Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01
STORY OF PAUL JONES
Why John Paul Adopted the
Other Name.
A MARK OF GRATITUDE
ACCOUNT OF INCIDENT GIVEN BY
DESCENDANT OF FAMILY.
Two Jones Brothers Were Famous Pa
triots and Warm Friends of
the Scotch Sailor.
A MARK OF GRATITUDE

| The bringing of the body of John Paul
| Jones to the United States for interment
revives the story of his name and some
thing of his history. Mrs A T. Robertson
of Columbia S. c., descendant of the ia
| nous Jones family of North Carolina. tells
| the story as 1t is known in her family, CIV
| ing an account that is on deep interest
John Paul added the name Jones to his
own out of gratitude for kindness shown
| him by the wealthy Jones family. Mrs.
| Robertson says. This is the account given
| by her.
1T seems strange that while no revolu-
| tionary biography can boast more public
| events of vivid and intense interest than
| that of John Paul Jones, none is so bare
| and meager in personal detail. He has i'm
mortalized name which was his only by
selection and adoption. and yet this fact is
| slurred over in history with the calm
statement that he changed his name for
| unknown reasons AS the reasons were
not unknown and, although difficult to OBJ
tain later, were then easily accessible. 1t
appears to have been more a lack of in
telligent investigation than of any sup
preston of evidence.
LAS a matter of historical fact the
| Scotch sailor. John Paul, took the name
| of Jones from two of the most famous pa
| triots of the reyolution--Allen and Willie
Jones. / am the great-great granddaugh-
| ter of Allen Jones and daughter of Col.
Cadwallader Jones. who died in 1898. aged
| eighty-sfx years. 1 have often heard my
| father speak of the well-known circum-
stance of John Paul's adopting the name
| of his great-grandfather, which he had
heard from his great-aunt, Mrs. Willie
Jones. In a family genealogical history
| which he wrote occurs the following:
Adopted the Name of His Good Friends
"a recent sketch of the life of Paul
Jones In the Century has revived the
| memory Of his gallant achievements and
rekindled public interest in this famous
hero. There is much inquiry as to his rea-
son for adopting the name Of Jones 1t is
not little remarkable that such an incl
dent In the life Of one SO renowned should
so soon be forgotten. Let me tell you
! what I know about this man and how /
know 1t. The public mind needs to be re-
freshed. When John Paul came to Vir-
ginia some three years before the war OF
the revolution looking after an estate left
him by his brother he visited Hallfax,
n. c., at that time a place of considerable
repute Here he made the acquaintance
of those two grand old patriots, Allen and
Willie Jones. He was a young man. but
an old tar, with bold, frank sailor bear
ing that attracted their attention. He be-
came a frequent visitor to their homes,
where he was always welcome. He soon
grew fond Of them and as a mark or es-
TEEN and admiration he adopted their
name Why John Paul became John Paul
Jones-ft was his fancy|
The two brothers, Willie and Alien
Jones' were both leaders In their day and
wise and honored in their generation Al
len Jones was an orator and silver-tongued.
Willie Jones the foremost man or MS state
and one of the most remarkable of his
time His home, The Grove, near Hall
fax, was not only the resort of the Guilt
waited and refined, but the home OF the
homeless, Mrs. Jones having sometimes
twenty orphan girls under her charge. 1t
was here that the young adventurer. John
Paul. was first touched by those gentler
and purer influences which changed not
only his name. but himself, from the rough
and reckless mariner into the polished man
of society, the companion of kings and the
lion and pet of Partisan salons. John Paul
was thrown more with Mr.. and Mrs. Willie
Jones, think, than with Allen, as he was
more at The Grove the residence of VIII
lie Jones, than at Mount Gallant the resi-
dence of Allen Jones, though he was at
both places great deal.
Statement Corroborated.
These statements, which I heard from
my father. are all corroborated by the his
tory of North Carolina. Wheeler in his
"reminiscences of North Carolina, says:
The daring and celebrated John Paul
Jones. whose real name was John Paul.
when quite young visited Willie Jones at
Halifax, and became so fascinated with
their family name Under this name, John
Paul Jones, he offered his services to Con-
gress, and was made a lieutenant, Deem
Der II, 1175, on the recommendation of
While Jones. The commission was OBJ
tanned by Joseph Hewes, one of the signers
of the Declaration, through letters from
Willie and Allen Jones, who were intimate
friends of his and who had both been In
the first Congress. In the Second Congress
Hewes was the head of the committee in
charge of naval affairs. and was virtually
the first Secretary of the Navy. 1 have an
exact fac-simile of his commission. The
correspondent of the Charlotte Observer
for November, 1899, says:
The announcement that the remains
of that distinguished naval hero John
Paul Jones, have been located in Paris
brings to light that the deceased was
once a resident of this city. According to
the records Of the county court he came
here in 1878 to administer on the records
OF his brother, William Paul, who lived
here in 1T12. William Paul came here in
1850, and shortly afterward entered the
mercantile business, In which he was en-
gagged up to the time of his death. The
store occupied by him is on the corner of
Main and Market streets, and is the same
building in which George Washington
was made Mason. Tradition also says
that one of the rooms in the building was
used by John Paul during his residence
here which was nearly two years as his
lodging quarters 1t was also during his
citizenship here that he received his APP
pointment from the Colonial Congress as
lieutenant in the navy. 1t was here. too,
that he added Jones to his patronymic,
which 1t Is said was in token of the
friendly act of Col Willie Jones of North
Carolina, who became his bondsman for
$500 when he administered on his BROTH
er'S estate.
Aided John Paul Materially.
$50 it seems that Willie Jones gave
young John Paul material succor as well
as aid in securing his commission Cyrus