JONES, ALFRED GILPIN (1824-1906), Canadian politician, was born at
Weymouth, Nova Scotia, in September 1824, the son of Guy C. Jones of
Yarmouth, and grandson of a United Empire Loyalist. In 1865 he opposed
the federation of the British American provinces, and, in his anger at
the refusal of the British government to repeal such portions of the
British North America Act as referred to Nova Scotia, made a speech
which won for him the name of Haul-down-the-flag Jones. He was for many
years a member of the Federal Parliament, and for a few months in 1878
was minister of militia under the Liberal government. Largely owing to
his influence the Liberal party refused in 1878 to abandon its Free
Trade policy, an obstinacy which led to its defeat in that year. In 1900
he was appointed lieutenant-governor of his native province, and held
this position till his death on the 15th of March 1906.
JONES, SIR ALFRED LEWIS (1845-1909), British shipowner, was born in
Carmarthenshire, in 1845. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed to the
managers of the African Steamship Company at Liverpool, making several
voyages to the west coast of Africa. By the time he was twenty-six he
had risen to be manager of the business. Not finding sufficient scope in
this post, he borrowed money to purchase two or three small sailing
vessels, and started in the shipping business on his own account. The
venture succeeded, and he made additions to his fleet, but after a few
years' successful trading, realizing that sailing ships were about to be
superseded by steamers, he sold his vessels. About this time (1891)
Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co., who purchased the business of the old
African Steamship Company, offered him a managerial post. This offer he
accepted, subject to Messrs. Elder, Dempster selling him a number of
their shares, and he thus acquired an interest in the business, and
subsequently, by further share purchases, its control. See further
STEAMSHIP LINES. In 1901 he was knighted. Sir Alfred Jones took a keen
interest in imperial affairs, and was instrumental in founding the
Liverpool school of tropical medicine. He acquired considerable
territorial interests in West Africa, and financial interests in many of
the companies engaged in opening up and developing that part of the
world. He also took the leading part in opening up a new line of
communication with the West Indies, and stimulating the Jamaica fruit
trade and tourist traffic. He died on the 13th of December 1909, leaving
large charitable bequests.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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