Joseph Jonas

Jonas was born in Bingen am Rhein, in the Grand Duchy of Hesse in 1845, and became a naturalized British citizen in 1876.

[5] He was a Justice of the Peace[3] and a benefactor of the University of Sheffield, particularly the Applied Sciences, and also helped establish chairs in German and French.

[6] In 1918, Jonas was charged with two others of conspiring to contravene the Official Secrets Act 1911 with regards to discussions about munitions with a German friend and customer in 1913.

Jonas was fined £2,000 (equivalent to approximately £123,000 today)[8] and the co-defendant £1,000 and ordered to pay the prosecution's costs.

[10][11] On 11 March 1919, the Home Secretary informed the House of Commons that the case of Joseph Jonas had been "submitted to the Certificates of Naturalisation (Revocation) Committee constituted under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1918.