Virtual Museum of Art | Virtual Museum of History | Virtual Public Library | Virtual Science Center | Virtual Museum of Natural History | Virtual War Museum
   You are in: Museum of History >> Hall of North and South Americans >> Thomas Jones





The Seven Flags of the New Orleans Tri-Centennial 1718-2018

For more information go to New Orleans 300th Birthday

 

Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, edited by James Grant Wilson, John Fiske and Stanley L. Klos. Six volumes, New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1887-1889 and 1999. Virtualology.com warns that these 19th Century biographies contain errors and bias. We rely on volunteers to edit the historic biographies on a continual basis. If you would like to edit this biography please submit a rewritten biography in text form . If acceptable, the new biography will be published above the 19th Century Appleton's Cyclopedia Biography citing the volunteer editor




Virtual American Biographies

Over 30,000 personalities with thousands of 19th Century illustrations, signatures, and exceptional life stories. Virtualology.com welcomes editing and additions to the biographies. To become this site's editor or a contributor Click Here or e-mail Virtualology here.



A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 





Click on an image to view full-sized

Thomas Jones

Thomas Jones Biography - Jones Beach NY - A Stan Klos Biography

JONES, Thomas, soldier, born in Strabane, Ulster County, Ireland, about 1665; died in Fort Neck, Queens County, L. I., 13 December, 1713. His family were originally from North Wales. Taking part in the civil war on the side of James II., he participated in the battles of the Borne in 1690, of Aghrim in 1691, and in the siege and capitulation of Limerick in 1691. Escaping to France, he embarked early in 1692 under one of the numerous letters of marque to participate in the Revolution, and was present at the great earthquake of Jamaica, 7 July, 1692, and in that year came to Long Island. He married Freelove, daughter of Thomas Townsend, who presented him with a tract of land at the confluence of the Massapequa river with the Great South bay. By subsequent purchases from the Indians and neighboring owners, he acquired an estate of 6,000 acres, and in 1696 built, near the river, the first brick house in that part of the island. On 2 March, 1699, he was admitted by deed an associate freeholder under the Oyster Bay patent of 1677. On 20 October, 1702, he was commissioned captain of militia in Queens county by Governor Cornbury. On 14 October, 1704, he was appointed high sheriff of Queens county, and on 3 April, 1706, He was made major of the Queens county regiment. He received the commission of "ranger-general of the island of Nassau" (then the legal name of Long Island) from Governor Hunter on 4 September, 1710, which office gave him the monopoly of the whale and other fisheries from the shores of the island, his jurisdiction ranging around the coast from Little Neck bay to Jamaica bay, and over all ungranted lands within its limits. He held this office until his death.

 David Jones, jurist, born in Fort Neck, L. I., 16 September, 1699; died there, 11 October, 1775, received an excellent private education and studied law, and practiced in New York city. He was appointed judge of Queens county in 1734, and in 1737 was elected to the colonial assembly, where he remained till 1758, serving as speaker for thirteen years. From 1758 till 1773 he was a judge of the supreme court. 

Thomas Jones, jurist, born in Fort Neck, L. I., 30 April, 1731; died in Hoddesdon, England, 25 July, 1792, was graduated at Yale in 1750, studied law, was licensed in 1755, and began his practice in New York. In 1757 he was appointed clerk of Queens county courts, and for many years he was the attorney for the governors of King's college, of which body he was a member, and also attorney for the corporation of New York city. In 1769 he became recorder of the city, which office he held till 1773, when He was appointed judge of the supreme court in place of his father, serving until the close of the Revolutionary war, and held the last court under the crown at White Plains in April, 1776. On 27 June, 1776, he was arrested at his house by an armed party by order of a committee of the New York Provincial congress on a charge of refusing to obey the summons of the committee to show why he "should be considered g friend of the American cause." He was brought to New York and discharged on giving his parole to appear when congress should direct. On 11 August he was seized by a body of riflemen, taken to New York and again arraigned before a board of officers, who told him the parole was void. He was then sent to Connecticut as a prisoner, remaining there under the charge of disaffection until December, when he signed a second parole and returned to his home in Fort Neck. On 6 November, 1779, his house was suddenly entered and robbed by a party of Whigs under the command of Captain Daniel Hawley, of Connecticut, who seized Jones, though under parole, and carried him to Connecticut, in order to effect an exchange for General Gold Selleek Silliman, who had been captured six months before in his house in Fairfield. Neither had any personal connection with the seizure, nor did it alter their friendship which had been formed in Yale. 

In April, 1780, they were exchanged. While in Connecticut Judge Jones's health failed owing to injuries received on being thrown from a sleigh. In 1781 Judge Jones sold his stock at auction, and went to England with his family. After living in Bath for his health for three years, he retired to Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire. The negotiation of peace in 1782 prevented his return, as he was included in the New York act of attainder, by which his life was so facto forfeited and his estate confiscated. He married Anne de Lancey, daughter of James de Lancey, chief justice and lieutenant-governor of New York. She received about two acres of land from her brother James, between the Bowery and the East river, upon which site Jones erected a large house, surrounded with gardens. He named it "Mount Pitt," and it remained standing till the close of the last century. When General Charles Lee built fortifications around New York in 1776, he made this point the site of a large redoubt, which was called Jones's tiill Fort. The accompanying illustration of Fort Neck house represents his spacious residence, which is still (1887), in possession of the family. It was originally Tryon Hall, and was erected for Judge Thomas Jones by his father in 1770. It faces the Great South bay and has a frontage of ninety feet. His father entailed this estate upon him and his heirs and in default of the latter upon his daughters and their heirs, on condition that they should add to their name that of Jones. Hence David Floyd, son of Arabella Jones and Richard Floyd, of Suffolk county, New York, received the Fort Neck estate under the entail and became the first of the name of Floyd-Jones. Judge Jones was the author of "History of New York during the Revolutionary War," which was edited by Edward Floyd de Landey and printed for the New York historical society (New York, 1879). This work is a valuable contribution to American history. It is an account of the Revolution from a loyalist point of view, and is the only contemporary history written by one living at that time.

The first Thomas's grandson, Samuel Jones, son of William Jones, lawyer, born 26 July, 1734; died in Westneck, L. I., 21 November, 1819, studied law in the office of William Smith, the historian of New York, who was subsequently chief justice. During the Revolution he remained in the British lines, being a loyalist in principle, but took no part in the war. After peace was declared he became a strong Federalist. He held many offices of trust, political and legal, was often in the state assembly, and an active member of the convention at Poughkeepsie that adopted the constitution of the United States in 1788. In 1789, with Richard Varick, he revised the statutes of the state of New York, of which work he did the principal part. In the same year he was appointed recorder of the city of New York, an office he held for eight years, when he was succeeded by Chancellor Kent. At the request of John Jay in 1796 he drew up the law establishing the comptroller's office of New York state as it now (1887) exists, and was appointed in that year to this office, which he held for three years, after which he retired to his country-seat, Westneck, L. I. Dr. David Hosack said: "Common consent has indeed assigned him the highest attainments in jurisprudence, and the appellation of father of the New York bar." "No one," says Chancellor Kent, "surpassed him in clearness of intellect and in moderation and extreme simplicity of character; no one equalled him in his accurate knowledge of the technical rules and doctrines of real property, and his familiarity with the skilful and elaborate, but now obsolete and mysterious, black-letter learning of the common law." He published, with Richard Varick, "Laws of the State of New York" (2 vols., New York, 1789), and contributed valuable papers on the history of New York to the collections of the New York historical society.

--His second son, Samuel Jones, jurist, born 26 May, 1769; died in Cold Spring, New York, 9 August, 1853, was graduated at Columbia in 1790, and studied law in his father's office, having for his fellow-student De Witt Clinton. He held many important judicial offices, and at the outset of his career took an active part in politics. He was a member of the assembly in 1812-'14, recorder of New York city in 1823, chancellor of the state in 1826-'8, chief justice of the superior court of New York city in 1828-'47, and justice of the state supreme court in 1847-'9. At the age of eighty, on the expiration of his term, he resumed practice at the bar, and was actively engaged in professional life till within about two months of his death. He was active in the councils of the Protestant Episcopal church, and to his latest days remarkable for his interest in all matters of social and public importance. Judge Jones, like his father, was often called the "father of the New York bar."--Another son, David S., lawyer, born in Westneck, L. I., 3 November, 1777; died in New York city, 10 May, 1848, was graduated first in his class at Columbia in 1796. For a few years after leaving college he was secretary of Governor Jay, and for nearly half a century one of the most active and influential members of his profession. After residing for several years on his estate at Massapequa, L. I., he removed to New York. He was especially interested in the institutions of that city, Columbia college, the Society library, and the General theological seminary, and connected with each of them as trustee and legal adviser for an unusual term of years. He also took much interest in the affairs of the Protestant Episcopal church. He was first judge of his native county while a resident at Massapequa, and about 1840 received the title of LL. D. from Alleghany college, Meadville, Pennsylvania Mr. Jones was connected by his three marriages with the Livingston, LeRoy, and Clinton families. See "Memorial of the Hon. David S. Jones" (New York, 1849).--David S.'s son, William Alfred, author, born in New York city, 26 June, 1817, was graduated at Columbia in 1836, and studied law with Daniel Lord, but has never practiced. He resided in his native city till 1867, and since then has lived in retirement in Norwich, Connecticut He was librarian of Columbia college from 1851 till 1865. Mr. Jones has contributed many literary and critical essays to periodicals. His published volumes, which are principally collections of these essays, are "The Analyst, a Collection of Miscellaneous Papers" (New York, 1839); "Literary Studies" (2 vols., 1847); "Essays upon Authors and Books" (1849); "Memorial of Hon. David S. Jones," his father (1849); and "Characters and Criticisms" (2 vols., 1857). His pamphlets include "The Library of Columbia College" (New York, 1861); "The First Century of Columbia College" (1863); and "Long Island," an address before the Long Island historical society (1863).

--The first Samuel's grandson, Samuel William Jones, jurist, son of Major William Jones, of Cold Spring, born 6 July, 1791; died in New York city, 1 December, 1855, was graduated at Union in 1810. He studied law in the office of his uncle, Samuel Jones, and practiced in Schenectady, New York, of which city he was mayor many years. He was also surrogate, and first judge of Schenectady county.--The first Samuel's nephew, Walter Restored, marine underwriter, son of John Jones, born in Cold Spring, L.I., 15 April, 1793; died in New York city, 5 April, 1855, was the founder of the Atlantic mutual marine insurance company, of New York city. By his untiring energy and devotion, his accuracy and masterly management of its interests, he built up a comparatively weak corporation to a valuable institution, over which he presided for many years. Mr. Jones was largely interested also in manufacturing enterprises, and especially in whaling operations, at a day when that was a lucrative department of our national industries. He may be considered the founder of the Life saving association.--Walter Restored's nephew, John Divine, son of John H. Jones, born in Cold Spring, New York, 15 August, 1814, was placed in the office of his uncle, and under his guidance filled all the offices of the Atlantic company, of which he has been president since 1855. Mr. Jones has been a liberal benefactor of many public institutions, especially to the Protestant Episcopal church of New York city and Long Island, and to the Historical society of New York.

Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, Copyright © 2001 VirtualologyTM

Start your search on Thomas Jones.


 

 


 


Unauthorized Site: This site and its contents are not affiliated, connected, associated with or authorized by the individual, family, friends, or trademarked entities utilizing any part or the subject's entire name. Any official or affiliated sites that are related to this subject will be hyper linked below upon submission and Evisum, Inc. review.

Copyright© 2000 by Evisum Inc.TM. All rights reserved.
Evisum Inc.TM Privacy Policy

Search:

About Us

 

 

Image Use

Please join us in our mission to incorporate The Congressional Evolution of the United States of America discovery-based curriculum into the classroom of every primary and secondary school in the United States of America by July 2, 2026, the nation’s 250th birthday. , the United States of America: We The People Click Here

 

Historic Documents

Articles of Association

Articles of Confederation 1775

Articles of Confederation

Article the First

Coin Act

Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

Emancipation Proclamation

Gettysburg Address

Monroe Doctrine

Northwest Ordinance

No Taxation Without Representation

Thanksgiving Proclamations

Mayflower Compact

Treaty of Paris 1763

Treaty of Paris 1783

Treaty of Versailles

United Nations Charter

United States In Congress Assembled

US Bill of Rights

United States Constitution

US Continental Congress

US Constitution of 1777

US Constitution of 1787

Virginia Declaration of Rights

 

Historic Events

Battle of New Orleans

Battle of Yorktown

Cabinet Room

Civil Rights Movement

Federalist Papers

Fort Duquesne

Fort Necessity

Fort Pitt

French and Indian War

Jumonville Glen

Manhattan Project

Stamp Act Congress

Underground Railroad

US Hospitality

US Presidency

Vietnam War

War of 1812

West Virginia Statehood

Woman Suffrage

World War I

World War II

 

Is it Real?



Declaration of
Independence

Digital Authentication
Click Here

 

America’s Four Republics
The More or Less United States

 
Continental Congress
U.C. Presidents

Peyton Randolph

Henry Middleton

Peyton Randolph

John Hancock

  

Continental Congress
U.S. Presidents

John Hancock

Henry Laurens

John Jay

Samuel Huntington

  

Constitution of 1777
U.S. Presidents

Samuel Huntington

Samuel Johnston
Elected but declined the office

Thomas McKean

John Hanson

Elias Boudinot

Thomas Mifflin

Richard Henry Lee

John Hancock
[
Chairman David Ramsay]

Nathaniel Gorham

Arthur St. Clair

Cyrus Griffin

  

Constitution of 1787
U.S. Presidents

George Washington 

John Adams
Federalist Party


Thomas Jefferson
Republican* Party

James Madison 
Republican* Party

James Monroe
Republican* Party

John Quincy Adams
Republican* Party
Whig Party

Andrew Jackson
Republican* Party
Democratic Party


Martin Van Buren
Democratic Party

William H. Harrison
Whig Party

John Tyler
Whig Party

James K. Polk
Democratic Party

David Atchison**
Democratic Party

Zachary Taylor
Whig Party

Millard Fillmore
Whig Party

Franklin Pierce
Democratic Party

James Buchanan
Democratic Party


Abraham Lincoln 
Republican Party

Jefferson Davis***
Democratic Party

Andrew Johnson
Republican Party

Ulysses S. Grant 
Republican Party

Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican Party

James A. Garfield
Republican Party

Chester Arthur 
Republican Party

Grover Cleveland
Democratic Party

Benjamin Harrison
Republican Party

Grover Cleveland 
Democratic Party

William McKinley
Republican Party

Theodore Roosevelt
Republican Party

William H. Taft 
Republican Party

Woodrow Wilson
Democratic Party

Warren G. Harding 
Republican Party

Calvin Coolidge
Republican Party

Herbert C. Hoover
Republican Party

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic Party

Harry S. Truman
Democratic Party

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican Party

John F. Kennedy
Democratic Party

Lyndon B. Johnson 
Democratic Party 

Richard M. Nixon 
Republican Party

Gerald R. Ford 
Republican Party

James Earl Carter, Jr. 
Democratic Party

Ronald Wilson Reagan 
Republican Party

George H. W. Bush
Republican Party 

William Jefferson Clinton
Democratic Party

George W. Bush 
Republican Party

Barack H. Obama
Democratic Party

Please Visit

Forgotten Founders
Norwich, CT

Annapolis Continental
Congress Society


U.S. Presidency
& Hospitality

© Stan Klos

 

 

 

 


Virtual Museum of Art | Virtual Museum of History | Virtual Public Library | Virtual Science Center | Virtual Museum of Natural History | Virtual War Museum