Thomas Phillips (died 22 November 1693) was a Royal Navy officer and engineer who worked with some of the leading naval figures of his period, and was involved in military operations against the French during the Nine Years' War.

He reported back to his patron Dartmouth that he had 'taken particular observations of all things that can in any way be serviceable to us, especially in the affairs of the artillery'[1] Having gained valuable knowledge of the continental styles of fortification, Phillips was ordered to inspect the defences of Portsmouth, design and prepare any new works he thought necessary, and then oversee their construction.

A further commission came in August that year, when he was sent to Ireland by the Duke of Ormonde to carry out a survey of the existing harbours and their fortifications, draw up plans of their designs and give advice on repairs.

He erected a fort on Hounslow Heath in 1687 for the army's summer exercises, and in December was commissioned captain of the company of miners in Lord Dartmouth's ordnance regiment.

Phillips was in Portsmouth during the Glorious Revolution in November 1688, and wrote to Dartmouth to report on the strength of the Dutch fleet which had brought William of Orange to Torbay.

The revolution caused his patron, Lord Dartmouth, to fall from power and perhaps out of bitterness, Phillips refused to go to Ireland in 1689 on the pretext that he was owed significant arrears of salary.

In November he was assigned to a naval squadron under Commodore John Benbow, which was equipped with bomb vessels and fireships and was ordered to destroy St Malo.

The ship ran aground and exploded before it could reach the harbour, but the blast succeeded in damaging hundreds of houses and bringing down the port's sea wall.

His son Thomas received an allowance to study engineering, whilst his widow, Frances sought payment of his arrears of pay and a pension out of the Welsh revenue to support five children.

Intriguingly the British Government's art collection also contains an almost identical painting by Godfrey Kneller but Phillips has been replaced by Edward Russell, the first Earl of Orford (Moreover, the picture looks more complete as the figure on the left's hand now holds an object).