John Benjamin Stone [st.4.5]

John Benjamin Stone was the second child of Benjamin Stone & Rebecca Matthews born February 9th, 1838 at Aston, Birmingham & christened March 13th, 1838 at St Phillips, Birmingham.

In 1841 John was living at home at Lupin St, Duddeston, Aston, Birmingham with his parents, 2 sisters & brother.

John was still living at home at Lupin St in 1851. He was educated at King Edward’s School, New St, Birmingham.

In 1861 John was still living with his parents at 89 Lupin St. & was now described as a master glass manufacturer, working in his father’s glass factory. Sisters Rebecca & Clara were still at home.

John married Jane Parker in April-June 1867, the marriage being registered at Skipton. Jane was born Oct-December 1848 at Lothersdale, West Yorkshire, the daughter of Christiana Mattock & Peter Parker, a farmer.

In 1871 John & Jane were living at Aston Village, Aston Manor & John was now a glass manufacturer, Jane was a paper maker. They had 3 children by this time – Ethel Mary (2), Barron Wilfred (1) & Dora C aged 8 months. There was a visitor at the time of the census – Sarah J Scribbins (24) & they had 3 servants. John commissioned glass maker John Northwood to carve the Elgin Vase which Northwood completed in 1873 (http://www.bmagic.org.uk/objects/1885M1249/images/110866). This was given to the City of Birmingham as a gift. John served as a town councillor for Birmingham from 1869-1878. He was the founder, & later President, of the Birmingham Conservative Association.

Illustration from Connecting Histories project, Birmingham - http://www.connectinghistories.org.uk

By 1881 John had become a County Magistrate for Warwickshire & was a flint & glass manufacturer. It was also noted in the census that he had 6 acres of land. He & Jane were living at the Grange, Grange Lane, Erdington, Aston with their children Ethel, Baron, Dora, Norman B (9), Oscar H (8) & Roland P (4). They had a governess Sarah Brierley (25), a domestic cook, a parlour maid & a house maid. John was obviously becoming prosperous & indeed succeeded his father as director of the glass firm as well as having a wide range of other commercial interests. He became the first mayor of Sutton Coldfield, holding the office from 1886-1890 & was associated with many philanthropic foundations.

At the time of the 1891 census John was visiting Japan. Jane was found at Grange Lane, Erdington with children Barron & Oscar, both paper manufacturers, Dora & Roland. Daughter Ethel, now Ethel Holden was also there at the time of the census. They had 2 servants – a cook & a housemaid.

John was a founder member of the Primrose League (an organisation for promoting Conservative principles) which resulted in the recommendation by the Marquis of Salisbury for him to be knighted in 1892. Sir John was elected Member of Parliament for East Birmingham in 1895 & held the seat until his retirement in 1910. His income enabled him to travel extensively at home & abroad & he became a popular lecturer & author of travel books. For this he collected photographs, but became dissatisfied with the quality of commercial prints. He therefore took up photography himself & employed 2 men full time to develop & print his plates at his home at the Grange. John was one of the first photographers to switch from wet to dry plates. In 1895 John founded the National Photographic Record Association, preserving the history & architecture of the country in print. John apparently produced 26,000 photographs & the (John) Benjamin Stone collection is housed in the Birmingham Central Library. The National Portrait Gallery also holds many of his photographs of people & places around Westminster. The pinnacle of his photographic career was the appointment as official photographer at the Coronation of King George V.

Sir John Benjamin Stone 1900

Photograph held by Birmingham City Council - http://www.search.digitalhandsworth.org.uk

John & Jane continued to live at the Grange & in the 1901 census John was simply described as a Member of Parliament. At home were Barron, still a paper manufacturer, & Norman, secretary to member of Parliament. They also had a cook & a parlour maid. Daughter Dora had married Daniel McKenzie in 1899 who was to become an eminent throat & ear surgeon.

John died at his home, the Grange, on July 2nd, 1914 & wife Jane died just 4 days later on July 6th. According to an obituary in the New York Times of July 7th, 1914 Jane ‘was seriously ill when Benjamin succumbed’. They were buried together in a double funeral at Sutton Coldfield on July 7th, 1914.

The children of John Benjamin Stone & Jane Parker were:

st.4.5.1 Ethel Mary Stone born April-June 1868 at Aston, Birmingham
st.4.5.2 Barron Wilfred Stone born July-September 1869 at Aston, Birmingham
st.4.5.3 Dora Christine Stone born July-September 1870 at Aston, Birmingham
st.4.5.4 Norman Benjamin Stone born Oct-December 1871 at Aston, Birmingham
st.4.5.5 Oscar Harold Stone born Oct-December 1872 at Aston, Birmingham
st.4.5.6 Roland Parker Stone born July-September 1876 at Aston, Birmingham