The Jones family of Northumberland County, Virginia & their descendants in Granville County, North Carolina

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Origins in Northumberland Co., Virginia

Jones must be one of the most frustrating family names to have to trace due to its common occurence. Fortunately for this particular family, we have the use of other family names as first names to help distinguish it from the numerous Jones families found in Viginia. The use of these unusual names along with the high rank that many of these ancestors held in their community has afforded us the documentation to trace them back to the man who is believed to be the original emigrant Robert Jones of Fleet's Bay. The primary source for family genealogy is an excellent work compiled by mrs. O.A. Keach and published in the "William & Mary Quarterly" (1915). This work provides a solid basis for tracing the Jones family of Granville county, North Carolina back to Robert of Fleet's Bay.
Robert Jones arrived in Virginia by 1658, when he and John Lewis recieved a patent on 2,000 acres in Westmoreland County, Virginia in an area known as the "North Neck" of Virginia. Records indicate that Robert traveled frequently between England and Virginia and was a merchant. Robert obtained some status in his communty by evidence of his appointment as Justice of the Peace in 1668 Robert Jones left a will dated the 14th of Janruary 1675/6, which was probated on the 01st of March 1675/6. This will along with the numerous probate reocrds names his wife, Martha, and their children: Capt. William Jones, Samuel Jones, Robert Jones, Capt. Maruice Jones, Mary wife of George Wale; Elizabeth wife of Thomas Haynes; Margaret wife of Christopher GArlington; and Frances widow of Erasmus Withers and wife of John Curtis. Martha, the widow of Robert Jones is often assumed to be the daughter of Daniel Lluellen of Chelmsford, Essex and Virginia. I have not seen any record that indicates this and in fact naming patterns in the Jones family do not suggest it. Another Jones family in the Southside of Virginia who uses the "Lluellen" naming for their children are probably the true descendants of the Martha Lluellen Jones named in Daniel will of 1663.
The children of Robert Jones of Fleet's Bay were both wealthy and of high rank in Virginia.

Col. Robert Jones

Col. Robert Jones

William Jones of Granville Co., NC

William Jones is the son of Col. Robert & Elizabeth (Brereton) Jones of Northumberland County, Virginia. Col. Robert's prominent family and excellent records that survive both in Northumberland county's public record and in their parish records provide us with a great deal of detailed information on him.
The primary source of identification for William is the naming of his son "Brereton" and establishing this by evidence of his will that was probated in Granville County, North Carolina. Without this clue, it would be quite difficult to positively identify William amongst the many Jones families of that region.
The Parish register of St. Stephen's in Northumberland Co., VA states that Willam and Thomas, sons of Robert Jones were born twins on the 15th of October 1723. Fortunately, these records clearly state "birth" rather than baptism.
William Jones is believed to have married about 1754 to Elizabeth Twitty, the widow of John Gwinn of Lunenburg County, Virginia [ref: Lunenburg Order Bk 3, pg. 9]. Tax records in Lunenburg suggest that the Twitty and Gwinn families were neighbors to the Jones family. William is found in the Lunenburg court records as guardian for Elizabeth's son John Gwinn Jr. In Granville County, NC we find record of land transaction between John Gwinn and William's son Brereton Jones and further in Gwinn's will and that of his wife, legacies are provided for two of Brereton Jones' sisters. These various records make it quite clear that Elizabeth was Gwinn's widow. The Twitty connection come into play with the naming patterns among the Jones family. Elizabeth names her daughter Margaret "Margaret Twitty" and the Twitty name is used frequently by the women of the family. William Jones owned land adjacent to John Twitty of Lunenburg [ref: Lunenburg DB 6, pg. 130-2]. The "History of Cumberland Parish" notes that John Twitty was a large landowner and an early vestryman for Cumberland Parish. John Twitty's name is also found amongst the records of John Gwinn and his widow; further suggesting kinship. A genealogical work has been done on the Twitty family titled "The Twitey Family in America" (1970). This work identifies that John did have a daughter Elizabeth, but that she married into the Clack family; however, this research is poorly documented and I have yet to find evidence of this connection in the Lunenburg records. In addition to this, John Twitty did not appear to have left a will.
William Jones is found in numerous Lunenburg records in connection with the administration of his father's estate and in the tax records of that county from 1749 to 1751. After the division of his father's estate, it becomes hard to positively identify him in the records, since William is not listed with other family members who help to distinguish him from other William Jones in the region. On the 02nd of May 1760, William Jones of Lunenburg County, Virginia purchaes 350 acres on the Robin's Branch of the North side of the Tar River in Granville County, North Carolina [ref: DB D , pg. 208-9]. Though there are several William Jones in Granville, it is probable that this is a correct identification of William. This property may have fallen into what is today Franklin County, NC. In later years, tax records in Granville sometimes show two William Jones, one described as "Big" and the other as "of Tar Rive". The identification for William, son of Robert has yet to be established.
The one record that can be established as Williams is his will which was written on the 10th of April 1800 and proved in November Court of 1804 [ref: NC Archive, box #C.R.044.508.98]. This will clearly names his children and mentions land in Franklin County, NC. No inventory or detailed list of land holding survive to give us any indication of his wealth holdings.
Elizabeth Twitty Gwinn Jones had died by the time of Willam will. She had issue from her first marriage: John Gwinn (died 1816; Person Co., NC) who married Jane Wade and probably Mary Gwinn who married Richard Harris Jr. in Granville in 1777. The children of William & Elizabeth (Twitty) Jones are:

  • Brereton Jones
    born 12 Jul 1755; died 17 Dec 1810 (Bible)
    born Lunenburg Co., VA; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Martha Dianna Bressie (12 Jul 1761 - aft 1850), dau. of John & Elizabeth B.
    married on the 28 Oct 1779, marriage bond dated 11 Oct 1779; Granville
    children: Elizabeth (m: Jesse Huddleston); Willard (m: Sallie Smith); Bressie; Barnard "Barnett" (m: Peggy Lawrence); Mark (1789-1823); William (m: Ann Ragalnd); Mary Ann "Polly"; Anne (m: Littleton Ragland); Emealea Matilda; child

  • Leonnera "Leanah" Jones
    born 02 Aug 1763; died 1840
    born unknown; died Grisson, Granville Co., NC
    married: Abraham Laurence (08 May 1759 - 17 Oct 1838), son of William & Deborah L.
    marriage bond dated 17 Apr 1781; Granville
    children: William Twitty (m: Liddy Pruitt); Abraham Jr. (m: Lucy Chambliss); Turner (m: Priscilla Upchruch); Anna (m: William Cardwell)

  • Elizabeth Jones
    born c1758; died after 1844
    born unknown; died prob. Person Co., NC?
    married: James Patterson (died by 1844)
    marriage bond dated 10 Feb 1786; Granville
    children: unknown, prob. James B. (m: Elizabeth Stovall)

  • Margaret Twitty "Peggy" Jones
    born unknown; died after 1818
    born unknown; died unknown
    married: William Turner Lawrence son of William & Deborah L.
    marriage bond dated 21 jan 1783; Granville
    children: unknown, prob. Peggy (m: Barnard Jones); Henry B. (m: Elizabeth Prewett); Mary Gwin (m: Joel Ferguson)

Brereton Jones (1755- 1810) of Granville Co., North Carolina

Brereton is the son of Willam & Elizabeth (Twitty) Jones of Lunenburg Co., Virginia and later of Granville Co., NC. His name "Brereton" comes from his grandmother's family name; descendants of Col. Thomas Brereton, clerk of Virginia Colony. Brereton is the only known son of William Jones and appears to have been a prosperous farmer and active in the community. Brereton married Martha Diana Bressie, the daughter of John Bressie a large land speculator in Southside Virginia whose widow Elizabeth moved her family to a farm in Granville County and married the son of Sheriff James Yancey.
Brereton Jones died in 1810 leaving extensive probate record which are augmented by the detailed information provided by his widow in her application for his Revolutionary War pension [ref: Pension W 20193, Roll #1436].

  • Elizabeth "Betsy" Jones
    born 23 Jul 1780; died unknown
    born Granville Co., NC; died South Carolina?
    married: Jesse Huddleston
    marriage bond dated 21 May 1807; Granville
    children: unknown

  • Willard Jones
    born 18 Oct 1782; died 1810 (will)
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Sarah "Sallie" Smith
    marriage bond dated 27 Apr 1809; Granville
    children: Martha Dianna

  • Bressie Jones
    born 26 jan 1785; died after 1850
    born Granville Co., NC; died prob. Granville Co., NC
    married: never married

  • Barnett Jones
    born 28 Aug 1787; died 1839
    born Granville Co., NC; died Charleston, SC
    married: Peggy Laurence
    marriage bond dated 10 Sep 1822; Granville
    children: no issue

  • Mark Jones
    born 17 Dec 1789; died 1823
    born Granville Co., NC; died Alabama
    married: never married

  • Barnett Jones
    born 28 Aug 1787; died 1839
    born Granville Co., NC; died Charleston, SC
    married: Peggy Laurence
    marriage bond dated 10 Sep 1822; Granville
    children: no issue

  • Willam "Buck" Jones
    born 10 Apr 1795; died 17 Feb 1861
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Anne "Nancy" Ragland (c1802-1883), dau. of Reuben & Mary (Obriant) R.
    marriage bond dated 22 Apr 1826; Granville
    children: Mary Indianna (m: Dudley S. Gooch); Amelia (m: Reuben R. Clayton); Mary; Emily; Cephus; Memucan H. (m: Missouri Peed); Robert B. (m: Virginia Mayes); Amanda; Wesley (m: Cornelia Moore)

  • Anne Jones
    born 24 Dec 1797; died 1829
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Littleton Ragland (died 1868), son of Reuben & Mary (Obriant) R.
    marriage bond dated 23 Feb 1828; Granville
    children: no issue

William "Buck" Jones (1795-1861) of Granville Co., NC

William Jones is the son of Brereton & Mary (Bressie) Jones of Granville County, NC. Brereton Jones' Revolutionary Service is documented by his widow application for his pension, which included a sheet of the family Bible. Having William Jones' exact date of birth as shown in the Bible helps in positively identifying him as William Jones who lived along Hatcher's Run in the Oxford District of Granville County. William left extensive probate records identifying his wife and children and also an obituary that give his age at death, which corresponds to the Jones Bible record.

  • Mary "Indianna" Jones
    born c 1829; died 00 Jun 1853 (obit)
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Dudley Snead Gooch (01 Aug 1804 - 12 Mar 1863), son of Daniel & Nancey (Sneed) G.; Indianna was his second wife
    marriage bond dated 30 Dec 1850; Granville
    children: William Daniel (m: Louretta Fulton); Thomas M. (m: Dora Edwards)

  • Amelia Jones
    born c 1831; died unknown
    born Granville Co., NC; died Person Co?, NC
    married: Reuben Ragland Clayton, son of Thomas & Elizabeth (Ragland) C.
    marriage bond dated 25 Nov 1848; Granville
    children: William; Charles (m: Emma ****); James; Ella; male child

  • Emily Jones
    born c1832/6; died unknown
    born Granville Co., NC; died unknown
    married: N/A
    marriage bond dated N/A
    children: unknown

  • Cephas Jones
    born c 1834; died after 1855 (tax rec)
    born Granville Co., NC; died unknown
    married: N/A
    marriage bond dated N/A
    children: unknown

  • Memucan Hunt Jones
    born c1837; died after 1889
    born Granville Co., NC; died unknown
    married: Mussouri A. Peed dau. of Sherman & Malinda E. (Falkner) P.
    marriage bond dated 24 Dec 1874; Granville
    children: Annie; Mary; Eula

  • Robert B. Jones
    born c 1838/9; died 1866 (will)
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Virginia C. Mayes (c1835 - aft 1866), dau of William & Lucretia (Cox) M.
    marriage bond dated 05 Oct 1859; Granville
    children: no issue

  • Amanda Jones
    born 11 Apr 1840; died 28 Jul 1923 (Elmwood Cem)
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: never married

  • Wesley Y. Jones "Wes"
    born 08 Oct 1844; died 15 Dec 1914 (Elmwood Cem)
    born Granville Co., NC; died Granville Co., NC
    married: Cornelia Moore (07 Nov 1852 - 23 Jan 1892), dau of John B. M.?
    marriage bond dated N/A
    children: no issue

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