JOHN VIRIAMU JONES

 The second of the Thomas Jones’ sons, John Viriamu Jones.

John Viriamu Jones

John was born January 1856, Swansea.  His middle name Viriamu is the Erromanga pronunciation of ‘William’.  A name that his father used after the English missionary, John Williams

Aged 2, his parents moved to London, having been privately educated, John was then sent first to a private school in Reading, and then University College School, London. Aged 10, John’s mother Jane Jones, died and his father returned back to Swansea.  Further education was under taken at the Normal School, then aged 16, John entered the University College London, where by the age of 19 obtained B.Sc degree in Geology.  By 1877, John was made Fellow of the University.

1874, where he gained a scholarship for Balliol, Oxford in mathematics, where he obtained a first-class honour but also a first in Physics.  It was here that he became friends with Benjamin Jowett.

 Benjamin Jowett was the influential tutor and the reformer of Oxford University.

Only aged 25, John and coaching whilst still in Oxford, was appointed the first principal of Firth College, Sheffield.  Whilst here, John reorganised the university from the moribund state that it was in previously.  With this development the college future turned it into Sheffield University.

1883, Cardiff, the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire was being establishing, and it was that June, John was appointed the principal. 

John Viriamu Jones
Principal

With the help of his wife, Katherine Wills and able students and teachers, John was able to turn College into a centre of learning.  John was able to collect £70,000 for the college, along with persuading the Cardiff Corporation to make the grant of the site of the president buildings in Cathays Park.

The two great needs for Wales was a Welsh university and a system of secondary education, for bother ideas John worked indomitably. John provided a large part of the charter of the university.  He was created the first vice-chancellor during 1895-96.  John was also responsible for the great freedom of choice of subject in the degree-schemes.  John was the first vice-chairman of the Central Welsh Board for Intermediate Education, 1896.

During his leisure time, John devoted his time to scientific research, which was mainly the physical measurements such as the determination of the ohm.  In 1894, for his research work, John was elected F.R.S. 

As previously stated, John married Katherine Wills.  She was the daughter of judge Sir Alfred Wills.  One of the cases, that Alfred presided over was the trial of Oscar Wilde who was convicted for “committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons”.

June 1901, Geneva, aged 45, John suddenly died.  His body returned back home for burial at St. Thomas.