Morris Jones (1892)
| Morris Jones | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1892 |
| Died | 1978 |
| Employer | FR Co. |
| Occupation | Leading Chargehand |
| FR People | WHR People | |
Morris Jones started as an apprentice fitter and later became foreman of works at Boston Lodge works on the Festiniog Railway. He later worked on the revived Festiniog Railway and the revived Talyllyn Railway.
He served his apprenticeship as a fitter at Boston Lodge Works before the First World War. In the 1911 census he appears as "Fitter Iron Works, Boston Lodge".
During the First World War, and after, he served in the Merchant Navy as an engineering officer, receiving his First Class Engineer's certificate in November 1919.
In 1926, he was home in Portmadoc on leave when, or just after, Hugh Hughes was killed in an accident. He was given the position of Chargehand. With the dismissal of Robert Williams he was offered and took the position of Leading Chargehand in January 1928, a post in which he remained until some eight months after the 1946 closure, his services being dispensed with in March 1947, the last employee (other than Robert Evans) to leave the Company.[1] In the period 1940 to 1946 he was also acting Locomotive Superintendent. In 1954 Allan Garraway and Bill Harvey stayed for a few days in Porthmadog (on their way to the Talyllyn AGM) and arranged for Morris Jones to join them at Boston Lodge to show them what was what.[2] He had a smallholding (Bryn Neuadd) near Dolbenmaen. He helped them work on the Simplex. At the time Morris was giving three days a week help at Pendre during the early years of the Talyllyn Railway revival and thus he became the first person to be employed by the new Ffestiniog administration in 1955, being involved in the restoration of Prince and subsequently of the double engine Taliesin.
He died in 1978, and his obituary was written by his apprentice Arwyn Morgan:[3]
Morris was an engineer of the old school: if a boiler mounting had to be fitted, Morris would revel in white lead, red oxide, brass gauze and lead wire as a jointing compound, in spite of the availability of Walkerite. He would give a satisfied smile as the concoction oozed out from between the surfaces as the nuts were tightened. "there you are", he would say, "A joint for life" - and so it was.
In the obituary, with graphic descriptions of how things were done of old at Boston Lodge, Arwyn wrote that he would always be grateful to the FR for giving him the chance to work with such a wonderful person as Morris Jones.
Photo[edit]
Morris Jones (1892) is confirmed as the person in the photo known as Boyd26H. (click here to see) This photo is labelled "A Group taken in the Works Yard before the First War". It is believed to be around 1913. It is not all staff from the yard at that time. There was a list attached to the original which declares who the people are. This person is believed to be in the second row from the back and the fourth person from the left handside.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Boyd, James I.C. (1975) [1959]. The Festiniog Railway 1800 - 1974; Vol. 1 - History and Route. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1167-X. OCLC 2074549.
- ^ Garraway, Allan (1985). Garraway, Father and Son. Midhurst, West Sussex, England: Middleton Press. ISBN 0906520207. OCLC 17508087.
- ^ "Obituary", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 83, page(s): 2