James Raphael Jones Biography

James Raphael Jones (1860-1938) was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, to William Edward Jones and Elizabeth Jones, nee Wilkins (b.1834). The family history site we use has erroneously transcribed William's occupation in 1861 as 'Railway porter', whereas the original census shows that he was actually a portrait painter.

Siblings included Angelo (b.1860), Francis (1864), Rosa (1866), Leonardo (b.1868) and Ernest (b.1869). Clearly an artistic connection there! 

Jones appears to have run, or been part of, a scenic design company called Messrs Jones, Harcourt, Brooks and Hyde, which in 1895 designed and painted the principal scene and five other scenes for the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood. 

The 1901 census shows him as Raphael Jones, a photographic artist, but by 1911, Raphael was an artist/book illustrator, living in Bow, London, as a boarder, and was single. By 1921,  he was 60 years old and was living in Hackney with his 28-year-old wife, Lilian (nee Lilian Mary Partridge, b.1893), whom he had married in Birkenhead in 1917. His occupation was again described as an artist/book illustrator, and he was working for United Newspapers.

He died at his home at 52 Cassland Road, Hackney, London, in 1938.

James Raphael Jones should not be confused with Maud Raphael Jones (male), who was born in Yorkshire in 1863 and died in Derbyshire in 1935. Maud appears to have signed his work M. Raphael Jones, whereas James signed with just Raphael Jones.