John was the sixth child and second (surviving) son of Thomas Phelps (1678–1735) and Mary ARUNDEL (1685–1727).

Born 18th January 1711, Dursley

Died 16th June 1755, Dursley. Buried in Dursley

Married 31 July 1733 to Elizabeth FOWLER (1708–1791) of Stonehouse

John and Elizabeth had six children

1) John de la Field PHELPS 1734 – 1771 m. Esther GULLY 1730 – 1789 of Castle Precincts, Bristol. They had five children.

2) Elizabeth de la Field PHELPS 1737 – 1809 m. William MOORE 1718 – 1784 of Wotton Under Edge, Glos. They had five children.

3) Thomas PHELPS 1738 – 1742

4) William PHELPS 1739 – 1793 m. Hester BAGSHOT 1739 – 1777 of Bulley, near Churcham, Glos.

5) Ann PHELPS 1744 – 1824 m. William VIZARD 1735 – 1807 of Dursley, Glos. They had ten children

6) Mary de la Field PHELPS 1745 – 1812

John PHELPS had a twin brother named William, who died ten days after their baptism.

The entry in the church registers for the baptism of the twins John and William, is followed (two lines down) of the burial of William. (Interestingly the top line contains the name Ffield. The de la Field name is sometimes spelt Ffield.)

John also had two other brothers and seven sisters, six of whom survived to adulthood and married, while neither of his brothers appears to have married.

Aged just 21, John married Elizabeth FOWLER, four years his senior, whom we have seen described as "heiress of Field and Fowler". Since this was long before the Married Women's Property Act, her inheritance would have passed into her husband's hands, and we see from his Will that John left a large estate.

Their eldest son, named John de la Field (or Delafield), was just a few months short of his twenty-first birthday when his father died. John's Will contains the clause: "And whereas I have for some years as Trustee or Guardian in socage of my Eldest Son, been concerned in the management and receipt of the Rents and Profits of the estates which come to him, under or by virtue of the Will of Edward Field Esquire deceased, …" going on to give instructions about handing over this inheritance when the son turns twenty-one.

Ample provision is made for his widow and other children, and bequests are made to his surviving brother, a cousin Nicholas Neale and two friends.John was a Justice of the Peace in the County of Gloucester.

Of John and Elizabeth's children, John Delafield married Esther Gully and his story continues, as does that of Ann, who married William Vizard. Elizabeth married Captain William Moore and William married Hester Bagshot, while Mary, who did not marry left quite a considerable estate to all her nieces and nephews.

John died aged just 43 and was buried in Dursley, while his wife outlived him by 36 years.