The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-01-30 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. ERNEST JONES.

The public will learn with surprise and regret that
Mr. Ernest Jones died at Manchester on Tuesday
afternoon, a few Minutes after one o'clock. The recent
ballot at Manchester had placed his name with un-
usual prominence before the public, and his sudden
and unexpected death has produced a shuck among
friends as well as political opponents which obliterates
for the moment every sentiment but that of sorrow.
He died at his residence in Wellington-street, Higher
Broughton.
Mr. Jones Waff suffering from severe cold in the early
part of last week, but was induced to leave his bed.
ro im to attend a meeting of the Hulme and Chorlton
Working Men's Association last Wednesday evening.
He left a heated atmosphere to return home by cab,
and incautiously left the window open. It is supposed
that the exposure aggravated his cold, and the next
day he was attacked by severe inflammation of the
lungs, wiiich was afterwards folio wed by pleurisy,
under which be grailualli succumbed. He was in-
formed of the result of the ballot on Sunday morning,.
His last speech to the working men contains the fol-
lowing passage as reported in a local paper :
" There was a personal reason why he desired soon to get
into the House of Commons, and that teas that he could not
afford to wait very long. What little work there was in him
trust he taken out speedily, or it would soon be bit alto-
gether."
Mr. Jones completed his 50th year on Monday,
having been born on the 25th of January, 1819, at
Berlin. His father was Major Charles Jones, of the
15th Hussars, and equerry to the late Duke of Cum-
berland, who became King of Hanover, under the
title of Ernest I. The King was Mr. Jones' god-
father. Major Jones bought an estate in Holstein
and remained there with Ins family till 1838. His
son Ernest composed a number of poems when very
young, which were afterwards published by Nesler, of
Hamburg. At eleven years of age he disappeared from
home and was found with a bundle under his arm
trudging across Laneriberg to "help the Poles," who
were then in insurrection. Later he achieved some
distinction at the College of St. Michael, Liinclairg.
In 1838 Major Jones removed to England with his
family, and in 1841 young Ernest was presented to.
the Queen by the late Duke of Beaufort. He mar-
ried Miss Atherley, of Barfield, Cumberland, whose
father and uncle were the heads of old Conservative
families, but Mr. Jones clung to his Radical pre-
possessions. In this year appeared the first of his
larger works, a romance entitled The Wood Spirit,
published anonymously, by Bohn, of New Boni.
street. Some songs and poems followed, and in
1844, Mr. Jones was called to the Bar at the Middle
Temple, and commenced what promised to be a sue. I
cessful professional career on the Northern Circuit. I
But in an evil hour for his position and prospects as a
barrister, he joined the Chartists, and rapidly became
their leader. This was in 1845 when Sir Robert Peel's
government was in power. Long before this, however,
the Chartists hail contrived to attract to their pro-
ceedings a considerable share of the public atten-
, tiorn Thai body was called into existence soon
reLtu,...ing of the Reform Act of 1832, and they
what theytermed theeixpointmOf the People's
charter, vis.:—Universal staff rage, vote by ballot, annual