27 Sep 1771- 06 May 1850

Francis Philips Francis was the fourth son of John and Sarah Philips, who in 1777 brought Bank Hall, Heaton Norris.  When his father died, Francis was his father's heir, two brothers had died and one brother had emigrated to America. Businessman and author, witness at John Lees Inquest. He was a Captain in the 1st Battalion of Manchester Volunteers (formed on the 26th June 1798. In 1812 Francis had business at the House of Commons, in London, whilst he was there, he heard a shot and going into the lobby discovered the body of the dying Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, the Prime Minister died in his arms. Was appointed in 1824 to the post of Deputy Lieutenant of County Palantine of Chester. Francis was a well known naturalist and his splendid entomological collection formed the nucleus of the present Natural History Science Museum, he was also a patron of the fine arts, and had one of the best private libraries of Collection of Prints.  Married Beatrice Aspinall on the 13th September 1792 in Liverpool, they had two children, Francis Aspinall Philips and Hindley Leigh Philips. Wrote a book in 1819 which includes the Peterloo Massacre- 'An exposure of the calumnies circulated by the enemies of social order and reiterated by their abetters, against the magistrates and yeomanry cavalry of Manchester and Salford'. Go back to Speakers Last updated 9th June 2017