John William LEE-JONES (aka Jones) [1859-1942]

There is some confusion between the 1871 and 1881 British Census as to where John William Lee-Jones was born (in 1860)

1871 Census has John as age 11, born in Chester

1881 Census has John as age 21, born in Ireland

1891 he is no longer living with his parents and siblings.

Listed as the father of Reginald Wynne Lee Jones, (a minor at the time) in Samuel Wynne Lee's will dated 1 Feb 1911. See the will under Samuel W. Lee. Will also stated they were living in Hong Kong, China, at the time of the will.

St Iberius records shows he is baptised in Wexford, Ireland, and gives date of baptism and date of birth. Could have been born England and baptised in Ireland. We do know from this, they were in Ireland in Jan 1860.

From the Carl Smith Card Collection, Hong Kong (see footnotes) Card: "1887, Jan 1, Daily Press - married 30 Dec., St. Johns Cathedral, John William Jones, C.M. to Dorenda Sarah (Dora), eldest daughter of late Thomas Lee, Esq., Wexford, Ireland.

On 5 Dec 2008, St. John's Cathedral, the administer, said all the baptism, marriage and burial records have been transferred to the gov't records office in nearby Kowloon.

Marriage records for 1887- 1937 were lost. Gov't Public Records Office  showed us the file with the missing section of marriages. Therefore, the Carl Smith collection is the only marriage record as well as the Daily Press newspaper article, Page 2, The Daily Press, 1 Jan 1887, "MARRIAGE On the 30th December at St. John's Cathedral by the Reverend F.A. ____ John William Jones, CM, to Dorenda Sarah (Dora) eldest daughter of the late Thomas Lee, Esq., Wexford, Ireland."

CAREER (from the 1913 Civil Service List. Note: The 1914 Civil Service List was the final list in which he was listed since he retired in 1915 with a pension. These lists were found at the Gov't Public Records Office, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2008:

page 181: Jones, John William Lee, Barrister-at-Law, Gray's Inn. Born: 18 Nov 1859, speaks Cantonese.

Deputy Registrar and Accountant, Supreme Court, $3,600 to $4,200

1884, Nov. 30: [selected as?] Assistant master, Government Central School [this school has been renamed as Queen's College]

1885, Jan 23: Arrived in colony of Hong Kong

1889, June 11: On half-pay leave

1890, Feb 1: Resumed duty on return from leave

1894, Apr 6 to Dec 22: Acting First Clerk, Magistracy (sic)

1895,Jan 15 to Mar 31: Seconded as Acting Head master, British Kowloon College [this school has been renamed as King George V School or KGV]

1895, Sep 22: On half-pay leave

1896, Oct: Passed Bar final examination

1897, Jan 13: Resumed duty on return from leave

1897, Sep 9: Acting Deputy Registrar and Accountant, Supreme Court

1898, Dec 15: Acting Deputy Registrar and Appraiser

1900, Jan 26: Acting Deputy Registrar and Accountant

1900, May 30: Acting Deputy Registrar and Appraiser

1902, June 16: On half-pay leave

1902, Aug: Deputy Registrar and Accountant, Supreme Court, with effect from 7 June 1901

1903, June: Called to the Bar

1903, Aug 6: Resumed duty on return from leave

1903, Oct 15 to 1904, Oct 26: Acting Deputy Registrar and Appraiser

1905, Mar 16 to 1906, Jul 16: Acting Deputy Registrar and Appraiser

1909, Apr 12: On half-pay leave

1910, Jan 5: Resumed duty on return from leave

1913, Jun 26: On half-pay leave

1915: retired with pension

1925-35 in Jersey

Apr 1938: Second wife Augusta died in France, buried Jersey.

from will: 1939 visit in Tasmania

from will: 1940 in Jersey island

between Apr 1938 and Aug 1940: married third wife Ethel

May 1942 died in Channel Islands, Jersey: from death records

　RENTAL OF HOME: J.W. Jones rented out his home in June 1890. Reference: Rev. Carl Smith, Carl Smith card catelog collection in Hong Kong. Two cards from catelog: #1 shows address at daughter's baptism and #2 shows in 25 Jun 1890 advertisement in the Daily Press "To Let, 6 Belilios Terrace, apply J.W. Jones"

Will in Hong Kong for John William Lee-Jones.Will was written in 1940, proved in England in UK, 1942 on the Isle of Jersey, after John W. Lee-Jones died in 1942. After WWII, it was forwarded to Hong Kong for disposition of his Hong Kong assets. A copy of the Hong Kong doc (HKRS No.144,D&S#4/5188, No.675 of 1947) was found at the Gov't Public Records Office, Kowloon, in 2008.

From the will, at his death, he lived at 109 Rouge Bouillon, Parish of St. Helier, Isle of Jersey, Channel Islands, UK. His will gross value in England was pounds, 6514.0.11 and his Hong Kong value was $47,400.

In John W. Lee-Jones's 1940 will, Reginald and his wife, Lena, lived at "Valley Field" Bagdad, Tasmania, Australia. John visited them in Tasmania (1938-39). Reginald was given one third of the residue of John's estate. Another third went to Kathleen Lee Wheen (John's daughter and Reginald's sister) and the final third to John's third and final wife, Ethel Laura (nee Starr) Limner Lee-Jones.

From 2008 email with Grays Inn, UK:

John William Jones, Assistant Master of Queen's College, Hong Kong was admitted to Gray's Inn on 1st November 1985 aged 36 years. His entry in the register of admissions records that he was the son of Benjamin Jones of Chester and that he had passed the Preliminary Examination on 24th October 1895. The Preliminary Examination was required of any applicant who was not a graduate of a British University - it was a general examination not an examination in law - you may be confusing this pass with his passing of the English Bar Examination, which he no doubt passed following independent study much nearer to the time of his Call to the Bar. I cannot give you an exact date as we do not hold the relevant records but I can tell you that it was likely that he would have taken the various sections involved in qualifying over a number of years, culminating with the final examination, which would have qualified him for Call. If you are interested in gaining further information on his progress through the Bar Examination you will need to research the material held in Records of Legal Education Archive at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies: http://ials.sas.ac.uk/

His application for admission was supported by references from: John Joseph Francis QC of Hong Kong, a member of Gray's Inn and Alfred Gascoyne Wise, Acting Attorney-General of Hong Kong, a member of Lincoln's Inn

John William Jones notified the Inn by letter dated 7th June 1904 that he had executed a Deed Poll to change his surname to Lee-Jones on 30th April 1904 and assumed his new name from 1st May. 

John William Lee-Jones appears in the Law Lists up to 1930 without a chambers address (presumably because he was in Hong Kong).

I hope this is of interest.

Theresa Thom, Librarian of Gray's Inn

Obituary:

Jersey Evening Post, Monday May 4 1942 Deaths:

Lee Jones. - Died on Saturday, May 2nd 1942, at Bon Air Nursing Home, John William Lee Jones, Esquire (Barrister-at-Law), of 109 Rouge Bouillon, dearly-loved husband of Ethel Lee Jones, in his 83rd year.

John William Lee-Jones's headstone from Channel Islands:

Headstone Inscription:- In \ Loving Memory of \ Augusta Suzanna Blanche \ Beloved Wife of \ J.W. Lee-Jones J.P. \ Late of the Supremme Courts, Hong Kong \ Whot Died at St. Malo, France \ 27th April 1938, aged 56. ____ In Sweetest Memory of \ John William Lee-Jones \ died May 2nd 1942 aged 82. \ Deus Vobiscum.

Gravestone Inscription, St Saviour's Churchyard, Jersey. Section III, Row XI, No 99. Cit. Date: 17 Dec 2008.