clerk to the magistrate and acting magistrate at South Georgia 1925 to 1936, was the first man to be married at South Georgia on 12 March 1932 and therefore obtained South Georgia Marriage Certificate Number One.

Alfred George Nelson Jones was born on 8 November 1902 in the Victoria area of the coalmining and steelmaking town of Ebbw Vale in the South Wales Valleys. He was the second of four sons of Lewis Tom Jones (1877-1964), a mechanical engineer, and his wife Amelia Elizabeth Arnold (1878-1971). Alfred was educated at Abergele School, North Wales and at the Literary and Science Institute in Ebbw Vale before finding work as an invoice clerk for the major local employer, the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company.

Jones’ wife Vera May Riches (1912-1997) was the third child of Sydney Herbert Riches (1872-1957), a Stanley resident who had served as a government customs officer with the Dependencies whaling fleet 1919-31 and Annie Maud Newing (1882-1965) the sister of Albert NEWING. Newing had been one of the first customs officers to serve at South Georgia under magistrate James Innes WILSON in 1913.

In January 1930 Vera was employed as a junior clerk by the government in Stanley. She was escorted to South Georgia in 1932 by her brother Reginald Lawrence Riches (1909-1994) so that she could be married. Reginald, described as a farm labourer, was a witness at the wedding. He then proceeded directly to the United Kingdom, in all probability by a Salvesen ship, through the courtesy of Leganger HANSEN, the manager of Salvesen's Leith Harbour whaling station, who was also a witness to the wedding. The wedding was presided over by the deputy registrar and acting magistrate, William BARLAS.

The Jones’ first child, Elizabeth Georgia Arnold Jones was born in Stanley on 6 January 1933 and baptised in Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley on 11 February 1933. Their second child Lowerth Nelson Arnold Jones was born No.9 on the South Georgia register on 23 January 1934.

Jones was appointed clerk to the magistrate at South Georgia, Edward BINNIE, on 18 September 1925 and from 2 April 1927 clerk to the acting magistrate William Barlas while Binnie was on extended leave (from 2 April 1927 to 31 January 1928, although Binnie resigned his office prior to August 1927).

Alfred’s older brother, Wilfred David Arnold Jones (1901-1980) also came to work in the Falklands and was appointed Clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s Office with effect from 20 September 1928. Among Wilfred's future responsibilities was the role of First Clerk in the Post Office from 30 April 30 to 7 December 1932 and he served as Chief Clerk in the Treasury & Customs and Registrar for the Supreme Court. On 16 June 1934 he married in the Registrar’s Office Johanna Bremner Miller (1904-1979), an Assistant Mistress at the Government School and originally from Caithness, Scotland. His brother Arnold acted as one of the witnesses.

Johanna resigned her teaching post in January 1938, but agreed to stay on until her replacement arrived in September (the authorities suggested that she could continue teaching cooking). She was described as having done “excellent work at the school” and her resignation was regretfully submitted and accepted. Following his brother's example, Wilfred left the Falklands during World War II to pursue his career in Colonial administration by a move to West Africa, where he was to rise to the position of Accountant General in Sierra Leone.

Early in 1928 a shortage of the ½d and 2½d denomination postage stamps occurred on South Georgia. New supplies of stamps were delayed until the arrival of SS Fleurus in late February. Jones sought the Governor’s permission to manufacture a temporary surcharge. Permission was granted, and Leganger Hansen of Leith Station was asked to manufacture a 2½d metal die. The Governor stipulated that eight of the surcharged stamps be reserved for HM KING GEORGE V, who was a keen stamp collector. A total of 1,179 surcharged stamps were issued until the arrival of the Fleurus on 22 February 1928 with supplies of new stamps. Approximately half of the surcharged stamps were used on correspondence to England predominately ,and Norway. Four sheets were supplied for the use of the crew of the RSS William Scoresby. Surcharged stamps on envelopes are very scarce and much prized by stamp collectors.

Jones continued in this role when Lieutenant Commander F. B. ALISON RN (Retd.) was appointed magistrate to succeed Binnie on 22 August 1927. In February 1928 he was present when Governor Sir Arnold HODSON unveiled a carved granite memorial erected over Shackleton's grave. As it happened, magistrate Alison remained at South Georgia for only a few months longer. He was, reported the governor, 'addicted to excessive drinking' and was sent home to the United Kingdom together with his wife and daughter on the Pesca transport ship Harpon on 16 May 1928, whereupon Jones temporarily took over the duties of magistrate.Alison’s post was finally filled by William Barlas on 27 September 1928, although the appointment was not officially confirmed until 3 April 1929.

Jones also performed the function of acting magistrate when the magistrate was on leave. He was also directed from time to time to undertake other work in the Treasury and Customs at Stanley at the behest of the colonial government. One of his more unusual appointments was to act as a constable for enforcing the legal arrest of the government chartered the Norwegian flagged ship Fleurus, during her voyage from Stanley and West Falkland, to South Georgia commencing on 4 November 1931. It appears that there were concerns in government that the master who had replaced the respected Captain Lauritz CARLSEN had an addiction to alcohol and was unfit for command. Jones appears to have had good relations with the whaling communities and a working repartee with the whaling crews. In the philatelic world many postal items emanating from Jones at South Georgia have survived and these are now prized items for collectors.

In December 1932 Jones and his fellow customs officer Rumbolds acted as hosts for the visit to South Georgia by the Very Reverend Harold Lumsdale, the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley and his son Ian on their visit to South Georgia, taking passage in the Fleurus. The visit coincided with the visit to South Georgia by the Royal Research Ship Discovery (Captain Carey). On the Saturday 17 December a memorial service was held at the grave of Sir Ernest SHACKLETON and on Sunday morning Holy Communion was held in the magistrate’s house followed by Matins which was said on the quarter-deck of the Discovery with Jones reading the lessons.

During the 1930s Jones continued to work as clerk to the magistrate and was also vested with the responsibility of Official administrator and Harbour Master. In 1936 he was granted leave from 16 May to 24 October which was further extended from 21 November to 7 December 1936. Government staff were being reduced on South Georgia for financial reasons, and Jones was not reappointed. There is no further record of his employment with the Falkland Islands government, after some eleven years in government service.

In the early 1930s Alfred's parents moved to Langley Road, Slough, Buckinghamshire. This was most convenient for Alfred and Vera's visits to England as it was in close proximity to Dolphin Street, where Vera's parents had settled with daughter Constance and son Reginald after departing the Falklands on 17 March 1932.

In 1937 Jones was appointed an officer in His Majesty’s Customs and Excise office in Takoradi, Gold Coast {now Ghana}, and from there he served at Lagos, Nigeria where he became the Chief Collector of Customs.

Jones was invalided out of office in the mid-1950s and he died in Cromer and District Hospital, Norfolk on 6 April 1993.