5 Vine street, Grantham, where Percy had his practice. It still (2021) houses a medical clinic. The name plate at the small door reads: Vine House surgery entrance.

Percy was the 8th and youngest child of the Whitnell physician, George Phillips. Percy went to medical school and became doctor in Grantham (south Lincolnshire).

Elizabeth was also called Ida (census of 1901: Eliza; of 1911: Dida). Ida had two older sisters and a younger brother.  EM:  She came from a family in Dorset where they were "rope walkers", making rope in their long garden for the Royal Navy.

Percy and Ida lived in Vine House, at 5 Vine street, Grantham, Lincolnshire (census 1901 and 1911).  The census records show that, in both years, they had living with them a housemaid and a cook. At the date of the census 1901, also father George Marshall Phillip, aged 81, was at Vine street, Grantham, apparently visting.

Later they moved to Putney (in SW London), to a medical practice there. During WW I Percy tried to help war wounded by doing skin grafts. But he only used his own skin, so it didn't work.

George H. Phillips was as pilot during WWI stationed in Apulia, southern Italy. January 1918 he was sent on an action in the "1½ Strutter" plane N5642 in the direction of Albania in bad weather. Personnel at Cape Palascìa (near Otranto) had, at 15:30 hrs, seen an aircraft in trouble, the plane had been seen sinking on the rough sea some 6.4 km off the Apulian shore. A naval rescue boat was sent out but no trace could be found of George Phillips and Archibald Gordon, being the crew of the plane. From clips in the photo album of Bessie (& wikipedia).

Children:
− 1899 George Hugh. He joined the Royal Navy Air Service. In 1918 he was killed in action.
− 1903 Bessie Margaret.  She was "single" child from 1918 on. She went to Felix college.

Citroen C4 (1929). Ida, with at left Percy, at right an elder sister of Percy. Photo made by Bessie during the Cornwall vacation trip, ~1920.

Percy and Ida made, after the war, numerous long distance travels during holidays, often in their Citroen open car. The notes of daughter Bessie show trips to Cornwall, the Lake District, Wales and Scotland.

Later, Bessie went farther afield, among others in 1932, on a trip to Africa, doing Kenya, Uganda and Tangayka with her friends Dr and Mrs Langton.   Bessie left the house in 1933 to marry Eric, whom she had met during the said trip to Africa. They moved to Uganda, Eric continuing his colonial job there. 
Percy and Ida then made a couple of trips to Africa to visit Bessie and Eric and their children.

Percy, ca. 1937, approaching 70, during a visit to Uganda and the grandchildren, the twins Richard and George of daughter Bessie.

After Percy's retirement in approx. 1940 they moved to Hayward Heath, south of London. They lived in "The Iris" at Sunte avenue in a semi-detached house.

RM remembers: Ida was very strict. At the same time, she enjoyed going to cinema. She also went with us, her grandsons George and Richard (e.g. when we stayed with her during leave from Africa or otherwise), but then she often slept soundly while George and I saw the program twice.

There exists a letter of Percy to "Bettie" dated 23 Nov. (no calendar year) from Hayward Heath, in which he writes about the "day nurse" who will soon leave and so make room for the twins to come. 
Percy died in 1950 (he had throat cancer) at just over 80.

Ida then decided to move to Hertford, some 40 km north of London.
She died in approximately 1960.

EM: the memoirs of Eric Martin, son in law (written 1983). 
RM: memories of Richard Martin, grandson (written down 2020).

Back to the family tree page of PCP & EG.