Moss Jonas (1839 - 1907)

Born Apr 1839 in Brighton, Sussex, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Emma (Symondson) Jonas — married 1871 in New Zealand

Died 1907 at about age 67 in Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand

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Biography

Moss Jonas was born in 1839.

The following biography is from the Cyclopedia of New Zealand.^[1]

MR. MOSS JONAS, sometime Mayor of Timaru, was born at Brighton, England, in April, 1839, and began to work on river steamboats in London at the age of thirteen. In February, 1860, he came to Port Chalmers by the ship “Cashmere,” and spent a few years in Christchurch. He settled in Timaru in 1868, and began a furniture and crockery business, to which he afterwards added auctioneering. Mr. Jonas sold out on two occasions, but finally resumed his business after a tour of five years in. Canada, America, and other parts of the world. At the Melbourne Exhibition of 1888, he was one of the commissioners representing the New Zealand Government. Besides being Mayor of Timaru, Mr. Jonas served on the Borough Council for seventeen years, and was a member of the Harbour Board for sixteen years. He has always taken an interest in local societies and orders, and has been prominent in assisting in the formation of important local concerns. Mr. Jonas was married, in May, 1871, to a daughter of the late Mr. Philip Symondson, ^[2] of London, and has five sons and three daughters.

He passed away in 1907.

OBITUARY.

MOSS JONAS. Many residents of South Canterbury, more particularly the old identities, will read with much regret of the death of Mr Moss Jonas. Mr Jonas had been in very bad health for a long time; in fact a few weeks ago he was so ill, that his life was despaired of. The end came suddenly but quietly shortly after 9 o'clock last evening. The life of the deceased was closely related to the commercial history and local government of the early days of Timaru, and it would really take a long while to set forth at length all that Mr Jonas had taken a hand in. He came to Timaru about 40 vears ago, and saw the numerous changes from tussock land to well laid out streets and imposing buildings. He was among the first to adopt modern ideas to business premises, and Jonas' block in the middle of Stafford street was well known in the nineties. He was an earnest and enthusiastic worker on local bodies, such as the Timaru Borough Council, Timaru Harbour Board, Fire Brigade, and others. As Mayor of the borough the prominent part he took in the local rejoicings in the late Queen Victoria's Jubilee year will be readily remembered by many, this being the most important of his pubuc engagements during his Mayoralty. As a member of the Harbour Board, Mr Jonas took a deep interest in the initiation of the breakwater, and an intelligent part at the Board table in the discussion of early plans and contracts. He was also a successful man of business, but as times were somewhat dull about 1898, Mr Jonas decided to make a move to Vancouver. It was a change that was not entirely a happy one, and he returned to Timaru to meet old friends and restart business about five years ago. He was, however, never in the best of health, and latterly has had quite retired from the active arena in which he had been so very popular. Mr Jonas was a man of generous disposition, and was ever really to help on any movement for the good of the town. Privately he was a cheerful giver, but veiy few knew of these benefactions. He leaves a widow, and several sons and daughters to mourn their loss; and the most sincere sympathy will be extended- to them by a very large circle of friends.^[3]

He is buried in Timaru cemetery. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Published 1903, p. 972.
2. ↑ NZ BDM 1871/5997 Emma Symondson Moss Jonas
3. ↑ Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13435, 6 November 1907, Page 6
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166554411/moss-jonas: accessed 04 June 2023), memorial page for Moss Jonas (unknown–1907), Find a Grave Memorial ID 166554411, citing Timaru Cemetery, Timaru, Timaru District, Canterbury, New Zealand; Maintained by Cyndi (contributor 47314338).