Abraham Jones (abt. 1751 - bef. 1829)

Born about 1751 in Lunnburg County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Rachel (Greer) Jones — married about 1785 in Henry County, Virginia [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 21 Sep 1829 before about age 78 in Claiborne County, Tennessee

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Biography

Abraham Jones was born about 1751 in the Pigg River area of then Lunenburg County, Virginia. He was the son of Robert Jones II and Maria Van Meter. Abraham can be confused with his nephew of the same name born in 1774. There is also another unrelated Abraham Jones who appears in Lee County, Virginia tax records from 1798 to at least 1833.

Abraham appears in records for the first time when he purchased land from his father in 1771 Pittsylvania Co., on the north fork of Pigg River. He is then found on tax lists in Henry County (formed in 1777 from Pittsylvania) for 1778-1780 and 1783-1785. Lists for 1781 and 1782 are apparently lost. Abraham sold his land on Pigg River in 1796, when he was then a resident of Grayson Co.

Some time around 1785, Abraham married Rachel Greer. No marriage record has ever been located and the date is purely guesswork. In addition, a Rachel Jones does appear, listed individually, on tax lists in Henry and Franklin Co. for the years 1782-1787. It could be possible she was so listed because she owned property considered separate from her husband's (horses and cattle), in which case the marriage date might be sometime prior to 1782. Further research may answer this question.

In 1793, we find Abraham in Wythe County, Virginia. As he is not in tax records for Franklin Co. after 1789, he may have moved into Montgomery Co. (with his Greer in-laws) and then became subject to several county boundary changes which muddy the trail. Montgomery Co. split to form Wythe Co. in 1790 and then Wythe split to form Grayson County in 1793. A single residence can therefore appear in all 3 counties between 1790 and 1793.

Abraham appears in Grayson Co. tax records each year from 1794 - 1807. His Greer in-laws are present on the same lists indicating they must have been following similar migration paths. In July 1809, we find Abraham purchasing land on Mulberry Creek in Claiborne County, Tennessee. At this point Abraham had left his Greer relatives behind in Grayson Co. Mulberry Creek runs between Powell's Mountain and Wallens Ridge, just a couple miles south of the Virginia state line, bordering Lee County, Virginia. Today this area is in Hancock Co., TN.

In 1809, Abraham and a man named Merry McGuire witnessed some deeds in Claiborne Co. Merry McGuire had previously been a resident of Lee Co., just a short distance to the north. In fact, both Abraham and Merry McGuire are mentioned in the minutes of the old Thompson Settlement Church, located in Lee Co. Abraham and wife, Rachel, were apparently members of the church (see Rachel's profile). Merry's daughter, Susanna McGuire, married Abraham Jones, Jr. 10 August 1815 in Franklin County, Indiana. By 1834, Abraham, and Susanna were living in Johnson Co., IN, as indicated in the land sold by the heirs of Abraham, Sr.

Abraham remained on Mulberry Creek for the remainder of his life. He died there sometime shortly before 21 September 1829, the date his will was proven in court. Unfortunately, courthouse fires in Claiborne County in 1863 and 1931 destroyed all the will books prior to 1839. So the will itself is lost, as were census records for 1810 and 1820 and all marriage records before 1837. In 1831, Rachel Jones was named as the executor of the will and in 1834, she and her son, Abraham, Jr. sold the land formerly belonging to Abraham, Sr.

Due to the loss of marriage and will records in Claiborne Co., we can only speculate about the children of Abraham and Rachel. There were many, many Jones' in the same places at the same times and sorting them would be a large project. Possibly, one could consider the Ezekiel Jones from the 1834 deed (below) as another son of Abraham.

Sources

• Pittsylvania County, Virginia Deed Book2, p. 365-366; 27 November 1771, Robert Jones to Abraham Jones, 156 acres on both sides of the north fork of Pigg River adjoining. Joseph Ellis. Wit: Hugh Jones, William Cook, Robert (Penyman?). Land was part of 320 acres patented by Robert Jones 6 September 176_.

• 1778-1780 Tax Lists, Henry County, Virginia, by Lela C. Adams, 1973, p. 13-14, 14 July 1778: Abraham Jones.

• 1778-1780 Tax Lists, Henry County, Virginia, by Lela C. Adams, 1973, p. 20 & 24, An alphabetical List of the taxes or pound rate imposed on the different persons property in the County of Henry and delivered to John Salmon, Sherif of the said County to collect for the year 1779: Abraham Jones.

• 1778-1780 Tax Lists, Henry County, Virginia, by Lela C. Adams, 1973, p. 34 & 38, An alphabetical List of Tax in the County of Henry for raising a supply of money for the Service of the United States. Delivered to Archaleus Hughes, Esquire, Sheriff of the said County to collect, due the 20th February 1780: Abraham Jones.

• Henry County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1782-1830, FHL Film #2024587, DGS # 7849140; Abraham Jones appears in tax lists for 1783 - 1785 with a slave named Ester. A woman named Rachel Jones also appears on the lists for 1782-1785 with horses and cattle, but her identity is unknown. She's not likely to be Abraham's wife, Rachel. Several Jones family members, including Abraham, disappear from the lists after 1785, due to the formation of Franklin County.

• Franklin County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1786-1803, Binns Genealogy, 2009; Abraham Jones appears on lists for 1787-1789, reflecting his location in the newly formed county of Franklin. Rachel Jones also appears in 1786-1787 and then disappears from the records.

• Wythe County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1793-1801, FHL Film #7856355; 1793 Dist. of Wm. Drope (WM >16, Slave >2, Slave >16, Horses), 25 March, Abraham Jones, 1,1,0,5.

• Grayson County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1794-1827; FHL Film # 7849125; Abraham Jones appears annually for the years 1794-1807. No taxes were collected in 1808 and he is not on the lists in 1809 or later.

• Franklin County, Virginia Deed Book 3, p. 388; 5 December 1796, Abraham Jones of Grason (sic) County to William Jones of Franklin Co., 192 acres on north fork of Pigg River adjoining Jacob Oldakers, Buck, Samuel Miles

• Claiborne County, Tennessee Deed Book B, 1808-1810; FHL Film #8595773 (copied 1938), Image 421-422 (copy p. 389-391), Book p. 212; 24 July 1809, Lewis Bishop and Jonathan Bishop to Abraham Jones, 149 acres on both sides of Mulberry Creek, being part of a tract conveyed to the Bishops by John Thompson, adjoining Levi Carnes. Wit: William Jones, Josiah (Isaiah) Jones, George Gollahorn (Goblinborne?), John Adams.

• Claiborne County, Tennessee Deed Book B, 1808-1810; FHL Film #8595773 (copied 1938), Image 453-456 (copy p. 415), Book p. 227; 14 September 1809, Lewis Bishop and Jonathan Bishop of Washington Co., VA to George Gollohorn (Goblinborne?), 174 acres on both sides of Mulberry Creek on north side of Powell’s Mountain, adjoining Abraham Jones. Wit: Mary McGuire, Abraham Jones, Joseph Hopkins.

• Claiborne County, Tennessee Deed Book B, 1808-1810; FHL Film #8595773 (copied 1938), Image 450-453 (copy p. 412), Book p. 225; 2 October 1809, Thomas Walling to Isaiah Jones, 70 acres on north branch of Mulberry Creek. Wit: William Jones, John Adams, Lewis Bishop. Proven in open court 3 October 1810 by Henry (sic – Merry) McGuire and Abraham Jones.

• 1810 Census Lost

• FHL Film #4776112, Claiborne County Deed Index, v. 1, 1801-1865, Minute Docket, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1812-1814, p. 32, August Term 1812, Abraham Jones on jury.

• FHL Film #4776112, Claiborne County Deed Index, v. 1, 1801-1865, Minute Docket, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1818-1819, p. 38; 11 May 1818, Abraham Jones witnessed deed with Burwell Sellvants (Sullivan?), from Levi Kerns to Thomas Rice for 52 acres.

• Claiborne County, Tennessee Deed Book F, p. 55-56; 22 October 1819, Abraham Jones to John Stakely, 27 acres where Jones now lives. Wit: George Hopkins, Isaiah Jones, George McNiel.

• FHL Film #4776112, Claiborne County Deed Index, v. 1, 1801-1865, Minute Docket, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1819-1821, p. 19; 10 November 1819, A deed from Abraham Jones to John Steakly, for 27 acres, was proved by George Hopkins and Isaiah Jones.

• Claiborne County, Tennessee Deed Book F, p. 57-58; 22 October 1819, Isaiah Jones to John Stakely, 52 acres on north side of Powell’s Mountain near Mulberry Gap adjoining Levi Carnes, Thomas Jones, Abraham Jones. Wit: Abraham Jones, George McNiel, Samuel Jones.

• 1820 Census lost

• FHL Film #4776112, Claiborne County Deed Index, v. 1, 1801-1865, Minute Docket, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1821-1824, p. 282, 13 August 1823, Abraham Jones makes bond for his appearance in court for State of TN v. Nancy Minton.

• FHL Film # 8659315, Court Minutes, 1829-1836; Copied 1938-1939; Image 104, Book p. 1, Copy p. 2, 21 September 1829 Court, The last will and testament of Abraham Jones was produced in open court and thereupon came Eli Davis and Neil McNeil two of the subscribing witnesses there to who being sworn say that they saw the said Abraham Jones sign seal and heard him publish the same as his last will and testament and that they signed the same in the presence of each other and of said testator at his request and that at the time of executing the same he was of sound and disposing mind and memory whereupon the same is admitted to record. Note: The will book was lost in courthouse fires.

• 1830 Federal Census, Claiborne County, Tennessee; Rachel Jones, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 20-29, 1 female, 15-20, 1 female 60-69, 2 slaves.

• FHL Film # 8659315, Court Minutes, 1829-1836; Copied 1938-1939; Image 507-508, Book p. 400-401, Copy p. 276, 20 September 1831, Rachael Jones executor of the last will and testament of Abraham Jones deceased came into open court took upon herself the execution of said will gave bond & security and was qualified as the law directs.

• Claiborne County, Tennessee Deed Book K, p. 456-457; 2 October 1834, Abraham Jones of Johnson County, Indiana and Ezekiel Jones and Rachal Jones of Claiborne County, to John Jones of Claiborne County, $650, two thirds of the lands lying and being on both sides of Mulberry Creek, being part of the tract of land conveyed to Lewis and Jonathan Bishop and part of an entry made by Abraham Jones Senr. now dead, they jointly contain 159 acres, the other tract entry was made by Abraham Jones Senr. who is now dead, adjoining George Goblinborne, John Jones, Poteet. Signed: Abraham Jones, Ezekiel Jones, Rachel Jones. Wit: F. S. Hurt, H. C. ___, John ___, Stephen ___.

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