John Phillips (bishop of Sodor and Man) facts for kids

John Phillips (born around 1555, died August 7, 1633) was an important Anglican Bishop on the Isle of Man. He served as the Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1604 to 1633. Phillips is famous for creating the first known written text in the Manx language. This was his translation of the 1604 Book of Common Prayer in 1610.

Early Life and Education

John Phillips was born in Wales around the year 1555. He went to St Mary Hall, Oxford University to study. He earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1579 and a master's degree (M.A.) in 1584.

Phillips's Career as a Bishop

Styles of John Phillips
Reference style	The Right Reverend
Spoken style	My Lord
Religious style	Bishop

In 1579, Phillips became a rector, which is a type of church leader, in Sessay, Yorkshire. A few years later, in 1583, he also became rector of Thorpe Bassett.

He moved to the Isle of Man in 1587. There, he became the Archdeacon of Man and also the rector of Andreas. In 1590, he was appointed as a chaplain to a powerful noble, Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby. He continued to take on more church roles, becoming rector of Slingsby in 1591 and archdeacon of Cleveland in 1601.

In 1605, John Phillips became the Bishop of Sodor and Man. He took over from George Lloyd. He kept his other church positions in England and on the Isle of Man even after becoming bishop.

In 1617, Bishop Phillips was involved in a court case. He presided as a judge during the trial of Margaret Quaine and her son Robert. When the jury decided they were not guilty, Phillips was asked to leave the room. This was because his role as a bishop meant he could not be directly involved if someone was sentenced to death.

Phillips passed away in 1633 at Bishop's Court in Ballaugh. He was buried in St Germans Cathedral in Peel. After his death, William Foster became the new Bishop of Sodor and Man.

Translating the Manx Language

John Phillips wanted to help the local Manx people understand church services better. Many Manx people spoke the Manx language, which is different from English. So, in 1610, Phillips translated the Book of Common Prayer into Manx.

This was a very important step because it was the first known written text in the Manx language. However, his translation was not published at the time. Also, the way he spelled Manx words was not widely used. Some people think his spelling system was based on how people spoke English in Yorkshire. This is interesting because Phillips himself was from Wales.

Much later, in 1765, a new Manx translation of the Book of Common Prayer was made. This new version used a more consistent way of spelling Manx words.

Challenges with Phillips's Manx Spelling

Even though Phillips's work was important, language experts later criticized his spelling system. A scholar named T.F. O'Rahilly said it was "an abominable system." He meant it was not based on the history of the language or how it sounded. He felt it was mostly based on English spelling.

In 1895, A. W. Moore and Sir John Rhŷs published Phillips's original manuscript. They put it next to the later 1765 Manx translation. Moore noted that Phillips's manuscript had many spelling mistakes. He wrote that the same word could be spelled in many different ways.

Comparing Manx Translations

Here is an example showing how Phillips's 1610 translation compares to the 1765 translation and the English version. This is the first part of the Athanasian Creed from the Book of Common Prayer.

Phillips in Movies

John Phillips was shown in a movie called Solace in Wicca. An actor named Wayne Kelsall played him. This movie was a drama about the trial of Margaret Quaine and her son Robert. Some people who love the Manx language were not happy with how Phillips was shown in the movie. They felt he was portrayed as a bad guy.

Sources

• Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 45 Phillips, John (1555?-1633) by Alexander Gordon
• http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/people/bishops/phillips.htm
• http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-456567/John-Phillips