VV-J 0 32-1450 M-Uww U V W a Chapter of Hitherto Unwritten
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172 2008 PRE FA CE . The following H ist ory of a family numerous and I prosperous beyond recount, will, hope , prove acceptable no w to their descendants . These are to be found in all classes of society , and many have forgotten all about their forefathers and have not even a tradition remain i ing. Nay, members of this family who st ll live as county families in Ireland have become so culpably careless that a few generations is the limit of their d knowle ge . It will show the difficulty of the historian and n d o f genealogist, here at least whe it is state that George Lewis Jones , who was Bishop of this Diocese 1774— 1790 I not , could gather a particle of informa I tion but the meagre facts have stated . ! I PRE FACE . The transmission of physical conformation and facial expression , as well as that of moral qualities and defects , is an interesting study to the philosopher . In some u families you can trace for cent ries the same expression, featurmes and color, often the same height and very often li the sa e moral and intellectual qua ties . As a general u - rule, the feat res of this wide spread family , no matter i whether rich or poor, gifted or gnorant , are marked n by peculiar characteristics that, o ce seen and noted . N . cannot well be forgotten Captain Jones, R , M P I for Londonderry, whom knew when a boy, now Rear Admiral Sir Lewis Tobias Jones, the Rev . Thomas of I w J . Jones, Armagh Diocese, whom have kno n all n my life, and Robert Jones, my eighbor, have the s of r of ame class featu e, type expression, and would at once be known from their height— the same— and their wc of features, hi h are alike, to be the same family This applies to every man of the same stock whom I have known here . The Joneses of whom I have written were a bold ‘ — ~ i s u c one . and a g fted race tern rep bli ans, except They helped materially t o change the fortunes of this u country at a critical period . Hence the s bsequen t III PRE FACE . not ignorance about them . Who would like to trace the descendants of tha t heroic and simple- minded a ? republic n general, Michael Jones But his very simplicity and republican spirit have served to cast v mi an impenetrable cloud o er his fa ly . wn I My opinions are my o ; my facmts believe to be true ; but no doubt I have made istakes . Put the blame for the one ag ainst the praise for the I o ther and shall be content . ROBERT LEECH . D RUMLANE RECTORY, t Bel urbet, Ireland , 1 8 5 Oct . 18 7 , . I I I E THE JONE S FAM L Y N RL AND. CHAPT E R I. PEDIGREE AND EARLY LIFE OF THOMAS O J NES . or A of one o f t he Jones, p John, was the name of ind e en princely tribes the Cimbri . They ruled as p s dent p rinces when Wale was free . This was the of one of or o f name fifteen noble, princely, houses e o Wales . Th ir p ssessions were in North Wales, chief l ! y in Denbigh, Flint and Caernarvon . Some time after of o f the conquest Wales by Edward the First, King o f England, a branch this noble house settled in Lan i cash re . Here they lived for several generations, and in the time o f Henry the Eighth Sir Roger Jones o had possessions in Lancashire and was an Alderman of 41 hi 15 s London . In a son was born to him at L r si n wh m e d e ce h mas . o T o Lancashire , . he called ) ’ “ Arch d all r e L an e G en r . Bu k s d d t y . ’ ’ M n H f St a ri n T o a a o o r o a e ra D . f s s ist y . P t ck s C th d l , ubli h m s V III for ne r o e in 1 a er . Jo 19 e ee h a 6 78 . S s , A chbish p , di d , g d C pt t h e Jon a e o re e es f mily b f this tim . E NE S AMIL I 2 TH JO F Y N IRE LAND . Sir Roger Jones steered quietly and steadily through the troubles that arose so thickly abou t the latter part of King Henry’s reign when Protestant ma and Ro an C tholic were alike exposed to danger and death from the religious uncertainty of the times . He espoused the sid e of the Reformers and sent his son of Thomas, as soon as he was proper years, to the University of Cambridge , entering him at Christ Church College . When he left the university of Cam d bri ge , which he did with great credit and reputation , fi he came to Ireland , at that time the proper eld for young men of good family who d esired to become l m eminent by the disp ay of re arkable talents or g reat ‘ courage . He was ordained soon after coming to that Kingdom and very shortly afterwards married a lady n of reputation and virtue named Margaret Purdo , f . o daughter of Adam Purdon , Esq , Lurgan Race , in the county of Louth . She had been married to a gentle of and man family position named John Douglas , who , d a u ying soon after their marri ge , left her a yo thful and richly dowered widow3" She proved an admirable helpmate for him in his suc cessful career and a good de al of his prosperity must be attributed to her great l 1595. Wisdom and admirable qua ities . She died in The family o f Purdon still exists as a county family in Ar a ! Ma on. ch l . s TH E J E S AMIL IN I E L ON F Y R AND. 3 Ireland . — By this marriage he became brother- in law to the of celebrated Adam Loftus, Archbishop Armagh and ’ Dean of St . Patrick s Cathedral . The career of these remarkable men was so distinguished , their friendship r for each other so great, and their prosperity so emark a fe w able , that words may not be considered altogether out of place concerning Adam Loftus . “ Adam Loftus was born in 15313 He was the second son of Adam Loftus, of Swines head, in the Y w county of ork , hose family did formerly possess considerable property as well in that as in other parts of England, and from them Adam received more than an ordinary allowance for his support and education at T n the University of Cambridge . hough a you ger son he inherited an estate situated abo ut L odingt on in Sir Kent, which his grandson, Adam Loftus, of Rath £30003 farnham , sold for ? Loftus studied at Christ Church Colleg e— the same at which Thomas Jones ’ 0 Re e r f t a r a e S . He wa in 1 4. o s He e 6 5 7 di d , g d ( g ist P t ick s ) o Ar h o o f Ar a h 162a e 1 ran e a a n e 5 3. S p p i t d chbis p m g , g d t g th t Do or ra in h is we no wn H or o f o r and D o e e ct B dy , ll k ist y C k its i c s a h e wa at a e on 2no t t h e a no n a a e h o s a 8 . s uld y th t s th t tim ly . c ic l g v h md R ma n a o h or an a e o o we i a n s o h as ro e o r o C th lic ist i s h f ll d P f ss K en o f e a in o o but n r a H o r o f t he ill , B lf st , his p mp us , u c itic l ist y h Presbyterian C u rch . W e Ro er ar o te Ma on. MSS . of I b t , q u d by s 4 TH E J NE S AMIL IN IRE L AND O F Y . afterwards entered . Early in Queen Elizabeth ’s reign she paid a visit to Cambrid ge and was so much struck with the splendid personal appearance of young Loftus and the remarkable eloquence he d isplayed in the performance of a public in the act University, that she promised to promote was d a a him , and shortly after he or ined she ppointed him one of her chaplains . 155 Loftus obtained in 7 the perpetual V icarage of C i ! edue in the D ocese of Lincoln , being then twenty u 11 of a e 56 six years g , and in J ne , , he came to Ireland as chaplain to the New Lord Lieutenant , the Earl of In O Sussex . ctober, of the same year, he was present o f Painst o wn ed by the Queen with the rectory , Diocese n 20th u o 1562 was of Meath , and the of Jan ary , , he appointed by the Crown Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland .