Fred M. Jones
The Honourable
Fred M. Jones
OBEJP
Jones (left) with his son, Keith
Custos Rotulorum of Portland
In office1965 – 1971 (his death)
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime Minister
Preceded byF. V. Grossett
Succeeded byJohn Henry Stedman
Personal details
BornFrederick McDonald Jones(1890-01-29)29 January 1890
Portland, Colony of Jamaica, British Empire
Died31 December 1971(1971-12-31) (aged 81)
Kingston, Jamaica
Spouse
Gladys Smith
​
(m. 1923)​
Relations
Children7, including Kenneth and Evan
EducationTitchfield Upper School

Frederick McDonald JonesOBEJP (29 January 1890 – 31 December 1971), commonly known as Fred M. Jones, was a wealthy Jamaican planter and public figure who served as Custos Rotulorum of Portland from 1965 until his death. He was one of the largest individual landowners in Jamaica.[1] He devoted much of his life to public service and philanthropy.[2]

Early life and family

The Jones family came to Portland, Jamaica, in 1842 with the Rev. Evan Jones, a Welshclergyman who built St Thomas Anglican Church in Manchioneal. The Reverend's son, Morgan Newton Jones JP, was the proprietor of the in ruinate sugar plantation Williamsfield Estate, which he leased.[1][2] He married Annie Mary Lord at his father's church in 1869;[3] his second wife was Rosa Elizabeth (née McDonald), Fred M. Jones's mother, whom he married the year of Jones's birth.

Jones was educated at Tichfield Upper School, returning to Williamsfield in the evenings to work for his father,[2] alongside his younger brother Henry Morgan Jones. In 1916, Henry left to join British forces in the First World War, attesting with the 237th Battalion (American Legion), CEF;[4] swiftly being transferred to the No. 2 Construction Battalion.[5] He was discharged in 1919, having attained the rank of sergeant.[6]

In 1923, Fred married Gladys Smith MBEJP, a Quakermissionary from Oskaloosa, Iowa. Gladys's mission focused on education, transforming Happy Grove School in Portland from a vocational to an academic institution.[7][8] Although an Anglican, Jones took an active hand in Quaker affairs and worked alongside his wife. They had seven children, amongst them were the writer Evan and the politician Kenneth.[9]

Fred M. Jones Estates (FMJ)

In the early 1900s, Fred M. and Henry Morgan Jones grew coconuts and bananas on their father's land.[10] By 1916, their father had died, leaving Williamsfield Estates to them jointly with Fred having powers of attorney over the property.[4] During the 1920s and 1930s, as large American fruit companies such as United Fruit and Atlantic Fruit moved their Caribbean operations to Central America, Jones acquired their lands. He was initially denied loans for this purpose, possibly due to his mixed race. However, he was eventually granted a loan by a small building society on the western side of the island.[10]

Aquatints by James Hakewill showing the great house (above) and mill yard (below) of the Holland Estatec. 1820–21, the ruins of which are part of FMJ Estates.

In 1949, after many years of operation, Jones's company was officially registered as Fred M. Jones Estates, Ltd., of which his father's Williamsfield Estates is now a subsidiary. In 1961, a dairy was established at FMJ.[10] At its height, FMJ covered 10,000 acres across Portland and St Thomas, with the majority of villagers from settlements such as Duckenfield working on the property.[11]

As of 2019, FMJ is managed by Nicholas Jones, Jones's grandson; encompassing 5,000 acres and employing 220 people.[10] Due to the Golden Grove Sugar Estates factory closing in 2019,[12] FMJ estates transitioned from primarily producing sugarcane to cassava, which is sold to Desnoes & Geddes to brew Red Stripe.[10][13] Another recent addition to FMJ is the Holland Crocodile Sanctuary.[10]

Public service and philanthropy

In a 1965 article in The Daily Gleaner, it was written that "the Jones family has been a friend of the people over the years";[14] and, in 1971, that Jones himself was "one of [Portland's] most active and public spirited sons".[2] Jones and his wife were highly involved patrons of education, and Happy Grove School's Jones Library is dedicated to them in honour of their significant contributions to the institution.[15] Upon Gladys's death, Jones donated sufficient musical instruments to Happy Grove School to furnish the pupils with an orchestra.[9] He also donated a medical clinic to the town of Manchioneal;[15] and, in 1965, donated FMJ land for the building of Amity Hall Primary School.[14]

In the 1930s and 1940s, Jones served extensively as a justice of the peace. However, Jones was perhaps most active as the holder of civic and agricultural board positions. During his life he was named:[2]

  • Director of the Portland Parochial Board;
  • President of the Portland Citizen's Association;
  • Chairman of the Banana Board;
  • Vice-chairman of the Agricultural Development Corporation;
  • Director of the All-Island Banana Growers Association;
  • Director of the Banana Industry Insurance;
  • Chairman of the Happy Grove School Board;
  • Chairman of the Friends' Education Council;
  • Member of the Anglican Diocesan Council;
  • Member of the Diocesan Finance Council.

Honours

Personal life and death

Fred M. Jones was the first person to own a Rolls-Royce automobile in Jamaica and was a member of the Royal Jamaican Yacht Club.[17] He died at the age of 81 in Nuttall Memorial Hospital in Kingston.[2] Jones is depicted in his son Evan's work of familial autofiction, Stone Haven (1993). In the novel, Jones's name is Stanley Newton.[18]

References

  1. ^ abTanna, Laura (1985). "Evan Jones: Man of Two Worlds". Jamaica Journal. 18 (4): 39–45 – via Digital Library of the Caribbean.
  2. ^ abcdefg"Custos Fred M. Jones is Dead". The Daily Gleaner. 2 January 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  3. ^"Married". The Daily Gleaner. 25 February 1869. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  4. ^ ab"Jamaica Who's Who 1916 - Hall to Lyons". Jamaican Family Search. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  5. ^"Henry Morgan Jones". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  6. ^"Private Henry Morgan Jones: CGWP Record Detail". Canadian Great War Project. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  7. ^Hubben, William (21 February 1959). "Religious Education Issue"(PDF). Friends Journal: A Quaker Weekly. 5 (8): 124 – via Friends Journal.
  8. ^"Happy Grove old students fete Mrs. Gladys Jones". The Daily Gleaner. 19 June 1959. p. 22. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  9. ^ abRoueche, Ken (2010). The Story of Portland: The Other Jamaica. Victoria, B.C.: Ken Roueche Publishing. pp. 91–93. ISBN 9780981076119.
  10. ^ abcdef"Fred M. Jones Estates, Ltd". Business View Caribbean. 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  11. ^Thomson, Ian (2009). The Dead Yard: A Story of Modern Jamaica. New York: Nation Books. p. 167. ISBN 9781568586564.
  12. ^Clarke, Paul; Walker, Karyl (4 November 2019). "Sugar's slow death sucking life out of St Thomas". The Gleaner. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  13. ^Monteith, Shanna (5 January 2019). "St Thomas: Sugar's Slow Death: $16m flowed into coffers per fortnight". The Gleaner. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  14. ^ ab"Self-Help Builds Amity Hill School". The Daily Gleaner. 16 October 1965. p. 15. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  15. ^ ab"Re-Dedication". The Daily Gleaner. 27 April 1988. p. 14. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  16. ^"No. 42875 (Supplement)". The Gazette. 28 December 1962. p. 49. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  17. ^"Evan Jones Obituary". The Times. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  18. ^Jones, Evan (1998). Stone Haven (Abridged ed.). Oxford: Heinemann. ISBN 0435989499.
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