Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Horace
JONES, Sir HORACE (1819–1887), city architect, son of David Jones, attorney, by Sarah Lydia Shephard, was born on 20 May 1819 at 15 Size Lane, Bucklersbury, London. He was articled to John Wallen, architect and surveyor, of 16 Aldermanbury, and subsequently spent some time in studying ancient architecture in Italy and Greece. In 1843 he commenced practice as an architect at 16 Furnival's Inn, Holborn, and during eighteen years designed and carried out many buildings of importance, such as the British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company's office in Threadneedle Street, the Sovereign Assurance office in Piccadilly, Marshall & Snelgrove's premises in Oxford Street, the Surrey Music Hall, Cardiff town-hall, and Caversham Hall. He was surveyor for the Duke of Buckingham's Tufnell Park estate, for the Barnard estate, and the Bethnal Green estate. On 26 Feb. 1864 he was elected architect and surveyor to the city of London. In 1868 he designed and carried out the Central Meat Market, Smithfield, followed in 1875 by the adjoining poultry and provision market, and in 1883 by the fruit and vegetable market. In 1871 he converted the Deptford dockyard into a foreign cattle market, in 1877 he entirely reconstructed Billingsgate Market, and in 1882 rebuilt Leadenhall Market. He completed the City Lunatic Asylum at Dartford in 1864, and in the same year designed a new roof for the city Guildhall. In 1872 he designed the Guildhall library and museum, and the new council chamber in 1884. He prepared the memorial surmounted by a griffin to mark the site of Temple Bar (November 1880). In conjunction with (Sir) John Wolfe Barry he made plans for a bascule bridge to be erected across the Thames below the Tower of London, a project which was carried out after his death. His last important work was the Guildhall School of Music on the Thames Embankment.
He took much interest in the Royal Institute of British Architects, of which he became an associate in 1842, a fellow in 1855, and president (1882–3). He was also an enthusiastic freemason, and from 1882 till his death was grand superintendent of works. On 30 July 1886 he was knighted. He died at 30 Devonshire Place, Portland Place, London, on 21 May 1887, and was buried in Norwood cemetery on 27 May. A portrait by W. W. Ouless, R.A., was exhibited in the Royal Academy Exhibition in 1887. Jones married, 15 April 1875, Ann Elizabeth, daughter of John Patch, barrister.
[City Press, 25 May 1887, p. 4; Citizen, 28 May 1887, p. 4; Times, 23 May 1887, p. 11; Metropolitan, 28 May 1887, p. 339; Journal of Proceedings of Royal Institute of British Architects, 1887, iii. 330, 331, 368, 370–3; Masonic Portraits, by J. G., 1876, pp. 27–31; T. Roger Smith's Acoustics of Public Buildings, 1861, pp. 142–6; Illustrated London News, 28 May 1887, p. 596, 4 June, p. 634, with portrait.]