F. C. Philips

Francis Charles Philips (3 February 1849 – 21 April 1921) was a British army officer, actor, theatre-manager, dramatist, barrister, journalist, short story writer and novelist. He wrote over forty novels and over a dozen plays.

Biography

He was born at Brighton, the younger son of the Rev. George Washington Philips (1784–1865), a slave owner on St Kitts. He was educated at Brighton College.

His mother was Charlotte Elizabeth Philips née Jones, born Jesson, the daughter of Thomas Jesson of Hill Park, Kent, who had been first married to John Jones before her marriage to George Washington Philips.

After a course at Sandhurst, Philips became a British army officer, gazetted to the 2nd Queen's Royals shortly before his nineteenth birthday. He served for three years, mainly in Ireland and at Aldershot. After resigning his military commission, he became an actor, first in Liverpool and then in London. In 1880 he began the study of law and was called to the bar in 1884 at the Middle Temple.

Due to his friendship with Čedomilj Mijatović, Philips was made Knight Commander of the Order of St. Sava.

Family

Philips was twice a widower. By his first wife Maria he had a son. By his second wife Eva Maude Mary Kevill-Davies he a son and two daughters.

Novels

As in a Looking Glass (1885)

Jack and Three Jills (1886)

A Lucky Young Woman (1886)

Social Vicissitudes (1886)

The Dean and his Daughter (1887)

The Strange Adventures of Lucy Smith (1887)

The Fatal Phryne (1889)

Young Mr. Ainslie's Courtship (1889)

Little Mrs. Murray (1889)

The Scudamores (1890)