John Winter Jones

John Winter Jones (1866)

John Winter Jones (* 1805 in Lambeth , London , † September 7, 1881 in Henley-on-Thames ) was a British librarian . He succeeded Sir Anthony Panizzi as Principal Librarian at the British Museum and the first President of the British Library Association .

Life

John Winter Jones was born in 1805, possibly June 16, to John Jones and his wife Mary Walker. The father had made a name for himself as the editor of the Naval Chronicle and European Magazine , while the mother was known as the cousin of the painter Robert Smirke .

Between the ages of eight and sixteen, Jones attended St. Paul's School in London and then took lessons from the notary William Meecram Bythewood with the prospect of later being appointed to the Chancery Bar (now the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice ) . In 1823 Jones published a translation of all foreign language quotations in William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England .

As a young adult, Jones temporarily lost his voice due to a serious illness, which made a legal career impossible for him. Hoping to restore his health through frequent travel, Jones took up a position as the traveling representative of the British Foundation Inspectorate around 1835.

Activity at the British Museum

In 1837 Jones married Susanna Hewson, three years her junior, daughter of a landowner from Cumberland . In the same year, on the recommendation of two colleagues from the Foundation Inspectorate , Jones was appointed assistant in the library of the British Museum (now the British Library ). The library was in a time of upheaval, culminating in the election of Anthony Panizzi as Keeper of Printed Books. The necessary reforms included the relocation of all books from Montagu House to the new space designed by Sir Robert Smirke and the creation of a new library catalog, which Jones worked on with Panizzi, John Humffreys Parry , Thomas Watts and Edward Edwards .

After Richard Garnett's death in 1850, Jones took over his position as Assistant Keeper of Printed Books and from then on was probably Panizzi's closest advisor. When Panizzi was finally appointed Principal Librarian in 1856, Jones moved up in the hierarchy and was allowed to call himself Keeper of Printed Books from now on. When Panizzi had to take time off between 1862 and 1863 because of his poor health, Jones replaced him in his role as Principal Librarian. His loyalty to Panizzi made Jones many friends among the museum's curators, including George Grote , Sir David Dundas, and Spencer Walpole.

Parallel to his work for the British Museum, Jones also found time for a lively publication activity. He has published in the North British Review, Quarterly Review and was co-editor of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries .

Sickness and death

After his wife's death in 1876, Jones' health deteriorated, which is why he took a year off from service in 1877 and moved to the small town of Penzance in Cornwall . When this did not bring about the desired improvement, Jones retired in August 1878. On September 7, 1881, Jones died of a heart attack in his Henley-on-Thames home . His grave is at Kensal Green Cemetery .

Publications

Riddles, charades, and conundrums, the greater part of which have never been published . Compiled by John Winter Jones. London: W. Davis 1822
A Translation of All the Greek, Latin, Italian, and French Quotations which Occur in Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England. And Also in the Notes of the Editions by Christian, Archbold, and Williams . London: Charles Reader 1823.
The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge . London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans 1842-1844. (further volumes were planned, but were not completed)
Divers Voyages Touching the Discovery of America and the Islands Adjacent . Edited with Notes and an Introduction by John Winter Jones. Hakluyt Society: London 1850.
The Travels of Ludovico Di Varthema in Egypt, Syria, Arabia Deserta and Arabia Felix, in Persia, India, and Ethiopia . Translated from the original Italian edition of 1510 with a preface by John Winter Jones. Hakluyt Society: London 1863.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Richard Garnett, PR Harris: Jones, John Winter (1805–1881), librarian . In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew (Ed.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . tape 30 . Oxford University Press, Oxford.

personal data
SURNAME	Jones, John Winter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Winter Jones, John
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	British librarian
DATE OF BIRTH	1805
PLACE OF BIRTH	London
DATE OF DEATH	September 7, 1881
Place of death	Henley-on-Thames

[:0-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Richard Garnett, PR Harris: Jones, John Winter (1805–1881), librarian . In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew (Ed.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . tape 30 . Oxford University Press, Oxford.