Jonas B. Phillips

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Jonas Benjamin Phillips (October 28, 1805 – May 15, 1867) was an American dramatist, lyricist, poet, and attorney who served as the first assistant district attorney for New York County from 1843 to 1851.

Early life[edit]

Phillips was born in Philadelphia in 1805 to a large, distinguished Jewish American family.[1] His paternal grandfather was Jonas Phillips, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and merchant in New York City and Philadelphia. Benjamin Mendez Seixas was his maternal grandfather, who also fought in the American Revolution, was a prominent merchant in Newport, Philadelphia, and New York City, and was one of the founders of the New York Stock Exchange.[2] Jonas B. Phillips studied law and passed the bar in Philadelphia in 1826.[3]

Drama and Music Career[edit]

Phillips moved to New York City in 1828[4] and initially turned his efforts to creative pursuits rather than focusing on law. He wrote over 70 plays,[5] popular with working-class audiences.[6] His most well-received plays were "The Evil Eye," produced in 1831, and "Camillus," in 1833. Phillips also wrote poetry and lyrics for popular music.[7][8][9]

Legal career[edit]

Phillips held other positions while he pursued writing. In 1831, he worked as a US Custom House clerk in New York City.[10] He was active in the Democratic-Republican Party in the 1830s[11] and later the Democratic Party.[12] In 1842, Phillips returned to law as an attorney.[13] He was appointed Commissioner of Deeds of New York County in 1843.[14] Also in 1843, he became the first Assistant District Attorney of New York County, a position he held for eight consecutive years. After that, he pursued private practice in criminal law.[4][15]

Personal life[edit]

Phillips never married but had an adopted son.[16] He died in 1867 after suffering for many years from kidney disease, known as “Bright's disease” at the time.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shapira, Yael. "An End to Wandering?: Jonas B. Phillips and Mary Shelley's "The Evil Eye". Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and the History of Ideas, vol. 15, no. 2, 2017, pp. 217-239. https://doi.org/10.1353/pan.2017.0015 Accessed 18 February 2024.
  2. ^ Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1906.
    Phillips, includes family tree: https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12108-phillips#
    Seixas: https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13396-seixas
    Accessed 18 February 2024.
  3. ^ The United States Gazette (Philadelphia), May 2, 1826, p. 3.
  4. ^ a b c "Obituary. Jonas B. Phillips." The Evening Telegraph (New York), May 16, 1867.
  5. ^ "Jonas B. Phillips." Jewish Messenger (New York), May 24, 1867.
  6. ^ Miller, Julie. Cry Murder on Broadway: A Woman’s Ruin and Revenge in Old New York. Ithaca, NY: Three Hills, 2020, p. 92.
  7. ^ "Jonas B. Phillips: Timeline of Works." https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/people/jonas-b-phillips. Accessed 18 Feb 2024.
  8. ^ "Category:Phillips, Jonas B./Librettist." https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Phillips,_Jonas_B./Librettist. Accessed 18 Feb 2024.
  9. ^ Phillips, Jonas B. Zamira, a Dramatic Sketch: And Other Poems. New York: G.A.C. Van Beuren, 1835.
  10. ^ "Official Document. Custom House Officers, 1831." Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, D.C.), October 8, 1832 page 2.
  11. ^ "Eighth Ward." Evening Post (New York), October 4, 1832, p. 2.
  12. ^ "Pierce and King! Grand Mass Meeting of the Democracy at Tammany Hall." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 23, 1852, p. 3.
  13. ^ "General Sessions; Trial for Burglary." New York Daily Herald, March 8, 1842, p. 2.
  14. ^ "Appointments by the Governor and Senate – March 11." Commercial Advertiser (NY), March 14, 1843, p. 2.
  15. ^ "Delicate Investigation." Sunday Dispatch (New York), September 28, 1851.
  16. ^ "The Latest Temperance Lecture." Evening Post (New York), May 3, 1870.
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