New Hampshire 1679

Partly an offshoot of Massachusetts, New Hampshire was given a separate status in 1679.

The first JONES found in the records of Durham, N.H. is a Stephen Jones.  He is listed as a "Culler of Pipestaves".  Listed as an inhabitant of Oyster River, he took the freeman's oath 15 May 1672.  He received land at Johnson's Creek in 1672 and was living in 1680.  It appears he died before 1682 for his widow was taxed in 1682.

"Live Free or Die" it states on the N.H. quarter per above.  Stephen Jones certainly would have been one of those "Old Man of The Mountain".

References:  History of the Town of Durham, N.H. (Oyster River Plantation), by Everett S. Stackpole & Lucien Thompson, (c. 1913/14)

                     Jones Journeys, Vol. 12, 1984 - 1985, p. 875.

North Carolina 1693

This colony began under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company.  Early settlements were made by pioneers from other colonies.  It came under an association of proprietors in 1665 by a royal grant covering all the Carolina region.

The first with the surname JONES was "Mr. Charles Jones" who proved an oath regarding the will of Mr. George Durants 1693.  This is recorded in the State Records of NC (Vol. I, 1662 - 1713) p. 393.  These were the records of the Perquimans Precinct Court.

I have done a great deal of research into the State Records of North Carolina for the surname JONES.  This research can be found in a series of my "Research Notebooks" (RN) beginning with RN # 110, through RN # 117.  The content of this research can be found at "The Jones Genealogist Research Notebooks" which is a blog site.  Please explore.  Any JONES families from North Carolina?

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Jerry E. Jones, MD, MS, The Jones Genealogist, Library of Congress No. 6192-01064476.

Connecticut 1639

The Plymouth Co. of November 1606, provided a framework in which a group of folks joined together to make a new beginning.  The main folks wanted a place to settle were everyone had the right to read the Bible and interpret it according to their own understanding.  They had already "dissented" and "separated" from the established Anglican Church in England [Scrooby Separatists] , and tried to make their way in Holland.   Not satisfied with their lot there, they needed to join with a group of London merchants to pay all their bills.  It took a number of years but they finally made it across the great pond to that northern coast line in a ship that was to echo down the pages of history, the Mayflower !  These "Pilgrims" created a settlement in which many of those wishing to separate from the established religion congregated.  Of course, it would not take long before "interpretations" varied, and many splinter groups moved out of this "New England" settlement.  Connecticut has its origins in such a group.

The Connecticut Valley served as the center of this settlement, and in 1637 Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield was formed.  In 1639, Thomas Jones had joined 40 some settlers into the "Guilford Colony".  It was this Thomas Jones that was to leave a large number of descendents in the Connecticut area.  A complete genealogy of this Thomas Jones is given in Jones Journeys, Vol. VI, pp. 70 - 73.

A readable and very helpful text for this history is "The History of The Thirteen Colonies", American Heritage Book Division , 1967.

Delaware 1688

The earliest notes from Delaware that reveals a JONES surname is from the "Hall of Records, Dover".  

It list a Griffith Jones as a "JP" on Sussex, Co. records of 1688.  In Jones Journeys, Vol. 5, p.14, the Griffith Jones is given as a son in law of Dennis Cunrade.  Any folks related out there?  The Dennis Cunrade (Tennis Kunders) of Germantown, is stated to have this Griffith Jones mentioned in a Cunrade will, MSS HSD Wills folder C.

The "midnight ride" of Caesar Rodney is shown on the figure above.  An interesting history is this ride of July 1776, move over Paul Revere.

New York 1684

The Dutch and English both had their eyes on this "Long Island" facing the great pond.  The Dutch claiming ownership on the west side, while the English claimed ownership on the east end.  Trading with the Indians, it would not take long before difficulties arose.  For almost the next 50 years, back and forth it would go...some times the Dutch on top...and sometimes the English.

  It was 1683 before the first Colonial Legislature assembled in New York.  A year later, their first treaty with the Mohawk, Ongida, Onondaga, and Cayuga took place.  It was near this time period that the first JONES appears.  His story is told in much detail in the book:

It was around 1695 with this Thomas Jones came upon the scene.  A Sarah Jones and Daniel Honan were married 6 Oct. 1694. [Unclear relationship.]  A large JONES family was the result in the colony of New York.

Any descendants our there?  Please post.

Pennsylvania 1682

"This day my Country was confirmed to me under the Great Seal of England, with large powers and privileges, by the name of Pennsylvania..." was written by William Penn 1681.  In a letter to Robert Turner he states that he would have chosen "New Wales" as a name, but his Secretary chose "Penn" which in the Welsh means "head" [as head of a mountain], and "Sylvania" meaning woodlands.  Interesting story as told by Glenn in his book titled Marion in The Welsh Tract p. 22.

As you might imagine there were a large number of Welsh Quakers with the surname JONES.  A list of these fellows who purchased land, and the amount of land that was to be surveyed, is given in Glenn's text p. 27.  They are as follows: 1) Edward Joanes and John Thomas, 5000 acres, 2) Thomas Joanes, 50 acres, 3) David Joanes, 100 acres, and 4) Henry Joanes, 400 acres.

In Jones Journeys, Vol. VI, pp. 74 - 74 are listed "Warrants & Surveys of the Province of Pennsylvania" under the title "JONES LAND RECORDS".  Here a volume and page number of the record books are given by county.  A Griffith Jones (1683), John Jones (1683), Robert Jones (1683),  Daniel Jones (1682), and Charles Jones (1683) should be added to this list.  Wow...a lot of Jones all at the beginning of the Welsh tract Pennsylvania.  Anyone connected out there?

The text is a must have if you connect in the JONES family tree.  The full reference is:

Merion In The Welsh Tract With Sketches of The Townships of Haverford and Radnor, by Thomas Allen Glenn, Clearfield Company, Baltimore, 1992.  The book was originally published 1896.  The title also goes on to state: "Historical and Genealogical Collections Concerning The Welsh Barony In The Province of Penn. Sylvania, Settled By the Cymric Quakers In 1682."