John and Anne Phillips, lawyer and doctor respectively, arrived in Nigeria in 1954 where his brother and sister were already serving as CMA missionaries. John became a tutor at the Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS)at Onitsha and later became principal of the James Welch Grammar School, Emevor. Anne practised as a doctor. They later served in Sierra Leone and Liverpool before returning to the Diocese of the Niger where John became principal of the DMGS and the Religious Education Advisor to the Diocese.

The papers were given to the HMC by Anne Phillips and consist of letters, pamphlets and photographs relating to missionary, education, medical work in West Africa in general and Nigeria in particular and include many papers relating to the history and administration of the Anglican Diocese of the Niger. They are dated from1896 to 2004.