David Jones and family

David Jones (c. 1817-8July1856) was a ship designer and builder from Aberystwyth. He lived at Point Walter with his wife Sarah Eustace Caporn (-1880) who had arrived 20 August 1842 on the Simon Taylor. They were married 27 August 1845. He died aged only 39, and was interred in East Perth Cemetery, whose records show that he died of a 'decline', and was interred at CofE #801. After his death, Sarah married William Owston and had one child with him, another William Owston.

Among many other vessels, such as the Empress, the Industry, the Pelsart, the Sara, and the Buoy Boat, David Jones designed and built the New Perseverance, of 127 tons, at Preston Point. This ship, built for Samuel Brakes, much later (1859) became the property of William Owston.

Sarah Caporn and children: Elizabeth Jones (17May1850-30Apr1870), Frederick Jones (1Nov1846-27Aug1914), Sarah CAPORN Jones Owston (12Feb1820-2Oct1880), William Owston (1Jul1855-), Louisa Jones (4Jun1848-).

One of David Jones's son was Frederick Jones, who was born in Fremantle and owned land there and in South Fremantle and Jandakot. He was a municipal councillor 1888-96, 1898-1907, 1908-9, and 1909-14 (Ewers), and had two terms as Deputy Mayor. He married Emma Preston Cook (1853-1937) in 1875. (She had previously been married to a Capt. Reeve who died in a shipwreck.)

Emma and Frederick and family, c. 1895. Back: David, Christina, Alfred, Louisa. Front: William, Emma, Florence, Frederick Jr, Frederick Snr, dog. Photo kindly supplied by family and Judith Grace.

[[img/jonesfrederickLH001190.jpg|]]

Fremantle Library photo 1190: Frederick and Emma Jones and family, c. 1909. Back: David, Christina, Alfred, Florence, Helen, Frederick Jnr. Front: Louisa, Frederick, Emma, William.

Photos kindly supplied by family and Judith Grace.

Christina Jones, one of Frederick's daughters. Photo from Fremantle Library #1191.

Two of his daughters, Florence and Louisa, were remembered by streets in the South Fremantle where he owned an acre of land he had acquired from William Owston, but Florence Street was renamed King William Street (presumably in honour of William IV - r. 1830-37). However, the adjoining park, on the corner of Marine Parade, is called Florence Park.

Tiny part of a panorama taken from the Town Hall, from Dowson (2003: 102) to show the location of Frederick Jones's house c. 1890. Unfortunately, it's right against the seam in the middle of the page opening: the two-storey house extreme right. It's on the middle of what is now Essex Lane, facing north towards the Mandurah Road (South Terrace). Also visible in the photo are the roofs and rears, land and sheds of cottages on the corner of Essex Street and Essex: they are the first houses built by Frederick Jones and remain to this day.

Daily News, 22 July 1970: 2.

David Jones, son of Frederick son of Frederick, married Mary 21 July 1901.

David and Mary, photos kindly supplied by family and Judith Grace.

References and Notes

Acknowledgements to family informants. Particular thanks to Pathika Jones.

Layman, Lenore 2002, 'Reid, Sir Alexander James (1889-1968)', ADB.

Freotopia

This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 19 June, 2018 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/jonesfrederick.html (it was last updated on 26 March, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.