Doddridge County Roots

A West Virginia Genealogy

First Name Last Name
Home Search Login  
Share Print Bookmark
Thomas Anderson JONES

Thomas Anderson JONES

Male 1797 - 1883  (85 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Thomas Anderson JONES 
    Born 26 Jul 1797  Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3] 
    • Birth date on headstone is March 1790. But age 55 in 1850 Census puts it in about 1795, age 64 in 1860 puts it in about 1796, age 73 & 83 in 1870 & 1880 put it in about 1797, and age 84 in his 1883 death record puts it in about 1799.
    Gender Male 
    Military Pvt, 5th Regt, Baltimore Volunteers, Maryland Militia, War of 1812  [4] 
    • Thomas A. Jones was present at the Battle of North Point on September 12, 1814, and at the Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814. He was awarded a pension, which he received for the rest of his life.
    Census 1840  Harrison Co, VA (now Doddridge Co, WV) Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1850, 1860  Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation 1869 
    Superintendent of Doddridge County Free Schools 
    Census 1870, 1880  West Union District, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • In 1880, in household of son Silas
    Occupation farmer, merchant  [2, 5] 
    Died 19 Feb 1883  Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7, 8] 
    Buried Archbold Cemetery, Smithburg, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Notes 
    • Historian Jennifer Wilt provided the attached image of a letter, dated 3 April 1826, from Thomas A. Jones to John Sommerville regarding a Mr. Alexander. A transcription of the letter is as follows:

      "Col. Sommerville
      I wish you to furnish me with bills for Mr. Alexander and myself for boards. I likewise wish you to deliver to the bearer a box of papers and cloathing left in your care, when here last, which will oblige.
      Tho. A. Jones
      Clarksburg, April 3 1826"

      Citing "The History of Smithburg" by Thomas A. Jones's son Ned, Wilt provided the following background:

      "Ned Jones mentioned an Alexander in his book, but otherwise there is no proof he existed. I spent quite a while trying to track him down, but was unsuccessful. I found this piece of paper from 1826 in a court case between Thomas A. Jones and John Sommerville at the court house in Clarksburg. Here's what Ned said:

      "As a matter of course, Jones [Thomas] knew nothing about farming and, equally as a matter of course, his wife knew nothing about housekeeping. But, as luck would have it, a man by the name of Robert Alexander elected to come with them, who knew a great many things that were of great advantage to Jones. Besides his wife's people had given them a couple of negroes, but these later proved to be of no earthly account and finally walked off without any attempt on the part of Jones to prevent them. With AlexanderÂ’s help, they managed to have enough to eat, as the forest and stream furnished more than half.

      "But the great drawback came to Jones in that he and his wife were stricken with fever at the same time. It was thought for many weeks that neither could live, but they did, else I would not be writing this history. Here is when Alexander proved himself true as steel, for he took charge of everything and waited upon them as though his own life was in danger, and but for him, they must have perished, either with fever or want during the winter. ...

      "The house that JonesÂ’ moved into was more comfortable than the one they left, having more room and its arrangement, some idea of comfort. But Jones had no help here, as his negroes had left and Alexander had returned to Baltimore. I imagine, or rather I know, they had a very hard time to get along. Remember that there were no railroads, no turnpike, no salt to be had nearer than Jane Lew and in the dry season, no mill except Uncle Jonathan's hand mill to grind with. This will show that they must have had great many privations and hardships to contend with, besides having to contend with poverty of a no light kind."
    Person ID I56527  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 8 Jul 2021 

    Father Benjamin F. JONES 
    Mother Providence Jane O'DELL 
    Family ID F47996  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Catherine Luella SMITH,   b. 21 Feb 1799, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Jan 1875, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 75 years) 
    Married 28 Oct 1818  Baltimore County, MD Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    Notes 
    • According to the obituary of his son Silas, Thomas Anderson Jones was Doddridge County's first superintendent of schools. At that time, however, there was not a county-wide school district. Until the early 1930s, each magisterial district had its own Board of Education.

      1840 Census, Harrison Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), in a district determined to be present-day Doddridge County:
      Name Thomas A Jones
      Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 2
      Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19 3
      Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29 1
      Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 1
      Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14 2
      Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39 1
      Persons Employed in Agriculture 5
      No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write 3
      Free White Persons - Under 20 9
      Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 3
      Total Free White Persons 12
      Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves 12

      1850 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumerated on Sep 23 1850:
      Thomas A. Jones Sen., 55, b. Md, farmer, value of real estate $5000; Elizabeth, 19, b. Va; Lewis E, 16, b. Va; John H, 13, b. Va; Silas O, 8, b. Va; Rachel Clark, 19, b. Va; Catharine Jones, 48, b. Md.
      In the next household:
      Thomas A. Jones Jr., 24, b. Md, farmer; Malissa, 24, b. Va; Mary I, 1, b. Va.

      1860 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia), enumerated on Jun 29 1860:
      Thos. A. Jones, 64, b. Md, farmer, value of real estate $5000; Catherine Jones, 58, b. Md, value of real estate $1000; S. O. Jones (male), 18, b. Va, farm laborer; John Henderson, 24, b. Va, farm laborer; Racheal Clark, 20, b. Va, domestic; John H. Jones, 24, b. Va, farmer; A. M. Jones (female), 22, b. Va; A. H. Jones (female), 4, b. Va; M. A. Jones (female), 2, b. Va.
      (Note: A. M. Jones is Ann M. (Henderson) Jones, wife of John H. Jones. The two youngest girls are their daughters. It is likely that John Henderson is Ann's brother or other close relative.)
      The next household was that of their son Benjamin Franklin Jones:
      H. F. (should be B. F.) Jones, 39, b. Md, farmer, value of real estate $1800, value of personal estate $500; L. A (female), 36, b. Va; G. L. (female), 15; C. A. (male), 13; E. B. (male), 11; W. C. (male), 5 (this is almost certainly intended to be W. H. Jones, age 9); C. J. (female), 7; L. H. (male), 5; B. F. (male), 1; Mary Bland, 18, domestic.

      1870 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (West Union District), enumerated on Jun 17 1870:
      Thos. A. Jones Sr, 73, b. Md, retired merchant, value of real estate $8000, value of personal estate $900; Catharine, 70, b. Md; son Silas O, 29, b. Va, farmer, value of real estate $2200; Hattie S, 22, b. Md; Nancy Sheets, 20, domestic servant.

      1880 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (West Union District), enumerated on Jun 11 1880:
      Silas O. Jones, 39, b. Va. (both parents b. Md), farmer; wife H. S. Jones, 32, b. Md. (both parents b. Md); son Charles H. Jones, 9, b. WVa; dau Mary F. Jones, 6, b. WVa; dau Ada M. Jones, 2, b. WVa; father Thomas A. Jones Sr, 83, b. Maryland, both parents b. Md. [3, 11]
    Children 
     1. George Smith JONES,   b. 10 Oct 1819, Baltimore, MD Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Dec 1900  (Age 81 years)
    +2. Benjamin Franklin JONES,   b. 11 Sep 1821, Baltimore, MD Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Oct 1895, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years)
     3. William Playford JONES,   b. 12 Dec 1822, Baltimore, MD Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Jul 1892, Meigs Co, OH Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years)
    +4. Thomas Anderson JONES, Jr.,   b. 6 Jun 1825, Baltimore, MD Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Jan 1894  (Age 68 years)
     5. Mary Salome JONES,   b. 1826, Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1917, Wilkinsburg, Allegheny Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 91 years)
    +6. Providence Odell JONES,   b. Oct 1829, Doddridge Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 May 1909, Gallia Co, OH Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 79 years)
     7. Elizabeth JONES,   b. CA 1831, Virginia (now West Virginia) Find all individuals with events at this location
    +8. Lewis Edwin "Ned" JONES,   b. 2 Feb 1834, Smithton (now Smithburg), Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Apr 1913, Smithton (now Smithburg), Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years)
    +9. John Henry JONES,   b. CA 1836,   d. 9 May 1915, Pasadena, Los Angeles Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 79 years)
    +10. Silas Ogden JONES,   b. 11 Jun 1841, Smithburg, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Aug 1929, Smithburg, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years)
    Family ID F23416  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    56527_JONES_ThomasAndersonSr_1790-1883_ArchboldCem_Smithburg_DoddridgeCoWV.jpg    		56527_JONES_ThomasAndersonSr_1790-1883_ArchboldCem_Smithburg_DoddridgeCoWV.jpg

    Documents
    56527_JONES_ThomasAnderson_Letter-to-John-Sommerville_ref-Mr-Alexander_3Apr1826.jpg    		56527_JONES_ThomasAnderson_Letter-to-John-Sommerville_ref-Mr-Alexander_3Apr1826.jpg

  • Sources 
    1. [S1907] One World Tree, (www.ancestry.com).

    2. [S941] 1850 Census, Doddridge County, (W)VA.

    3. [S1604] Death record of son.

    4. [S37] Historical Military Records, (www.fold3.com).

    5. [S1999] 1870 Census, Doddridge County, WV (West Union Twp).

    6. [S1563] Doddridge County Death Records, West Union, WV, DR p. 40, Line 23 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=5046028&Type=Death.

    7. [S2568] West Virginia Deaths Index, 1853-1973 [database on-line], (Ancestry.com).

    8. [S5] Headstone.

    9. [S934] Findagrave.com.

    10. [S2725] Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850 [database on-line], (Ancestry.com).

    11. [S1567] Marriage record of son.