James Jones (abt. 1641 - bef. 1719)

Born about 1641 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Rebecca (Lewis) Jones — married about 1659 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Sarah (Unknown) Jones — married about 1691 in Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died before 20 Apr 1719 before about age 78 in Prince George County, Colony of Virginia

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James Jones resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

James Jones of Charles City and Prince George Counties, Virginia, was born about 1640-42, and died at an advanced age in Prince George County in 1719.^[1][2][3]

James was married twice, first presumably to Rebecca Lewis, and second to Sarah, whose last name is unknown.^[1]

At a meeting of the Governor and Council held at James City on 15 July 1661, it was ordered that a James Jones be paid 400 pounds of tobacco for killing 2 wolves.^[4]

On 1 September 1673, Christopher Lewis named James Jones as sole executor of his estate, and made a bequest to "Mary Jones the Daught'r of James Jones Coop'r." A cooper is a person that makes wooden casks, barrels, and other containers from timber staves.

He is the first positively known ancestor of this family.^[1]

Children

The children of James Jones and presumably Rebecca Lewis are identified in his Will:^[2][3]

1. Mary - m. (1) John Williams, (2) Richard Dardin
2. Elizabeth - m. (1) Thomas Chappell, (2) Thomas Taylor
3. Hanna - possibly m. John Cooke
4. Rebecca - m. William Cooke
5. James - m. unknown

James and Sarah had no children together. Sarah had two sons from prior marriages.^[1]

James Jones had only the one son, James.^[1]

Property

James Jones was first granted land on 1 March 1663/4, 250 acres in Charles City County on the south side of the James River and on the east side of the head of Powells Creek near the old Towne.^[5][6] The land had been granted to Thomas Tanner on 27 November 1657, and was then transferred by him to James. This land was very close to that of Rev. Richard Jones.

On 20 November 1683, James was granted 734 acres in Charles City County on the south side of the James River at a place known by the name Devil's Woodyard.^[7] The land was granted for the transportation of 15 persons into the Colony, including two by the name of Jones [difficult to read].

On 4 November 1685, James was granted 364 acres in Charles City County on the south side of the James River.^[8] The land was granted for the transportation of five persons [not listed] into the Colony.

On 28 October 1702, James was granted 634 acres in Surry County on the south side of the Blackwater Swamp.^[9] The land was granted for the transportation of 13 persons into the Colony, including an Edward Jones.

In the Rent Roll for Prince George County in 1704, James Jones Sr. holds 1,100 acres. A James Jones holds 1,000 acres in Surrey County.^[10]

Slave Owner

James Jones bequeathed his slaves to members of his family in his Will:^[2][3]

• his wife Sarah (4): Will, Robin, Maria and Betty
• his wife's two sons (2): children, one named James, and the other unborn
• daughter Mary Dardin (1): man Jo
• daughter Elizabeth (1): Hanna
• daughter |Hanna (1): Jack
• granddaughter Jane Cooke (1): Amy

In court cases brought to contest his probate, another is identified:

• Harry^[11]

On 3 August 1693, at a Court held at Westover, Charles City County, two Indian girls are identified:^[12]

• Sue an Indian girl of James Jones judged seven years old.
• Sarah an Indian girl of James Jones Jr. judged four years old.

Will and Death

James Jones made his mark on his Will^[2][3] on 6 April 1719. The Will was witnessed by Gilbert Hay, Edward Prince, and Thomas Semple. His son James, as sole executor, presented the Will to probate at Merchant's Hope, Prince George County, on 12 May 1719.

The family members mentioned in the Will are:

• my Loveing Wife (not named, but certainly Sarah)
• my Wifes two Sons
• my Daughter Mary Dardin and her son Charles Williams
• my Daughter Eliz:
• my Daughter Hanna
• my Daughter Rebecca
• my Grandaughter Eliz: Glover
• my Grandson James Jones
• my Grandson Thomas Chappell
• my Grandaughter Jane Cooke Daughter to John Cooke
• my Loveing son James Jones

In a 20 April 1719 letter to the Court, Sarah Jones, wife of the deceased, states "I think myselfe Justly dealt by therein, and to prevent any further Disputes I desier the Will may be provied I being contented to Relye on the Legacys Left me in the said Will."^[2]

James bequests to his son James: "All the rest and Residue of my personal Estate, goods, and Chattels whatsoever, I do give and bequest unto my Loveing son James Jones …" Some slaves were not specifically bequested in the Will by name, and a disagreement ensued among the family as to whether these slaves could lawfully go to his son James under this device.

On 9 June 1719, Gilbert Hay gave a deposition^[13] regarding the bequest in James Jones the Elder's Will to James' son James. In the deposition, Gilbert states that at the request of James Jones, deceased, he wrote the Last Will and Testament, was also the one who wrote a former version of the Will, and that James Jones "did direct me to make the same to his son James's best advantage." The deposition regards the bequest of slaves in the Will. Edward Prince gave a deposition^[13] on the same date stating that he knew the deposition of Gilbert Hay to be true.

Sarah sued her stepson James regarding this matter. On 8 March 1719/20, the Court granted James until the next court to answer to the complaint.^[14]

On 2 April 1720, the jury ruled in favor of William Cooke and his wife Rebecca against her sibling James in the same matter.^[11] James moved to arrest the verdict, and the matter was continued to the next court.

On 10 May 1720, in the matter of Sarah Jones against her stepson James, James filed a Demurrer, and the Court granted Sarah until the next court to consider the same.^[14] The outcome of this case has not been found in the records.

On 14 June 1720, in the matter of William Cooke and his wife Rebecca against her sibling James, the Court affirmed the decision in favor of William and Rebecca.^[11]

Research Notes

Charles City County, Virginia was created in 1634 as one of the eight original shires. The shires were immediately referred to as "Counties".

Prince George County, Virginia was created on 25 Aug 1702 from Charles City County.

Name

A middle initial of "S" previously listed was not sourced, and was removed. Spratlin-29 13:46, 29 March 2022 (UTC)

Uncertain Parents

John W. Pritchett^[15] comes to the conclusion that "Mr. Jones," the father of James Jones, could be any of a number of Jones men resident in Virginia at that time. Possible candidates include:

1. Gilbert Jones of Henrico County
2. Major Peter Jones of Charles City County
3. William Jones (one of several) of Colonial Virginia
4. Daniel Jones of James City County
5. Philip Jones of Henrico County
6. Cadwallader Jones
7. Thomas Jones of Charles City County
8. Colonel John Jones of Dinwiddie and Amelia Counties
9. David Jones of Charles City County

Boddie, in an earlier published work,^[1] identifies Rev. Richard Jones, whose land was close to that of James, as one candidate, but then states "it seems slightly more probable that both men (Richard and James) were sons of David Jones …"

Marriages

James Jones married Rebecca Lewis about 1660 in Virginia.^{[citation needed]}

Rebecca Lewis was presumably the first wife of James Jones. Boddie^[1] does not discuss his first wife other than to state that James was married twice, and to acknowledge a possible relationship to Christopher Lewis, "perhaps through James Jones' first wife, whose name is otherwise unknown." Christopher Lewis named James Jones as executor of his estate, and made a bequest to "Mary Jones the Daught'r of James Jones Coop'r."

James Jones' second wife was the widow Sarah (Unknown) Wallis Mumford whose maiden name is unknown. Her first husband was John Wallis, and her second husband was James Munford who was alive in 1689 and dead in 1690.

Children

"They [presumably James Jones and his first wife] produced 10 children."^{[citation needed]}

DNA Information

See FTDNA Jones Y-DNA Project.

• Group I - M253 - Family Group 06 includes:
  • Edwin Jones III, FTDNA Kit #396060, I-BY143068, listed under DNA Connections (to the right)
  • Tom Jones, FTDNA Kit #B811455, I-FTB81821 (to 'right' of I-BY143068 in haplogroup tree), self reported earliest known ancestor John A Jones (abt 1804 SC–aft 1880 AL)

Y-DNA testing of at least one descendant of each of the candidates for James Jones' father will help in identifying which man was James' father. The possible results are:

1. James' Y-DNA haplogroup matches that of one, and only one candidate. This is the best outcome for it provides positive identification.
2. James' Y-DNA haplogroup matches that of two or more candidates. This result removes some candidates from the list of possible fathers but doesn't provide absolute proof.
3. James' Y-DNA haplogroup matches that of none of the candidates. In this case James' father is a complete unknown or there was an undocumented Non-Parental Event (NPE), adoption, etc. in one of the descendant lines.

James Jones' DNA is not available. It is the Y-DNA haplogroup of each of the test kits that is being compared along with their hopefully proven lineage. Spratlin-29 21:32, 30 March 2022 (UTC)

Other Sources Reviewed

These 3 sources have been reviewed and are themselves unsourced: Spratlin-29 13:46, 29 March 2022 (UTC)

• US and International Marriage Records 1560-1900.
• Legacy NFS Source.
• Ref LDS and Family Search Records.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} John Bennett Boddie, Virginia Historical Genealogies (Redwood City, California: Pacific Coast Publishers, 1954) pp317-325; image copy, Hathitrust.org (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89062947908&view=1up&seq=7).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} County Court, Prince George County, Virginia, Surveyor's platt book, deeds, wills, inventories, and settlements of estates, 1711-1792, Mixed records 1711-1725; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9PX-X3DW?i=469&cat=362985), images 470-471.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} John W. Pritchett, Virginians: The Family History of John W. Pritchett (http://www.virginians.com/redirect.htm?topics&7130), "7130 James Jones (c.1640–1719)," (transcript of "Will of James Jones").
4. ↑ County Court, Charles City County, Virginia, Order books, 1655-1762 [Charles City County, Virginia], Order books 1655-1665.; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLS-KYQZ?i=308&cat=379935), image 309.
5. ↑ Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants, Patents No.5, 1661–1666 (Vol.1 & Vol.2), pp346-347; digital images, Library of Virginia (http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/005/005_0363.tif, http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/005/005_0364.tif).
6. ↑ Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800, Volume One (Richmond, Virginia: Press of The Dietz Print Co., 1934) p504; image copy; Archive.org ( https://archive.org/stream/cavalierspioneer00nuge#page/504/mode/2upArchive.org).
7. ↑ Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants, Patents No.7, 1679–1689 (Vol.1 & Vol.2), pp329-330; digital images, Library of Virginia (http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/007/007_0332.tif, http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/007/007_0333.tif).
8. ↑ Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants, Patents No.7, 1679–1689 (Vol.1 & Vol.2), p488; digital images, Library of Virginia (http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/007/007_0495.tif).
9. ↑ Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants, Patents No.9, 1697–1706 (Vol.1 & Vol.2), pp497-498; digital images, Library of Virginia (http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/009/009_0518.tif, http://image.lva.virginia.gov/LONN/LO-1/009/009_0519.tif).
10. ↑ Louis des Cognets, Jr., English Duplicates of Lost Virginia Records (Princeton, New Jersey: Louis des Cognets, Jr., 1958), p212, p224; image copy, Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/englishduplicate00desc/page/n3/mode/2up).
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} County Court, Prince George County, Virginia, County Court order book 1714-1720, and County Court minute book 1737- 1740 [Prince George County, Virginia], County Court order book 1714-1720, and County Court minute book 1737- 1740; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4X-W1DQ?i=159&cat=395852), image 160, image 167.
12. ↑ County Court, Charles City County, Virginia, Order books, 1655-1762 [Charles City County, Virginia], Order books 1685-1696.; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4V-J3QK-8?i=399&cat=379935), image 400.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} County Court, Prince George County, Virginia, Surveyor's platt book, deeds, wills, inventories, and settlements of estates, 1711-1792, Mixed records 1711-1725; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9PX-X38N?i=477&cat=362985), images 478-479.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} County Court, Prince George County, Virginia, County Court order book 1714-1720, and County Court minute book 1737- 1740 [Prince George County, Virginia], County Court order book 1714-1720, and County Court minute book 1737- 1740; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4X-W18R?i=156&cat=395852), image 157, image 162.
15. ↑ John W. Pritchett, Southside Virginia Genealogies (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007).

See also:

• John W. Pritchett, Southside Virginia Genealogies, CD-ROM (Baltimore, Maryland, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 2007), Page 2949, "Who was James' first wife?"
• John W. Pritchett, Southside Virginia Genealogies, CD-ROM (Baltimore, Maryland, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 2007), Page 3537, 497, James [Mumford] married 2nd Sarah Wallis, widow of John Wallis, not long before his death.
• John W. Pritchett, Southside Virginia Genealogies, CD-ROM (Baltimore, Maryland, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 2007), Page 2949, Will of James Jones, 6 April 1719.
• Family Data Collection - Deaths Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,5771::0.
• Family Data Collection - Marriages Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,5774::0.
• Family Data Collection - Individual Records Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,4725::0.
• Family Data Collection - Births Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,5769::0.
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Author: Yates Publishing Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,7836::0.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #77277616 for James Jones I (memorial only, no headstone photo).

DNA

• Family Tree DNA Jones Y-DNA Project.
• Jones-DNA.ORG on Wayback Machine does not display this previously listed link (Y-DNA predigree site, Family Group I-M253 #6, FTDNA kit 396060).

Acknowledgements

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