• Name: Phillips, Sir Richard (Philip Richards)
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 1767
• Death Date: 2  April  1840
• Occupation: publisher
• Occupation: author

Godwin enters variations of Philips, Phillips (with a double 'l') over 400 times. This, paired with the fact that 'Phillips' is a relatively common name, ensures that a definitive identification is difficult. From late 1800, Philips and Phillips have been coded together as 'Sir Richard Philips' the ‘prosperous, innovative’ Publisher of Godwin's Life of Chaucer (St Clair, p.239). There are some Charles Phillips entries in 1817-1819, and there are grounds for thinking that some of the Phillips entries in those years should be linked to him. But otherwise, the vast majority after 1800 are, we believe, references to Sir Richard Phillips.

It is likely that Richard Phillips accounts for many of the Phillips/Philips entries from around 1801. Prior to that, the identification is less likely (and, curiously, there is no Philips or Phillips in the 1796 list). Contact after 1801 follows the death of Godwin's publisher, Robinson, when ‘Godwin found himself adopted as an author by Richard Phillips’ (St Clair, p. 259). Phillips had been jailed in Leicester in 1793 for selling Paine's 'Rights of Man'. He continued to edit his newspaper, the Leicester Heraldfrom his gaol. He moved to London in 1795. (DNB) There he established his Monthly Magazine, the first number of which appeared on 1 July 1796, 'edited by John Aikin (1747–1822), with the contributors including John Wolcot (Peter Pindar), Capel Lofft, and Dr Mavor, while Phillips himself wrote trenchant articles against the government, under the signature 'Common Sense'. In 1806 he quarrelled with Aikin, whose place was taken by George Gregory, and in the next year he founded the short-lived Antiquary's Magazine' (DNB). Entries prior to 1800, when R Philips first appears, have not been coded for Richard Phillips.. Subsequently, Godwin is in increasingly close contact with Philips and the correspondence suggests greatest intimacy between 1802 and 1808, when Philips is knighted - although the first reference to Sir R Phillips is not until 1810.

The ealier mentions of Philips are more difficult to identify. In 1797, there is a Philips who appears with the Johnson circle:
11. Tu. Phædrus, Fab. 31: Fair Syrian, Vol. II, p. 38. Fells call: Dyson calls; talk of natural society, and pleasure: dine at Johnson's , w. Fuseli, Dr Simmons, <Johnson,> Jacks, Mitchel and Chambers; adv. Stephens and Philips .
It should be noted that in this year Johnson published Richard Phillips's ‘Biographical Anecdotes of the French revolution (1797; vol. II, 1798) See Tyson, A Liberal Publisher , p. 138) However, the first time Godwin mentions, specifically, ‘meet R Philips’ is in 1800: 3. W. Curran, Reynolds, Nicholson, Lamb and M dine; invités Fuseli, Lawrence, Porson, Perry, Kemble and Boaden : Curran sleeps. meet R Philips .

We have not coded Philips from 1794, this being someone Godwin meets on a tour of the West Midlands (who may be linked to the uncertain Phillips, who is a friend of Chandler). The 'Philips (Leic)' entry in 1795 does, however seem a more likely attribution for Richard Philips.
In 1796 the Philips in London have been coded as Philips but not the entries for Philip connected to Norwich (uncoded).
In 1797, the Philips in Warwickshire has not beeen coded; whereas those in London look plausible for a man connected with the arts (although Johnson's suggests publishing circles it seems possible that the link is through Fuseli).
In 1798, the Philips entries are in London, many associated with Chandler. They have been coded as Philips but the identification is uncertain. It is possible they are to the portrait painter Thomas Phillips; it is possible that they are to a J. Phillips whose letter to Godwin is preserved in the Abinger collection; and it is possible that this is John Phillips (fl. 1778-c.1817) who writes on Navigation. But conclusive evidence for each of these identifications is missing. What does seem clear is that there 1790s entries are not to Richard Phillips.
In 1800, there are contacts through Lanesborough and King, and then a seven month hiatus, followed by 'Meet R Philips' when Curran is staying overnight, and with no subsequent entries that year. It would be surprising but not unheard of for Godwin to use an initial if he had been seeing the person regularly in the previous years - and we might take this as confirmation that he has not been in regular contact with Richard Philips and that the entries from the previous decade are more likely references to Thomas Philips. In 1801 there is 'talk of Philips' with Fenwick; and then Fenwick calling from Philips; and then Marshall calling from Philips; which suggests that, before Robinson's death, Godwin may be negotiating with Philips.

Although the transitions to R. Phillips may seem abrupt, it does look as if Godwin does see very much less of the other Phillips after 1800 (which is when the DNB has this Phillips's friend Chandler, move permanently to Scotland). Moreover, the failure to distinguish Philips, the recipient of Godwin's letters, and the other Philips in the diary, suggests that they are the same and the growing correspondence suggests that R Phillips now plays a substantial role in Godwin's affairs. Thus, for example, the trip to Maidenhead in 1801 seems likely to be R. Philips, because he goes with his family, and is accompanied by Mavor, whom the DNB identifies as a contributor to Phillips' Monthly Magazine. Moreover, it is clear that the trip is linked to Godwin's research for his book on Chaucer that Phillips publishes. At this point contact with Philips increases dramatically, and we assume this is because of the development of an intense, and edgy (since Philips had a reputation for a hot temper), relationship. Moreover, in 1801 and 1802 there are clear cases of 'Write to Philips' where the letters are extant and addressed to R. Philips. The failure to make any effort at differentiation between Philips entries strongly suggest that, at this time, Godwin is referring conistently to the same individual.

The entry on 15 September 1803 to 'Philips's Haverstock Hill' has been coded for Richard Philips, it being possible that this is is home, rather than the business at which Godwin usually calls. The entries for 31 August 1806, 28 June 1807, and 13 August 1809 to 'Dine at Philips’s, Hampsted' have been treated the same way.
The entry at the beginning of January 1808 to calling at Philips in Newgate and at home (and not available at either) is unclear. Phillips was knighted this year, on presenting, in his capacity as Sheriff, an address to the King. In April 1808 he calls on Lady Phillips (which is likely to be Richard Phillips wife, Phillips having been knighted at the end of March). It is also at this time that Philips and Phillips begin to be used apparently interchangeably. There is no pattern of difference and the most likely explanation is that Godwin gradually adjusts to being corrected! There is evidence of Godwin using both for Richard Phillips (such as his use of Philip when he signs for a book on '15 Caesars' in 1808; and Phillip, when he learns of the latter's plan for a dictionary in September 1809. In 1809 Phillips testifies in the corruption case against Mary Anne Clarke and the disposal of commisions by the Duke of York, earning the emnity of Mrs Clarke. St Clair reports that Phillips goes bankrupt around this time (see also Morning Chronicle, 29 October 1810), although Cobbett's Weekly Political Register, December 12, 1810, reports that the Commissioner found him to have a surplus of some 57,000 pounds. This allowed him to continue with parts of the business until his retirement to Brighton in 1823. The 'Examination of R P' on 20 August 1810 probably relates to the investigation of his financial affairs.

The pattern thereafter seems clear. Godwin refers to Phillips using, for the most part, the proper spellling. However, it is clear that his contact with Phillips declines in 1814, and while there is more contact in 1815, it is sparse again in 1816. That might lead us to suppose that the increase in 1817 is a result of the emergence of a new Phillip (probably Charles Phillips, who comes from an Irish background and who had become a friend and associate of John Philpot Curran). This would involve Godwin silently using Phillip in an Irish/Curran circle to refer to Charles, and using Phillips elsewhere to refer to Richard. There seems some warrant for this in 1817 and 1818, since it seems to coincide with a change to referring to Sr R Phillips, but by 1819 the case for the entries having reverted to Phillips for Sir Richard seems stronger. It does seem likely that it is Charles Phillips at Curran's funeral rather than Richard (but it also seems likely that he then returns to Ireland for most of 1818 and 1819, and he is not called to the English Bar until 1821 - and we should note that the first R. Philips entry in 1800 is at Curran's). By 1821, Godwin is using Sir R Phillips much more frequently.

In short, while we know that a great many of the contacts are Richard Phillips, we would speculte that at least two others are involved, but we cannot be certain.

On 22 Feb 1819 Godwin sees The Heroine, or a Daughter's Courage by R. Phillips.

• MS. Abinger c. 6, fols. 132-3: 24 Jan. 1801 see note from John Phillips 24.1.1801
• MS. Abinger c. 9, fols. 20-1: 26 June 1805 Richard Philips
• MS. Abinger c. 18, fol. 22: 18 July [1802]
• MS. Abinger c. 18, fol. 32: 14 Aug. 1804
• MS. Abinger c. 18, fol. 81: 5 Dec. 1806
• MS. Abinger c. 22,fols. 152-4: 19 July 1802
• MS. Abinger c. 22, fols. 155-6: 21 July 1802
• MS. Abinger c. 22 , fols. 161-2 : 5 Apr. 1803
• MS. Abinger c. 22 149-50 [6 Sept. 1801]
• MS. Abinger c. 22 157-8 [31 Mar. 1803]
• MS. Abinger c. 22 160 [31 Mar. 1803]
• MS. Abinger c. 22 151 [6 Sept. 1801]
• MS. Abinger c. 18 24 2 Sept. 1803
• MS. Abinger c. 10 23-4 1 Jan. 1807
• MS. Abinger c. 10 20-1 8 Dec. 1806
• MS. Abinger c. 10 33 2 Apr. 1807
• MS. Abinger c. 10 1 25 Aug. 1806
• MS. Abinger c. 10 61 18 Apr. 1808
• MS. Abinger c. 10 26 18 Feb. 1807
• MS. Abinger c. 55 70-1 5 Apr. 1803
• MS. Abinger c. 38 10-11r 24 Jan. 1808 (Agreement to write a Roman history)
• MS. Abinger c. 38 11v 21 Oct. 1808
• MS. Abinger c. 18 82 12 Dec. 1806
• MS. Abinger c. 22 159 [31 Mar. 1803]
• DNB
• Gerald P. Tyson,Joseph Johnson: A Liberal Publisher(Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1979).
• St Clair
• Memoirs of the public and private life of sir Richard Phillips, knight, high sheriff for the city of London and county of Middlesex, compiled by a citizen of London and assistants.

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.