Phillips & Sons Ltd

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Newport.jpg
An advert from 1900
London Inn, Caerleon, 2010

Phillips & Sons Ltd, Dock Road Brewery, Newport, Gwent

Founded in 1874 when Thomas Phillips, previously of the Northampton Brewery Co. Ltd, bought the brewery of Thomas Floyde Lewis with 13 tied houses. Registered in March 1892.

Sold to Simonds Ltd in 1949 with 125 public houses and brewing ceased in 1968.

Wendy Hood writes:-

The Phillip’s family was also instrumental in the early days of Newport Cricket Club at Rodney Parade back in 1874, when Edward and Fred Phillips both played, as did Walter Clifford Phillips, all sons of Thomas Phillips the founder of the Phillips Brewery. Fred Phillips captained Newport from 1886-1892 and again in 1898. Fred’s brothers Mark and Owen also feature prominently in Club records in 1887. The old Rodney Parade Cricket Pavilion, which was officially opened in 1901, when cricket was first played at the ‘new’ Rodney Parade ground. Edward and Fred Phillips donated £500 towards the building of the pavilion in memory of their late father Thomas Phillips, who was a staunch supporter of the Club and who died in 1899. The donation was recorded as being a ‘munificent offer’ and represented a hugely significant amount of money in 1901. They later gave a further £208 towards the pavilion fund. The Phillips family continued their association with Newport Cricket Club. Edward had lost two other sons, who had been prominent members of the club: Lt Edward Stone Phillips and Capt Leslie Phillips, both killed in World War 1. Fred’s son F. Gordon Phillips also features prominently in the club’s records and was Captain of the 1st X1, immediately before and after the First World War. Edward the chairman of the brewing company, died of acute pneumonia on 26th November 1924, at the age of 72. We think that Edward may be the elderly gentleman far right on the Phillips & Sons CC photo. He died in November 1924, but the cricket season would have finished by September, when he was still alive – it’s highly feasible that being such a keen cricketer he would have been involved in his own works cricket team and due to their association with Newport Cricket Club, would have played their matches at Rodney Parade (location of the photo). In Club records it was recorded that in 1924 :- ‘Mr Edward Phillips, one of the famous brothers who did so much for the Club, and father of the late ES Phillips and Leslie Phillips, prominent members of the Cricket Section, passed away. He was one of the pioneers of the Club, and did very useful work also for Monmouthshire County Cricket Club, having acted as Treasurer for many years’.