Laurence Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford (24 January 1874 – 7 December 1962), was a British peer. He was a founder and chairman of the shipping company Court Line. Philipps was the sixth son of Reverend Sir James Erasmus Philipps, 12th Baronet of Picton, and his wife, Mary Margaret (née Best).

John Philipps, 1st Viscount St Davids John Wynford Philipps, 1st Viscount St Davids , (30 May 1860 – 28 March 1938) was a British Liberal politician. Background and education Philipps was the eldest son of Reverend Sir James Erasmus Philipps, 12th Baronet, Vicar of Warminst ...

, and

Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant Owen Cosby Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant (25 March 1863 – 5 June 1937) was a British businessman and politician, jailed in 1931 for producing a document with intent to deceive. Background Philipps was the third of five sons of the Reverend Sir J ...

, were his elder brothers.

Public life

In Hampshire in 1910 he became a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and for 1915 was high sheriff. In 1918, he became a Justice of the Peace for

Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...

. Philipps was Governor of the

University College of Wales , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

and Founder of the Paraplegic Hospital in Wales. He was created a Baronet, of Llanstephan in the County of Radnor, in 1919 and in 1939 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Milford, of Llanstephan in the County of Radnor. The barony was a revival of the two extinct baronies of Milford, created in 1776 and in 1847, held by earlier members of the Philipps family. In 1919 he offered a prize of £1,000 for the British airman to fly the Atlantic, this was awarded to John Alcock following his Transatlatic Flight.

Horse racing

As a racehorse owner and stud owner, Philipps was a member of the

Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...

, he also founded Tote Investors which was later acquired by the Horse Race Totalisator Board and then nationalised in 1939 as

The Tote The Tote is a British gambling company which is the largest pool betting operator in the United Kingdom. Headquartered in Wigan, England, its main products are sports betting and online casino. Founded in 1928, the company was owned by the U ...

Family life

Lord Milford married Ethel Georgina, daughter of Reverend Benjamin Speke, in 1901. He died in December 1962, aged 88, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son

Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 until 1992, presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...

. Lady Milford died in 1971.

Arms

Sources

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, *
"Philipps, Laurence Richard, 1st. Baron Milford and 1st baronet," ''Welsh Biography Online''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milford, Laurence Philipps, 1st Baron 1874 births 1962 deaths Philipps, Laurence High Sheriffs of Hampshire English justices of the peace Welsh justices of the peace Barons created by George VI