• Born: 22 Sep 1825, St. Luke's, London, England ¹
• Christened: 19 Oct 1825, St. Luke, Finsbury, Islington, London, England ¹
• Married (1): 20 Sep 1855, Old Church, St. Pancras, London, England ²
• Married (1): 12 Apr 1866, St. Giles Church, Camberwell, Surrey, England ³
• Died: 24 Feb 1911, Sussex Hotel, Kingsway, Hove, Sussex, England ^{4 5}

  Research Notes:

William son of Richard Phillips of White Cross Street, cordwainer, and Louisa (baptismal record)

--------------------------

At the time of the 1861 England Census William Phillips, aged 33, born in St. Lukes Middlesex, coal & iron merchant, and wife Fanny C Phillips, age 25, born in St. Pancras Middlesex, were living in Forest HIll, Lewisham Kent. Present were children (born in Lewisham): Alice (4) and William P (3 mo), and Fanny's sister Emily Green (28) of St. Pancras, married, miller's wife.

At the time of the 1871 England Census William Phillips, aged 45, born in St. Lukes Middlesex, coal & iron merchant, and [2nd] wife Emily, aged 27, born in West Firle Sussex, were living in Sydenham Rise, St. Giles Camberwell. With them were children (born in Forest Hill Kent) Alice* (14), Charles P* (10), Richard Cobden (4), Ernest Arnold (2) and Millicent Louise (11 m).

* Children of William's first marriage.

In June 1885 William Phillips of 25 Coal-Exchange in the City of London, coal merchant, was granted Administration of the personal estate of his late son William Peel Phillips of Cheam in co. Surrey, classical tutor.

--------------------------

MR. WILLIAM PHILLIPS.

We learn with regret that Mr. William Phillips, late of the London Coal Exchange, died at Hove on Friday, in his 86th year. Mr. Phillips had taken an active part in his time in several public movements, among them the Anti-Corn Law agitation, Italian liberation—as the friend of Mazzini and Garibaldi—Municipal Reform (which led to the establishment of the London County Council), the abolition of compulsory church rates, and the equalisation of the metropolitan poor rate, in which latter cause his principal colleague was Mr. W. Gilbert, father of Mr. W. S. Gilbert, the dramatist. Mr. Phillips was one of the original members of the London County Council, and at one period member of the School Board. Having for some time a residence in Ireland, he threw himself heartily into the Home Rule agitation, and brought out a Home Rule catechism, of which it is said 850,000 copies were sold. For twenty years Mr. Phillips was a contributor to "Punch," and at one of the dinners he met Thackeray, and competed with him in a tour de force, the object of which was to produce a set of humorous verses in the smallest possible time. By Bright Mr. Phillips was introduced to Cobden, and he co-operated with Herbert Spencer and Lord Hobhouse in public matters. Among other things, Mr. Phillips invented a form of the game of "Lotto," of which many thousands were sold in a few years, though it has now fallen into desuetude. His strong mental activity he retained to the end of his long life.

The Daily Telegraph & Courier (London), Tuesday, 28 Feb 1911, p. 7

--------------------------

William Phillips of the Sussex Hotel Kingsway Hove Sussex died 24 February 1911. Probate London 30 March to Richard Cobden Phillips and Ernest Arnold Phillips, company directors. Effects £1643 13s. 10d. ⁵