Philips came from an old
Staffordshire family that had held manors there since the reign of
Edward VI of England, and were seated at
Heath House in the same county since the early seventeenth century, that continued to be lived in by his cousins. George's father, Thomas Philips (1728–1811) of
Sedgley,
Lancashire, established a cotton manufacturing company in Manchester. George attended several schools, including
Stand Grammar School. He was brought up in the dissenting tradition. Towards the end of the eighteenth century he joined forces with
Samuel Boddington and "Conversation" Sharp (alias
Richard Sharp) to form the West India company of 'Boddington, Sharp and Philips' which was based at 15 Mark Lane, London. As fellow Dissenters, the three partners shared many common interests. Philips enjoyed writing poetry and he was especially pleased with his
Epistle from Windemere to Richd. Sharp Esq., which was proudly shown to such friends as
James Mackintosh,
Samuel Rogers, and
William Wordsworth. Boddington and Philips followed Sharp's example by becoming dissenting Whig Members of Parliament and in time Philips gained a reputation for his fine oratory, speaking in the House on several occasions in opposition to regulating
child labour in the cotton mills. In Parliament he sat as a
Whig and represented
Ilchester 1812,
Steyning 1818–1820,
Wootton Bassett 1820–30. Philips was an MP for
Warwickshire South following the
Reform Act until 1835. He is pictured in a commemorative painting by Sir
George Hayter of the 1833 parliament. ==Weston House==