Herbert Philips

Herbert Philips was the great grandson of Nathaniel Philips, who co-founded, with his elder brother John, a tape manufacturing business in the mid-eighteenth century that became J. and N. Philips and Co. This company became one of Manchester's leading commercial enterprises, specialising in the weaving of narrow tape. By the mid-nineteenth century the extended Philips family held properties and businesses throughout Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire along with the family seats in Heybridge and Heath House, Staffordshire. Herbert was the third son and youngest child of Robert Philips and Laetitia née Hibbert.^[1]

Herbert Philips' father's first cousin was Mark Philips, the elected Member of Parliament for Manchester following the campaign for Manchester's enfranchisement by the 1832 Reform Act. Mark Philips was instrumental in the provision of public open spaces, leading in 1846 to the first public park in Manchester which still bears his name: Philips Park.^[2]

Herbert Philips retained this commitment for clean air provision for the masses with his establishment of the permanent society, ‘The Committee for Securing Open Spaces for Recreation’ of which he was the Chairman and Treasurer. Likewise he founded the ‘Noxious Vapours Abatement Association’ to promote the control of chemical and industrial smoke nuisances in Manchester and Salford which proved so harmful to vegetation within these open spaces.^[3] He gave a member's address to the Manchester Statistical Society in 1896 entitled 'Open Spaces for Recreation in Manchester'.^[4]

His philanthropic works were extensive, and included numerous educational and recreational ventures. He is credited by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as being one of the founding supporters of the National Trust.^{[5][citation needed]} He was president of the Young Men’s Christian Association based at the headquarters at 56 Peter Street Manchester. This led to his involvement in the Manchester Women's Christian Temperance Association (MWCTA) which used the YMCA building for its committee meetings.

In October 1889 it was reported in the Manchester Guardian that Herbert Philips Esq., J.P. of Sutton Oaks Macclesfield had presided over a Police Court Mission meeting at the YMCA on Peter Street and he reported that £700 had been raised and an inebriate's home at Ash Lodge, Halliwell Lane, Cheetham was being negotiated. He suggested that what was needed was to commit habitual offenders to such homes for a period of one to three years.^[6] At the AGM of the MWCTA in April 1890 it was reported that Herbert Philips Esq., J.P. had bought a house, namely ‘The Grove’ on Egerton Road, Fallowfield and had leased it to the committee on nominal terms for another such inebriate home or retreat.^[7]