General Notes

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BIOGRAPHY
LIEUTENANT PHILIP CHALLIS
Philip Watson-Challis was born a bout 1617, and in 1637 he received a house lot at Ipswich, in the Massachusett s Bay Colony, where records show that he was a "planter."  The land comprised of three acres of planting ground at the Reedy Marsh on the South side of the Merrimack River.  In 1640 he moved to Salisbury, where he was one of the "first settlers", being among those who had "lotts and proportions granted by the town of Colchester", now called Salibury, in the land division of 7 September 1639.  His house lot was one acre of upland between the lots of Josiah Cobham and John Hodges, and his meadow lands fell between the lots of John Hodges and John Severance. The next year, John Severance was granted a parcel of salt marsh to make up for his meadow, which was allowed to Philip Challis.    He was a member of the Salisbury Church in 1677, as was his widow as late as 1687.  H is name is listed in most of the early Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts  records.
When Nathaniel Ward was granted his farm of 600 acres near Pantucket , Philip Challis was one of three men chosen to lay the lot lines.  On 25 Jan uary 1644, Philip Challis was ordered by the town to run his fence on the nort hwest side of his house lot.  In an apparent
disagreement over the placement o f the fence, on 21 Febrary 1646 the town ordered that the fence between Samuel Fellows and Philip Challis' house should be set up "in the same place where it was want to stand."
Philip was a man of standing and education, and was one of the men named as freemen of Salisbury in November 1645.  He held offices of
trust in Salisbury, including service as one of the "prudential men," repeatedly from 1646 through 1680 and early became a lieutenant of the military company of Salisbury.  He was on the committee to create the bounds between Salisbury and Hampton on 18 October 1648 and
participated in the division of common lands in 1651.  That year he was the only contra vote when the town decided to divide the Ox
Common.  He drew lots #13 in the Great Swamp, #7 on the River and on 2 March 1662/3 he recieved 40 acres, 50 acres and 200 acres in
Salisbury.  He received more land in 1654, 1658 and later, "children's land" for his son in 1659, and a "township" for one of his sons in
1660.
It is said that P hilip Challis was a well-respected man with an eye for detail.  He was chosen Lieutenant of the foot company of Salisbury
in 1658, but refused the office be cause it was "not properly offered." In the same vein, on 16 May 1667, Challis refuse to sign the return of
a committee appointed to run the bounds for Haverhill because he had not received his pay.
Salisbury decided to set off a portion of its lands and created a "new towne" in 1665.  Philip Challis was one of those who signed the
articles of agreement separating the two towns.  It was originally called "Salisbury Newtowne", but in 1668 it was named "Amesbury." In
June, 1680, he was discharged from the "foot company" of Salisbury and appointed "Leftenant" to the military company of Amesbury.
Although the circumstances of Philip Chalis' death are uncertain, he must have had a foreshadowing of his end, for on 10 March 1680, his
was the first signature on a petition to the General Court regarding the replacement of a military officer for the town of Amesbury.  In
this way he passed the baton to his friend and long-time associate, Sgt. Samuel Foot, who was appointed lieutentant in Challis' place.

LETTER OF PHILIP CHALLIS
Lt. Philip Challis served in the foot company at S alisbury, MA during the Indian troubles.  His observations of the enemy are preserved in
the following letter:
Amesbury: 9: 5mo: 1677
Sr: Be pleased wth these to understand yt yesterday being ye Sabbath. There was 5 Indians seen by Jno Hoyt junr follow one another in a
strait file upon Thomas Hayne's hill & goe into ye bushes & a sixth to follow ye five: