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." 
             

South Carolina 1675

The 10th of March 1675 was the first treaty made by those in South Carolina.  The Kiawan tribe made "land cession" of course.  However, it was not until those Welsh Baptist arrived from Delaware that the first with the JONES surname appears.

According to David Benedict the church was first called Pedee after the great Pedee River, 60 miles north of Georgetown.  When other arrived, its name was changed to "Welsh-Neck" which described from were most of the folks who founded the church originated.  In 1737, 30 members of the Welsh-Tract Church which first had been in Pennsylvania, then in Delaware, arrived to establish the church in South Carolina.

David Jones, Griffith Jones, and John Jones moved this year [1737] from "Welch Tract" in Delaware to "Pee Dee River" in South Carolina.  They must have been related, but I do not have any given relationship.  Pennsylvania, Delaware, to South Carolina...man those Baptist got around or were thrown out of most places.

The Palmetto State it is known. [A small palm tree.]

The references for this are found in An Abridgement of The Baptist Denomination in America, and Other Parts of The World, by David Benedict, Lincoln & Edmands, 1820. [Have a copy in my hands!]

The Jones folks can be found in Jones Journeys, Vol. VII, p. 201, July 1979.  Does anyone know the relationship among these folks?  Please post.

New Jersey 1664

The New Jersey marriage records 1665 - 1800 are abstracted for the surname JONES in Jones Journeys, Vol. IV, 1976 using a number of documents.  The earliest Jones is found April 12, 1687 and listed as "Thomas Jones, Salem, and Hannah Prior, Salem".  In other references "The First Settlers of New England" [Jones Journeys, Vol. VI , 1978 ] a "David Jones, Dorchester, freeman 1665, married 11 May 1659, Sarah, daughter of Clement Topliff".  This again points to the difficulty among the many records which might overlap arrival times and destinations.

New Jersey is listed as "Crossroads of The Revolution".  Certainly, those with the JONES surname arrived many years before.

Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Volume XXII.  Marriage Records, 1665 - 1800 by William Nelson, Paterson, N.J.  The Press Printing and Publishing Co., 269 Main Street, 1900.  Contributed to Jones Journeys by William A. Graves, pp. 16 - 20, Vol. IV, 1976.

Rhode Island 1661

It certainly gets confusing sorting out all these folks with JONES surname.  The chronology (ch.) of the last several posts is based upon the named colony's ability to begin official treaty negotiations with their local ethic groups.  For example, Virginia's first treaty was autumn 1607 with the Powhatan Confederacy. [a "peace treaty]  The first JONES was 1609.  For Massachusetts (Plymouth) it was April 2, 1621 with the Wampanoag tribe. ["land cession"]  The first JONES was 1631.  For Maryland it was March 1634 with the Maryland Indians. ["land cession"]  The first JONES was 1637.

Now for Rhode Island it was August 9, 1646, also with the Wampanoag tribe. ["land cession"]  It is noted in Jones Journeys that a large majority of Rhode Island people were former residents of Massachusetts. [Vol. 18, p. 1884 ] So, there may be those with the JONES surname that overlap with what was to become separate British colonies.

"The Ocean State" it says on its state quarter shown above.  The earliest JONES I could identify was found in Jones Journeys.  The names are said to be recorded on p. 331, Vol. II, in the reference titled: Genealogies of Rhode Island Families, selected by Gary Roberts, Vol.I & II.  It reads:

"p.331 - Salisbury, 14 Oct. 1661 - Mary Jones, dau. Thomas Jones of Gloucester, MA, married Nathaniel Winsley/Winslow."

A father daughter combination it is.  Does anyone have any connections to this Thomas Jones and Mary his daughter in 1661?

A list other JONES are given in Jones Journeys, pp. 1883 - 1884,  Vol. 18, 1990 - 1991.

Maryland 1637

John Jones, 1637,  was the first to be listed in the land patent records, Hall of Records, Annapolis, MD.  According to Gust Skordas this is recorded in Book 1, page 19, and is recorded in "Maryland Jones Arrivals", p. 1287, Jones Journeys, Vol. 14.  This is from "The Early Settlers of Maryland (1633 - 1680") compiled by Gust Skordas.  Whew...all that is to say you can get lost in the documents, but it extremely important to record where the records are available.  This documentation is a foundation to genealogy for the serious tree climber.

Above is shown the state quarter for Maryland.  It shows the year that the colony became a state.  The dates I am recording represent the chronology based upon the earliest settlement records that record a JONES surname.