John Norton-Griffiths
Lt.-Col. Sir John Norton-Griffiths (1871-1930), K.C.B., D.S.O., of Sir John Norton-Griffiths and Co and of Norton Griffiths, Bruce Marriott and Co, Governing Director of the Egyptian Ministry of public Works who worked on the Assouan Dam.
Known as "Empire Jack" or "Hellfire Jack", he was the grandfather of Jeremy Thorpe, a British politician
1871 July 13th. Born at St. Audries, Somerset, as John Norton Griffiths the son of John Griffiths, a building contractor, of Brecon, and his second wife Juliet Avery.
1881 Living at 15 Crescent, Edmonton: John Griffiths (age 56 born Brecon), Building surveyor. With his wife Juliet (age 48 born Islington), three daughters and a son John N. Griffiths (age 9 born St. Audries, Somerset). Also a boarder from France.[1]
1887–88 A trooper with the Life Guards before travelling to the colony of Natal and on to Transvaal, where he worked as a 'sub-manager' at a gold mine at the age of 17.
1896 In the Second Matabele War he joined Lieut.-Colonel Edwin Alderson's Mashonaland Field Force, then in 1897 was commissioned into the British South Africa Police.
In the Second Boer War, he served briefly with Brabant's Horse, then as Captain Adjutant to Lord Roberts' bodyguard.
1901 Married at City of London to Gwladys Mills Wood. (daughter of Thomas Wood, of Browning, Wood and Fox, Brewery owner, Architect, Engineer and Public Works Contractor) and they had four children.
1903-08 Awarded contracts to carry out major engineering projects in Africa and South America including the first 197 km of the Benguela Railway in Angola.
1910-18 M.P.(C.), Wednesbury, 1910-18 and afterwards of Wandsworth Central
1911 Made a baronet
1916 Awarded D.S.O.
1922 M.I.Min.E., M.Inst.M.M., Governing Director, Norton-Griffiths and Co., Ltd., P.W. Contractors; In Command of Scouts in Matabele War, 1896-7; then S. African Field Force, Brabant's (2nd Division), and afterwards Capt. and Adjutant, Lord Roberts's Bodyguard, H.Q. Staff (Dispatches thrice, 2 Medals and Clasps); authority to raise 2nd King Edward's Horse, European War, 1914; subsequently attached to Staff of Engr.-in-Chief, G.H.Q., to organize and initiate Tunnelling Cos., R.E. (Dispatches thrice, D.S.O.); G.S.O., 1st Grade, on special mission in connection with corn and oil stores in Roumania, 1916 (made Commander Grand Star of Roumania, Officer Legion of Honour, Order of St. Vladimir, K.C.B.).
1930 Shot himself when there were issues with the Assouan Dam.
1974 His widow Gwladys died at the age of 101
1930 Obituary.[2]
Lt-Col. Sir John Norton-Griffiths was found shot dead near Alexandria on Saturday. Front 1918 to 1924 he was the member of Parliament for Central Wandsworth. His exceptional energy was manifested during his election campaigns, and those who interrupted "Empire Jack's" speeches had cause to regret it.
Sir John Norton-Griffiths was born in Somerset on July 13, 1871, son of the late Mr. John Griffiths. He had an unsettled youth and left home at the age of 17 to wander to the other side of the world before be began to train himself for a profession. But by the outbreak of the Boer War he was on the way to being established as an engineer in South Africa. He served in that war with the South African Field Force, Brabant's (2nd Division), and later as captain and adjutant in Lord Robert's Bodyguard, having previously, in the Matabele War of 1898-97, commanded a body of Scouts. He took part in the Peardeberg, Hodder River, and other engagements, and was mentioned in dispatches three times and awarded medals and clasps.
In 1914, on the outbreak of the Great War, Norton-Griffiths raised the 2nd King Edward's Horse at his own expense. Later, on the staff of the Engineer-in-Chief, he organised the tunnelling companies, for which service he was appointed to the D.S.O. It was in this capacity, also, that he planned the Messines mines. In 1916 he was made G.S.O. first grade, on the special mission to Rumania. With the retirement of the Rumanian forces, first upon Bucharest and then away from the city, it became important to prevent the greet stores of oil and corn left thus exposed from falling into the hands of the enemy at a time when they would have been of the greatest use. The task was difficult and dangerous, but was successfully carried out through just those qualities of command, daring, and technical skill that Lieutenant-Colonel Norton-Griffiths possessed. He was made for this feat an officer of the Legion of Honour, and received other foreign decorations.
He married in 1901, Miss Gwladys Wood, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Wood, head of the engineering firm of Messrs. Browning, Wood, and Fox. There are two sons and two daughters, and the heir is Mr. Peter Norton-Griffiths, who was born on May 3, 1905.
A keen supporter of football. Sir John wan a director of Arsenal Football Club. As governing director of the firm of Norton Griffiths and Co., Limited, Sir John Norton was known best of years as an engineer and public works contractor of world standing, and was in at the time of his death in connexion with his firm's contract for the heightening of the Aswan Dam.
The circumstances of his death are thus reported: Mr. Pizzagelli, a high official connected with the Aswan Dam work, spent Friday night with Sir John, who showed great agitation. Usually Mr. Pizzagolli accompanied his chief to the beach in the mornings, but on Saturday he was not invited. Somewhat anxious, Mr. Pizzagelli watched Sir John through field glasses from the casino. He saw him board the surfboat in a bathing costume as usual, but when a mile out at sea the engineer was seen to collapse suddenly to the bottom of the boat. Other people on the beach then saw the unmanned surfboat and swam out to find Sir John's body with a bullet in the temple. The body will be taken home for burial.
Until a week before his tragic death Sir John appeared to he quite normal though obviously suffering from severe mental strain. At the hotel beside which he met his death he was seen to be constantly in earnest consultation with his chief engineer, these conversations being interrupted only by frequent visits to the Ministries. Latterly. however, his friends noticed that his behaviour was odd, and he laid undue stress on the fact that he had incurred the displeasure of the Wafd leaders by his complaints with regard to the native working. The difficulties it is said were on the point of being settled.
The contract was signed in 1929 and Sir John personally superintended the start of the enterprise. He went to Egypt in the early part of winter with his son and remained for some time at Aswan in consultation with Sir Murdoch Macdonald. Subsequently he returned to London, leaving behind him his son to take part in the work of supervision. Thereafter the work proceeded without anY incident until a few weeks ago when trouble arose with the local sub-contractors, and there were rumours of the impending strike of the workmen....(more)