Fred T. Jane

Heresies of Sea Power (1906) by Fred T. Jane published by Longmans, Green, and Co.

John Fredrick Thomas Jane (6 August 1865 – 8 March 1916) was the founding editor of reference books on warships (All the World’s Fighting Ships) and aircraft (All the World’s Airships) and the namesake of what would become Jane’s Information Group and many of its publications.

Biography

Jane was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, but worked most of his life in Portsmouth. His father was a vicar and he attended Exeter School.[1] He first began to sketch warships in his teens, and was notable in the 1890s for illustrating scientific romances by George Griffith and other authors, as well as for his own novels such as To Venus in Five Seconds (published in 1897) and The Violet Flame (1899).

An avid miniatures wargamer, Jane first published All the World’s Fighting Ships (commonly known as Jane’s Fighting Ships) in 1898, which catalogued all the warships operated by each country, their armaments, and other details, as a supplement to a wargame he designed. The book, now an annual series, is the standard reference work in the area. In 1909, he created All the World’s Aircraft. Jane later founded what is now Jane’s Information Group.

Jane was also involved in politics, standing as an Independent candidate for Portsmouth in the 1906 general election. He was strongly opposed to the Liberal Party (especially its left wing) and when a left-wing Liberal candidate Edward Hemmerde was nominated in 1910, he arranged a stunt to disrupt their election campaign. At another public meeting, Jane arranged for a sailor to ask Hemmerde to insist on the supply of hammock ladders should he be elected: Hemmerde fell for this and gave the pledge. He also once kidnapped Victor Grayson MP in a political stunt.[2] His Portsmouth home, on Southsea Common, now bears a plaque recording that he lived there.

In later life Jane lived at Bedhampton, and was instrumental in setting up one of the very first Scout troops.[3] He is buried in Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea.[4]

References

  1. ↑ A wealth of knowledge, The Guardian, 31 October 2001
  2. ↑ BROOKS R. (1997) Fred T. Jane: an Eccentric Visionary, Jane’s Information Group, London: 260 pp.
  3. ↑ NEAL O. (2008) The Centenary History of Bedhampton Scouts, 1st Bedhampton Scout Troop, Bedhampton
  4. ↑ History of Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea

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