Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
Notes for James Jones
“We presume James Jones was born about 1640 and lived in the part of Charles City County that later became Prince George County. Incomplete records in Charles City prevent us from learning about his ancestry but he was perhaps the son of David Jones. The name David appeared often among James Jones’s descendants.
James Jones secured patents to three tracts of land in Charles City County: 250 acres on Powells Creek in 1663, 734 acres in Weyanoke Parish in 1683 , and 364 acres in Westover Parish in 1685. His 1683 acquisition was “att a place known as the Devil’s Woodyard.” He acquired also 634 acres on Blackwater Swamp under a patent dated 28 October 1702. It was for thirteen headrights includingEdward Jones and William Jones. The land appeared to have been partly in Prince George and partly in Surry County.
We do not know the name of James’s first wife, the mother of his children. She may have been related to the Christopher Lewis of Surry County who named James Jones the executor of his will (will dated 1 Sept. 1673 , recorded 20 Oct. 1673) and left a legacy to James’s daughter Mary Jones. Yet neither the name Christopher nor Lewis appeared later in the Jones family.
Christopher Lewis described Jones as a cooper.
James’s second wife was Sarah, the widow of James Mumford. She apparently had children from a prior marriage because James mentioned “my wife’s two sons” in his will. According to his will, James had the following children: Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Rebecca, and James Jones Jr.
James prepared his will in Charles City County on 6 April 1719. He could not write so Gilbert Haylistened to James’s final requests and made the will for him. Hay, Edward Prince, and Thomas Semplewitnessed James make his mark.
James died before 12 May 1719 when widow Sarah stated she had been justly dealt with and requested the will be probated.
Will of James Jones Sr.
In the name of God. Amen. I James Jones being weake and sick but of sound and perfect mind and memory, praise be therefor given to Almighty God, doe make and ordain this my present Last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say. First and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merritts, Death and passion of my savior Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting Life; and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor, hereafter named, and as touching the Disposition of all such Temporal estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as follows:
First. I will that my debts and funeral expenses shall be paid and discharged.
Item. I will that my loving wife have the Labour of four negroes during her natural life, they are named Will, Robin, Maria and Betty. Provided they are not removed off from the plantation I now live upon, if they are then Immediately to return to my executor, which plantation I will my wife shall live Upon during her life.
Item. I give to my wives two sons two negro children, one named James, the other unborn, the first child that either Betty or Maria shall bring to be the other, which two negro children to be Disposed of to my wives two sons as she shall think fitt, the unborn and the born child James to be and remain with their mothers till they come of age of two years and a half year.
My will is Likewise that my wife have during her life what household stuff my executor shall see fitt and that she shall have reasonable maintenance yearly out of my stock.
Item. I give to my daughter Mary Dardin my negro man Jo - during her life.
Item. I give to my daughter Elizabeth a negro named Hanna to be at her disposal to do as she sees fitt.
Item. I give to my daughter Hanna one negro named Jack to be at her disposal at her death or before as she sees fitt.
Item. I give to my daughter Rebecca two hundred acres of land, lying in Surry county, beginning from the Swamp up by the Spring, South, to the outline, that to be the head line, to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give to my Granddaughter Eliza Glover one hundred acres of land on the south side of Pond Runn, to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give to my grandson James Jones, this my plantation I live upon after my wifes Decease and all my land in Prince George county, after his father and mothers Decease, to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give to my Grandson Thomas Chappell one hundred acres of land lying in Surry County from the Swamp South, joining upon William Cocke [Cooke] above the outline, to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give to my Granddaughter Jane Cocke [Cooke], daughter of John Cocke [Cooke], on negro named Amy to her and her heirs forever as also one feather bed and bolster, one rug and on blanket, and if the ticke be bad Lett a new ticke be bought, as also two young cows, and young mair, One Iron Pot, two Pewter Dishes and one Doz. Of Spoons.
All the rest and Residue of My personal Estate, goods and chattels whatsoever, I do give and bequeath to my Loving son James Jones, full and sole Executor of this my last Will and testament and I do hereby revoke, disanull and make void all former wills and Testaments by me heretofore made.
In Witness whereof I the said James Jones to this my last will and testament do set my hand and seal this 6th day of April A.D. 1719.
James Jones
Within two months a controversy regarding James’s will arose. He had used the phrase “All the rest and Residue of My personal Estate, goods and chattels whatsoever, I do give and bequeath to my Loving son James Jones, full and sole Executor... “ Then the law was that slaves, whether black, mulatto, or Indian, were considered real estate and the court doubted that James’s slaves would pass to his son. Gilbert Hay and Edward Prince came to court and swore that they understood that it was James’s intent that all the slaves he did not specifically mention in his will were meant for his son, James.” 582
James Jones secured patents to three tracts of land in Charles City County: 250 acres on Powells Creek in 1663, 734 acres in Weyanoke Parish in 1683 , and 364 acres in Westover Parish in 1685. His 1683 acquisition was “att a place known as the Devil’s Woodyard.” He acquired also 634 acres on Blackwater Swamp under a patent dated 28 October 1702. It was for thirteen headrights includingEdward Jones and William Jones. The land appeared to have been partly in Prince George and partly in Surry County.
We do not know the name of James’s first wife, the mother of his children. She may have been related to the Christopher Lewis of Surry County who named James Jones the executor of his will (will dated 1 Sept. 1673 , recorded 20 Oct. 1673) and left a legacy to James’s daughter Mary Jones. Yet neither the name Christopher nor Lewis appeared later in the Jones family.
Christopher Lewis described Jones as a cooper.
James’s second wife was Sarah, the widow of James Mumford. She apparently had children from a prior marriage because James mentioned “my wife’s two sons” in his will. According to his will, James had the following children: Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Rebecca, and James Jones Jr.
James prepared his will in Charles City County on 6 April 1719. He could not write so Gilbert Haylistened to James’s final requests and made the will for him. Hay, Edward Prince, and Thomas Semplewitnessed James make his mark.
James died before 12 May 1719 when widow Sarah stated she had been justly dealt with and requested the will be probated.
Will of James Jones Sr.
In the name of God. Amen. I James Jones being weake and sick but of sound and perfect mind and memory, praise be therefor given to Almighty God, doe make and ordain this my present Last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say. First and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merritts, Death and passion of my savior Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting Life; and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor, hereafter named, and as touching the Disposition of all such Temporal estate as it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as follows:
First. I will that my debts and funeral expenses shall be paid and discharged.
Item. I will that my loving wife have the Labour of four negroes during her natural life, they are named Will, Robin, Maria and Betty. Provided they are not removed off from the plantation I now live upon, if they are then Immediately to return to my executor, which plantation I will my wife shall live Upon during her life.
Item. I give to my wives two sons two negro children, one named James, the other unborn, the first child that either Betty or Maria shall bring to be the other, which two negro children to be Disposed of to my wives two sons as she shall think fitt, the unborn and the born child James to be and remain with their mothers till they come of age of two years and a half year.
My will is Likewise that my wife have during her life what household stuff my executor shall see fitt and that she shall have reasonable maintenance yearly out of my stock.
Item. I give to my daughter Mary Dardin my negro man Jo - during her life.
Item. I give to my daughter Elizabeth a negro named Hanna to be at her disposal to do as she sees fitt.
Item. I give to my daughter Hanna one negro named Jack to be at her disposal at her death or before as she sees fitt.
Item. I give to my daughter Rebecca two hundred acres of land, lying in Surry county, beginning from the Swamp up by the Spring, South, to the outline, that to be the head line, to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give to my Granddaughter Eliza Glover one hundred acres of land on the south side of Pond Runn, to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give to my grandson James Jones, this my plantation I live upon after my wifes Decease and all my land in Prince George county, after his father and mothers Decease, to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give to my Grandson Thomas Chappell one hundred acres of land lying in Surry County from the Swamp South, joining upon William Cocke [Cooke] above the outline, to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give to my Granddaughter Jane Cocke [Cooke], daughter of John Cocke [Cooke], on negro named Amy to her and her heirs forever as also one feather bed and bolster, one rug and on blanket, and if the ticke be bad Lett a new ticke be bought, as also two young cows, and young mair, One Iron Pot, two Pewter Dishes and one Doz. Of Spoons.
All the rest and Residue of My personal Estate, goods and chattels whatsoever, I do give and bequeath to my Loving son James Jones, full and sole Executor of this my last Will and testament and I do hereby revoke, disanull and make void all former wills and Testaments by me heretofore made.
In Witness whereof I the said James Jones to this my last will and testament do set my hand and seal this 6th day of April A.D. 1719.
James Jones
Within two months a controversy regarding James’s will arose. He had used the phrase “All the rest and Residue of My personal Estate, goods and chattels whatsoever, I do give and bequeath to my Loving son James Jones, full and sole Executor... “ Then the law was that slaves, whether black, mulatto, or Indian, were considered real estate and the court doubted that James’s slaves would pass to his son. Gilbert Hay and Edward Prince came to court and swore that they understood that it was James’s intent that all the slaves he did not specifically mention in his will were meant for his son, James.” 582