Richard Phillips (publisher)
Sir Richard Phillips | |
|---|---|
Portrait by James Saxon, oil on canvas (1806) | |
| Born | 13 December 1767 |
| Died | 2 April 1840 (aged 72) |
| Burial place | St. Nicholas Churchyard, Brighton, United Kingdom |
| Occupations | Publisher, Schoolteacher, Author |
| Notable work | A Morning's Walk From London to Kew (1817), the Monthly Magazine |
| Title | Sheriff of the City of London |
| Term | 1807-1808 |
| Political party | Whigs |
| Criminal charges | Selling Thomas Paine's Rights of Man, Part Second (1 count) and Charles Pigott's Jockey Club, Part Second (1 count) |
| Criminal penalty | 18 months in prison |
| Honours | Knight Bachelor |
Sir Richard Phillips (13 December 1767 – 2 April 1840) was an English schoolteacher, author, publisher and vegetarianism activist. Phillips was a staunch advocate for freedom of the press in Britain and a proponent of the interrogative system of education. Phillips was widely recognized for his radical politics and enterprising approach to his publishing endeavours.
From 1807 to 1808, Phillips served as one of the annually elected Sheriffs of the City of London. Alongside his co-Sheriff, Christopher Smith, Phillips established the Sheriff's Fund and implemented new sanitary measures, such as limewashing, at Newgate Prison. Following his shrievalty, Phillips was honoured with the rank of Knight Bachelor by King George III on 30 March 1808.