| 2. |  Gabriel Jones, Esq. was born on 14 May 1724 in near, Williamsburg, Virginia (son of John Jones and Elizabeth Bates); died on 6 Oct 1806 in Port Republic, Rockingham Co, Virginia. Other Events and Attributes:
- Other-Begin: 22 Nov 1744, Orange Co, Virginia; road orders
- Other-Begin: 27 Mar 1746, Orange Co, Virginia; road orders
- Residence: Apr 1746, Frederick Co, Virginia
- Other-Begin: 22 Sep 1748, Orange Co, Virginia; road orders
- Property: 3 Dec 1753, Frederick Co, Virginia
- Residence: Aft 3 Dec 1753, Augusta Co, Virginia
- Property: 7 Sep 1762, Augusta Co or Frederick Co, Virginia
- Other-Begin: 7 Jun 1763, Winchester, Frederick Co, Virginia
- Property: 5 Aug 1765, Orange Co, Virginia
- Will: 1 Dec 1800, Rockingham Co, Virginia; written
Notes:
GABRIEL JONES, THE KING'S ATTORNEY.
Gabriel Jones was the son of John and Elizabeth Jones, of the county of Montgomery, North Wales. At what date this couple came to America is not known. They settled at Williamsburg, Virginia, and on the i.^th of August, 1721, their first child, a daughter named Elizabeth, was born in William and Mary College. Nearly three years later, on
May 17, 1724, Gabriel was born, about three miles from Williamsburg. Another son, named John, was born at the same place, June 12, 1725.
John Jones, the father, apppears to have died before the year 1727. Mrs. Jones and her children were in England at the beginning of that year, and on February 20th her daughter was baptized at St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London, as shown by the parish record.
In April, 1732, Gabriel was admitted as a scholar of the " Blue Coat School," Christ's Hospital, London, on the presentation of Mr. Thomas Sandford. There he remained seven years. Under date of April 12, 1739. the following entry appears on the records of the school:
"Gabriel Jones is this day taken and discharged from the charges of this Hospital forever, by Elizabeth Jones, his mother, and by Mr. John Houghton, of Lyon's Inn, in the county of Middlesex, Solicitor in the High Court of Chancery, with whom he is to serve six years."
This brings his history up to 1745, in which year his mother died. Having served out his term of apprenticeship, the young lawyer, then twenty-one years of age, was no doubt " admitted to the bar." The family were of " gentle blood," but in reduced circumstances. One of Mr. Jones's descendants preserves some old coin, on the paper wrapping of which is written in his own hand : "This is the patrimony I received from my mother. From my father I received nothing." As
early as 1750 he used the same crest and coat-of-arms as Sir William Jones, indicating a relationship with that celebrated man.
Gabriel Jones found means to return to America soon after he attained his majority and was "free of his indentures." He located first in Frederick county, and on March i, 1747, bought a tract of land near Kernstown, where he lived for a time. He resided in Frederick in April, 1746, when he was appointed prosecuting attorney for Augusta, and was then only twenty-two years old.
On the i6th of October, 1749, Mr. Jones married Margaret Morton^ widow of George Morton, and daughter of William Strother, of King George county. Mrs. Jones was born in 1726, and died in i822,in her ninety-seventh year. She is described as a lady of eminent Christian character.
A deed of Christopher Francisco, of Pennsylvania, to Gabriel Jones, of the county of Frederick, dated August 8, 1751, is recorded in the clerk's office of Augusta county. The land conveyed consisted of 244 acres, being a part of 5,000 acres granted by patent to Jacob Stover, lying on the north side of " Shenandore River," in the parish and county of Augusta, and " opposite to the lower end of the Great Island." This was the farm below the present village of Port Republic, upon which Mr. Jones lived many years, and where he died. He was still a resident of Frederick, however, on the 24th of August, 1753, when Alexander Richie convej'ed to him 400 acres of land on the north side of James River in the
present county of Botetourt. He sold his Frederick property, on which he had lived, December 3, 1753, and probably before the close of that year removed to his farm on the Shenandoah, in Augusta.
If not the first lawyer who resided in the Valley, Mr. Jones was the first member of that profession who lived in Augusta. He was actively engaged in practice for many years. As we have seen (pages 35, 36), he also represented Augusta in the House of Burgesses in 1757, 1758 and 1771. He was considered a man of great ability and unbending integrity.
His only fault, or the only one which tradition tells of, was an extremely irritable temper, which, when aroused, expressed itself in the strongest terms he could command, mingled with no little profanity. Having a scorn of all dishonesty and meanness, he did not spare a miscreant by
tongue or pen. Two of his letters are before us. In one he describes a certain person, whose trickery he was exposing, as " one of the greatest villains," etc., etc. The other is dated July 28, 17S2, and was written, when he was sick, to his son ? indeed, from his own account he was " very low " ? but he summoned strength enough to denounce a man about whom he wrote as a " scoundrel " and "infamous rascal." Yet at tne close of this letter he expressed the tenderest affection for his son's wife.
When Rockingham was constituted, in 1777, Mr. Jones became a citizen of that county, and was immediately appointed prosecuting attorney. He was a member of the State Convention of 1788, having his brother-in-law, Thomas Lewis, as his colleague, both of them being zealous advocates of the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Mr. Lewis was a popular man while Mr. Jones was not, and it is related that in a public speech before the election, the latter declined the support of "the rascals" who, he understood, proposed to vote for him because of his association with the former. Archibald Stuart, of Augusta, went to Rockingham to electioneer for Mr. Jones, who afterwards presented to him a chaise in which to bring home his wife.
He continued to practice law, and the road he traveled, from his residence to the county seat of Rockingham, is still called "The Lawyer's Road." An anecdote related of him, whether true or false, illustrates the awe he inspired in his latter days. It is said that on one occasion, during the trial of a cause before the County Justices of Rockingham,
or Shenandoah, he had Alexander Hugh Holmes, afterwards the Judge, as his adversary at the bar. Holmes was mischievous and witty, and the old gentleman became angry and profane. The court abstained from interfering as long as possible, but finally put their heads together to confer about the matter. After due consideration, the Presiding Justice announced as the judgment of the court that they would send
Lawyer Holmes to jail if he did not quit making Lawyer Jones swear so.
Mr. Jones died in October, 1806. Having always pictured him as a giant in size and strength, we were surprised to learn that he was a man of small stature. His portrait represents him in the old style of dress, with a large wig, and a shade over his right eye. Some of his descendants suppose that he lost his eye during his early life, and others attribute the loss to an accident during his latter years. In the spring
of 1887, a window, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, was inserted by their descendants in a new Protestant Episcopal church, which stands near their former residence.
The children of Gabriel Jones were three daughters and one son, besides one that died in infancy. Margaret Morton, the oldest daughter, married Colonel John Harvie, for some time a member of Congress and for many years Register of the Land Office of Virginia. The descendants of Colonel and Mrs. Harvie are very numerous, and many of them have been highly distinguished. Another daughter married John Lewis, of Fredericksburg, a lawyer, whose brother married a sister of General Washington; and the third married Mr. Hawkins, of Kentucky.
William Strother Jones, the only son of Gabriel Jones, was born March 21, 1756. In the catalogue of students of William and Mary College we find the name of Strother Jones, son of Gabriel Jones, of Augusta, in 1767. His wife was Fanny Thornton, of Fredericksburg, who died about the year 1790. He was a captain in the Continental army during the Revolution, and subsequently a colonel of militia. It is said that he was an accomplished gentleman, but inherited his father's temper. At one time during the war he was ordered under arrest for " beating a sentry while on post and a corporal on guard."
William Strother Jones, Jr., was the only son of the former. He was born October 7, 1783, lived in Frederick county, married, first Ann Maria Marshall, a niece of Chief-Justice Marshall, and, second, Ann Cary Randolph, and died July 31, 1845.
The children of the last-named William Strother Jones were, Mrs. F. L. Barton, of Winchester ; Wm. Strother Jones, now of New York; Captain James F. Jones, who was murdered in 1866 ; Francis B. Jones, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Second Virginia regiment, who was killed at Malvern Hill ; and R. B. Jones.
Robert T. Barton, of Winchester, to whom we are indebted for much of the foregoing information, is a great-greatgrandson of Gabriel Jones. John Jones, the brother of Gabriel Jones, had a son named John Gabriel, who was born June 6, 1752, and while still a very young man went to Kentucky. In June, 1776, George Rogers Clark and John Gabriel Jones were chosen by a popular meeting at Harrodsburg members of the General Assembly of Virginia. Before they arrived here the Legislature had adjourned, and Jones directed his steps to the settlements on the Holston, leaving Clark to proceed to Richmond. The latter obtained from the council an order for the transportation to Pittsburg of 500 pounds of gunpowder for the use of the people of Kentucky. At the Fall session of the Legislature the two agents of Kentucky were in attendance. They were not received as members, but through their influence the county of Kentucky was constituted. Clark and Jones conveyed the powder from Pittsburg down the Ohio river to a point eleven miles above the present town of Maysville, and concealed it there. In December following, Colonel John Todd and a party of men, under the guidance of Jones, went for the powder; but on Christmas day, when near the Lower Blue Lick, they were attacked by Indians. Jones and several others were killed and the expedition was aban-
doned. In January, 1777, however. Colonel Harrod succeeded in finding the powder and conveying it to Harrodsburg.
John Jones, the brother of Gabriel, was not the rector of Augusta parish in colonial times. Some of the descendants of Gabriel Jones state that as far as they know he had no brother whatever. Others not only give the brother's name, but the date of his birth.
Mrs. Agatha Towles, a grand-daughter of Colonel John Lewis, in a brief memoir, written by her in 1837, states that Colonel Lewis preceded his family to America, and lived in Pennsylvania and Virginia three years before their arrival. A brother of his went from Wales to Portugal, and from thence probably to America, but Colonel Lewis came
directly from Ireland. After his rencounter with " the Irish Lord," he took refuge in a house on the banks of the Boyne, and as soon as a ship was ready to sail, embarked for America. Mrs. Lewis and her children came over in a vessel with three hundred passengers, all Presbyterians, and landed on the Delaware river, after a voyage of three months.
Mrs. Towles gives the names of Colonel Lewis's children, four sons and two daughters, but says nothing of a son named Samuel. She states that her uncle, Andrew, and her father, William Lewis, were at Braddock's Defeat, and that the latter was wounded on that occasion. It is hardly probable that she was mistaken in regard to her father, but we
still think Andrew Lewis was not with Braddock. (.See page 64.) Andrew Lewis having been taken prisoner at Grant's defeat, in 1758, (see page 105) was detained at Quebec for three years, says Mrs. Towles. She describeb her father as a man of eminent piety.
http://archive.org/stream/annalsofaugusta00wadd/annalsofaugusta00wadd_djvu.txt
Other-Begin:
Orange Road Orders:
22 November 1744, O.S. p. 227
On the petn. of Jno. Hackney and Others for a Roaling road through Mr. Gabl. Jones?s Land its Ordered that the said Road be allowed and Mr. Gabl. Jones On his Motion is Admitted to Set up Gates for the Use of the Petrs.
Other-Begin:
27 March 1746, O.S. p. 460
James Spilman by the Court appointed Overseer of the Road in the Little Fork from Hedgmans Ford on the North River up to the said Little Fork Chappell in the Room of Charles Dewitt who is Discharged from that Office and the Gang Ordered to be under him are Gabriel Jones William Crawford John Hackley Jacob Clinch John Lear William Edgar Robert Duncan Thomas Hopper Alexander Mckentosh Richard Bridges John Bridges Jeremiah Corbin John Bridgdel George Wayman and William Topp and their Respective male labouring Tithables who are hereby Ordered to Attend and obey the said Overseer’s Directions in Clearing and keeping the said Road in Repair and It s further Ordered that the said Overseer cause Posts of Directions to be set up where Necessary.
Residence:
He located first in Frederick county, and on March i, 1747, bought a tract of land near Kernstown, where he lived for a time. He resided in Frederick in April, 1746, when he was appointed prosecuting attorney for Augusta, and was then only twenty-two years old.
http://archive.org/stream/annalsofaugusta00wadd/annalsofaugusta00wadd_djvu.txt
Other-Begin:
22 September 1748, O.S. p. 154
Upon the Petition of Benjamin Cave Gent he is allowed to keep Ordinary at his House in this County for one whole Year from this Time upon his giving Security whereupon he together with
Jeremiah Morton his Security entered into & acknowledged his Bond for his keeping the said Ordinary according to Law and It is Ordered That the Clerk of the Court do prepare a Licence for him accordingly.
Property:
sold his Frederick property, on which he had lived, December 3, 1753, and probably before the close of that year removed to his farm on the Shenandoah, in Augusta.
Residence:
He was still a resident of Frederick, however, on the 24th of August, 1753, when Alexander Richie convej'ed to him 400 acres of land on the north side of James River in the present county of Botetourt. He sold his Frederick property, on which
he had lived, December 3, 1753, and probably before the close of that year removed to his farm on the Shenandoah, in Augusta.
Property:
Richard Pearis and his wife Rhoda leased and then sold 224 acres to Strother Jones an infant son of Gabriel Jones of Augusta County, Virginia (later West Virginia) for the sum of 20 pounds on 7-8 September 1762. This seems like an unusually low price. Gabriel Jones was apparently the attorney for the Pearises and this transaction may have been a gift to a family friend or a payment for services.
http://donmchugh.tripod.com/paris/1700_1755.htm
Other-Begin:
On 4-5 March 1763, Robert and Elizabeth Pearis sold most (if not all) of their lands in old Frederick Co., Virginia to Daniel Clark a merchant from Philadelphia for 1048 pounds and 15 shillings in Pennsylvania money...
sale was signed by Robert and Elizabeth Pearis with Gabriel Jones and John Neavill acting as witnesses on 5 March 1763.
http://donmchugh.tripod.com/paris/1700_1755.htm
Property:
Alexander (Ross) sold 336 acres to his son-in-law John Day (admitted to Orange County Court, 27 April 1738 by Alexander Ross for Deeds of Lease and Release, but not entered in the Orange County, Virginia Deed Books). This tract was sold by Alexander Ross (son and heir at law to John Ross deceased, and grandson of Alexander Ross {b. 1682 c.), to John Day, husband of Lydia Ross of Pennsylvania, on 2 August 1765 for five pounds. The 336 acres is located . . . south of County Highway 672. On 5 August 1765, John and Lydia (Ross) Day of Pennsylvania sold this land to Gabriel Jones for 250 pounds.
Will:
WILL OF GABRIEL JONES
In the name of God, Amen! I, Gabriel Jones, of the County of Rockingham in the State of Va., being in perfect health, do make and ordain this my last will and testament revoking all former wills by --
First, I give & devise to my dear wife Margaret for & during her natural life, the plantation on which I live together with the several pieces or parcels of land I have deeds or patents for joining the home and plantation, & including the great island and one hundred acres. I have in the County of Bath; together with all my slaves, household goods and Stock of all kinds, & farming utensils, & whatever books she chooses to make use of; and father, I do hereby empower and will if she thinks proper, she may at any time or times sell and dispose of all the Said Slaves and any one or more of them except Frederick.
The same power and authority I give her in regard to the household goods, Stock & utensils, to dispose of all or any part thereof, & the money arising from such sale or sales to be as common stock at her death, she having the use of the same till that period. Whereas my dear friend and Son in law John Harvie of Belvidere is indebted to me in the sum of six hundred pounds in Specie, by this bond dated 17th August 1790. I will and direct that no interest accreing before my death be demanded of him, and I give and bequeath to my daughter Hawkins, the wife of John Hawkins of Scott Co., in the State of Ky. the sum of three hundred pounds, and to her son Wood Hawkins, who I understand is intended for the profession of law, all my law books. I give to William Fleming of the County of Rockingham the sum of two hundred dollars in trust to be disposed of as by memorandum left for that purpose. My executors have nothing more to do in this bequest, than to pay the money ashe is to be accountable to no one. I give and bequeath to Gabriel Lewis and Warner Lewis my Grandsons, all my right, title, interest, claim & demand that I now have, or may hereafter have, of and in a mortgage I have from their father John Lewis, of the Mansion house & lots of their late Grandfather Fielding Lewis, in the town of Fredericksburg & which John Lewis sold in part to Seth Barton, which mortgage is in the hands of General Minor who has brought suit in the County of Spotsylvania to foreclose the same and is now depending in the Supreme Court of Appeals, as I have lately been informed. My Negro man Frederick who attended me faithfully during the operation performed on my eye, and sickness near Richmond, had my promise soon after I got well that in consideration thereof, he should never serve any other master after mine & my wife's death; I therefore to comply with my said promise do after my wife's death will that he be free; and so long as he lives with her, and behaves well (of which she is to be the sole judge) to give him a suit of clothes annually, besides his working clothes. I give and bequeath to my wife's nephew Andrew Lewis, son of my late friend & brother in law Thomas Lewis who had the misfourtune to lose his arm in his Country's Service an annuity of twelve pounds, or the interest of two hundred pounds upon the condition that he neither sell nor dispose thereof or any part thereof. This with what he has yearly coming in, will enable him to live in his old age independent and continue a good citizen which his natural and acquired abilities enable him to be. The principal of this annuity at his decease to go into the common stock. I give & bequeath to Mrs. Jane Douthatt, that formerly was Miss Jenny Price, the same that formerly lived with me, & Sister to the present registrat of the state, one hundred pounds in regard for her own merit, and the great respect I bear to the memory of her late Mother at whose house I lived during my sickness, & the operation on my eye. And whereas the bequest mentioned to my Grandsons Gabriel Lewis and Warner Lewis, their receiving the free benefit thereof depends in a great measure upon the determination of the Court of Appeals. If that should be in their favor, then & in that case they are receive no benefit or advantage from any bequest, devisee or legacy I do now, or may hereafter make to my other Grandchildren, but in case they should be so unfortunate as to have it determined against them, then and in that case I will an equal share with my other Grandchildren.
I direct my personal estate to be inventories but not appraised, and that no security be taken of my executors. I owe no debts. If there be any they must be very trifling. I cannot recollect at this moment so much as a dollar. All the rest & residue of my estate real & personal of what nature or kind soever not above disposed of after my wife's decease, I direct to be sold & the money arising thereby, to be equally divided, share and share alike to my Grandchildren, this not to extend to my Great Grandchildren, nor to my Grandson William Strother Jones to whom I had in a former Will left the bulk of my estate. Dire necessity compelled me to make the alteration I have and the best I can say of him is, & God knows it is bad enough) that he is an idle dissipated young man, and is now left to live upon the wreck of a miserable fortune left by his father, which I had given him, now almost spent by his extravagance, & the very imprudent conduct of his father in law Dr. Buckner. I give and bequeath to my daughters Harivie & Hawkins (my daughter Lewis being dead) mourning rings of the value of five guineas each, having on their marriage given them thier portions --I constitute & appoint my wife & my friend James Allen of the county of Shenandoah attorney at law my executrix and executor, & I do hereby give & bequeath unto the said James Allen the sum of one hundred pounds to be discounted out of his bond to me, in case I should die before the same is paid off. If the same should be paid before that period then to be paid out of my estate, provided the said James Allen shall take upon himself the execution of the same this sum I give for his trouble and occasional advice about the execution of my said will.
All expenses and disbursement he may pay or be out of pocket to be refunded to him, and be accountable only for his own actions.
In testimony that this writing is my last will and testament, all wrote with my own hand, this first day of Dec. 1800.
I set my hand and affix my seal.
(signed) Gabriel Jones (seal)
Endorsed Gabriel Jones' Will 1st Dec. 1800 all wrote with my own hand, tho' at different times. "G.J."
http://genforum.genealogy.com/jones/messages/30928.html
Gabriel married Margaret Strother on 16 Oct 1749 in Stafford Co, Virginia. Margaret (daughter of Major William Strother and Margaret Watts) was born on 3 Sep 1726 in King George Co, Virginia; died in Oct 1822 in Port Republic, Rockingham Co, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
|
1751 - Aft 1800 (49 years)