Researching Alfred Jones

He umpired 7 Test matches, involving Australia, six against England and one against South Africa. His first match, at Sydney on 11 December to 17 December 1903 was won comfortably by England in spite of Victor Trumper's 185 not out. Tip Foster of England scored 287, still the highest score by a batsman on debut. Of slight build, Jones was photographed with the Australian team of that series, an event not likely to occur today. Jones' career lasted more than 25 years, as his last match was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 8 March to 16 March 1929, where he saw Don Bradman score a century in a victorious Australian team.

At the age of twelve he was apprenticed to the managers of the African Steamship Company at Liverpool, making several voyages to the west coast of Africa. By the time he was twenty-six he had risen to be manager of the business. Not finding sufficient scope in this post, he borrowed money to purchase two or three small sailing vessels, and started in the shipping business on his own account. The venture succeeded, and he made additions to his fleet, but after a few years' successful trading, realizing that sailing ships were about to be superseded by steamers, he sold his vessels.

About this time (1891) Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co., who purchased the business of the old African Steamship Company, offered him a managerial post. This offer he accepted, subject to Messrs. Elder, Dempster selling him a number of their shares, and he thus acquired an interest in the business, and subsequently, by further share purchases, its control. He took a keen interest in imperial affairs. He acquired considerable territorial interests in West Africa, and financial interests in many of the companies engaged in opening up and developing that part of the world.

Elder Dempster employed both E.D. Morel and Roger Casement who in time became bitter enemies of Jones.

In the early 1900s Alfred Jones had a monopoly on the Congo-Antwerp mail traffic as well as consular duties representing King Leopold's Congo State in Liverpool. Described by W.T. Stead as the "Uncrowned King of West Africa", Jones had myriad interests. In 1900, in order to supply his ships with bunker fuel, he formed Elder's Navigation Collieries Ltd. and bought the Oakwood and Garth Merthyr colleries near Maesteg in the Llynfi valley, south Wales. He took the leading part in opening up a new line of communication with the West Indies, and in stimulating the Jamaica fruit trade and tourist traffic. He also developed the tourist trade in the Canary Islands and the banana industry there. Jones was instrumental in founding the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and was chairman of the Bank of British West Africa. He was President of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.

He had been interested in cotton growing in West Africa and had even distributed cotton seed there. As a result, in 1902, he was approached, and became, inaugural President of the British Cotton Growing Association.

Jones was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1901 Birthday Honours list on 9 November 1901, in recognition of services to the West African Colonies, and to Jamaica, and invested as such by King Edward VII at St James's Palace on 17 December 1901.In May 1902 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford.

Sir Alfred died unmarried on 13 December 1909, leaving large charitable bequests.A main street in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) is named after him.

Born in Weymouth, Nova Scotia, the son of Guy Carleton Jones and Frances Jones, he was a merchant and established his own firm, A. G. Jones and Company, in 1872.

In 1867, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Halifax. One of 18 members elected of the Anti-Confederation Party, he became an independent in 1869 and was defeated in 1872. He was re-elected in 1874 but was forced to resign in 1878 due to an alleged breach of the Independence of Parliament Act. He was re-elected in the resulting 1878 by-election and was appointed Minister of Militia and Defence from January to October. He was defeated in the 1878 election and in 1882. He was re-elected in 1887 as a Liberal but was defeated in 1891.From 1900 until his death in Halifax in 1906, he was the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia.

Jones made a single first-class appearance for Northamptonshire against Sussex in the 1933 County Championship at the Town Ground, Peterborough. He scored a single run in Northamptonshire's first-innings, before being dismissed by Albert Wensley, while in their second-innings he was dismissed for 12 by James Langridge.

He died at Orton Longueville, Cambridgeshire the day after his 86th birthday on 7 August 1986.