| My Jones ancestors | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Most of the information obtained on the Jones surname has been from the book "And Then There Was You" published by Marjorie Wells in 1979. When I first received a copy of this book in the early 1980's it sparked my interest in genealogy and inspired me to verify and trace some of the lines further back. |
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| GENERATION 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
01. Griffith Jones was born abt 1614 in Wales. he came to America on the ship "Thomas and John" on Jan. 6, 1635 from London to Virginia. He was listed as arriving at Springfield, Mass. in 1644. He was a "Freeman" at Springfield, Mass. April 5, 1649, was a prop. in 1646. He wife's name was Sarah, no records were found as to her last name or when, or where they were married. Griffith died Feb. 19, 1676/7 at Springfield, Mass. His estate was administered July 23, 1677. His wife Sarah died May 6, 1666. There are many records in established journals of Griffith's various transactions and land purchases. World Family Tree records show Griffith's father as Morgan Jones, but I have not seen any source material confirming this to date. The 11 children of Griffith and Sarah are: Sarah, Mercy, Hepsibah, Samuel, Ebenezer, Thomas, Griffith, Griffith, Experience, Pelatiah, Benoni. |
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| GENERATION 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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02. Benoni Jones was the youngest of Griffith and Sarah Jones' eleven children. Born on May 13, 1665 he was indentured at the age of 12 to William Clark, associate judge of Northampton, Mass. He served him well until he was 21. At the age of 23 he married the widow Gurley, Ester Ingersoll. He and Ester had four children. The family lived in a cluster of houses known as Pascommuck lying at the foot of Mt. Tom, now within the ciy limits of Eastampton, Mass. The Benoni Jones house was the only house in the area that was fortified. On May 13, 1704, Indians attacked the Jones house in which all of the area's inhabitants had assembled for cover. Of 33 persons in the house, 19 were killed, 3 escaped, 8 were rescued later and 3 were carried off. Benoni Jones and two of his sons, Ebenezer and Jonathan, were slain. Eight year old Benjamin Jones was scalped but later escaped. Ester was kidnapped and taken to Canada where she died after being tormented by priests trying to convert her. Click HERE to see a memorial sign of Pascommuck taken by Ronald Reisinger who also descends from Benoni. The 4 children of Benoni and Ester are: Jonathan, Benjamin, Ebenezer, Jonathan. |
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| GENERATION 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
03. Benjamin Jones was the 2nd child of Benoni and Ester. Raised in Massachusetts, Benjamin was scalped in 1704 when he was 8 years old when his settlement was brutally attacked by Indians. He barely escaped death which took the lives of his father and two brothers. He later married Hannah (last name not known) and had one child, Seth. After Hannah's death in childbirth, he married Patience Evarts and had 9 children. He was a "fence viewer" in 1731, on a commision, also to "call the people to the Hall" in 1731. His date of death is listed as February 1, 1783, age 87 according to a monument in the Beech Plain Cemetery in Sandisfield, MA. The 9 children of Benjamin and Patience are: Ebenezer, Ester, Jonathan, Noah, Huldah, Benjamin, Asael, Sybil, Dinah. |
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| GENERATION 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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04. Ebenezer Jones was the oldest child of Benjamin and Patience
Evarts. He was born on April 18, 1718 in Coventry, CT.
On December 4th, 1745 he married Zerviah
Loomis, daughter of Zachariah
Loomis and Joanna Abell. The Abell line has a confirmed connection
to royalty. Ebenezer and Patience had 14 children. He
served in the Revolutionary War; December 27, 1774 was appointed on Comm.
of Inseption; March 21, 1775 appointed Highway Surveyer; 1775 was
assessor; March 19, 1776 included on Comm. of Correspondence; 1777 listed
as Selectman; 1777 signed report of Military available roll population, as
Selectman; November 27, 1777 was on Comm. to take care of the
families of the Continental Soldiers that were now in service;
January 1, 1778 was chosen on Comm. of Safety; February 9, 1779
appointed on Comm. of Safety. He
died on April 18, 1800 in Sandisfield, MA where he was buried in the Beech
Plain Cemetary. The Coventry, Ct. town records have a page assigned
to Ebenezer Jones showing his wives, children, and land purchases.
The 14 children of Ebenezer and Zerviah are: |
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| GENERATION 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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05. Miles Jones, son of Ebenezer and
Zerviah was born at
Coventry, Ct. July 28, 1764. He is not listed in Coventry records, but
"History of Berkshire Co., Mass. Vol. 2 pg. 259 1885 edition states
"Adonijah, Miles and Ebenezer, sons of Ebenezer Jones were living on
a place now owned by Charles Clark. They came from Palmer, Mass formerly
from Hebron, CT." Also the Vital Records at Otis, Mass, states
"the brothers of Silas, Benoni and Adonijah were living at Otis, Mass
at the time of their brother miles death in 1812". He is also listed
in the Cornwall Bible at Otis as a son of Ebenezer and the Family Bible of
his son Luther gives him as the father and a son of Ebenezer Jones.
Coventry records lists Silas at the bottom of a page, and as they must
have been twins, in some way, it is believed Miles name did not get
recorded on the page. Miles died at Otis, Mass. April 17, 1812 (Otis
Vital Records to 1850 pg. 142) He married Nov. 28, 1792 to Mehitable
Adams, born June 7, 1771 at Sandisfield, Mass. daughter of Samuel and
Sarah(Clark) Adams. She died May 7, 1812 at Otis, Mass. They are both
buried in the West Center Cemetery (Otis Vital Records p. 142, also in
"Births and Deaths and Intentions of Bethehm and Otis" pg. 16.
There is a double tombstone on the Grave which reads "In memory of
Miles and Mehitable Jones, giving the dates of births and deaths, then the
following inscription at the base "Friends and Physicians could not
save these immortal bodies from the grave, nor can this day contain us
here, when Christ shall call us to appear." Miles Jones Rev.
War record in Mass. Soldiers and Sailors Vol 8 pg. 945, as follows; Miles
Jones served as a Private in Capt. Jeremiah Hicok's Co. Lt. Col. Sears
Reg. Enlisted 8/6/1781 discharged 11/18/1781. Service 3 mos. including 4
days travel home (84) mile. The Regiment was raised in Berkshire Co. Mass
for three months service Roll endorsed "Co. Elisha Porter's Regt.
Miles Jones pension-negative report. The 10 children of Miles and
Mehitable are:
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| GENERATION 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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06. Miles Jones, son of Miles and Mehitable was born on November 6, 1794 in Otis,
MA (Otis Vital Records). He married Pamelia Ketchum Turner on November 6, 1822. She
is the daughter of Asa Turner and Isabel Ketchum. Miles was a
Universalist and Pamelia was a Baptist. They had 7 children
together. They moved from New York to Illinois in 1859. A
Historian in Chautaqua Co. NY states Miles Jones recorded property in
1822, another record states Sheridan in Chautauqua Co. Land transactions,
recorded at Mayville, N.Y. Miles died on February 8, 1885 in
Elmwood, Illinois. The 7 children of Miles and Pamelia are:
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| GENERATION 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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07. Darius Benjamin Jones is the son of Miles and Pamelia. The
following obituary
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| GENERATION 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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08. Anna Irene Jones, daughter of Darius and
Margaret was born on April 18, 1868 in
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summarizes his life : "Darius Benjamin Jones was
born in Chautauqua Co, at Jamestown, NY Aug. 9, 1834. The deceased went to
Canada when 18 years old. In 1856 he moved to Kansas and joined an
emigrant company under the direction of the Massachusetts Aid Society.
While there he married 
Eugene,
Illinois. She married 
