2nd Child of George Burgess (1829-1905) and His 2nd Wife Eliza Knight (1844-1878)

2nd Child - Catherine Middleton Burgess (1872)

Catherine Middleton BURGESS was born on 4th June 1872 and named after Mrs. Catherine Margaret Middleton, a dear old friend of George Burgess from New York.

Catherine married George Sydney Owen Phillips in Bristol on 26th December 1896. I understand (from my side of the family) that they moved to the 'Bristol’ Guest House in Paignton, Devon (to be confirmed). However, I’ve had contact from the Phillips side of the family and they confirm that George and Catherine had a son, William Norman St Clare Phillips, born 29th April 1898. 

Their son William Norman St Clare Phillips (aka Norman) loved wine making and used to make wine out of anything including Christmas cake and tea leaves; one speciality being parsnip wine. He also used to go round the garden pulling heads off flowers for wine making, much to his wife's annoyance! [I would have loved to have met him as I love making wine and one of my specialities is tea wine, from tea bags – AR].

Norman (William Norman St Clare Phillips) married Edith Winifred Tidcombe (aka Winnie) in Leicester, England on 11th October 1928; and they had a son, David St Clare Phillips, born 12th February 1930, but unfortunately he died of Polio when he was only 30 in Paignton, England 1950.

Memories Past by Maggie Silver (granddaughter of Winnie’s sister):-

“Christmas at Grandma's (Winnie's sister)  we'd all be in the lounge, and through the French windows would come Father Christmas with a sack of presents, insisting that we couldn't go and see the reindeer which were by the greenhouse!  As children we never twigged that Father Christmas was Norman.

Norman and Winnie had a house in Dartmouth Road, Goodrington, Paignton.  In later years the house was converted into 2 flats and they occupied the top half with lovely views of the sea. Many years after Norman had died we found a stash of his home made wine left to mature in the garage; it had aged beautifully and was VERY good.”
 
Norman’s wife, Winnie (Edith Winifred Tidcombe) was born 3 April 1901, in Alwalton House, New Station Road, on the corner of Coronation Avenue, Bristol.  My Grandma and her brother Arthur had been shipped off to stay with their grandparents, Phoebe's parents, Thomas Austin Smith and Phoebe Maria Smith nee Milsom while big sister Margaret stayed at home to help her mother. Thomas Austin Smith was schoolmaster in Backwell.

Winnie's paternal grandfather George Tidcombe born Bristol, schoolmaster at Wraxall married Emma Vine, also from Bristol.

Information and photos for the Phillips family kindly provided by Maggie Silver.

The Phillips Family Bible

Transcript from the Phillips Family Bible

• William Evans PHILLIPS born at Monkton in the Town and County of Pembroke on the 16th day of May 1843.

• Jane PHILLIPS born at Rose Valley in the Town and County aforesaid on the 24th day of June 1845. Married in Bristol on the 28th day of May 1868.

• George Sydney Owen PHILLIPS, second son of above married December 26th 1896 to Catherine Middleton BURGESS at Whitfield Memorial Church, Ashley Road, Bristol.

• William Norman St Clare PHILIIPS married 11th October 1928 to Edith Winifred TIDCOMBE at St Peters, Leicester.

• Thomas Henry PHILLIPS born 4th July 1869.

• George Sydney Owen PHILLIPS born 5th May 1872.

• William Evans PHILLIPS born 4th December 1874.

• William George WHITE born at 6.47 on Thursday morning December 20th 1888.

• William Norman St Clare PHILLIPS, son of G.S. O. & C. M. PHILLIPS born April 29th 1898.

• David St Clare PHILLIPS born "La Casita" Paignton, 12th Feb. 1930.

• William Evans PHILLIPS died 6th December 1874 aged 2 days.

• Jane PHILLIPS died 28th February 1875 aged 29 years.

• Thomas Henry PHILLIPS died the 4th May 1875 aged 5 years and 10 months.

• William Evans PHILLIPS died 14th October 1877 aged 34 years.

• Elizabeth Jane HAWKE died 7th May 1886 aged 34 years.

Additional Notes:-

Family tree shows William Evans PHILLIPS married to Elizabeth Jane HAWKE.
They had three sons - Thomas Henry, William Evan and George Sydney Owen who married Catherine Middleton BURGESS.

George Sydney Owen Phillips and Catherine Middleton Burgess had one son, William Norman St Clare PHILLIPS (aka Norman) who married Edith Winifred TIDCOMBE. In the Second World War Norman was involved in observation activities. The family have recollections that his records were passed to a military museum in the Paignton/Devon area. Norman & Edith had one son, David St Clare PHILLIPS who it is believe did National Service; regrettably in 1950 he died at the young age of just 20 from polio.