John Matthew Jones

John Matthew Jones (7 October 18287 October 1888) was a British lawyer and naturalist.

Early life John Matthew Jones was born in Montgomery, Montgomeryshire, Wales, United Kingdom on 7 October 1828. His father was Rear Admiral Sir Charles Thomas Jones of Fronfraith.

Career In October 1852, J.M. Jones was appointed to the Royal Montgomeryshire Militia as an ensign under Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet. Shortly after, he was called to the bar at Middle Temple in London as a barrister-at-law on 6 June 1853.

He moved to America by 1854 before continuing to Bermuda and Nova Scotia, where he investigated native plant life and fish species. He was assisted with the work by Maj. John Walter Wedderburn and John L. Hurdis of Southampton. Collecting in Bermuda for several winters from 1859 to 1876, Jones became the top authority on its natural history. He and Goode worked to compile complete faunal and floral lists to guide future research in the area.

The 1869 Naturalists' Directory by Frederic Ward Putnam included Jones in both the fish and insects categories.

His work titled "Contributions to the Natural History of Nova Scotia" was published in 1870. Four years later, he released "On the Vegetation of the Bermudas." He wrote "The Visitor's Guide to Bermuda with a Sketch of Its Natural History" around 1876. Jones's work titled "List of the Fishes of Nova Scotia" was published in 1879. His wife was the youngest daughter of Col. W.J. Myers.

Death John Matthew Jones died at 60 years old on 7 October 1888 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. On the Vegetation of the Bermudas (1874) The Visitor's Guide to Bermuda with a Sketch of Its Natural History (1876) Mollusca of Nova Scotia (1877) List of the Fishes of Nova Scotia (1879)