JONES, Douglas Doyle

1886 - 1980

Douglas Doyle Jones was born at Colchester, Essex on 3 December 1886, fourth child and eldest son of Henry William Jones, a solicitor, and his wife Millicent Florence Doyle, third daughter of Edward Doyle of Sandhurst House, Kilburn, who married at Willesden Parish Church, London on 24 April 1879. In 1891, Douglas was a 4-year-old, living at Plum Hall, 48 Mersea Road, Colchester with his parents, 39-year-old Henry, born at Colchester, and 32-year-old Millicent, born in London, and three siblings Edith Jane 10, Vera Christina 8 and Cyril T 6. Douglas was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge and in 1911, a 24-year-old barrister-at-law, living at the Inner Temple, 7 King's Bench Walk, London. As a solicitor, he was visiting clients near Gotha at the outbreak of the First World War and was imprisoned in the hastily constructed civilian concentration camp at Ruhleben racecourse by Spandau, near Berlin, Germany until 1918. Douglas married at St Michael's Church, Chester Square, London on 20 December 1919, Vivian Massie Gribble. In 1926 they moved to Valley Farm, Higham near Hadleigh, Suffolk where his wife died in 1932. Doyle Jones gave up working as a barrister to look after his estate and was responsible for establishing much of the woodland around his property and in 1935 he planted the Jubilee Wood to celebrate King George V’s Silver Jubilee, but most of his Jubilee Wood was destroyed in the gales of 1987. In 1939 Douglas was a widower still living at Valley Farm and dabbled in painting and was a member of the Ipswich Art Club 1939-1944 but had exhibited from Valley Farm, Higham since 1936 'Iken', in 1937 'Wissington' and in 1938 'Cart Shed at Wissington' all oils. The Liddle Collection at Leeds Arts University holds assorted items relating to his stay at Ruhleben Concentration Camp (RUH 27) which include a hand-painted Christmas card from 1918, 20 chalk drawings, sketches, watercolours, and oil paintings between 1917 and 1918, a hand-painted illustrated book 'An Anthology of English Verse' from 1918. Douglas Doyle Jones died at Valley Farm, Higham on 10 November 1980. His name is sometimes hyphenated to Doyle-Jones.

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Works by This Artist