William John Jones (1866-1938)
Sir William John Jones (1866-1938) of Woodall-Duckham
1938 Obituary [1]
SIR WILLIAM J. JONES died on October 12th at his home at Warlingham, Surrey.
He was born in 1866 in London, and was educated at the Haberdashers' Company's Aske's School, passing out at the head of the School.
Embarking on an engineering career, he was for many years with Newton, Chambers and Co., Ltd., ironmasters, engineers, and colliery proprietors, of South Yorkshire.
Subsequently he joined the late Mr Arthur Duckham, and together they formed the group which is now known as the Woodall-Duckham companies.
In 1916, Sir William was invited to join the Ministry of Munitions as Director of Refractory Materials, and in 1917 he was made Deputy Controller of Steel Production, becoming, towards the end of 1918, Director of Steel Production. In 1919, the K.B.E. was conferred upon him for his services in the war, and he was also made an Officier de la Legion d'Honneur by the French President.
After the war he was in charge of a Commission appointed by the Ministry of Munitions to examine the condition of the iron and steel works in Lorraine and the occupied areas of Germany. He was also British representative on the Inter-Allied Steel Commission in connection with the Ministry of Munitions and a member of the Commission appointed by the Minister of Reconstruction to inquire into the supply of building materials. He was President of the Ceramic Society during the session 1917-1918, and it was largely due to his efforts, in close co-operation with the late Dr. J. W. Melior, that the Refractory Materials Section of that Society was formed in 1916.
Sir William Jones was interested in many concerns connected with the iron and steel trade, and was chairman of Roadless Traction, Ltd., and for some time a director of Dorman, Long and Co., Ltd.
He was also active in local affairs, taking a hand in the local government of Wallington, where he at first resided, and later at Warlingham. He was a member of Lloyd's, of the Baltic Exchange, and of the Thames Conservancy Board.