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John James CBE (25 July 1906 – 31 January 1996) was an English businessman and philanthropist.
John James CBE (25 July 1906 – 31 January 1996) was an English businessman and philanthropist.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Faith |first=Nicholas |date=19 February 1996 |title=Obituary: John James |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/obituary-john-james-5628085.html |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=16 February 1996 |title=Obituaries: John James |work=The Times}}</ref>


'''Early Life'''
'''Early Life'''
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The company expanded rapidly and by 1952 there were 115 shops and 750 employees, having branched into television as well.
The company expanded rapidly and by 1952 there were 115 shops and 750 employees, having branched into television as well.

⚫
His management skills and shrewd business acumen in achieving such substantial growth without the benefit of capital was commented on in Harry Miller’s analysis of 21 post war British firms written for the Institute of Economic Affairs, [https://search.worldcat.org/formats-editions/1416256763 ''The Way of Enterprise''.]


In 1957 John James bought the [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_G._Murdoch_and_Co John Murdoch] chain of 90 shops and his company was confirmed as the “biggest single ownership retail radio TV business in the world”. In December 1959, he sold the business to Charles Hayward’s [[Firth Cleveland]] Industrial Holdings for £5.8 million.
In 1957 John James bought the [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_G._Murdoch_and_Co John Murdoch] chain of 90 shops and his company was confirmed as the “biggest single ownership retail radio TV business in the world”. In December 1959, he sold the business to Charles Hayward’s [[Firth Cleveland]] Industrial Holdings for £5.8 million.


⚫
His management skills and shrewd business acumen in achieving such substantial growth without the benefit of capital was commented on in Harry Miller’s analysis of 21 post war British firms written for the Institute of Economic Affairs, [https://search.worldcat.org/formats-editions/1416256763 ''The Way of Enterprise''.]


John James branched out into property development with the formation of the Hyndewood Development Company in 1959 as part of the John James Group.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spicer |first=John |date=5 January 1962 |title=Mr James to Enter Property Market |work=Evening World}}</ref> The emphasis was on high quality design and construction with a modern design aesthetic.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=14 June 1962 |title=Built to Order |journal=The Lady |pages=893}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=26 May 1962 |title=A Show House at Chislehurst |work=Estates Gazette}}</ref> The consulting architect was Norman Starrett and the designs were open plan and sympathetic to their surroundings. <ref>{{Cite news |last=Powell |first=Audrey |date=15 December 1963 |title=Building for the housewife |work=The Observer Weekend Review}}</ref> One of the developments was at Forest Hill in London. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Modern House: Hyndewood II |url=https://www.themodernhouse.com/sales-list/hyndewood-ii/ |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2024 |website=The Modern House}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hyndewood |url=https://www.tumblr.com/hyndewood |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Modernist Estates |url=https://blog.modernistestates.com/post/92912257095/3-bedroom-house-the-hyndewood-forest-hill-london |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2024}}</ref>. When mortgages became hard to get, the company offered cheap mortgages on their properties. <ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 1965 |title=For sale: Houses with a mortgage |work=Daily Mail}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 1965 |title=Mortgages at 6¼ % |work=The Scotsman}}</ref>
After a brief spell in the Caribbean, John James started in business again setting up a chain of radio and TV shops. He then set up John James (Industrial) Ltd as a holding company for small ambitious companies in the South West, Midlands and South Wales and appointed [[Ted Leather|Sir Ted Leather]] as Managing Director between 1965 and 1967.


⚫
He was also a leading member of [[Harlech Television]] which made a successful bid for Independent Television’s contract for Wales and West in 1968..<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Alston |date=12 June 1967 |title=Programme Puzzle : These are the men of Harlech |work=Bristol Evening Post |pages=5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Avery |first=Roy |title=The Sky's the Limit |date=2001-04-05 |publisher=John James Bristol Foundation |isbn=0-9541316-0-6 |location=Bristol, United Kingdom |pages=65–67}}</ref>


The John James Group, a publicly quoted company, was set up in 1965 and concentrated on West Country light engineering and manufacturing. This was sold in 1979 to Wolseley Hughes for £23.7 million<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=John |date=30 June 1979 |title=Wolseley-Hughes puts up £23m for John James |work=Financial Times}}</ref>.
The John James Group, a publicly quoted company, was set up in 1964 as a holding company for small ambitious companies in the South West, Midlands and South Wales concentrating on light engineering, building and manufacturing, including footwear.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 June 1964 |title=John James Group Offer Details |work=Financial Times}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite news |date=14 August 1964 |title=John James Group's Interests Extended |work=Investors' Guardian}}</ref>[[Ted Leather|Sir Ted Leather]] was appointed Managing Director, but they disagreed about methods and Ted Leather resigned in 1967.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jacobson |first=Philip |date=26 September 1967 |title=Ted Leather quits John James board |work=The Times}}</ref> The group was sold in 1979 to Wolseley Hughes for £23.7 million<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=John |date=30 June 1979 |title=Wolseley-Hughes puts up £23m for John James |work=Financial Times}}</ref>.

⚫
He was also a leading member of [[Harlech Television]] which made a successful bid for Independent Television’s contract for Wales and West in 1968..<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Alston |date=12 June 1967 |title=Programme Puzzle : These are the men of Harlech |work=Bristol Evening Post |pages=5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Avery |first=Roy |title=The Sky's the Limit |date=2001-04-05 |publisher=John James Bristol Foundation |isbn=0-9541316-0-6 |location=Bristol, United Kingdom |pages=65–67}}</ref>


'''Philanthropy'''
'''Philanthropy'''
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As of June 2024, the [https://www.johnjames.org.uk John James Bristol Foundation] has made donations in excess of £45 million.
As of June 2024, the [https://www.johnjames.org.uk John James Bristol Foundation] has made donations in excess of £45 million.


'''Honours'''
'''Honours and recognition'''

John James was very proud of, and was celebrated in, his home city of Bristol. A 5-part profile was run in the Bristol Evening Post under the banner 'Men of Fortune' by Don Hatwell in 1977.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hatwell |first=Don |date=11 February 1977 |title=A day in the life of a happy tycoon |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hatwell |first=Don |date=14 February 1977 |title=Sacrifice and saving - the two lessons of childhood |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hatwell |first=Don |date=16 February 1977 |title=How I made that first million |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hatwell |first=Don |date=18 February 1977 |title=Message from a millionaire - live within your means |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hatwell |first=Don |date=21 February 1977 |title=Why I would outlaw strikes |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref> In 1974 his life was the subject of a BBC West programme 'The Quiet Millionaire', later shown on BBC Two as part of the 'Network' series.


1981 awarded the CBE for services to charity<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitby |first=Simon |date=31 December 1980 |title=Royal honours come west |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref>.
1981 awarded the CBE for services to charity<ref>{{Cite news |last=Whitby |first=Simon |date=31 December 1980 |title=Royal honours come west |work=Bristol Evening Post}}</ref>.
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1999 voted the Person of the Century by readers of the Bristol Evening Post<ref>{{Cite news |last=Borno |first=Zahra |date=24 February 1999 |title=John's the man |work=Bristol Evening Post |pages=8–9}}</ref>
1999 voted the Person of the Century by readers of the Bristol Evening Post<ref>{{Cite news |last=Borno |first=Zahra |date=24 February 1999 |title=John's the man |work=Bristol Evening Post |pages=8–9}}</ref>

In 2006 a blue plaque was erected in his memory on the walls of Windmill Hill City Farm <ref>{{Cite web |date=19 March 2006 |title=Plaque honour for philanthropist |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4823216.stm |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2024 |website=BBC News; England}}</ref>[https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/libraries-and-archives/list-of-blue-plaques-in-bristol]


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==

Revision as of 14:28, 29 July 2024

  • Comment: Most claims are unsourced. Twinkle1990 (talk) 15:00, 16 July 2024 (UTC)
John James
CBE
Born25 July 1906
Bedminster, Bristol, England
Died31 January 1996
Clifton, Bristol, England
SpouseMollie Stevens (m. 1932-1971) Margaret Parkes (m.1972-1991)
Children4

John James CBE (25 July 1906 – 31 January 1996) was an English businessman and philanthropist.[1][2]

Early Life

John James was born at 96 Philip Street, Bedminster, Bristol (now the site of Windmill Hill City Farm). His father Jack originally was a miner and then a docker at Avonmouth docks. In 1918, he won a scholarship to study at the Merchant Venturers’ Technical College (now known as Cotham School – other notable alumni include Paul Dirac and Peter Higgs) where he excelled academically. In the same year his mother, Emily, died in the great influenza epidemic.

Career

In 1923, he lied about his age to join the RAF and was posted to Malta where he developed his skills as a wireless operator.

He had a brief spell as a salesman before he joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1938 and became a Squadron Leader working on the development of radar at Farnborough during World War II.

On demob in 1946, he bought his first shop in Broadmead, Bristol and went on to develop the Broadmead Wireless Company.

The company expanded rapidly and by 1952 there were 115 shops and 750 employees, having branched into television as well.

His management skills and shrewd business acumen in achieving such substantial growth without the benefit of capital was commented on in Harry Miller’s analysis of 21 post war British firms written for the Institute of Economic Affairs, The Way of Enterprise.

In 1957 John James bought the John Murdoch chain of 90 shops and his company was confirmed as the “biggest single ownership retail radio TV business in the world”. In December 1959, he sold the business to Charles Hayward’s Firth Cleveland Industrial Holdings for £5.8 million.


John James branched out into property development with the formation of the Hyndewood Development Company in 1959 as part of the John James Group.[3] The emphasis was on high quality design and construction with a modern design aesthetic.[4][5] The consulting architect was Norman Starrett and the designs were open plan and sympathetic to their surroundings. [6] One of the developments was at Forest Hill in London. [7][8][9]. When mortgages became hard to get, the company offered cheap mortgages on their properties. [10][11]


The John James Group, a publicly quoted company, was set up in 1964 as a holding company for small ambitious companies in the South West, Midlands and South Wales concentrating on light engineering, building and manufacturing, including footwear.[12] [13]Sir Ted Leather was appointed Managing Director, but they disagreed about methods and Ted Leather resigned in 1967.[14] The group was sold in 1979 to Wolseley Hughes for £23.7 million[15].

He was also a leading member of Harlech Television which made a successful bid for Independent Television’s contract for Wales and West in 1968..[16][17]

Philanthropy

John James made numerous private donations and was actively involved in the Dawn James Charitable Foundation, a charity set up in 1966, following the tragic death of one of his daughters[18], and the John James Bristol Foundation, set up in December 1983. Following his death, the two funds amalgamated in 1998. His main areas of philanthropy were the elderly, education and health and he is particularly remembered for:

Bristol Old Folk Festival: In 1963, John and Mollie James donated £12,000 to the Bristol Post to meet the cost of the first Festival which provided free entertainment for anyone over 70 within the greater Bristol area for a week during May. From 1966, it was funded through the Dawn James Charitable Foundation and there were variety shows at the Bristol Hippodrome, coach trips to resorts, cinema visits and trips to Bristol Zoo. Gift food parcels were provided for those that were housebound and unable to attend. The variety shows continued until 1980 and the trips until 1996. In total it is estimated that over 270,000 people attended the variety shows and 500,000 enjoyed free excursions.

Health: In 1980, he donated £300K to Harefield Hospital to maintain their transplant programme[19] and £500K to the creation of St Peter's Hospice in Bristol[20]. In 1985, £1 million was donated to purchase the first MRI machine for Bristol at Frenchay Hospital [21][22]and three years later, a further £1 million to buy a shock wave lithotripter machine for Southmead Hospital[23]. £1 million donations were also made to purchase an ultra sound scanner for the ante natal clinic at Southmead and towards the creation of the new Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Education: Following the cessation of the direct grant scheme in 1976, he made significant donations to all of the ex direct grant schools in Bristol to provide bursaries or assisted places to enable children of similar backgrounds to his own to have the same start in life. He also provided funding for bursaries for the existing three independent schools. He challenged the ten comprehensive schools to raise up to £100,000 each which he would match to create enrichment funds to support worthwhile activities and develop the personal qualities of every pupil[24]. Annual donations have been made for awards and activities at the Heads’ discretion.

As of June 2024, the John James Bristol Foundation has made donations in excess of £45 million.

Honours and recognition

John James was very proud of, and was celebrated in, his home city of Bristol. A 5-part profile was run in the Bristol Evening Post under the banner 'Men of Fortune' by Don Hatwell in 1977.[25][26][27][28][29] In 1974 his life was the subject of a BBC West programme 'The Quiet Millionaire', later shown on BBC Two as part of the 'Network' series.

1981 awarded the CBE for services to charity[30].

1983 awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bristol[31][32].

1987 became an Honorary Member of the Society of Merchant Venturers[33].

1987 became the first Honorary Member of the Guild of Guardians[34].

1999 voted the Person of the Century by readers of the Bristol Evening Post[35]

In 2006 a blue plaque was erected in his memory on the walls of Windmill Hill City Farm [36][1]

Bibliography

Avery, Roy (2001). The Sky’s the Limit. John James Bristol Foundation. ISBN 0954131606

References

  1. ^ Faith, Nicholas (19 February 1996). "Obituary: John James". The Independent. Retrieved 29 July 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "Obituaries: John James". The Times. 16 February 1996.
  3. ^ Spicer, John (5 January 1962). "Mr James to Enter Property Market". Evening World.
  4. ^ "Built to Order". The Lady: 893. 14 June 1962.
  5. ^ "A Show House at Chislehurst". Estates Gazette. 26 May 1962.
  6. ^ Powell, Audrey (15 December 1963). "Building for the housewife". The Observer Weekend Review.
  7. ^ "The Modern House: Hyndewood II". The Modern House. Retrieved 29 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Hyndewood". Retrieved 29 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Modernist Estates". Retrieved 29 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "For sale: Houses with a mortgage". Daily Mail. 10 July 1965.
  11. ^ "Mortgages at 6¼ %". The Scotsman. 10 July 1965.
  12. ^ "John James Group Offer Details". Financial Times. 9 June 1964.
  13. ^ "John James Group's Interests Extended". Investors' Guardian. 14 August 1964.
  14. ^ Jacobson, Philip (26 September 1967). "Ted Leather quits John James board". The Times.
  15. ^ Moore, John (30 June 1979). "Wolseley-Hughes puts up £23m for John James". Financial Times.
  16. ^ Thomas, Alston (12 June 1967). "Programme Puzzle : These are the men of Harlech". Bristol Evening Post. p. 5.
  17. ^ Avery, Roy (2001-04-05). The Sky's the Limit. Bristol, United Kingdom: John James Bristol Foundation. pp. 65–67. ISBN 0-9541316-0-6.
  18. ^ "A Million for a Memory". Daily Express. 21 April 1964.
  19. ^ Randall, Colin (18 March 1980). "£300,000 donation for Harefield transplants". The Daily Telegraph.
  20. ^ Wright, Mary (23 September 1980). "The rich man with a heart of gold". Western Daily Press.
  21. ^ Randall, Colin (21 November 1985). "Philanthropist's £1m for hospital scanner". The Daily Telegraph.
  22. ^ "£1m gift, but John James saves pennies". Western Daily Press. 30 June 1987.
  23. ^ Smith, Pat (14 June 1988). "Shock Tactics". Bristol Evening Post.
  24. ^ Wright, Mary (7 January 1981). "£100,000 pledge for school". Western Daily Press.
  25. ^ Hatwell, Don (11 February 1977). "A day in the life of a happy tycoon". Bristol Evening Post.
  26. ^ Hatwell, Don (14 February 1977). "Sacrifice and saving - the two lessons of childhood". Bristol Evening Post.
  27. ^ Hatwell, Don (16 February 1977). "How I made that first million". Bristol Evening Post.
  28. ^ Hatwell, Don (18 February 1977). "Message from a millionaire - live within your means". Bristol Evening Post.
  29. ^ Hatwell, Don (21 February 1977). "Why I would outlaw strikes". Bristol Evening Post.
  30. ^ Whitby, Simon (31 December 1980). "Royal honours come west". Bristol Evening Post.
  31. ^ "Honorary degrees". University of Bristol Newsletter, Vol 13, No 14 ISSN0143-1951. 28 April 1983.
  32. ^ Moran, Tina (15 July 1983). "Thanks a million, Dr James". Bristol Evening Post.
  33. ^ "Mr Money's rare honour". Western Daily Press. 25 April 1987.
  34. ^ Avery, Roy (2001-04-05). The Sky's the Limit. Bristol, United Kingdom: John James Bristol Foundation. pp. 115–116. ISBN 0-9541316-0-6.
  35. ^ Borno, Zahra (24 February 1999). "John's the man". Bristol Evening Post. pp. 8–9.
  36. ^ "Plaque honour for philanthropist". BBC News; England. 19 March 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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