Phillips was born in Kibworth, Leicestershire, the son of the Rev.
Abel Phillips, a missionary in West Africa, and was educated at Yeovil Grammar School.
[2] He held the following curacies: Holy Trinity, Taunton, Somerset (1891), Hendford, Yeovil (1895), St. Saviour's, Croydon (1901), and Ashtead, Surrey (1906).
In 1907 Phillips married Millicent Harriet Kynaston (ca.
In 1916 he was appointed vicar of Headley where he remained for the rest of his life.