Jones, ERNEST

Jones, ERNEST, Chartist poet, was the son of Major Jones, esquire to the Duke of Cumberland, afterwards king of Hanover. He was born at Berlin in 1819, was educated in Germany, and came to England in 1838. In 1841 he published his romance, The Wood Spirit, was called to the bar of the Middle Temple in 1844, and the year following became the most prominent leader of the Chartist movement. He declined all remuneration for his services, and issued The Labourer, Notes of the People, and the Chartist organ, The People's Paper. He voluntarily resigned a fortune of nearly £2000 per annum, left to him on condition that he should abandon the Chartist cause. For the part which he took in the Chartist proceedings at Manchester in 1848 he was condemned to two years' solitary confinement. This vindictive sentence was brought before the House of Commons, but Jones refused to petition for its commutation. While in prison he composed an epic poem, The Revolt of Hindostan. The authorities refused him pen, ink, and paper, and the poem was stated to have been written on the leaves of his prayer-book with a bird's feather and blood drawn from his own veins. After his release Jones wrote The Battle-day (1855); The Painter of Florence and The Emperor's Vigil (1856); and Beldagon Church and Corayda (1860). He tried for a seat in parliament, but was defeated at Halifax (1847) and Nottingham (1853, 1857). He died 26th January 1869.