Jonas Phillips Papers
Item
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Country
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US
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Language of name of institution
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eng
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Contact information: postal address
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3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
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Contact information: phone number
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01 513 487 3000
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Reference number
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MS-382
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Type of reference number
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Archival reference number
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Title (official language of the state)
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Jonas Phillips Papers
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Language of title
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eng
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Creator / accumulator
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Jonas Phillips
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Date(s)
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1759/1827
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Language(s)
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eng
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Extent
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1 box
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Type of material
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Textual Material
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Physical condition
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Good
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Scope and content
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The Jonas Phillips Papers collection comprises photocopies of documentation related to this German Jewish merchant who moved to North America in 1756. It is composed of receipt books from 1759-1765, 1767-1774 (folder 1), 1775-1781 (folder 2) and 1781-1789 (folder 3), miscellaneous correspondence and documents (folders 4 and 5) and a receipt book belonging to his widow Rebecca Machado Phillips, dating from 1803-1827 (folder 6). Rebecca Machado Phillips (1746–1831) was the eldest daughter of Zipporah Machado (alias Maria Caetana Nunes Ribeiro) and David Mendes Machado, and granddaughter of Dr Samuel Nunes Ribeiro (alias Diogo Nunes Ribeiro), all former conversos who moved from Portugal to London and later, in 1733, to Savannah, Georgia. This collection also includes a certificate by Moses Lindo on July 13, 1773, attesting to Jonas Phillips's good reputation and behaviour (folder 5), published by N. Taylor Phillips (1894). Phillips had arrived in North America as an indentured servant of Lindo and worked at Lindo's service in Charleston, South Carolina, for a few years.
The major highlight of this collection is probably a copy of the petition addressed by Jonas Phillips to President George Washington on September 7, 1787, requesting the removal of the religious oath.
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Archival history
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This collection was received by the American Jewish Archives from Mrs Arthur Sultan, Woodmere, New York, in 1965.
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Administrative / Biographical history
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Jonas Phillips was born in 1736, the son of Aaron Phillips. He emigrated from Hesse to London and, in 1756, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, on board the ship Charming Nancy as an indentured servant of Moses Lindo. Later, Phillips moved to Albany and, shortly afterwards, to New York. There, he engaged in mercantile pursuits. In 1762, Phillips married Rebecca Mendes Machado. In 1769, he became a freeman in New York.
Phillips embraced the patriot cause during the American Revolution and supported the Non-Importation Agreement in 1770.
After the occupation of New York by the British army, Phillips and his family moved to Philadelphia, where he continued in business. He became one of the founders of the Congregation Mickvé Israel in Philadelphia and was its parnas at the consecration of the synagogue in 1782. After the Revolution, Phillips went to New York. However, he soon returned to Philadelphia, where he resided until his death on January 29, 1803. His remains were buried in New York in the cemetery of Congregation Shearith Israel.
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(source: Cyrus Adler et al.. "Phillips". Jewish Encyclopedia)
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System of arrangement
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The records are organised by subject.
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Author of the description
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Carla Vieira, 2022
