London’s history is full of world-famous personalities. They were writers, biologists, physicists, chemists, geologists and other scientists who have made a significant contribution to the development of science throughout Great Britain and even beyond. Their unique inventions were recognised at the global level and helped many people in the world. Ernest Jones was one of such specialists. His biography is extremely eventful. The scientist was Sigmund Freud’s student. He contributed to the popularisation of psychoanalysis in the country. So, what did his busy life look like? Learn more at londonname.
Main facts from his biography and personal life
Ernest Jones was connected with science since his childhood, as the future specialist was born into an engineer’s family. Later, he entered Cardiff University. However, the rest of his life was completely associated with the capital of Great Britain. In 1901, Ernest Jones graduated from University College London. After graduating with honours in medicine and midwifery, he continued his study at the Royal College of Physicians. Ernest graduated from that educational institution with the University’s gold medal. Later, he practised medicine, neurology and surgery at different London hospitals, including the Farringdon General Dispensary. He also worked for some time as an obstetrician and a family doctor at a children’s hospital.
Ernest Jones’s personal life was also full of interesting events. Even though he was completely immersed in scientific activity, there was information about the scientist’s affair with Sigmund Freud’s daughter, Anna. However, Ernest didn’t want to ruin his relations with her father. So, soon, he married Morfydd Owen. In only 19 months, the newly formed family was struck by terrible grief. His wife passed away. The scientist married a second time in 1919. This time it was Anna Freud’s friend, Katherine Jokl. That union turned out to be successful and the couple had four children. Their son, Mervyn Jones, became world-famous thanks to his journalistic and writing activities.
Scientific achievements
After graduating from medical universities, Ernest Jones took a serious interest in neurology. Then he began travelling throughout Europe, attending related lectures at the universities of Munich, Vienna and Paris. In 1908, he worked closely with Carl Jung in Salzburg. That city acquainted Ernest with Sigmund Freud as well. A few years before that, Ernest Jones was recognised as the first English psychoanalyst. He spent a lot of time learning new methods and approaches. Thanks to his talent, he had an opportunity to train with the best professionals in Europe. In 1910, he published a rather influential article. In his work, the scientist provided a psychoanalytic interpretation of Hamlet. At that time, he lived in the USA and was closely associated with the emergence of the American Psychoanalytic Association.
Later, the scientist returned to London. Therefore, his name can be often found in documents and papers related to the London Psychoanalytic Society. In 1913, he founded the British Psychoanalytic Society. In general, Ernest Jones studied many directions of this medical sphere. He wrote a lot of research papers and articles. In 1920, he founded the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and remained its editor for almost twenty years. His other significant achievement was the fundamental biography of Sigmund Freud, which the scientist wrote in 1944. This work remains extremely valuable even today.