Wilmington journal., 1876-03-17
March 9th, 1876.
JOHN PABa. JONES.
HIs lkeaI Name.-'Ehe Name OF } Jones'
Assumed in COinpIiinent LOfDiS
tinguished North CnrOlintsins.

tnSuished NORTH tlrOlfhthns.
o're-l'"ndeuce OF the Baltimore Sun.l
SARATOGA, BUCKINGHAM Co., Va,
February %, 1876.
"Victory or Wesf u III ter Abbey" Is
"A familiar and full of high aud soul
stlri ing Significance on one side of the
>tlantIc as the other. But while the
grave of Nelson is u shrine, aud Ira
talRar an inspirations: while the devO-
ton of Il great nation perpetuates the
memory and heroism of the illustrious
dead III immortal verse and immemo-
rial moral, the greatest of American
heroes, fills forgotten grave in
strange lands, and a name which
chronicles the most da.ing and splendid
of his victories. IL name wi h which
not quite hundred years ago the
whole world rang and thrilled, is to-
day repeated i'll ''Serapis," aud comes
with no higher suggestion to the
countrymen Of Paul Jones than it
draws from its association with a de-
scendant of George the Third. =
This is scarcely to be wondered at
when we remember that while no
revolutionary biography cIn boast
more public events of vivid and in
tense interest than that of Paul Jones,
lone is SO bare and meagre in personal
detail. Even the fact that he has i'm
mortalized name which was his own
by selection end adoption is slurred
over III history with calm statement
that she changed his name for IN
known reaSOus." AS the reasons were
not unknown, and however difficult to
obtain later, were then easily acces-
slble, it appears to have been rather
L.. e
cation than of facts which caused
their suppression. They are now, 'Or
the Hrst tune, given To IiIe puDIIc.
tue outline of his life is briefly told.
John Paul, the son of gardener. was
born July 6, l747, ut Arbiudglnnd,
Scotland. At the age OF twelve years
he went t. sea. In l773 tie death Of
his brother i'll Virginia, whose he,r he
was, induced him to settle in America.
It was then he added to his name and
thpncefOrth was known as "Phul
Jones'" This vas doue in compliment
to one of the most noted statesmen of
that dny, and in the love and gratitude
it shadows forth is /, scathing reproach
aud touching examTle to q people
vino could neglect i'll life and forget in
death.
1t appears thaG before permanently
settling III Virginia. moved by the rest
lrssress of his senfaring life. he wan
dered about the country, finally stray
ing to North Caro!ina There he
became acquainted with two brothers,
Willie and Allan Jones. They We're
both leaders in their day, ard wise and
honOred III their generation. Allan
Jones was IN orator aud silver-tongued; !;
Willie Jones the foremost man of his
State and one of tie most remarkable
of his time A short sketch of his
public services will rO lie out of place.
Educated abroad, a apiofound, ele-
gunt scholar, he was thinker and
aceor rather than a speaker. Like
Franklin and Jefferson be, perhaps,
owed his uncompromising republi can
ism to the abuses OF royalty he had
seen in the old world. He served as Gov
ernor in 1776. REFUSING compensation;
vas III the Continental Congress of
17S0>Sl, and. in fact, filed every Office
in the gift of the State. He Is es-
pecially memorable now for his refu-
sal to act as delegate tothe Convention
which framed the constitution, and for
having caused the reject on of that
constitution bY North CaroliBa in 17SS.
His home, "The Grove" near Hall
fax, was not only the result of the cult
waited and refiued, but the home Of the
homeless, Mrs. jones having some
times twenty orphan girls under her
charge, and it was here the young ad-
venturer, John Paul, was first touched
by those gentler and purer influences
which changed not onl ly his name, but
himself from the rough and reckless
mariner into the polished man of socie
ty, who was the companion of kings
and the lion and poet of Partisan
salons. The almost wo1shippiny love
and reyeren,:eawakened in his hitherto
| wild and untamed nature by the grner
GUS kindness of the brothers, found ex
preston in his adoption of their name.
! The truth of this account is moi
ONLY atteste.l by th' scendants OF
Willie Jones, hut by the nephew and
representative of Paul tones, Mr.. Lon
don, of Charleston, s. @. This gen
tleman in 1946 was in Washington
awaiting the pas ,age of bill by Con
| grtss, awarding him the land claim OF
| his distinguished uncle, Paul Jones
which had been allowed by the execu
tive of Virginia. Hon. E. W. Hubbard
then a member of Congress from
Virginia, had, in 1914, prepared 1
report on Virginia land claims, il
which the committee indorsed that o.
Paul Jones. This naturally attracted
Mr.. London to him, 8 I'D learning tina
Mrs. Hubbard was a descendant o
Willie Jones, he repeated to both Col
Hubbard and herself the cause Of hi
uncle's change of name and added tina
amongst his pictures hung portral
| of Hen ToOes F. w Fl