James Jones (1841-1884)

Painting of James Jones when Director of John Jones and Sons and and as Alderman of Birkenhead Town Council.*

1882. James Jones family group.Back row standing left to right John Jones 1866, The Maid/Staff member, The Housekeeper (with keys proudly worn on chains across her chest), The Gardener/Coachman, The Governess. Middle row sitting left to right: Bess' Madeline Bessie Jones (1872), Thomas (1870), 'Teenie' Anne Casteen Jones sitting on her father's James' right knee - then Mr James Jones, 'Joey' Joseph Turton Jones (1878) sitting on James' left knee placed between his parents, Mrs Madeline Jones (nee Turton) James's wife) -on her knee is baby Robin Hoult Jones (1880) Emma Mary Jones (1867), a visitor possibly a cousin with young 'Fred' Frederick Stevenson (and Stephenson)(1876) sitting on or to the side of her knee both holding a walking cane.(Emma and the visitor may be here named the wrong way round). Front row from left to right: James Henry Jones (1868), 'Pat' Patty Beatrice Jones(1873). Charles Jones (1874)

1860. James' signature from his family bible.*

James Jones (1841-1884) of John Jones and Sons

1841 Born the son of John Jones and his wife Mary Hoult

1861 Living at 54 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead: John Jones (age 59 born Liverpool?), Engineer Civil - Widower. With his sister-in-law Anne Hoult (age 44 born Liverpool). Also his five children; Annie Jones (age 30 born Newton-le-Willows); Mary Jones (age 26 born Newton-le-Willows); Martha Jones (age 24 born Newton-le-Willows); Charles Jones (age 21 born Newton-le-Willows), Engineer; James Jones (age 19 born Newton-le-Willows), Broker's Clerk. Three servants.

1871 Living at The Cedars, Stratford, Essex: John Jones (age 38 born Newton in Markerfield), Engineer and Ship Builder employing 106 men and 10 boys. With his wife Thomasine Jones (age 32 born Sheffield) and their three children; Edith Jones (age 4 born Stratford); Emma Ruth Jones (age 3 born Stratford); and Edgar Turton Jones (age 8 Months born Stratford). Also shown as visitors are his brother and family - James Jones (age 29 born Lancashire), Engineer; Madeline Jones (age 30 born Sheffield) and John Green Jones (age 5 born Cheshire?). Three servants.

1881 James Jones, Town Councillor, Engineer Employing 600 Men, living in Claughton, Birkenhead with Madeline Jones 40, Emma Mary Jones 13, Madeline Bessie Jones 10, Ann Casleen Jones 9, Patty Beatrice Jones 7, Charles Jones 6, Frederick S. Jones 5, Joseph Teishon Jones 3, Robin Houth Jones

1884 February 2nd. Killed by a train at Ainsdale Railway Station.

There were 100 carriages and 400 workers from John Jones and Sons at James' funeral in 1884 two years after the family group photograph was taken Feb 2nd 1882. Sadly then Emma was also killed in another more major railway accident in Penistone near Sheffield July 16th 1884. Madeline died 1891 never having recovered from the two events oral history relates thereby leaving a lot of wealthy youngsters without parents.

The middle names of the children are shown because they reveal links with a number of other steel, shipping, steam, railway entrepreneurs in the Liverpool area too. There was a Liverpool Welsh network obvious and also links with Steel in Sheffield as I will describe. (Interestingly Cammell another steel magnate of Sheffield went to Birkenhead and joined Laird in the famous Cammell Laird shipping company also).

See Also

Loading...

Sources of Information

• Image: Private collection of Dr SJ Andrews