The Founder of David Jones Department Stores-Australia
DAVID JONES b.8th March 1793 at Llandeilo the son of THOMAS JONES/NANCY who were farmers.
At 15yrs of age apprenticed to a grocer in Carmarthen.
At 18yrs manager of general store at Eglwyswrw,Pembroke.
1813 married CATHERINE HUGHES daughter of congregational minister.
1814 CATHERINE died in childbirth. He left for London and became a retailer in Oxford St.
1828 married JANE HALL daughter of JOHN HALL MANDER of East Smithfield.
MANDER family were independents,involved with the London Missionary Society,through them
JONES met CHARLES APPLETON a Hobart businessman,who had opened a store in Sydney in 1825.
JONES became APPLETON'S partner (APPLETON & Co).
Oct 1834, JONES and family sailed to Hobart in the THOMAS HARRISON. He travelled overland
to Launceston and sailed aboard the MEDWAY for Sydney,arriving in 1835.
There he succeeded APPLETON'S business partner,ROBERT BOURNE,a former missionary. In
December of that year the firm became APPLETON & JONES.
1838 The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent.
DAVID JONES then set up in business on the corner of George St. and Barrack Lane,and to
trade with London,he formed a protective association with business friends,who were fellow
independents. The association commonly secured the whole cargo space of ships which
conveyed,'Bounty Migrants' and profitable return cargoes of wool or tallow were
generally assured. He survived the depression of the 1840s, and in 1849 he visited Wales
and England with his wife.
1856. He retired from active management,but was obliged to resume control a few years
later,when the firm failed. He retired eventually in 1868 and died at his home at Lyons
Terrace,Liverpool St,Sydney on March 29 1873.
DAVID JONES is said to have had 'A noble and proposing presence,and a kind and
engaging personality'. His interests were his family,business,religion and civic
affairs. He invested in banks,steamships,insurance and other companies,and for 35yrs was a
Deacon of the congregational church in Sydney. He was a generous benefactor to his own and
other Sydney churches,and was one of the Sydney merchants who each contributed 1,000
guineas to the Crimean war victim's fund. He was a member of the first Sydney City
Council in 1842 and of the New South Wales Legislative Council in 1856-60.
Jones had four sons and four daughters by his second wife.
DAVID MANDER JONES
Born 1864 married a cousin EMILY JONES,and with his brother GEORGE took up the 300 square
mile property on the Darling Downs.(Qld)
PHILIP SYDNEY JONES (1836-1918) 2nd son was knighted as a Physician.
EDWARD LLOYD JONES (1844-1893) youngest son succeeded his father in the business.
Barrie
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