Research on William Fletcher Jones
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Location: Georgia
Surname/tag: Jones
This page is for sorting out information about William Fletcher Jones and (hopefully) connect him to his ancestors. The records are confusing, so we'll sort them out here before updating his profile.
Contents |
Locations
LOCATIONS: see map
1. Franklin County, Georgia 1896 W. F. Jones married Georgia Watkins 1900 Fletcher Jones living with 2nd wife, Luella Jackson, daughter Ada, and probable mother Mariah (listed as daughter, but widow age 46). 1900 Odell Jones living with maternal grandparents
2. Banks County, Georgia (adjacent to Franklin Co.) 1910 Fletcher Jones living in Wilmot, family includes brother-in-law Richard Jackson 1918 William Fletcher Jones registered for draft in Homer, relative Lula Jones, birth date 27 March 1877 1920 William F. Jones living in Wilmot, family includes niece Lillie M. Alexander
3. Harris County, Georgia of the Judge & Mary Jones 1880 census is on the other side of the state from Franklin and Banks
4. Hart County, Georgia is next to Franklin County. 1880 a Tilda Stowers, age 20 and divorced, is head of household with her son Henry (marr. 1911, WWI draft registration & 1919 Georgia death cert, father John Stowers, mother unknown) & nephew William Jones, age 5, born in Georgia. This is possibly a wild goose chase as his mother is presumably still living, but it would keep the records all in one part of NE Georgia.
Birth
Where was William Fletcher Jones really born? His SS record that he filled out apparently gives a birthplace of Hartford, Georgia. The one we know of is in Pulaski County - in the center of the state, far from Franklin and Banks.
His death certificate, info not directly from him, has Savannah, Georgia - extreme SE Georgia on the coast, far from other records of his. The informant was his daughter. She did not know her grandfather's name, but recorded her grandmother as Maria Jones.
Neither is near the Judge & Mary Jones family.
Could his Hartford really be somewhere in Hart County? Like Hartwell, perhaps?
Parents
Per his SS# application, his parents are William Jones and Mary Harper. [1]
It's unclear if his father is also known as "Judge" Jones since neither this nor the death certificate list a middle name for his father.
Links to his mother
The 1900 Census for Fletcher Jones includes his 46 year old "daughter," Mariah Jones. This is impossible, since Fletcher himself is only 24. Could this be his mother?
| Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
| Fletcher Jones | M | 24 | Married | Head | Georgia | |
| Lula Jones | F | 20 | Married | Wife | Georgia | |
| Ada Jones | F | 2 | Single | Daughter | Georgia | |
| Mariah Jones | F | 46 | Widowed | Daughter | Georgia | |
| Jerry Carson | M | 52 | Divorced | Boarder | South Carolina |
A SSN application lists William Jones and Maria Harper as his parents. It was filed in 1939. Is this date significant.[3]
The McGeehee connection
The 1880 Census which is currently attached to Fletcher's profile is on the same page as a family headed by Albert McGeehee.[4]
A Dicy McGeehee is listed as William Jones's mother-in-law (Fletcher's grandmother) on that page. It may be possible to find Dicy by tracing Albert's line. They may be aunt and nephew or some other relation. Here is Albert's family search page:
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GWX7-JYM
His Death
There is currently no death record on his profile. [Added below]
Our research shows:
William, son of Jones & Maria Jones, died (age 78) on 28 March 1954 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[5]
William was mentioned on a memorial in Merion Memorial Park, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States with a death date of 28 March 1954.[6]
1950 Census
Where was William in 1950? On his WT Profile, the following record is linked:
| Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
| Jessie Lee Baker | F | 45 years | Never married | Head | Packing | Georgia |
| William F Jones | M | 74 years | Widowed | Father | Georgia | |
| Richard Woffard | M | 25 years | Never married | Nephew | Digger | Georgia |
This would have a person (me!) searching for Richard Woffard (or possibly "Hoffard") as a nephew and trying to figure out his relationship to William, possibly backtracking to get more information about our subject. However, there is also this Census record for 1950:
| Name | Sex | Age | Status | Relation | Occupation | Birth Place |
| William F Jones | M | 70 years | Married | Head | Georgia | |
| Lula P Jones | F | 70 years | Married | Wife | Alabama |
This includes Lula, which seems exciting and a good sign that this is correct. We're in Georgia; there's his wife. However, Lula's WT says she died in 1946, so she can't possibly be living with her husband in Georgia in 1950. And the above information about William's death has him in Pennsylvania when he dies four years later. So this creates different possible paths for William -- one where Lula lives longer than we think she did and they stay in Georgia (making the grave in PA not our William) and one as currently on the profile.
Sources
- ↑ Social Security: "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007" Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007 Ancestry Record 60901 #12192720 (accessed 25 June 2023) Name: William Fletcher Jones; Gender: Male; Race: Black; Birth Date: 27 Mar 1874; Birth Place: Hartford, Georgia; Father: William Jones; Mother: Maria Harper; Notes: Feb 1939: Name listed as WILLIAM FLETCHER JONES.
- ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3NP-MDW : accessed 25 June 2023), Mariah Jones in household of Fletcher Jones, Militia District 812, Strange, Franklin, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 31, sheet , family , NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm .
- ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KSN-DQX1 : 10 February 2023), William Fletcher Jones, .
- ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBS-93H2?cc=1417683&wc=XCH3-168%3A1589395848%2C1589399654%2C1589399673%2C1589395213 : 24 December 2015), Georgia > Harris > Ellerslie > ED 60 > image 17 of 28; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)
- ↑
Death:
"Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969"
Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pa; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 094801-097500; Certificate Number: 95383
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5164 #6259580 (accessed 25 June 2023)
William Jones death 28 Mar 1954 (age 78), son of Jones & Maria Jones, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. - ↑
Memorial:
Find a Grave (no image)
Find A Grave: Memorial #255688454 (accessed 25 June 2023)
Memorial page for William Fletcher Jones (27 Mar 1874-28 Mar 1954), citing Merion Memorial Park, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Larry McQueary (contributor 46875040). No obituary located. - ↑
1950 Census:
"United States 1950 Census"
citing Page: 20; Line: 2;
FamilySearch Record: 6X17-GFPD (accessed 5 July 2023)
FamilySearch Image: 3QHN-GQHW-FV44
William F Jones (74), widowed father, in household of Jessie Lee Baker (45 years) in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Born in Georgia. - ↑
1950 Census:
"United States 1950 Census"
citing Page: 19; Line: 19;
FamilySearch Record: 6F74-ZG99 (accessed 5 July 2023)
FamilySearch Image: 3QHJ-5QHW-YVKH
William F Jones (70), married head of household in Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, United States. Born in Georgia.
- Death: "Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969"
Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, Pa; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 094801-097500; Certificate Number: 95383
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5164 #6259580 (accessed 25 June 2023)
William Jones death 28 Mar 1954 (age 78), son of Jones & Maria Jones, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Still chewing on this, even though the KGS challenge is over. I've found a 1950 Census that throws both William's and Lula's deaths into question. It seems like the more we research here, the less we know!
I agree that the Judge Jones connection is probably a red herring. But how to find the correct information? This one is a puzzler.
Hope you are doing well,
Tabor
His SS record that he filled out apparently gives a birthplace of Hartford, Georgia. The one we know of is in Pulaski County - in the center of the state, far from Franklin and Banks.
His death certificate, info not directly from him, has Savannah, Georgia - extreme SE Georgia on the coast, far from other records of his.
Neither is near the Judge & Mary Jones family.
Could his Hartford really be somewhere in Hart County? Like Hartwell, perhaps?
1. Franklin County, Georgia 1896 W. F. Jones married Georgia Watkins 1900 Fletcher Jones living with 2nd wife, Luella Jackson, daughter Ada, and probable mother Mariah (listed as daughter, but widow age 46). 1900 Odell Jones living with maternal grandparents
2. Banks County, Georgia (adjacent to Franklin Co.) 1910 Fletcher Jones living in Wilmot, family includes brother-in-law Richard Jackson 1918 William Fletcher Jones registered for draft in Homer, relative Lula Jones, birth date 27 March 1877 1920 William F. Jones living in Wilmot, family includes niece Lillie M. Alexander
3. Harris County, Georgia of the Judge & Mary Jones 1880 census is on the other side of the state from Franklin and Banks
4. Hart County, Georgia is next to Franklin County. 1880 a Tilda Stowers, age 20 and divorced, is head of household with her son Henry (marr. 1911, WWI draft registration & 1919 Georgia death cert, father John Stowers, mother unknown) & nephew William Jones, age 5, born in Georgia. This is possibly a wild goose chase as his mother is presumably still living, but it would keep the records all in one part of NE Georgia.
edited by J. McClintock
Thank you so much for your notes about Fletcher. I think you're right that we should anchor the research in Franklin -- as we have clear connections there for his marriage, the birth of his son, and the 1990 Census. He then moved just west to Banks county and stayed there for some time (at least 1910-1920). He then moved north and east to Davie, NC, and evenutally to Philadelphia. So moves are possible -- even across multiple states -- but it makes more sense to focus on North Georgia at first.
I think some clues my follow his date of birth. On his WWI enlistment card, he is listed as 42 in 1919 -- with a birthdate of 27 Mar 1877 -- three years later than we have on his profile. If that's the case, he'd be 3 in 1880. The 1880 Census with a father of Judge Jones has "her" as 5 in 1880. I plan on looking at estimated birthdates on all the records later today -- but have obligations this morning. Would love your eyes on this -- you're doing such great work here!
Mother: IF (big if) the Mariah in his 1900 census is really his mother (likely, I think) THEN the Mary, wife of Judge Jones in 1900 in Lee Co. Alabama, is NOT going to be his mother too.
It looks to me like the Fletcher Jones in the Judge & Mary Jones 1880 census was a red herring!
Has anyone looked into the "niece" Lillian M. Alexander in his 1920 census? I've tried but gotten nowhere.