George Phillips (Watertown)

George Phillips
Bornc. 1593
DiedJuly 1, 1644
EducationGonville and Caius College, Cambridge (BA, MA)
Signature

George Phillips (c. 1593 – July 1, 1644) was an English-born Puritan minister who led, along with Richard Saltonstall, a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1630.

A Puritan who was part of the Great Migration from England to New England, Phillips was a contemporary of, and often shared differing views with, John Winthrop. He established the first Congregational Church in Watertown and was one of the early influencers of the Congregational Church in North America. His descendants number in the thousands and are well represented in American history in the clergy, local and national politics, business, and social justice arenas.