I have just seen this extensive and very helpful thread of posts. My interest is that Mordecai Phillips (Catherine's brother) was my 4x great grandfather and I started researching this particular bit of my family quite recently. I am descended from Mordecai's third daughter, Sarah Phillips, and can provide more details on that line if anybody is interested. I have also transcribed Mordecai's will of 1847 and his father's of 1815 (he died in 1816 but wrote the will the previous year) so would be happy to share those as well.
When I study this thread in detail I may have more queries but for now I have four questions:
(1) In his will, Solomon Phillips does not mention his daughter Abigail but does mention his son-in-law Leib and his wife Haya. Should I associate Haya with Abigail? And was Leib an alternative name for her husband Jacob Mosely?
(2) Why was there such a strong connection between the Phillips family in London, who were closely connected with the Hambro Synagogue, and Swansea? In the early 19th Century, and before the railways, surely transport connections between the two places were really quite difficult so there is much more than chance involved here?
(3) In his will, Solomon Phillips leaves his ring to Hendelah the daughter of Mordecai. By the date of this will, Mordecai had four daughters. Which one was Hendelah? Is Henrietta, who was the eldest, the most likely?
(4) Mordecai's brother, Joseph, (a warden of the Hambro Synagogue in London) married his niece, Charlotte Mosely of Swansea. This is the only avunculate marriage that I am aware of in my family. I know that they were allowed in the Jewish community and Joseph and Charlotte were completely open about it. In practice how common were they?
