Surname Saturday ~ Jones of Watertown, Massachusetts

JONES

Unfortunately for me, I have several JONES families in my family tree, and all were genealogist's nightmares, except for this JONES line, which has been well documented. 

Lewis Jones was one of the first to settle in Watertown, Massachusetts arriving with Ann, his wife, arrived with her family on 15 April 1635 on the ship “Increase”.  They joined the church of Reverend John Eliot, the pastor to the Indians.  The Joneses lived in Roxbury and then in the part of Watertown that is now Belmont, Massachusetts. 

His son, my 8x great grandfather, Josiah Jones, served in King Philip’s War and was made the captain of the Watertown militia.  He removed to Weston, Massachusetts and became a church deacon. 

WILL OF LEWIS JONES

Lewis Jones died April 11, 1684, will made Jan. 7, 1678.

In the name of God Amen, I, Lewis Jones, in Watertown, in New England, being at p'sent of p'fect understanding and memory, though weak of body, committing my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to decent buryall, in hope of a Ressurrection into eternal life, through the Merrits and power of Jesus Christ my most gracious Savior and Redeemer; do thus dispose of that estate which God has graciously given unto me--; Considering the weak and helpless condition of my dear wife, Ann Jones, and of my son, Suball Jones, my will and pleasure is, that the whole of my estate (after the discharge of my debts and my buriall) be improved for their supply, the benefits of it, and also the principal, if they stand in need thereof. And my further will and pleasure is y't when the Lord shall please to remove either of them by death, that then that which remaineth shall be wholly to the use of the other so long as either of them shall live; & if the Lord shall so dispose that anything remaineth after their death, that when what remaineth be divided, two parts to my daughter, Lydia Whitney, if she be then living, & one part to my son Josiah; but if Lydia be dead, that w't remaineth be divided equally to my son Josiah, if living, or such of his children as shall be living, and the children of my daughter Lydiah that shall then be living, & of this my last will, I do constitute my son Josiah my sole executor and do earnestly desire my loving friend and Brother John Stone to be overseer, to assist my son in the managing of ye estate so as may be best for the comfort of my poor wife and child aforesd, and in confirmation hereof I have hereunto set my Marke and seale  The Marke -??- & seal of

Lewis Jones.

This 7th day of ye 11th, 1678

A Codicil annexed to ye above sd will, 19, 2, 1682 (after

the death of the wife of the testator):

As a further addition to my last Will and Testament, I do nominate and appoynt my assured friends, Simon Stone & John Stone of Watertown, to be guardians unto my son

Suball Jones, to whose prudence and wisdom I do commit & send the governm't of my sd son, and the disposal of all that estate as well real and p'sonal to my sd son bequeathed: & I do hereby authorize and empower sd Guardians, or the longest liver of them, to make sale of any part of my house and lands as there shall appear to them needful for the belief of my sd son Shuball Jones

his mark

x

Lewis Y Jones

x

The above will was proved June 17, 1684.

Jonath. Remington, Clericus.

My lineage from Lewis Jones:

Generation 1:  Lewis Jones, born 1605 and died 11 April 1684 in Watertown, Massachusetts; married in England to Anna.   Four children.

Generation 2:  Josiah Jones, born 2 October 1643 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, died 9 October 1714 in Watertown; married on 2 October 1667 to Lydia Treadway, daughter of Nathaniel Treadway and Sufferana Haynes, born 1 September 1649 and died 18 September 1743.  Ten children.

Generation 3: Anna Jones, born 28 July 1684 and died 1736; married before 1704 to Joseph Mixer, son of Isaac Mixer and Rebecca Garfield, born 9 August 1674 in Watertown, died 10 December 1723 in Watertown.  Nine children.

Generation 4. Joseph Mixer m. Mary Ball

Generation 5. Lucy Mixer m. Andrew Munroe

Generation 6. Andrew Munroe m. Ruth Simonds

Generation 7. Luther Simonds Munroe m. Olive Flint

Generation 8. Phebe Cross Munroe m. Robert Wilson Wilkinson

Generation 9. Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

Generation 10. Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my paternal grandparents)

Divided We Stand: Watertown, Massachusetts 1630 – 1680 by Roger Thompson, Amherst, Mass:  University of Massachusetts Press, 2001

Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, by Henry Bond, Boston: Little, Brown, & Company, 1855

History of the Jones Family, by William Henry Jones, 1834 manuscript at the New England Historic Genealogical Society MSS C 5012 (Genealogy with charts of the descendants of Josiah Jones and his wife Lydia Treadway)

-----------------------

Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo