Edwin Phillpotts was born at Penryn, Falmouth on 12 April 1876, the third of eight children of Edwin Phillpotts, an iron moulder, and his wife Abigail (née Mannell).

Having completed an apprenticeship as a boilermaker, he joined the Royal Navy on 14 February 1898 at Devonport (HMS VIVID II) as an Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th Class.  He served in the cruiser HMS PROSERPINE on the North America and West Indies station until November 1901, during which time he was advanced to ERA 3rd class in May 1901. In June 1903 he joined the old ironclad HMS TRIUMPH, subsequently renamed TENEDOS, which was being turned into a training ship for Boy Artificers. In this role he was promoted to Acting Chief ERA 2nd Class  in July 1904. From October 1904 to August 1905 he served in the cruiser HMS HERMES.

In August 1905 he joined the submarine depot ship HMS FORTH where he was to remain until February 1910.  In April 1910 he returned briefly to surface ships, serving in the reserve pre-dreadnought battleship HMS HANNIBAL, where he was promoted to Chief ERA 1st Class, and then the battleship HMS QUEEN.  In May 1912 he returned to HMS FORTH, which became the depot ship for the Third Submarine Flotilla at Dover on the outbreak of war. In May 1915 he transferred to HMS MAIDSTONE, the principal depot ship for the large Eighth Submarine Flotilla, based at Harwich.  From December 1915 to February 1916 he was on the books of HMS DOLPHIN, and his service record then shows him from 27 February until his death as attached to HMS TITANIA for HMS G5.  G5 was built at Chatham Dockyard and launched in November 1915, and was commissioned in February 1916, joining the Eleventh Submarine Flotilla based on HMS TITANIA the following month. It seems highly likely that as ‘Chief Tiff’, Edwin Phillpotts would have overseen this whole period of transition into service of a new submarine.  The Eleventh Flotilla was newly established at the end of 1915 in order to provide direct support to the Grand Fleet.  Although based at Blyth, Northumberland at the start of 1916, there are indications that later in 1916, the focus of activity moved towards Scapa Flow.

His service record notes that Chief ERA Phillpotts died of heart failure on 20 August 1916.  He was buried at Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Isle of Hoy, Orkney.  

He left a widow, Alice Mabel (née Davis), whom he had married in March 1899, and four children.