Philip Foley (12 May 1648 – December 1716) was the youngest of the three surviving sons of the British ironmaster Thomas Foley. His father transferred all his ironworks in the Midlands to him in 1668 and 1669 for £60,000. He also settled an estate at Prestwood near Stourbridge on him on his marriage, to which Philip added the manor of Kinver.
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Ironworks
Philip ran the ironworks but found that they were not as profitable as they had been, and began from 1674 to sell them off. One group was bought by Sir Clement Clerke. He disposed of the last of them to two of his managers John Wheeler and Richard Avenant, and they also took over what had been Sir Clement Clerke's ironworks when some of those reverted to Philip Foley.
Wheeler and Avenant were more successful in running a rather reduced business and leased blast furnaces in the Forest of Dean from Philip's brother Paul. In 1692, the two joined the managers in the business. Philip remained a partner for the rest of his life, but his family sold out of it shortly after his death. This business produced high quality pig iron which was sent up the River Severn for sale through a warehouse at Bewdley, as well as supplying the firm's own forges such as Wilden Forge on the River Stour. In 1705, John Wheeler retired from managing the business in favour of William Rea, and the firm gave up its remaining ironworks in the Stour valley.