Plymouth County Biographies



Part of the Massachusetts Biographies Project



Lot Phillips

Lot Phillips, box manufacturer of West Hanover, Plymouth Co., Mass, is a well known business man and a descendant of an old Plymouth county family. He was born in the town of Hanson, Feb. 13, 1841.

This Phillips family is descended from John Phillips, Lot Phillips tracing his line through Samuel, Thomas, Blaney, Lot and Ezra.

(I) John Phillips (accepting Pope as authority), of Duxbury, was a volunteer for the Pequot war in 1637; a proprietor, 1640; on the list of those able to bear arms, 1643. He bought Oct. 19, 1639, a house in Duxbury of Robert Mendall, for which annual payments were to be made at Boston. He married (first) at Marshfield, July 6, 1654, Grace Holloway, and (second) March 15, 1666, Faith, widow of Edward Doten. She died Dec. 21, 1675; made will Dec. 12, 1675, giving her estate to her daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Desire. he had one child, Joseph, born last of March, 1655. He made his will Oct. 20, 1691, aged about eighty-nine years; bequeathed to son Samuel and son Benjamin and each of their sons.

(II) Samuel Phillips, of Taunton, perhaps son of the above, married in 1676 Widow Mary Cobb, and their children were: Mehetabel, born in 1676; Samuel, born in 1678; and Thomas.

(III) Thomas Philips, of Marshfield, perhaps son of Samuel (above), married in 1702 Rebecca, daughter of John Blaney, of Charlestown, and their children were: Rebecca, born in 1704 (married Philip Chandler); Thomas, born in 1705; John, born in 1707; Samuel, born in 1709; Blaney, born in 1711; and perhaps Mary (who married Reuben Carver).

(IV) Blaney Phillips, of Duxbury, and Pembroke, Mass., born in 1711, married in 1733 Christian, daughter of Christopher Wadsworth, of Duxbury, and their children were: Samuel, born in 1734; Blaney, born in 1736; Samuel, born in 1734; Blaney, born in 1736; Samuel, born in 1738; Christian, born in 1740 (married (Philip Chandler); Mercy, born in 1744 (married Mark Phillips); Alice, born in 1747 (married David Beal); Seth, born in 1749; Christopher, born in 1753; Lot, born in 1755; and Betty, born in 1757.

(V) Lot Phillips, of Pembroke, born in 1755, married in 1779 Diana, daughter of Rouse Howland, and their children were: Ezra, born in 1779; Mehetabel, born in 1783; Lydia, born in 1786; Sally, born in 1788; Diana, born in 1791; Christian Wadsworth, born in 1793; and Blaney, born in 1797.

(VI) Ezra Phillips, of Hanson, Mass., son of Lot and Diana (Howland) Phillips, born Oct 2, 1779, in the town of Hanson, there grew to manhood. He owned a tract of land in that town and followed farming, making his home there throughout life. He lived to a ripe old age, dying July 6, 1857; he was buried in Hanson. He was a man well known and respected, a good citizen in every way. He married (first) in 1808 Mehetabel, daughter of Joseph, Allen, of Bridgewater, Mass., and two children were born to that union: Ezra, born Oct. 10, 1810, and Mehetabel, born in 181, who married Charles Beal and resided in Turner, Maine. Mr. Phillips married for his second wife, in 1814, Lucy, daughter of Josiah Chamberlain, and they had three children: a son, born in 1815, who died in infancy, un-named; Lucy Pratt, born in 1821; and George, born in 1824. For his third wife Mr. Phillips married, in 1833, Nabby Pratt, widow of Jonathan Pratt, and daughter of Mark Phillips, of East Bridgewater. She died May 6, 1863, at her home in Hanson, leaving one son, Lot, who was born Feb. 13, 1841.

(VII) Lot Phillips, son of Ezra and Nabby (Phillips) Phillips, was born in Hanson, Mass., and until twenty-two years of age remained on the home place attending the public schools and working on the farm. Of a mechanical turn of mind, and with a taste in that direction, he learned the trade of millwright, becoming proficient in that occupation, at which he continued until 1871. Feeling now like doing business on his own account, he became associated with E.Y. Perry & Co., of South Hanover, this firm being composed of E.Y. Pery and Mr. Phillips's half brother, Ezra Phillips, who built for him a plant for the manufacture of wooden boxes and the grinding of grain, their location being in West Hanover, Mass.; the business was conducted under the firm style of Lot Phillips & Co., Mr. Phillips being given a half interest in the business which he was to pay for out of the profits of the business. When Mr. Phillips began business in West Hanover it was a mere hamlet. But owing to the extensive business this concern has brought to the place the point has become one of th busiest sections of the town; and all this through the efforts of enterprise and public spirit of Lot Phillips & Co., for they have been wide-awake, industrious and progressive men. The mill business still continues to be the principal industry there and the employees reside in comfortable homes in the immediate vicinity, erected principally through Mr. Phillips's energy.

Mr. Phillips started in business in a modest way and by his own sheer pluck and good business methods has increased the capacity of the original plant many times, until it is now one of the largest box mills in this part of Massachusetts. In addition to the mill and box business at West Hanover he has acquired by purchase a number of other smaller mills in Hanover and surrounding towns, including the old Alahab mill, at West Hanover, and others, in West Duxbury, East Pembroke, and elsewhere. In 1904 the business was incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts, with the following officers: Lot Phillips, president; Fred Phillips, secretary; J.W. Hinkley, treasurer.

As required in his business, Mr. Phillips deals quite extensively in real estate. He is an experienced woodman and knows that branch of the business thoroughly. He superintends personally the cutting of lumber on his woodland, and in storm and sunshine makes his regular trips to the woods all through the towns in the vicinity of Hanover and elsewhere. He conducts his business in an up-to-date and modern manner. He is ever looking for new improvements and few in business are more progressive than he. His success in business is due to this careful and open in all his business dealings and his work is as good as his bond. He has in his employ in the neighborhood of eighty to one hundred hands and this number is greater at certain seasons of the year.

Mr. Phillips has become one of the most prominent men in Hanover. He is always interested in anything for the benefit of the town of his adoption and can be relied upon to be upon the right side of the question. His business judgment is often sought by people in other lines of industry. He takes much interest in town meetings, and it is rarely indeed that he misses a meeting.

Mr. Phillps has served as a member of the cemetery committee in Hanover for several years and it is largely through his efforts that the cemetery at Center Hanover has become one of the handsomest in this section. He is a member of the Rockland Commercial Club and has served on many important committees, having served on the executive committee for the past several years. He attends the First Congregational Church at Center Hanover, is a member of the parish and has acted as treasurer of the parish for many years. He is a director of the Abington & Rockland Electric Light & Power Company, and a director and vice president of the Rockland Trust Company, of Rockland, of which he was one of the incorporators.

Mr. Phillips is a stanch Republican, and while he has never held any office he has served as a member of the Republican town committee and was for some time an officer of the Plymouth county Republican Club, doing much to bring that organization to the front as one of the political powers of the State. He has traveled extensively through this country and has a wide acquaintance among public men. His friends and fellow citizens, believing the people of the district were in want of a business man to represent them in the General Court of Massachusetts, and believing him to be just such a man as wanted, urged him, in 1906, to become a candidate for representative of the Rockland, Hanover and Hanson district at the party caucus held in September of that year, and, yielding to their wishes, his name was there presented; he was defeated by but three votes.

On March 6, 1862, Mr. Phillips married Sarah E. Barker, who was born in Livermore, Maine, May 26, 1842, daughter of Lot P. and Elizabeth (Soper) Barker, of Hanson, Mass. To this union were born children as follows: (1) George W., born Feb. 9, 1864, died Oct. 13, 1889. He married June 28, 1888, Edith E. Wheeler, who was born July 9, 1868, daughter of L.F. Wheeler, of Rockland, Mass., and they had one child, George W. Jr., born Nov. 13, 1889. (2) Mabel G., born Dec. 11, 1866, married Edwin T. Whiting. (3) Fred W., born Jan. 10, 1870, married Aug. 18, 1896, Jane F. Drew, daughter of Thomas Drew, and they have had three children: Elizabeth, born June 26, 1897; Evalina D., July 24, 1900; and Lot (2), Sept. 11, 1903. (4) Flora E., born Nov. 20, 1871, married Frank S. Alger, editor of the Rockland Standard. (5) Ezra Burt, born Oct. 18, 1873, married Dec. 23, 1894, Mabel F. Turner, daughter of Walter F. Turner, and they have had two children, Reta L., born July 7, 1900, and Ezra W., born March 6, 1906. (6) Lee, born April 8, 1879, married April 19, 1906, Elizabeth W. Curtis, daughter of Albert J. Curtis, and they have two children: Elizabeth, born May 11, 1907; and Hannah Curis, born Jan. 27, 1909. (7) Hugh, born Feb. 1, 1882, resides at home. The mother of this family passed away in Hanover, Mass., Jan. 9, 1907.

Source:
Representative men and old families of southeastern Massachusetts: containing historical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families, Vol. 2. Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1912. p. 928-930



Home