Keeping Up with the Jones'
The Jones Family I am descended from had its origins in Great Britain. I have been able to find no proof of my descendants emigration to America, but evidence points to an early settling in the newly developed "West Jersey" area.It is possible that this Jones line settled in the late 17th century in the Burlington colony, in the wave of incoming Quakers fleeing from the Cromwell regime. There were several Jones' in the colony in the late 17th century- there are many court records listing these. (see RESEARCH: Burlington Court Records)
Those early Jones'
At this point I have not been able to definitely prove descendancy before Hezekiah Jones, Benjamin's father. It is possible that Hezekiah's father was a Richard Jones (b. around 1697 in Northampton, Burlington County) and his mother was Sarah Newbold, which would certainly be logical since Benjamin's son James was given "Newbold" as his middle name, but I have no documentation. If Richard was born in America, chances are his parents were the emigrants in one of the early waves of Quaker settlers fleeing England. The best source for this will be the Quaker birth and marriage records of the Burlington M.M.
The Move to Pennsylvania
For whatever reason, our ancestor Benjamin Jones decided to uproot his family and move lock, stock and barrel to the newly opened land of Eastern Pennsylvania around 1808. Possible reasons include
- the relative density of population in the Burlington area
- the disagreeable ex-inlaw family of the Eldridge, who had sued Benj in 1807 for using the land acquired thru marriage to his first wife for purposes unapproved by her surviving family.
- the threat from Indians had been eliminated in the eastern part of the Pennsylvania by the late 18th century. Land was plentiful, hopefully rich and ready for settlement.
- there was a Quaker schism in progress which undermined the peace the religion was supposed to offer.
- the post-Revolutionary exploration of the new land was inspiring westward movemnt
- Philadelphia set up a satellite meeting in the Fishing Creek area and they were encouraging volunteers to relocate.
- His father Hezekiah had died in 1806 and though he still had siblings in the area, there was no one to be responsible for.
Why not call it Jonestown?
Soon after Benjamin married Nancy Brown, the Browns and the Jones decided to move with her father, Richard Brown's family, he left the relative security and un-assuming social status of his Burlington village, where he was possibly even looked on with disdain by the Eldridge family and maybe others, he was able to be the creator of his own environment and soon had himself set up with an important position and the naming privilege for his new home. Why not call it Jonestown?
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