Joseph, the first in a line of 4 Josephs, was baptized 28 Aug 1640 in Reading, Berkshire, England. One source states that he is the first Phipps of this line to arrive in America about 1682 (judging from the birth of his last child, John, who was born ca 1684 in Pennsylvania.) But another source pinpoints his arrival a little more closely by stating that he came to America with William Penn as a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) aboard the ship "Welcome" and settled in Pennsylvania. William Penn arrived at Chester, Oct. 29, 1682, but there is no record of Joseph Phipps being aboard the ship. The first assembly met in Philadelphia March 12, 1683. Joseph was a delegate from Delaware Co., at this first assembly.

"In the year 1682, Joseph and Sarah Phipps came from England and settled in Delaware Co, PA, and he was a member from that County in the first Assembly at Philadelphia in 1683. Shortly afterwards he moved to Montgomery Co, Pa and lived at Abington, where he was a member of the Society of Friends of Abington Meeting. He died in the year 1715, aged 102 and four months, in the County of Chester, PA, after having been previously stricken with paralysis several years before his death.
"It is supposed that he came from England in the ship 'Welcome' with William Penn, which ship left Deal, England, August 30, 1682, with about 100 passengers, nearly all Friends, and mostly from Sussex. They arrived before New Castle, DE, Oct 27 1682 and landed at Uplands, (later Chester, PA) October 29, 1682.
"In the records of Chester Co, PA, October 6, 1683 at a meeting held at the house of Christopher Taylor, Burlington, NJ 'Joseph Phipps, late of the town of Reading, Berks co, England, Tallow Candler,' was appointed on a committee" [From The Ancestry of Isaac N Phipps of Indianapolis, IN, compiled by Joseph B Phipps, Baltimore, MD, 1901.]
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He made a will dated 1 Feb 1709; proved 13 Oct 1716

The following transcription, made by Mrs Tommie Phipps (deceased 1992), is not quite accurate, but sufficient for inclusion here, with the ** note.

Will of Joseph Phipps, 1709, Chester Co. PA (Book D, page 79, Philadelphia)

I Joseph Phipps of the Township of Abington in ye County of Philadelphia, yeoman, being in good health and of a sound and perfect memory, Calling to Remembrance the uncertain State of this Transitory Life and that all flesh must yield unto death when it do Please God to Call, Do make, Constitute, Ordain and Declare this my Last Will and Testament in manner following, Revoking and Annulling by these presents all and every Testament Testaments Will and Wills heretofore made and Declared either by Word or Writing and this is to be taken only for my last Will and Testament and none other---- for Settling of my Temporal Estate and Such Goods, Chattels and Debts as it hath Pleased God to bestow upon me, I do order Give and Dispose ye same in manner and form following...
I Will...all those Debts [that] I owe...shall be...Paid...within convenient time after my Decease ....
Imprimis: I... Bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah Phipps my best feather Bed with all my best furniture belonging unto it both Wooling and lining, also...three of my best Silver Spoons, One Warming Pan, One Pot and Pot hooks, one Kettle, two Pewter Dishes, two Pewter Porringers, Six Plates, One Table Board, two Chairs, one looking Glass, two of my best Cows and two of my Sheep... also Ten Pounds a Year during her Natural Life, to be paid out of my Plantation...; That is to say fifty Shillings a Quarter in Currant Money of Pennsylvania. my will is that my said Wife shall have the Use of two Rooms of my House, which she shall like best during her Life. two Cows and two Sheep...and fodder them therewith... [The Executor must also] provide and bring firewood to ye Door for my said Wife to Burn during her Life and that my said Executor shall let [her] have the use of a Horse...and let her have ye Use of any mor [Household Goods]...
I... Bequeath unto my son Joseph Phipps Six Shillings of lawful Money of Pennsylvania.**
I Bequeath unto my son John Phipps my Plantation in ye Township of Abington, containing about One hundred and Seventy four Acres of Land, be it more or less, with all the Buildings and Improvements thereon ....
All ye Rest of my Chattels and Goods...I ...Bequeath until my son John Phipps, whom I make...my Executor, and hereby I do Nominate and appoint my Loving friends Samuel Cart & Thomas Canby of ye Township of Abington Overseers of this my Last Will and Testament Desiring them to See this my Last Will Performed.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto put my Hand and Seal this first day of the Second Month one thousand Seven hundred and nine 1709
Joseph PHIPPS Seal

Signed, Sealed Declared and Published in ye presence of Henry Bennet, Morris Morris, Matthias Tysen, William Powell.

** In the above transcription, son Isaiah is omitted
From an abstract of Joseph's 1709 will, he left son Joseph, six shillings, son Isaiah, six shillings, and son John, plantation. These 3 sons were the only children listed in will. There were other children who may have been provided for outside of the will.
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Joseph Phipps, an English Quaker tallow-chandler who underwent repeated imprisonment for his faith, immigrated to Pennsylvania where he lived for over 30 years; he accumulated a substantial land estate but was relatively inactive politically.

Born in 1640 in Reading, Berkshire, England, Phipps had become a Quaker by January 1661, when he was imprisoned for refusing to swear the oath of allegience. He was imprisoned at least six more times between June 1662 and July 1666 for attending illegal religious meetings; although sentenced in July 1666 to be transported to the colonies, Phipps remained in jail until released by royal pardon in 1672. His wife, Sarah Phipps, having been imprisoned in 1671, was also released at that time.
Phipps suffered his final incarceration from October 1675 to February 1676, again for refusing to swear the oath of allegiance. A member of Reading Monthly Meeting, Phipps attended at least 21 sessions between 1669 and 1682; in 1680 he signed a certificate against the behavior of Thomas Curtis, who lead a separatist movement from the monthly meeting. Presumably tired of the constant harassment, Phipps immigrated with his family to Chester County, Pennsylvania, apparently in
1682, for he represented that county in the 1683 Assembly, where he served on a committee to determine fines on members absent for entire sessions. He also served on a trial jury at Chester County court in June 1683 and on a grand jury at Philadelphia County court on March 1686, although he was fined in June 1686 for absenting himself from a trial jury. Aside from two brief stints as a tax collector, Phipps does not appear to have engaged in further public service. Phipps
apparently had rights through several purchases to at least 1500 acres in Pennsylvania, which were located in Concord and Upper Providence townships, Chester County, and in the area of Cheltenham and Abington townships, Philadelphia County. He also owned two Philadelphia city lots, along Front and Third streets between Mulberry and Sassafras streets; he resided on the Front
Street lot until April 1693, when he moved to Abington. Phipps sold his other Philadelphia city lot in 1695, the year in which his home and outbuildings at Abington burned down, prompting Philadelphia Monthly Meeting to subscribe almost (L-symbol)23 for his assistance. In 1690 Phipps had also sold 400 acres in Kent County that he had acquired three years earlier from William Berry. Although Sarah Phipps became a Quaker minister after 1700, her husband does not appear to have been
particularly active among Friends. A member of Abington Monthly Meeting after 1694, Phipps was one of the two Friends called upon in 1698 to inspect the behavior at Cheltenham Friends' youth meetings and was one of five Friends appointed in 1700 to inspect the accounts of the building of Abington meetinghouse.