Owen Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant

Owen Cosby Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant (25 March 1863 – 5 June 1937), known as Sir Owen Philipps between 1909 and 1923, was a British businessman and politician, jailed in 1931 for producing a document with intent to deceive.

Background

Philipps was the third of five sons of the Reverend Sir James Erasmus Philipps, 12th Baronet, of Picton Castle, and his wife the Hon. Mary, daughter of the Hon. and Rev. Samuel Best and sister of the fifth Baron Wynford. Born in Warminster vicarage, Wiltshire, and educated at Newton College, Newton Abbot, Devon, he became an apprentice with a Newcastle upon Tyne shipping firm, Dent & Co , in 1880 and upon completion of his apprenticeship he moved to the Glasgow shipping firm Allan & Gow in 1886.

Shipping career

With financial assistance from his eldest brother John Philipps (who was later created the 1st Viscount St Davids), Philipps set up his own shipping firm Philipps & Co in 1888, bought his first ship in 1889 and by the end of the nineteenth century the two brothers owned two shipping lines (King Line Ltd and the Scottish Steamship Company), a finance company (the London Maritime Investment Company), and the London and Thames Haven Petroleum Wharf. Acquisitions continued, culminating in the purchase of the White Star in 1927. However, he eventually trailed a distant third at the selection conference held at Water Street Chapel, Carmarthen, and the nomination went to Hinds.

He later left the Liberal Party and joined the Conservative Party, being elected unopposed as the Member for City of Chester at a by-election in 1916. Re-elected at the 1918 General Election he served until 1922, but did not stand again.

Other offices and honours

In 1904, Philipps was High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire and became a deputy lieutenant for Pembrokeshire in 1917, and Lord Lieutenant of Haverfordwest in 1924. In 1909, Philipps was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), later raised to Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1918.

In 1912, he was invested as a Knight of Grace of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem and raised to a Knight of Justice in 1916.

On 14 February 1923, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Kylsant, of Carmarthen in the County of Carmarthen and of Amroth in the County of Pembroke.

Following his conviction he resigned all his knighthoods and lieutenancies; when he attempted to resign from his clubs, however, the offer was firmly refused.

Personal life

Owen Philipps married at Carmarthen on 16 September 1902 Mai Alice Magdalene Morris, daughter of Thomas Morris, of Coomb, Carmarthenshire. They had three daughters. When Lord Kylsant died at the age of 74, the barony became extinct as he had no sons. His daughter Nesta Philipps, who had married George Coventry, later the 10th Earl of Coventry, inherited her father's house, Amroth Castle in Pembrokeshire.