visit to the recreated Pilgrim village and the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock makes us realise what these pioneers went through to get away from the taxes and religious strife in England of the 1600's. Cramped tiny ships brought these Pilgrim settlers to New England. The image below is of the reconstructed Mayflower at Plymouth Rock. Tough raw conditions met them after their journey from England. Privations for women must have been shocking after the relative comfort of 17th century England. Stories of Indian raids, families slain and women and children stolen by Indian raiding parties are common in these areas in the 1600's. We've all seen these times recreated in movies, but doing this research makes me realise that our own people lived through that kind of threat. The ocean is integral in this area of the east coast. Seafood is fabulous. Heavily wooded land, rocky bays, coves, and marshy inlets range along the coastline. Today lovely houses cluster along the coast line, many are holiday homes for wealthy Boston families and long time landowners.

Situations improved rapidly in the eighteenth century and well-to-do families in Boston would have enjoyed a comfortable life if it weren't for the constant threat of war. There is mention that wife Grizey Phillips had been quite a socialite so it seems the Phillips family went about in good society in Boston. Anne's portrait attests to a certain quality and refinement of status too.

The Mayflower replica.