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Thomas Phillips Price
Industrialist, Politician and conservationist
Thomas Phillips Price (1844–1932) was the nephew and sole heir of Sir Thomas Phillips. He is another cousin of ours through the Phillips family of Llanover. The thrice-married Thomas was an equally fascinating figure – a Welsh landowner, industrialist, and Liberal politician – and we have delighted in delving deeper into his remarkable life.
Thomas Phillips Price was born on 14 June 1844, the son of the Reverend Canon William Price, vicar of Llanarth. He was educated at Highgate School from 1854 until 1858, before moving on to Winchester College and then University College, Oxford, where he gained his B.A. in 1867 and M.A. in 1868. An ambitious young man, he became owner of a mine in Llanhilleth and sank a shaft at Ebbw Fach.
At the age of just 23, Thomas inherited a fortune from his unmarried uncle, Sir Thomas Phillips, a passionate advocate for universal primary education. Although deeply involved in mining, Thomas grew increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of industry. When he entered politics, he did so as a Liberal, becoming MP for North Monmouthshire in 1885 – a seat he held until 1895. He later served as High Sheriff of Monmouthshire, a captain in the Monmouthshire Militia, and a Justice of the Peace while living at Triley Court, Abergavenny.
Thomas married his first wife, Frances Anne Rowlett, in 1882. Tragically she died in 1897, and Thomas later married Florence Cecilia Konstamm. Florence had an Italian mother and a brother, Max Konstamm, who was a King’s Councillor. This marriage saw Thomas spending increasing amounts of time in Italy where he would later buy a property.
Whilst maintaining his home in Abergavenny, Thomas also rented Skreens Park, a large mansion near Chelmsford, which is now demolished. After losing his parliamentary seat in 1895, he became a county councillor and Justice of the Peace for Essex. In 1898 he purchased Markshall Estate near Colchester, from the Honywood family.
The Markshall Estate has a rich history spanning over 1,000 years, from its mention in the Domesday Book as “Mercheshala”. During his time as owner of Markshall, Thomas demonstrated a passion for conservation that was, in many respects, ahead of its time. He corresponded frequently with the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, seeking advice on the estate’s management.
Thomas later purchased the Villa Capponi, a fine 15th-century villa outside Florence. Because his second wife suffered from poor health, they spent much of each year there. The historic villa, once a fortified medieval estate, has since been converted into 14 private luxury apartments and is accessible only to residents, guests, and owners. Florence died in 1926, and in 1927 Thomas married for the third time, to Mary Elizabeth Swann, his sister’s long-time companion, then aged 51 to his 83.
Thomas Phillips Price died at Markshall on 28 June 1932. Despite marrying several times, he left no heir. In his 1927 will, he left the Markshall Estate in trust to the nation upon his last wife Mary’s death, expressing his wish that the estate should be used “for the advancement of agriculture, arboriculture and forestry.”
Mary Phillips Price outlived her husband by 34 years, dying in 1966. Shortly afterwards, his will came fully into effect and the Markshall Estate Trust was established in 1971. Since then, generations of trustees, volunteers and staff have worked to fulfil his vision, and Markshall continues to flourish. It features gardens, woodlands, and a diverse collection of trees from around the world. It is known for its historic walled garden, the Millennium Walk, and the largest planting of Wollemi Pine in Europe.
In 2012, a 112-year-old portrait of Thomas Phillips Price returned to Markshall Estate in a momentous event during the charity’s 50th anniversary year. Painted in 1910 by British artist Henry Harris Brown, the portrait shows Thomas against the backdrop of Markshall, painted 12 years after he purchased the estate at auction. The painting had been held by the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport since 1966 but had previously hung in the Dining Room at Markshall.
The unexpected link between the Royal Gwent Hospital and the Markshall Estate Trust arose from the provisions of the will Thomas Phillips Price wrote in 1927. In it, he left his Welsh estate to the Royal Gwent Hospital and his Markshall estate in Essex to the nation.
Former managing agent for the trustees at Markshall, Richard Tattersall, formally took possession of the portrait on Markshall’s behalf from Ann Lloyd, Chair of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, and returned it to estate. The general manager at Markshall expressed the team’s delight, saying: “It feels as though a part of the estate’s history is coming home and we’re all excited to see its safe arrival and installation.”
