Fred T. Jane

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John Fredrick Thomas Jane (August 6, 1865 – March 8, 1916) was the founding editor of reference books on warships (All the World's Fighting Ships) and aircraft (All the World's Air-ships). He also once kidnapped Winston Churchill in a political stunt.

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 The Violet Flame and To Venus in Ten Seconds.

An avid miniatures wargamer, Jane first published All the World's Fighting Ships in 1898, which identified the warships operated by each country, their armaments, and other details, as a supplement to a game he designed. The book, now an annual series, is a standard reference work. 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. In his sports car, he turned up at the railway station and told Winston Churchill (who had come to speak on behalf of Hemmerde) that he would drive him to the meeting. In fact, Jane headed out into the countryside at great speed, making it impossible for Churchill to get back in time^{[citation needed]}. 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.

In later life Jane lived at Bedhampton^[2] and was instrumental in setting up one of the very first Scout troups.

[edit] References

^ "A wealth of knowledge", The Guardian, 31 October 2001
^ "THe Centenary History of Bedhampton Scouts" Neal,O Bedhampton, 1st Bedhampton Scout Troop, 2008