Mose and Mary Ann Jones

Mose and Mary Ann Jones have been somewhat of a mystery to me. As you can see in this image of Grandma's Bible, she didn't have much information to record. However, due to today's interest in genealogy and technology, I have found some additional information on her great grandparents.

According to Geni.com, Mary Ann's maiden name was Ballard. She was born on July 13, 1839 in Henry, Tennessee and died December 13, 1929 in Ripley (County?) Missouri. (See also: Mary A Ballard Jones (1839-1929) - Find a Grave Memorial) She was the wife of J. Malachi Jones (Mose?) who was born March 26, 1826 in North Carolina and died in Ripley (County?) Missouri August 17, 1897 at 71 years of age. (You can view his gravesite at: J. Malachi Jones (1826-1897) - Find a Grave Memorial)

Their daughter Nancy E. Wright was my grandmother's grandmother. Nancy's daughter Maggie Leona Weaver was grandma's mother.

I remember as a young child grandma telling me that we were Black Welsh and Blackfoot Indian. I also remember asking her, "What is Black Welsh?" and she replied, "It means we have dark hair and dark eyes."

I suspect Grandma was referring to the ancestry of the Jones family as the "Black Welsh" in our family since Jones is a very common name in Wales.

The Jones Family Name History at Jones Genealogy states:

One country in which the Jones surname was most widely adopted was the country of Wales. The most likely reason for this was due to passage of “The Act of Union” in 1536 which prohibited the use of the Welsh language in all official records. This meant that Welsh names needed to be registered in an anglicised (English) form. As a result, many Welsh family names like “Johnnes”, “Ieuan” or “Sion” were translated to “Jones” because it was closest anglicized version of many Welsh family names.

An excerpt from the House of Names tells us a little about the origins of the Jones family:

The surname Jones was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales created by the Laws in Wales Act 1536, where their ancient family seat was at Llanerchrugog.

The name Jones, currently one of the most prolific in the world, descends from three main sources: from Gwaithvoed, Lord Cardigan, Chief of one of the 15 noble tribes of North Wales in 921; from Bleddyn Ap Cynfyn, King of Powys; and from Dyffryn Clwyd, a Chieftain of Denbighland.

All three lines merged in Denbighshire about the 11th century and it is not known which of the three can be considered the main branch of the family. Later some of the family ventured into England. "[The parish of Astall in Oxfordshire] was formerly the residence of Sir Richard Jones, one of the judges of the court of common pleas in the reign of Charles I.; and there are still some remains of the ancient manor-house near the church, which are now converted into a farmhouse." [3]

What a rich legacy the Jones have left their many descendants!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for these ancestors and the lives they lived. I'm blessed to be a descendant of such a diverse and rich heritage in America.

I pray You will bless their memories and I thank You for those helping to preserve our family history.

In Lord Jesus Name, amen.

Comments

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Our Somers Family Heritage

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