John Prichard-Jones
Encyclopedia
Sir John Prichard-Jones, 1st Baronet (1845-1917) was born at Tyn-y-Coed, a small farm at Newborough, Anglesey
. When he was fourteen he was apprenticed to a draper in Caernarfon
and afterwards moved to Pwllheli
, then Bangor
and eventually, when he was nineteen, to London
.
In 1872 he entered the firm of Dickins, Smith & Stevens in Regent Street
. Here he was successively promoted, to buyer, manager, director, chairman of the board and finally to partner, when the name of the store was changed to Dickins & Jones.
He was involved in the management of other businesses and was prominent in movements for the promotion of workers welfare and supported profit-sharing schemes for his employees.
He maintained lifelong links with his native area where he had a home and was a generous benefactor of the University of Wales, Bangor which awarded him an honorary doctorate. He was made High Sheriff
for 1905 , Deputy Lieutenant of Anglesey
and created a Baronet in 1910 for his services to education and the community. He died at his London home, the result of an accident.
. Without this fund the building has fallen into disrepair and requires renovation.
In 2006 the Pritchard Jones Institute was one of the buildings nominated for the BBC
television show Restoration.
Newborough, Anglesey
Newborough is a village in the south-western corner of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales; it is in the community of Rhosyr, which has a population of 2,169.-History:Newborough was a commotal centre of medieval Anglesey...
. When he was fourteen he was apprenticed to a draper in Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and afterwards moved to Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
, then Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
and eventually, when he was nineteen, to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 1872 he entered the firm of Dickins, Smith & Stevens in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
. Here he was successively promoted, to buyer, manager, director, chairman of the board and finally to partner, when the name of the store was changed to Dickins & Jones.
He was involved in the management of other businesses and was prominent in movements for the promotion of workers welfare and supported profit-sharing schemes for his employees.
He maintained lifelong links with his native area where he had a home and was a generous benefactor of the University of Wales, Bangor which awarded him an honorary doctorate. He was made High Sheriff
High Sheriff of Anglesey
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Anglesey. Following the conquest of Wales by Edward I Anglesey was created a county of Wales under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan of 1284...
for 1905 , Deputy Lieutenant of Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
and created a Baronet in 1910 for his services to education and the community. He died at his London home, the result of an accident.
The Prichard Jones Institute
The Prichard Jones Institute, opened in 1905at Newborough, Anglesey, may be described as a community centre for the people of Newborough. It consisted of a library, facilities for exhibitions, meetings and lectures. Also on the site were cottages which were made available to local elderly people, subject to certain criteria, who would also be paid a pension from a fund established by Sir John Prichard-Jones. The fund was financed through monies gained from a property in London, but unfortunately the property was destroyed through bombing during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Without this fund the building has fallen into disrepair and requires renovation.
In 2006 the Pritchard Jones Institute was one of the buildings nominated for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television show Restoration.