The House of Commons Sir George Hayter London, England, 1833 National Portrait Gallery, NPG 54

George 'King Cotton' Philips at the House of Commons

The Philips family used their wealth to wield power and influence in Britain, buying land and estates, taking up positions in Parliament, and funding educational, cultural and media organisations, helping to shape Manchester and the wider British Empire. In this 1833 painting of the members of the British House of Commons, George ‘King Cotton’ Philips can be seen circled near the centre.

The family’s main firm, J & N Philips & Co., closed in 1970.