III. NOTES ON A WAX MEDALLION, AND RELATIVE AUTOGRAPH LETTER, OF PAUL JONES, PRESENTE E SOCIETTH O D1860T N I YD AN , NATIONAE NOTH WN I L MUSEU ANTIQUITIESF MO FRANCIy B . S CAIRO INGLIS, F.S.A. SCOT. The medallion, whic circulas hi n formi r mountes i , heava n di y brass frame measured an , s 3^ inche n diametei s r verovea s i yr t finallI e. piec f workmanshio e r somp(o executeex compositiowa n i d n closely resembling wax), probabl y Jeab y n Martin Renaud, engraved an r , 39 f o e modellerag e th d give a t ver a an s , u ysn gooma e d th ide f o a representing him in court uniform, and showing the order of Military Merit. There can be no doubt as to the portrait being an authentic one, as Paul Jone a lad s o ysent t (Mri t s Belshes n Scotlani ) d along wite th h following letter (fig. 1) dated 1786 :— PARIS, August 29, 1786. MADAM,—It is with great pleasure that I now execute the nattering com- missio gavu before nyo e lefm u teyo this r cityJameSi . s Stuart returno wh , s immediately to Scotland, does me the honour to take charge of the medallion you desire I dmigh t sen whethey unabld m sa s wela i you r o t I t o i ler . ill executed, but I feel it receives it's value from your acceptance ; an honour for nevewhicn ca rhI sufficiently expres obligationy sm t whicbu , t wilhi l allwayy ambitiom e b s o merit t nrespectfuy M . l compliments await your husband. I am very sensible of his polite attentions while here. May you always enjoy a state of happiness as real as is the esteem and respect with whic hI hav honoue eth beo t r , Madam, your most obediend an t most humble servant, J. PAUL JONES. Mrs Belches, Scotland. The following note from Professor A. Campbell Swinton, F.S.A. Scot., serves to trace how the medallion came to the Museum, with the auto- graph letter which accompanied it:l— 1 Proceedings, vol .. 389-391iiipp . WAX MEDALLION, AND AUTOGRAPH LETTER, OF PAUL JONES. 79 " I can tell you little about the medallion of Paul Jones beyond what is contained in the autograph letter from himself, which was presented along with it to the Society of Antiquaries (in 1860), and which is perhaps the greater curiosity of the two. The letter is addressed to Mrs Belshes, whose husband wa a kinsmas e Inverarath f o na Mis s ys wa familyBuchaima e Sh . f o n Drumpelier, aunt to Mrs Graham, wife of Dr Graham, our late Professor of Botany, with who e livemsh d durin r widowhoodghe whosn i d ean , house esh died about 184 n Grea0(i t King Street) e medallioTh . d lettean n r were Fig. 2. Medallion of Paul Jones. given by Mrs Belshes to my father, and have been in my possession for twenty or thirty years." Comparing the medallion (fig. 2) with other portraits, it has much in common wit miniatur e r Huyhth de n t ivor(1780)n Va eo y yb buse th , t (fig. 3) by Houdon (1783), the medal by Dupre (ordered by the Congress in 1787), the prints in the British Museum, London (published 28th October 1779) smalo tw , l engraving e Scottisth n i s h National Portrait WAX MEDALLION AUTOGRAPD AN , H LETTEK F PAUO , L JONE1 8 S Galleryf o whic y e b e s paintini giveh on th l , oi n , figi n4 .n i g Charles Wilso . nMoreae engravin M th Peale . d J uan y , b , g(fig 5) . designed from the life in 1781, which all show the same regular- features, the nose slightly enlarged at the point, and the fine lines of the mouth—the face of a student rather than a fighter. These Fig . Engrave4 . d Portrai Pauf o t l Jone tiin si e National Portrait Gallery. portrait e verar s y differen d chapbootol froe th mk e pictureth d an s numerous engraving e " piratth f o se " Paul f whicJoneso e l ar hal , caricatures. The British view of Jones has always regarded him as a rebel and a pirate. Certainly he was not a pirate, as he held a commission in the American navy; and his actions against this country were all (in his VOL. XL. 6 82 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 8, 1906. estimation) to further the cause of liberty, and to help his adopted countr gaino t y , independence. A student from his earliest years, he soon acquired an extensive . Engrave5 . Kg d Portrait of Pau . MorealM Jones . J uy b (1781), . s Hi knowledg . s it profession hi s eveo t f wa o er d d eagead an , o t r letters sho e commanwth f languago d e had h es knowledg hi ; f o e French was perfect, and stood him in good stead during his service in Russiaalss odiplomaa wa e e firsh ;th t f o ordert friena , f Franklindo , WAX MEDALLION, AND AUTOGRAPH LETTER, OF PAUL JONES. 83 Jefferson, Lafayette, Morris, and many other distinguished men of the period. Paul Jones, or rather John Paul, was bom of quite humble parents in Kirkbean,1 in Kirkcudbrightshire, on the 6th of July 1747. The cottage recognise localite s birthplacth hi n di s ya s showei fign . ni 6 . s fatherHi , John Paul, s gardene r Craiwa 2M f Arbiglando o kt r . Fig. 6. Cottage in which Paul Jones was born. From a Photograph by J. Masterson, Dumfries. From his earliest years young John Paul had great love of the sea arid shipping; we find him in 1759, at the age of 12, engaged as an apprentic boarn o e da smal l 8 tonstrade14 n 176secons f i ;i o re 4h d 1 I find no record of his birth in the register of this parish : the only entries of births in the Paul family are of three girls, in 1739, 1741, and 1749. 3 A stone erected in Kirkbean churchyard bears the following inscription :—" In Memor f Joho y n Paul, Senior dieo t Arbiglana dwh , e 24t th df Octobe o h r 1767. Universally esteemed. Erecte Johy db n Paul, Junior." 4 8 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , JANUAR , 1906Y8 . e followinth n i mate d g an ,yea r first mate n I 1766-176. s wa e h 7 occupied in the slave trade; however, after two voyages he refused to go a third time, as he was disgusted with his experiences. This fact is worth notice, as lending no support to the British view of his character, e mosth f t o inhuma e on e b f whicmen no laten o I t t .h r ou mad m ehi years, after he had inherited his brother's estate in Virginia, he is found giving the slaves on the estate their freedom, again showing that his character was not deficient in sympathy for his fellow-creatures. In 17(58 he was in command of a trader, the 'John,' and commanded this vessel for three voyages, visiting his brother William at Rappahannock twice during this time. This brothe d beeha rn adopte well-to-da y db o and childless Virginia planter named William Jones, a native of Kirkbean, distana d an t relativ e Pauth f l o efamily a n ,o whes n 174wa i n e 3h s nativvisihi o t te place Williad an ; m Paul virtuy b , f thieo s adoption, took the name William Paul Jones. Old William Jones, who died in 1760, had made John Paul the residuary legates brothehi f o e n cas i e latter th e r shoul e withoudi d t issue,, on condition that John Paul should assume the name Jones as his brother had done. Accordingly, when William Paul Jones died in 1773, John Paul became John Paul Jones feld lan , a plantatiohei o t r n of about 3000 acres, 20 horses, 80 head of cattle, and a sloop of 20 plantatione tonse th spen s lifyearH o n hi o e. tw tf d thesso an , e years saw the beginning of the struggle for the independence of the American States. In 1775 he sailed to New York, and while there wrote to various members of Congress, offering his services and the use of his seafaring knowledge 24tn O h. Jun invitees 177wa joie o e dProvisiona5t h nth l Marine or Naval Committee, in which he at once assumed the leading position, and led the committee so completely that it is now quite im- possible to identify the other four merchant captains who were his colleagues, except one—Nicholas Biddle, of Philadelphia. This committee founde nave d th f America y o 22ti n o d an Decembe, r 177 5e firs n i o receivth Jonet tt s s commissionpu wa s hi e s wa e H . command of the ' Alfred,' and ordered " to break her pennant." Obeying WAX MEDALLION AUTOGRAPD AN , H LETTER F PAUO , L JONES5 8 . this order, Paul Jonee windth e firsso th t sflun tt Americaou g n flag ever shown on a regular man-of-war. This was not the Stars and e PinStripesth et Trebu d Rattlesnak, an e e emblem, wit e mottth h o " Don't Trea Me.n do "e honou th Thoug f d firso rha t e h hoistin t i g aboard ship, Jones never fancied this emblem.