Julie's Mecklenburg, Virginia Discoveries

Jones is one of the most common names in the world. Yet, all the Jones I’ve researched in the Great Creek area of Mecklenburg appear related. There are many cousin marriages between William Jones’ descendants. The family tree criss-crosses more than it branches out! William Jones had 1 daughter and 6 sons named in his will. A few of William’s grandchildren moved away. But the majority of William Jones’s descendants remained. Some of William Jones’s descendants still live in the same area, 200 years later!

William was illiterate. He signed “his mark”. Interestingly the will states, “Pronounced and dictated by the said William Jones”. I have not yet found a record which gives a birth date for William Jones. If he was born about 1737- his approximate year of birth according to some estimates, then he would have been about age 25 at his first marriage (name of first wife unknown) and age 55 when he married Agnes Bolling Clask. He would also have lived to be about age 81, outliving his wife Agnes and his sons Frederick and Richard. Carrol, Charles and Milbury were unmarried and without children. William B. Jones(son of William Jones) sons, James and Zachariah, were teenagers when their grandfather William Jones died.

I don’t know where William Jones was born or when he first called Mecklenburg home. The mother of William’s children is unknown. Because of that, I wonder if William was married further north and moved to Mecklenburg as a young widow? Or if the old church record marriage was just lost over time? Or if we just aren’t sure because William Jones is such a common name? William’s children are estimated to be born in the mid 1760’s, which was still in Colonial days, and about the time Mecklenburg was being established. Were the children born on the frontier of Mecklenburg? Or further north in more established areas? William married Agnes Clask in Brunswick County VA in 1792. He may have been living in Mecklenburg at that time. I do know the Great Creek Jones family was in Mecklenburg before the War of 1812 because a few of them were witnesses on the War of 1812 pension depositions. By 1820, Jones children and grandchildren lived along currently named Nellie Jones Rd (Nellie was William’s daughter-in-law) and Blackridge Rd.

I’ve made changes to traditional versions of Jones family charts, by reducing the number of children William had: William’s will (Written Jan 1818) was somewhat confusing, especially regarding his son John. Many people’s trees and charts say that Mary was William’s 3rd wife (with some charts reporting her as a daughter) because the will says “I lend to Mary 100 acres of land.” But the will never says the word “wife”; Mary is actually William’s daughter in law, the widow of James Jones. The will also doesn’t say “grandchild”. James Jone’s children are the only grandchildren specifically named in the will. There is a reference to “the children” of Frederick and “the children” of Richard. William B. Jones’ 2 children are not mentioned or referenced at all. I don’t understand the value of things in Virginia in this time period, but the division of William’s estate does not appear to be equally divided between his children.

There were 13 slaves listed by name as part of William’s estate. I will post more about these individuals in the future, when I am able to look at more records. William’s will also includes: 3 beds, furniture, and 580 acres. The land was divided into 5 pieces. I have not yet seen any indication that Frederick or Richard inherited any land. I do know where Frederick lived and was buried. I assume that Frederick purchased his land, but am still trying to find earlier land records. The land descriptions in William’s will sound to me like his sons were already living on these parcels of land, with the will officially transferring the title to his sons.

1. Charles Jones was given 190 acres with “Blue Spring Branch”, a creek, James Burton, Winfield Wynn, Joshua Winfield & Black’s Rd as neighboring properties. This property later went to Lieu Jones and James B. Jones.
2. John Jones was given 90 acres bordering his brother Carrol Jones land, a creek at Douglas Plantation patch, and Joshua Winfield as neighboring properties.
3. Carrol Jones was given 100 acres bordering his brother John, the creek at Douglas Plantation Patch down to Mrs. Wynn’s line, Jesse Taylor, & Joshua Winfield as neighboring properties.
4. Mary is loaned 100 acres, later to be divided with brothers James and Samuel. (siblings John & Morning were excluded) Jesse Taylor, Jesse’s spring branch to where the road crosses the branch, the creek, Muston’s line, Mrs. Wynne, Carrol Jones were neighboring properties. (John’s family gets 2 parcels of land. #2 & #4)
5. William is given 100 acres. Jesse Taylor, to where the road crosses James Jones spring branch, to the creek, Muston, on the creek to Hinton’s line, and Love as neighboring properties. “8 or 10 acres to be included at the fork of the creek to his tract.” This property might have gone to the elder son, James B. Jones, who owned 100 acres. Zachariah Jones paid off his father William’s debt, and got 210 acres at age 23! I believe that William B. Jones lived on Zachariah’s land, and that he lived by his 2 sons the rest of his life

I’ve not yet found where Carrol Jones, Richard Jones or John Jones’s 2 properties were, but I expect them to be along Great Creek. Probably in between Charles and William’s land. Richard Jones died pre-1800, 26 years before his father William died. He might not have ever owned land. Milbury was not left any land, and is not known to have married. In this time period, that likely means she was dependent on a brother. If that was the case, I wonder which brother she lived with? I also wonder if the 100 acres loaned to Mary was where William (Senior) lived?

I’ve been researching the Jones family and their land in the Great Creek area for almost 20 years. There is still much more to understand, learn and find! So far, the few possible Jones burial plots I’ve found contain only graves without tombstones. (Except for Frederick). I’ve only found a few possible Jones graves for a whole lot of people though, so I keep searching. It would be helpful to know exactly where Joshua Winfield, James Burton, Mrs. Wynn, (Mr?) Muston, and Jesse Taylor lived about 1815 to 1820. I’m also looking fo the location of “Douglas Plantation Patch near a creek”. I’m thinking the creek mentioned is Great Creek. There’s also a “Blue Spring Branch” I’ve not heard of before. Have you heard of these places? Or heard rumors of where their cemeteries are?