Percy Muir Jones (1884-1952) of Short Brothers and Harland - 'The First Air Draughtsman'
1884 July 13th. Born
1907 Started work in the drawing office of Short Brothers on the Isle of Sheppey
One of his earliest tasks was to draw the plans of the first aeroplane turned out of any factory to a specification of the Wright Brothers. Six of the machines were ordered.
1911 Living at 67 Goldsmith Avenue, Acton W: John Jones (age 67 born Soho, London), Brickmaker - Employer - Widower. With his son Percy Muir Jones (age 25 born Hammersmith), Draughtsman.[1]
1939 Living at Rochester, Engineer Aircraft. With Isabella Jones (born 1886).[2]
1948 Retired from Short Brothers and Harland after thirty-nine years' service on the drawing-office staff.[3]
1952 Obituary [4]
THE death recently took place, in Rochester, Kent, of Percy Muir Jones.
Aged 67, Mr. Jones was able, with justification, to lay claim to being the world's first aeronautical draughtsman, for in the year 1907 he joined the Short brothers, then engaged on the construction of balloons at Battersea. With them he transferred to Leysdown, and there, as their draughtsman, he drew up the plans for the six machines which were built by Shorts to the design of Wilbur and Orville Wright. These drawings were, incidentally, the first properly completed drawing of this, the first aircraft ever to fly. Before P. M. Jones was assigned to the task, even the Wright brothers themselves had not made detailed plans.
The passing of "P.M.", as he was affectionately known, thus severs an irreplaceable link with those early pioneering days. From 1908 onwards (writes a member of Short Brothers and Harland, Ltd.) he was a member of this company's technical staff for almost forty years, and in 1915 became its chief draughtsman. Before his retirement in 1948, P. M. Jones filled the post of librarian, and his many reminiscences of the growth of the aeronautical industry were a source of much interest to those privileged to hear them.
Educated at Mill Hill School and London University College, it was to this latter institution that P. M. Jones returned when, finding retirement irksome, he became librarian to University College Engineering Faculty. Only a few weeks ago he presided at the annual dinner of the Short Brothers "25 Years Plus" Association, of which body he was chairman and a founder member.
Those who knew P. M. Jones were confident that his engaging personality and invaluable experience would be with us for many more years, and his death comes as a distinct shock.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1911 Census
- ↑ 1939 Census
- ↑ The Engineer 1948/12/03
- ↑ 1952/05/09 Flight and Aircraft Engineer