JEFFERIES, Harold Sellis
Harold Sellis Jefferies was born at Ipswich on 13 October 1871 and baptised at St Helen's Church, Ipswich on 22 February 1872, only son of John Robert Jefferies (22 December 1840-12 September 1900), an engineer, and his wife Mary Anne (1838-9 October 1912), daughter of James Allen Ransome, iron founder, who married at St Margaret's Church, Ipswich on 14 September 1865. In 1881, Harold was a 10-year-old, living at St Helen's Lodge, Ipswich with his parents, 40-year-old John and 42-year-old Mary, and his three sisters, Mary 12, Elizabeth 7 and Marguerite 5. Harold was educated at Marlborough College and in 1888 entered the Orwell Works of Messrs Ransomes, Sims, and Jefferies of Ipswich, of which his father was managing director, and passed through all the departments. In 1893 he began to assist his father in the management of the factory and in 1894 and 1896 paid prolonged visits to Argentina for the purpose of reporting upon any modifications in the design of traction engines and thrashing machines, necessary to the specific requirements of that country. On the death of his father in 1900, Harold was appointed a director rapidly assuming complete responsibility for all manufacturing. In 1911, a 39-year-old mechanical engineer & iron founder, living at 6 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich with three servants. On the outbreak of the First World War, with the problem of munitions supplies, he rendered valuable services to the Ministry of Munitions and served for some years as an officer in the Essex and Suffolk Royal Garrison Artillery, being Captain of the Ipswich Company, and represented the Ipswich Corporation on the Suffolk Territorial Force Association. In 1915, Harold was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the County of Suffolk and was a Life Member of the Ipswich Art Club 1913-1916 from 6 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich but does not seem to have exhibited. Harold Sellis Jefferies died at Sidmouth, Devon, after an operation for appendicitis, on 1 June 1917, aged 45, he was unmarried, and his estate was some £66,000.