When the Reverend Power died in Eastbourne in 1899 the press said that his name was ‘a household word’ and he was ‘known in millions of homes around the world’, but today he is virtually unknown. 

Philip Bennett Power was born in Waterford, Ireland in 1822. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin where he studied Hebrew and later took his Master of Arts degree at New College, Oxford University.  He was ordained in 1845.

His first ministry was at All Saints Church, Leicester and in 1848 he became vicar of Woburn Chapel in Tavistock Place, London.  He must have been popular, as two years later he was presented with a purse contain £270 as a gift from his grateful parishioners.

He married Emma Anderson at Marylebone Church in 1851 and they lived in Brunswick Square. Whilst he was at Woburn Chapel his sermons were so popular that he had many of them published and this started his writing career. 

After seven years in London he moved down to Worthing to be the vicar of Christ Church. He lived in the parsonage with Emma and their two daughters Edith and Helen.  He was busy at Worthing and for many years his wife conducted bible classes at Storrington.

Whilst in Worthing he published his first book ‘The Last Shilling’ which ran to three editions and ‘Little Kitty’s Knitting Needles’ which ran to five editions. They were moralistic books for children but he also started to write theological books too. 

After ten years at Worthing, and still in his 40s, Philip was ‘obliged to retire due to overwork’  He moved to a large house called Westheath in Erith, Kent, which his wife Emma run as a school.  The 1871 census describes him as a vicar ‘without care of souls’. This is a strange term but means that he was not associated with a church.  By now there were eight daughters and three sons – but he still found time to write. 

In 1875 he submitted work to the ‘Sunday School World’ and in 1877 became the editor of  ‘The Home Visitor’ magazine. 

Philip and Emma later moved to Eastbourne where they lived at ‘The Cliff’ in St John’s Road, Meads.

 He became friend with The Reverend Charles Bullock of Coomrith in Carlisle Road who was to later write his obituary in the local press and ‘Home Words’ magazine.  Despite failing health Philip managed to preach at several Eastbourne churches including All Souls in Susans Road. Charles said that in his later years, Philip was too ill to preach from the pulpit, however he was able to preach to the world via the pulpit of his books. 

Philip died at home in 1899 and was buried at Ocklynge Cemetery (T25) His wife Emma died in 1920 aged 91 years. 

Over a hundred years after his death Philip is forgotten in England but, surprisingly, over in the USA, an author, designer and keen knitter, Franklin Habit found one of Philip Power’s stories and recorded it. It can be heard at .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JKQDJXW1Jo

His books were:

The Last Shilling (1853) (3 editions) Breathings of the Soul (1855) The ‘I Wills’ of the Psalms (1860) (3 editions) Little Kitty’s Knitting Needles (1861) (5 editions)  The Lost Sunbeam (1861) (2 editions) The ‘I Wills’ of Christ (1862)  The Oiled Feather (1862) The Three Cripples (1864) The Shepherds Tent (1864) The Two Brothers and the Two Paths (1864) Pivot Words of Scripture (1866) (2 editions) The One Moss-Rose (1867) (2 editions) The Little Knitter (1868) The Last Shilling (1868)  A Faggot of Stories for Little Folks (1868) Truffle Nephews (1870)  Born with a Silver Spoon in His Mouth (1870) The Feet  of Jesus  in Life, Death, Resurrection and Glory (1872) (3 editions) A Book of Comfort for those in Sickness (1876) The Flying Skull (1887) The Choirboy  of Harlestone Manor (1889) The Gold that Wouldn’t Go (1889) He’s Gone Yonder (1889) The Autobiography of Father Christmas (1890) The Devil-Drink Family (1890) The Dead Man’s Specs (1890) The Vanishing Opal (1890) Going on Wheels (1891)

He also wrote the following books but I have been unable to date them. 

The Sickbeds of the Saints, The Prisoners Sigh, The Shadowed Face, The Call of St Philip, The Seed Sown on the Wayside, The Labyrinth of the Soul, Litanies of Daily Life, Things to be Thankful For, Sambo’s Legacy, He’s Been in the Treacle, Poor Fellow!, Scripture Night Lights, He’s Overhead, The Hedger’s Right Arm, A Faggot of Stories for Little Folk, Failure and Discipline and The Talking Fire Irons