Galdin Jones Cph Sician, Soldier Ancl Freemason
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GALDIN J O N E S C h sician So ldier ancl Freemaso n P , 1 775 - 4 84 6 BEIN G AN AC COUNT OF H IS C ARE E R IN NORTH CAROLINA AN D TENNES SEE ° Marshall D eLanceq H agwoo d 32 HIS TORIAN OF THE GRAND LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA FR M E P R E I GS OF TH E GR LO G . 1919 O TH OC E D N AN D D E , A D ' R EP RIN TAIS S UE D BY JAMES W. JONES BOLIVAR . TENNES S EE C AL D I N J O N E S 3 ( h siclau So ldier an cl Fre e maso n 1 , 1 7 7 5 4 84 6 B EING AN ACCOUNT OF HIS CAREE R IN NORTH CAROLINA AN D TENNESSEE ° Marshall D eLcm ceq H a gwo o d 32 HISTORIAN OF TH E GRAN D LODGE OF NORTH CAROLINA F R M E P R C I G F T H E GR L O TH O D S O D ODG . D . 19 19 EE N AN E , A BY M O S R E P R I NT IS S U E D JA ES W . J NE B LI V R S S O A , TENNE EE CALVI N JONE S , ldi e a n d e m a s P h ys i ci a n , S o r F r e on By MARS H ALL DELANCEY HAY WOOD - Offi MAJ OR GENERAL CALVI N JONES , an cer of No rth Carolin a troops th roughout the Second Wa r with (l rea t i i n Of B r ta , a physi cian and scientist marked abi lity . and Gran d M aster Of the Masonic Grand Lodge Of No rth Carol i na , was born at G reat Barri ngton , Massachusetts , 2 1 775 . on the d day Of April , H i s bi rthplace was i n the o] Berkshi re H i lls . H is father was Ebenezer Jones , a s R di er i n the Army Of the evolution , and the maiden name ’ Of his mother was Susannah Blackmore . The family s A earliest progenitor i n America was Thomas p Jones , a Welchman , who sett led at Weymouth , Massachusetts , i n 1 651 . From him , Ebenezer Jones was fou rth i n de scent . EARLY LI F E A ND EDUCATI ON f Of the early life O Calvi n Jones we know l ittle . We get a slight glimpse Of the su rrou ndings Of his infancy ’ i n a letter to hi m from his father s sister , M rs . Mary Col “ ’ lins , who says : I came to you r father s house to stay with you r mother while you r father and U ncle Joseph Y o went to fight for thei r dear cou ntry . u were then 1 6 “ months Ol d . A letter from his father declares : Y ou r mother and I made slaves Of ourselves that ou r chi ldren $ might have education . We are unable to ascertai n i n what i nstitutions Calvi n Jones received hi s ed ucation , b ut that he was possessed Of a varied store Of knowledge - i n state craft , medici ne , su rgery , sci ence , history , b otany , an d polite literature , there is ample proof . The study of medici ne he began i n b oyhood , and he mad e such wonder fu l p rogress i n that sci ence that he was able to stand an examination on the subj ect at the early age Of seventeen . A certificate , or med ical license , now own ed by hi s de : s cen da n ts , reads as follows These may certify that Calvin J ones , on ye 1 9 th of J une , ' 1 79 2, Oflered himself as a candidate for examin ation in the Heal in g A rt befo re the United M edical Society . He was l ike wi se examined and appro ved Of by the said Society as being well r e o m sk illed in the Theory of the Physical A rt , an d by them is c mended to the Publick , as per Order Of J ames Batten , president . O . O Y D OT D A V I D D T , Secretary . We have never been able to learn where this U nited Medical Society was located . B efore leavi ng New E ng land , D r . Jones practiced his profession with marked su ccess , as we learn from general letters Of r ecom m en da tion and i ntrodu ction from physi cians with whom he had been associ ated before removing to North Carol ina . LEGISLATIVE , M EDICAL , AND J OUR N ALI S TI C CAREER It was about the year 1 79 5 that D r . Jones settled i n m i h fiel North Caroli na , locating at S t d , i n Johnston Cou nty . H e soon gai ned the esteem an d confidence Of the general public i n hi s n ew home , l ikewise attaini ng high rank among the most progressive and enlightened medi cal men Of North Caroli na . I n the course Of time , D r . Jones was called i nto p ubli c Of l ife by the voters Johnston County , being twi ce elected a member Of the North Caroli na House Of Com mons , servi ng i n the sessions Of 1 79 9 and 1 802 . He was an active , usefu l , and i nfluenti al member Of these bodies . H i s speech (November 20 , agai nst the proposed appropriation to establ ish a penitentiary , i n the nature Of a mi ld reformatory , was an argument Of great force - which was reported i n short hand by Joseph Gales , edi Of a ei O tor the R l gh R egi s ter , for the use f his paper (see Of 4 - i ssu e December 1 th ) , and it was later re published i n a small pamphlet . I n thi s speech , D r . Jones sai d Of The plan lessen ing the frequency of crimes , by refo rming in stead Of punishing crimin als , has originated in principles that I revere ; but sure I am the advocates Of t his measure are mistaken ff r in the e ects it is calcul ated to produce . This ext a va gant proj ect , in other States , has been more to acc ommodate vaga bond wretches whom the j ail s of E urope have vomited up on our e shores , than n ative citizens , an d this strongly increases my Obj c Y o o tion to the measure . I n N ew ork , I am assured fr m auth rity tw o - Of on wh ich I can rely , th at thirds the criminal s in the State prison are freed negroes and foreigners . The prudent pol icy Of th is State $North Carol in a] , in refusing to liberate an y of its Of sl aves , will rel ieve us from on e species these pests of society , but we h ave no security against the other except in the rigor Of $ ou r l aws . A Concerning emigrants from E u rope to merica , D r . “ Jones added : There are many Of them who were an honor to their own country , and who are now an orna ment to this . I Obj ect only to these vagrant wretches who have no trade or profession but thievi ng and sedition ; whose schools Of education have been j ai ls and armies , and who transport themselves here to avoid a transpo rta tion to Botany Bay , or to elude the piti less noose Of the $ hangman . Of 1802 The session ended the servi ces of D r . Jones as a member Of the House Of Commons from Johnston R County , but , afte r hi s removal to aleigh , he was hon ored with a seat i n the same body as a representative Of from the county Wake , as wi l l be mentioned later on . S O far as is known , D r . Jones was the first physi cian i n No rth Carolina to d iscard the Old treatment by i n o cu O - lation as a preventive f small pox , and to substitute therefor the new process Of i noculati on now known as - - vaccination . S O u p to date was Dr . Jones that he was extensively practicing thi s treatment be fore the exper i ments Of its d iscoverer (Dr . Jenner ) were completed i n m i th fi l . d E ngland I n 1 80 0 , while sti ll living i n S e , D r . Jones announced through the newspapers that he would — begi n a general practice Of vaccination o r i noculation — as it was sti ll called i n the Sp ri ng Of the following yea r . Later he decided to postpone such action unti l he coul d get the benefit Of reports Of more recent experiments R a l ei h R e i s te Of elsewhere ; and he pub lished i n the g g r , 14 1 1 Of : Apri l , 80 , a card i n the course which he sai d The public h ave been taught to expect , from my advertise Of ments last year , that I shall , in the ensuing month , commence inocul ation for the Small pox ; but I am prevented from doing thi s by the con sideration of what is due from me to those who woul d o h ave been my patients , whose ease an d safety my own incl inati ns $ and the honor o f my profession bind me to con sult .