Thomas Phillips (mayor)
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Sir Thomas Phillips (1801 – 10 September 1843) was a Welsh lawyer, politician and businessman, who was
Mayor of Newport The mayor of Newport (full style The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City of Newport) is the civic figurehead and first citizen of the city of Newport, Wales. Background The first mayor is recorded as Ralph Dery, who took up office in 1314. Th ...
in
Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
at the time of the
Newport Rising The Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rising in Wales, by Chartists whose demands included democracy and the right to vote with a secret ballot. On Monday 4 November 1839, approximately 4,000 Chartist sympathisers, under the lead ...
in 1839. He was also a prominent defender of Welsh language and education.


Life

The eldest son of Thomas Phillips of Llanellen House,
Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...
,
Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
, by Ann, eldest daughter of Benjamin James of
Llangattock Llangattock ( cy, Llangatwg) is a village, community and electoral ward in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, Wales. It lies in the Usk Valley just across the river from the town of Crickhowell. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal passe ...
,
Crickhowell Crickhowell (; cy, Crucywel , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. Location The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge ...
,
Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...
, was born at
Llanelly Llanelly ( cy, Llanelli) is the name of a parish and coterminous community in the principal area of Monmouthshire, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, south-east Wales. It roughly covers the area of the Clydach Gorge. The popula ...
in 1801. The family later moved to Trosnant, near
Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...
.Morgan, John (1892)
Four Biographical Sketches: Bishop Ollivant, Bishop Thirlwall, Rev. Griffith Jones, and Sir Thomas Phillips, Q.C. with A Chapter on 'The Church of Wales'.
' Project Canterbury. Retrieved: 12 August 2019.
He was
articled Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
to Newport solicitor Thomas Prothero, and was noted as a legal advisor to Sir Charles Morgan, MP for
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
and the County of Monmouth, in 1820. On 9 November 1838 Phillips was elected
Mayor of Newport The mayor of Newport (full style The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City of Newport) is the civic figurehead and first citizen of the city of Newport, Wales. Background The first mayor is recorded as Ralph Dery, who took up office in 1314. Th ...
, and became a figure of the
Newport Rising The Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rising in Wales, by Chartists whose demands included democracy and the right to vote with a secret ballot. On Monday 4 November 1839, approximately 4,000 Chartist sympathisers, under the lead ...
. On 4 November 1839, he was in charge of the town when John Frost, at the head of 7,000
Chartists Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement, w ...
, entered it with the intention of releasing
Henry Vincent Henry Vincent (10 May 1813 – 29 December 1878) was active in the formation of early Working Men's Associations in Britain, a popular Chartist leader, brilliant and gifted public orator, prospective but ultimately unsuccessful Victorian membe ...
from gaol. A 30-strong company of the
45th Regiment of Foot The 45th (Nottinghamshire) (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment, raised in 1741. The regiment saw action during Father Le Loutre's War, the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War as w ...
was placed at his disposal, and took up station in the Westgate Inn. When the hotel was attacked, Phillips was wounded with bullets in the arm and groin. The soldiers then fired on the crowd, which was completely routed, 22 being killed and about 50 wounded. Latterly Phillips was present at the arrest of John Frost and gave evidence at his subsequent trial in Monmouth. On 9 December Phillips was knighted to mark his "individual exertions in maintaining her majesty's authority". On 26 February 1840 he was voted the
Freedom of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...
, and admitted on 7 April. Phillips continued to warn about Chartist activity in south Wales in 1842. Phillips was
called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...
at the
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...
on 10 June 1842. Shortly afterwards he set off on a tour of parts of Europe and the Middle East. He wanted to take a draughtsman, and on the recommendation of
David Roberts David or Dave Roberts may refer to: Arts and literature * David Roberts (painter) (1796–1864), Scottish painter * David Roberts (art collector), Scottish contemporary art collector * David Roberts (novelist), English editor and mystery writer ...
employed
Richard Dadd Richard Dadd (1 August 1817 – 7 January 1886) was an English painter of the Victorian era, noted for his depictions of fairies and other supernatural subjects, Orientalist scenes, and enigmatic genre scenes, rendered with obsessively minuscul ...
; Roberts knew Dadd's father. The journey, via Venice, Greece and Egypt, saw Dadd suffer a breakdown, and he returned to England, leaving Phillips in Paris, in May 1843. Suffering from mental illness, Dadd subsequently stabbed his father to death, and was confined to
Bethlem Hospital Bethlem Royal Hospital, also known as St Mary Bethlehem, Bethlehem Hospital and Bedlam, is a psychiatric hospital in London. Its famous history has inspired several horror books, films and TV series, most notably '' Bedlam'', a 1946 film with ...
as insane. Phillips was named a
Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...
on 17 February, and a bencher of his inn on 5 May 1865. His principal practice lay in parliamentary committees, and many lawsuits were referred to him for arbitration. In Monmouthshire he acquired coal-mines, and became a large landed proprietor in Wales. Phillips played a major part in the success of
Brecon College Brecon Congregational Memorial College was a Congregational college in Brecon, Powys, Mid Wales. The college graduated ministers and missionaries who were posted to Africa and India. There were classes in biblical literature, chemistry, classic ...
. He was an active member of the governing bodies of
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...
, and the Church Institution, and president of the council of the
Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
. In 1848 he became a member of the National Society, and devoted time and labour to the work of national education. While living simply, he gave large sums to charities. At Court-y-bella, near Newport, he built and maintained schools for the education of the colliers.


Death and decendants

After addressing a committee of the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
in 1867, Phillips was struck with paralysis and died five days later, on 26 May, at his London home, 77 Gloucester Place,
Portman Square Portman Square is a garden square in Marylebone, central London, surrounded by elegant townhouses. It was specifically for private housing let on long leases having a ground rent by the Portman Estate, which owns the private communal gardens. ...
. He was buried in the churchyard of St Helen's church at
Llanellen Llanellen ( cy, Llanelen) is a village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is located south of Abergavenny. The population was 506 in 2011. Geography The Blorenge mountain towers above the village. The River Usk passes close ...
, Monmouthshire. He was unmarried, and his fortune was inherited by his sister's son,
Thomas Phillips Price Thomas Phillips Price (14 June 1844 – 28 June 1932) was a Welsh landowner, mine owner and Liberal politician. Price was the son of the Reverend Canon William Price, vicar of Llanarth. He was educated at Highgate School from 1854 until Decemb ...
, who later became MP for North Monmouthshire between 1885 and 1895. During an episode of the British TV series Who Do You Think you are? Phillips was revealed to be the 4th grandfather of British comedian,
Jack Whitehall Jack Peter Benedict Whitehall (born 7 July 1988) is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. He is known for starring as JP in the series ''Fresh Meat (TV series), Fresh Meat'' (2011–2016) and Alfie Wickers in the series ''Bad Educat ...
through his father
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
. The episode heavily focused on the events of the Newport Rising and his relationship with John Frost.


Works

Phillips was known also as a writer on Welsh education and
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
, and a champion of the Welsh church, particularly in ''Wales, the Language, Social Condition, Moral Character, and Religious Opinions of the People, considered in their relation to Education, with some account of the provision made for education in other parts of the kingdom'' (1849). This work defended the Welsh people and language against the 1847 " Blue Books" - the Reports of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the state of education in Wales. Authors
Lingen Lingen (), officially Lingen (Ems), is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008, its population was 52,353, and in addition there were about 5,000 people who registered the city as their secondary residence. Lingen, specifically "Lingen (Ems)" is ...
, Symons and Johnson concluded from the evidence they were given in Wales that the Welsh were dirty, lazy, ignorant, superstitious, deceitful, promiscuous and immoral, and advocated eradication of the Welsh language and the encouragement of the English language. Fluent in Welsh, Phillips exposed the lies of the "Blue Books", defended the Welsh people and their language, and proposed way to improve education in Wales; a biographer described his work: :"for lucidity of treatment, for fulness of information, for calm, judicial statement, for tender yet discriminating sympathy with his poor and neglected countrymen, no less than for the suggestion of remedies applicable to their case, very few publications of the kind can be compared to this one." He was also the author of ''The Life of James Davies, a Village Schoolmaster'' (1850; 2nd edit. 1852), a biography of James Davies (1765–1849) of
Devauden Devauden ( cy, Y Dyfawden) is a village and community in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is located between Chepstow and Monmouth near the top of the Trellech ridge on the B4293 road. The community covers an area of . The community includes th ...
.


References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Thomas 1801 births 1867 deaths Welsh solicitors Welsh barristers 19th-century Welsh businesspeople Mayors of places in Wales Committee members of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge