James Joicey, 1st Baron Joicey

James Joicey, 1st Baron Joicey
Born	Template:Birth date Tanfield, County Durham, England
Died	November 21, 1936(1936-11-21) (aged 90) Ford Castle, Northumberland, England
Occupation(s)	Coal industry entrepreneur, politician, nobleman
Years active	1863–1936
Known for	Major coal mine owner in Durham; Liberal Party MP for Chester-le-Street (1885–1906)

James Joicey, 1st Baron Joicey JP DL (4 April 1846 – 21 November 1936) was a prominent English coal industry entrepreneur, politician, and nobleman. He gained distinction as a major coal mine owner in Durham and served as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament.

Life

James Joicey was born on 4 April 1846 in Tanfield, County Durham, as the second son of George Joicey, who was a partner in an engineering business based in Newcastle, and his wife Dorothy (née Gowland). At the time of his baptism, the family resided in Kip Hill. His education took place at Anchorage School in Gateshead and later at Gainford Academy near Darlington. Joicey's father passed away when he was ten years old.

In 1879, he wed Amy Robinson, with whom he had two sons. Following Amy's death in 1881, he remarried in 1884 to Marguerite Smyles Drever; this marriage produced two sons and one daughter.

Career

At the age of seventeen, Joicey commenced his career as a clerk at his uncle James's mining enterprise, James Joicey & Co., Ltd, which managed collieries within the West Durham coalfield such as Beamish and Tanfield. He ascended to managing director by 1872 and expanded his holdings by acquiring Lord Durham's Lambton collieries in 1896 and the Hetton collieries in 1911. Serving as both Chairman and Managing Director, he orchestrated the consolidation of these operations in 1924 into Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries. Locally nicknamed "Jimmy Joicey" and "Old King Coal," he was reputed to be the largest coal proprietor worldwide.

Joicey also fulfilled public duties including Deputy Lieutenant for County Durham and Justice of the Peace across Northumberland, Montgomeryshire, and Newcastle Upon-Tyne. He represented Chester-le-Street as an MP from 1885 until 1906. In recognition of his status, he was created a Baronet in 1893 and subsequently elevated to the peerage as Baron Joicey of Chester-le-Street in 1906.

From 1887 onwards, his primary residence was Longhirst Hall near Morpeth in Northumberland. His estate portfolio grew with the acquisitions of Ford Castle in 1906 and Etal Castle in 1908.

Death

James Joicey passed away at Ford Castle on 21 November 1936 at the age of ninety. He was interred at St Michael's Church in Ford. His title passed to his son James Arthur Joicey.