John Richard Jones (1814 - 1852)

Born 19 Dec 1814 in Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Obedience (Hatcher) Jones — married 12 Mar 1839 in Wilkinson County, Georgia, USA

Descendants

Died 18 Feb 1852 at age 37 in Apalachicola, Franklin, Florida, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bill Schultz [send private message]

Biography

John Richard Jones (1814-1852) descends from Charlemagne by way of his mother, Lucy (Taliaferro) Jones, the great granddaughter of John "the ranger" Taliaferro (1659-1726) and his wife, Sarah (Smith) Taliaferro (1660-1720). Sarah was the daughter of Lawrence Smith, who is listed as a gateway ancestor by the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne.

Liberty Baptist Church of Wilkinson County

Liberty Baptist Church was founded in 1837 as a religious home for those people who were expelled from other churches due to their belief in missions. John R. Jones and his future wife, Obedience B. Hatcher, are listed in the church records as one of the earlier members. Their marriage is recorded as of 12 Mar 1839. This was about a year after he graduated from Mercer University in 1838 (see below).

Removal to Florida

The 1850 census shows John and Obedience living in Jackson County, Flordia. The land grants obtained from the US Government show their property near Sneads. John obtained about 120 acres in three grants of about 40 acres each. The places of birth for the children listed in that census suggest that the move to Flordia happened around 1846 (between 16 Dec 1845 and 22 Apr 1847).

First Baptist Church of Apalachicola

The following information mostly came from a church historian for the church community founded by Rev. Dr. John Richard Jones in the little community of Apalachicola, Florida, as I wrote about in an email to some other descendants: I just got around to opening an old letter that went to my PO box in Florida shortly after I relocated back to Kansas. It was from Ms. Holly Lemons of the First Baptist Church in Apalachicola, Florida. She had contacted me by email stating that she was the church historian and was looking for information about John Richard Jones. When I sent her a few tidbits from my genealogy files, she replied that she had some additional information which might be useful to me. That resulted in the letter which I just recently got around to opening.

The letter contained a number of copies of various records of the First Baptist Church. Among them were:

1. A blurb entitled "Church History" which reads: The Christian Index, of April 12, 1849, recites the following, from a letter dated March 22, 1849, and signed G.M.W. "On the 18th of December last (1848), brothers Thomas J. Bowen, of Gadsden County, and John R. Jones, of Jackson County, of this state, constituted a church in this city consisting of ten members, to-wit: 3 whites and 7 blacks, and it is to be hoped that the brethren cast bread upon the waters that will be gathered not many days hence. Bro. Jones visited us again on Wednesday, the 14th instant, and again on Sabbath last, baptized three individuals, one a Jewess, the companion of the unworthy writer of these lines." A description of the first baptism in Apalachicola follows: "Five or six hundred people attended it on the bay front. That night the Lord's supper was observed in the town hall. The wine for it was prepared by this Christian Jewess according to the passover customs of the Jews."

2. A picture is included of the first church building, located at 6th Street and Avenue H in Apalachicola, and built sometime before the Civil War (the date range on the photo says "1850-1861 Built?"

Mercer University, Penfield

3. A large sheet containing a photocopy of a portion of the account ledgers of Mercer University in Penfield, GA, 1835-1838, showing the records of "Richard J. Jones" for 1837. The description on the bottom (written by Ms. Lemons) reads "Dr. Jones graduated before Mercer University (Penfield, GA) had a medical program, so he would have been a ministerial student." The accounting makes for some interesting reading: On the "charges" (left) side of the ledger: 1837 Richard J. Jones, Dr. Mar 31 Board 3 mos. 24$ washing 3$ 27.00 tuition 6$ cutt(??) 2.50 paper .25 Gram .75 9.50 Geog. 1$ candles .50 quills .185(?) Reader .37 2.06(?) April Pencil .065 Dic .50 candles .50 Store act. 1.50 2.565 ======= $41.125 Mending .125 .125 ======= $41.25 July 17 Board 2nd Term 40$ washing 5$ 45.00 Tuition $15 Sat. Gram. .75 Auth .50 16.25 Slate .25 quills .125 ink .125 candles .50 1.00 July 31 paper .125 Slate .25 quills .125 candles .50 1.00 paper .12 Hist. Sac. .50 pencil .065 .685 Nov. candles .25 shoes 1.50 g. cap. .25 2.00 ======= $65.935 Mending .875 .875 ======= $66.81 On the "credits" (right) side of the ledger: May 31st 29 days work at .10 2.90 June 28 19 days work at .10 1.90 July 17 cash in full 36.45 July 17th cash advanced for 2nd term Nov. 25 59 days work at .10 5.90 5 days work .50 .50 1838 Due 46.86 Jan. 29 Rec.d by V. P. Thornton 45.875

4. A sheet with the cover sheet and a page from the "Minutes of the Twenty Sixth Anniversary of the Georgia Baptist Convention held at Savannah, GA., May 14th, 15th, and 17th, 1847. Inside, under the title "Names and Post Offices of Baptist Ministers in Georgia" we have: J. R. Jones, Chenuba NOTE: There was a "Chenubba" listed in Lee County, GA in the 1855 Atlas of Georgia. As we shall see, that was probably the place referred to, above. This Chenubba was a few miles north and west of Albany, GA and a few miles south and west of Americus, GA.

Death Notice

5. A sheet from the Christian Index of May 6, 1852 with the death notice: "Died at Apalachicola, on the 18th of February last, the Rev. Dr. John R. Jones, aged 37 years and 3 months. Bro. Jones was born Dec. 19th, 1814, in Wilkinson county, GA. Joined the Baptist church in Talbot co. about the year 1837, and commenced his ministerial labors in Wilkinson county, in 1838. He removed from Wilkinson to Lee, and from Lee to Jackson county, Fla., where he had lived five years. He had gone to Apalachicola to visit the church at that place. -- He preached on Friday night, and labored earnestly and hard in preaching -- felt, after preaching, some soreness of the lungs -- appeared better on Saturday morning, and walked out upon the beach -- returned with a chill, and died Wednesday night following of inflammation of the lungs, attended with high fever. His family knew nothing of the matter till he was sent home a corpse. He was buried in the neighborhood with Christian attention and services. Brother Jones has left a wife and six children, with many friends to mourn their loss. "Blessed are they which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their words do follow them. A FRIEND

Comments

I'm not sure I trust the reference to Talbot county, GA as the place where J. R. Jones joined the Baptist church. Mercer University in Penfield was only a few miles to the west of Wilkinson County, and that is where he spent most of 1837. Talbot county is much to the west and north, and there was no good reason for J. R. Jones to be in that neck of the woods. Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy reading the records of our great-granddad and his Doctor of Divinity degree from Mercer University, bought as a price of a few months of labor and about $90 cash.

Sources

• Private research files of Leonora Jones.
• Records of Liberty Baptist Church of Wilkinson County, GA.
• US Land Grant Records for Florida
• 1850 US Census
• Documents from the First Baptist Church of Apalachicola.
• Records of the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne.