Charles Sydney Jones
Encyclopedia
Sir Sydney Jones (7 February 1872 – 16 February 1947) was an English shipowner and Liberal Party
politician.
. He attended Charterhouse School
and Magdalen College, Oxford
. He never married. In religion Jones was a Unitarian
, a member of the Unitarian Church in Ullet Road, Liverpool
. In 1921 he was elected President of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association
. He got involved in public service through the church and later worked at the Liverpool University Settlement in boys clubs and in the establishment of maternity and ante-natal clinics.
. He was sometime Chairman of the Liverpool Steamship Owners’ Association.
in 1908. He was later created an Alderman
and served as Lord Mayor
of Liverpool from 1938-1942. He was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire
for the year 1929-1930 and also served as a Justice of the Peace
. Jones was knighted in 1937. During the early years of Second World War, when the City was the subject of severe bombing attacks from the enemy, he was a prominent member of the Liverpool Emergency Committee and he set up the Air Raid Distress Fund to help victims of the bombing. He later had the honour, as Lord Mayor, of greeting Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
on his surprise visit to Liverpool on 27 September 1941. He was made an honorary freeman
of the City of Liverpool.
and variously the University’s Treasurer (1918–1930), President of the Council of the University (1930–1936) and Pro-Chancellor (1936–1942). The institution later rewarded him with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. He was a significant benefactor of the University. When he died, he left Liverpool University a considerable legacy consisting of his home and effects and the residue of his estate after other bequests. Jones was an avid art collector. Among the items he left to the University were illuminated manuscripts, watercolours and ceramics. His collections were not inherited family heirlooms but were collected by him during his lifetime. He had already made a gift to the University of his collection of fine English china in 1939.
. In a straight fight with the sitting Conservative
MP, Sir William Hall
he gained a majority of 1,990 votes. Interestingly the 1922 general election
had also been a straight fight but on that occasion Sir William Hall had been opposed by a Labour
candidate with no Liberal intervention. Whether this taking it in turns to contest the seat represented some kind of formal arrangement between the parties is not clear but it was reported that the Labour Party was working with Jones in the election and this was expected to be politically very helpful. However by the 1924 general election
, the Tory
Party had revived and the contest in West Derby was now a three-cornered affair with Jones facing a new Conservative opponent, John Sandeman Allen as well as Labour’s T G Adams. As a result Jones lost the seat to the Conservatives, with Labour gaining second place. He did not stand for Parliament again.
He was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire
in 1929.
, suffered head injuries, and was left in a critical condition. He made a gradual recovery but the injuries left him weakened. Jones died at his home, Eastbourne, Princes Park, Liverpool
aged 75 years.
and Norroy King of Arms and a device or badge to Jones (26 March 1929), a copy of his will and a photograph of Nettlestead Chace, his former residence, are kept in the archives at Liverpool University.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
Jones was the son of Charles William Jones, a shipowner from LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. He attended Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. He never married. In religion Jones was a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, a member of the Unitarian Church in Ullet Road, Liverpool
Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool
The Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool is in Ullet Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool, Merseyside, England . It is a Grade I listed building and is an active Unitarian church...
. In 1921 he was elected President of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association
British and Foreign Unitarian Association
The British and Foreign Unitarian Association was the major Unitarian body in Britain from 1825. The BFUA was founded as an amalgamation of three older societies: the Unitarian Book Society for literature , The Unitarian Fund for mission work , and the Unitarian Association for civil rights...
. He got involved in public service through the church and later worked at the Liverpool University Settlement in boys clubs and in the establishment of maternity and ante-natal clinics.
Career
Jones followed his father into the shipping industry. He was a member of the firm of Alfred Holman and Co. of Liverpool, the owners of the Blue Funnel shipping lineBlue Funnel Line
Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels....
. He was sometime Chairman of the Liverpool Steamship Owners’ Association.
Local politics
Jones entered municipal politics in Liverpool first becoming a member of the City CouncilLiverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
in 1908. He was later created an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and served as Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
of Liverpool from 1938-1942. He was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
for the year 1929-1930 and also served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. Jones was knighted in 1937. During the early years of Second World War, when the City was the subject of severe bombing attacks from the enemy, he was a prominent member of the Liverpool Emergency Committee and he set up the Air Raid Distress Fund to help victims of the bombing. He later had the honour, as Lord Mayor, of greeting Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
on his surprise visit to Liverpool on 27 September 1941. He was made an honorary freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the City of Liverpool.
Education
Jones had a particular interest in secondary and further education. He was a long serving member of the City Council’s Education Committee. He was a member of the Council of Liverpool Universityand variously the University’s Treasurer (1918–1930), President of the Council of the University (1930–1936) and Pro-Chancellor (1936–1942). The institution later rewarded him with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. He was a significant benefactor of the University. When he died, he left Liverpool University a considerable legacy consisting of his home and effects and the residue of his estate after other bequests. Jones was an avid art collector. Among the items he left to the University were illuminated manuscripts, watercolours and ceramics. His collections were not inherited family heirlooms but were collected by him during his lifetime. He had already made a gift to the University of his collection of fine English china in 1939.
Parliamentary candidate
Jones was selected as Liberal candidate for the constituency of Liverpool West Derby for the general election of 1923United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
. In a straight fight with the sitting Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP, Sir William Hall
William Reginald Hall
Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall, KCMG, CB, RN was the British Director of Naval Intelligence from 1914 to 1919...
he gained a majority of 1,990 votes. Interestingly the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
had also been a straight fight but on that occasion Sir William Hall had been opposed by a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate with no Liberal intervention. Whether this taking it in turns to contest the seat represented some kind of formal arrangement between the parties is not clear but it was reported that the Labour Party was working with Jones in the election and this was expected to be politically very helpful. However by the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Party had revived and the contest in West Derby was now a three-cornered affair with Jones facing a new Conservative opponent, John Sandeman Allen as well as Labour’s T G Adams. As a result Jones lost the seat to the Conservatives, with Labour gaining second place. He did not stand for Parliament again.
He was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
in 1929.
Death
In 1945, at the age of 73, Jones was attacked by burglars at his then home in Sefton ParkSefton Park
Sefton Park is a public park in south Liverpool, England. The park is in a district of the same name within the Liverpool City Council Ward of Mossley Hill, and roughly within the historic bounds of the large area of Toxteth Park...
, suffered head injuries, and was left in a critical condition. He made a gradual recovery but the injuries left him weakened. Jones died at his home, Eastbourne, Princes Park, Liverpool
Princes Park, Liverpool
Princes Park in Toxteth, Liverpool, England, is a 45 hectare municipal park, 2 miles south east of Liverpool city centre. In 2009 it had it status upgraded to a Grade II* Historic Park by English Heritage....
aged 75 years.
Papers
A collection of papers consisting of the Grant of Arms by Garter Principal King of ArmsGarter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the jurisdiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in the world...
and Norroy King of Arms and a device or badge to Jones (26 March 1929), a copy of his will and a photograph of Nettlestead Chace, his former residence, are kept in the archives at Liverpool University.