The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-21
GREAT AMERICAN soNEsEs.

Jones Is a welsh name and derived
4 from John.
The Welsh lad no surnames until COM
| PEELED by act CT parliament 10 go appar-
/ cleo like Englishmen. TO wear their boards
after the English fashion. and TO take
/ English surnames like Smith. Brown, and
/ jones.
/ 1t is not two centuries ago since Ger
! many compelled German Jews 10 take
| family names. and not many years since
| Norway forced her army officers TO take
| surnames- Even yet in Norway and
| Wales surnames are not universal among
| the lower classes.
| In the early days of surname taking
/ some of the nations failed to understand
| that undergraduates IS the foundation
| principle of family name. To this day
! there is confusion worse COMPOUNDED
TO the outsider who tries 10 trace Scsndi-
/ nayian genealogy-
| If. for example Lars Oleson has four
sons, one is, perhaps. Ole Peterson. one
! Lars Peters, another Peter Larson. and
! the last one. perhaps. Ole OlesOn- The
! Welsh bunsled quite as badly At first
multiplying the word Ap meaning son
until such absurd names were evolved
as Thomas Ap-John. Ap-Thomas. Ap-
| Howell. Ap-Evan-Vaughan. When mat
| ters were finally simplifed. Thomas. the
son OF John. became Thomas John OF
Johns. and by inserting ''e' for euphony
| becames Johnes, or Jones.
THE sole defect Of the name Jones.
so a member OF the family declares, as
its commences; otherwise 1t is a very
good name"
If the primitive photography. Johnes
were adopted. the name might still sound
as commonplace. but in reading and
writing it would have almost a patri-
clan air.
The immigration ancestor. or first set
tier in America, was Major Thomas Jones.
called the chevalier" a descendant OF a
noble family He arrived in Rhode Island
IN 1892. and there married FreelOve,
daughter of Thomas Townsend. He
fought in the battle of the Boyne. Jones
was the name of the master Of the May
| flower, but of him there are no records.
The Southern family of this name
claims descent from Robert Jones OF
Wales, who won his true love in a most
romantic manner. He came 10 Virginia
in the Seventeenth century as boatswain
on British man-of-war. Falling in love
with Norfolk damsel while his ship lay
off Old Point Comfort. he Ieaped over
board the night previous TO sailing and
swan ashore to his betrothed. They
married and settled near Norfolk.
OF the members Of the family who
have distinguished themselves was Sam
uel Jones, direct descendant of the
first settler, Major Thomas Jones. Sam
uel was called the father of the New
York bar" ranking among the most pro-
found jurists of this or any country. Some
of the most eminent jurists and legislators
of colonial times belonged TO the Jones
family. Robin Jones was attorney for
the crown for North Carolina. about 1861.
The family has numbered few doctors.
clergymen, artists, or writer's among Its
members. and not many have been in
active service in time of war. The most
distinguished for military seAsce was
Lieutenant De Lancey Jones, 0Eho dis
played gallantry and skill under George
Worth during the Mexican war. There
were members of the family in the Revo-
luton and in the war Of 1872.
A De John Jones is ever TO be remem-
bered as physician to Washington and
surgeon to Franklin. He was one Of the
first professors of surgery in Columbia
College, under the royal charter, 1851
1776. He was also the author of several
important medical works.
One of the most interesting members Of
the family was John Paul Jones. who,
however, was not a bOna-fide Jones. He
was John Paul, bold. frank sailor, who.
when a mere youth. happened to pay a
visit to those old patriots. Allen and
William Jones, who owned large estates
on the Roanoke river. They became so
much attached TO the young sailor that
they adopted him. giving him their name.
which he promised to distinguish Thus
he became John Paul Jones, and through
his friends, got his first commission in the
navy
Allen and William Jones Were promi-
nent and trusted leaders in the struggle
for independence Their state-North
Carolna-has the proud claim OF being
the first of the colonies TO move in It's
congress for independence. The Joneses
were members of this congress.
They were educated at Eton College,
the nursery of the gentlemen of Eng
land" 1t was said of William Jones that
he could draw a bill to better language
than any other man of his day.
A china punch bowl. presented TO Wash
ington by the wife of Allen Jones. is
still extant 1t shows several cracks,
received while being hidden from Tarle-
toms men. The punch bowl played an
important part at all colonial feasts. par
ticularly at weddings. which were usu-
ally celebrated by at least twenty two
consecutive dinner parties in as many
different houses.
Allen Jones daughter was known as
the Indian Queen" on account OF her
great beauty. She was especially famous
for the beauty Of her foot and instep.
The traits Of the Jones family are dis
tinctiy marked almost to a man. Good
judgment and penetration. with remarka-
bic memory. have distinguished its lead
ing members. They are choleric san
guine. sociable, hospitable, independent.
and honorable. In politics they are Dem
ocrats as a rule: in religion. Church OF
England or Friends. A fondness for gene
alOgies marks the elder members Of the
families no less than local and perEonal
pride. and that clannish feeling which Is
81 -1f4
gevity is a characteristic trait. the
Innesas as r1lle living 10 4 green old