Transcribed from an excellent letter from Alfred Everett to Ola Baker (Tuck). Minor punctuation and spelling corrections have been made to the text. Several factual errors appeared in the original letter, and they have been noted in [square brackets]. The original errors have been left, to help identify the source of some pervasive errors.
Aug. 1982
Dear Ola;
After talking with you this summer I thought that I should give you the information I have collected so far on the Jones family, because I might not find any more. You can at least enjoy what I have so far. I am also enclosing copies of Births, Deaths, Marriages etc. made from Alfred Jones' Bible. [Copies are in Alan Weekes' collection.]
The young lady who wrote to me about Jones and Stowell families was Rose Gerber, she is the wife of Everett Gerber, son of Edith Stowell, aunt Sade's daughter.
I guess the starting place to trace William Jones is the article in "The Story of Dundas", [see the original article] printed at Iroquois, Ont. in 1905, where the following account of an interview with William who was one of the surviving pioneers of Mountain Township. William was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland [more likely Armagh], and when five years of age emigrated with his parents to Canada. After remaining in Prescott for some time, the family removed to the township of Goulbourn, Carleton County. When William grew to manhood he came into Mountain, by way of Kemptville and purchased lot 23 Concession 6 from James S Johnston (ca. 1836) paying for it in labor. This lot had been at one time owned by Captain Drummond, father-in-law of Mr. Johnston. The first building erected by Mr. Jones on his farm was a log shanty sixteen feet by fourteen feet, with elm bark roof, split basswood floor, one window, one door, and stick chimney plastered with a mixture of clay and cut straw. At first the nearest store was at Kemptville, but soon Sidney Archibald opened a store at Archibald's Corners, (Heckston). Mrs. Jones was Rebecca Smith of Wolford, Wolford Township in Grenville County.
Another clue: PXL1 New Historical Atlas of Carleton County, Oct. 1879 gives the location of a Jones family that were military settlers from 100th infantry, 1818. One George Rickey and one Jones of the same regiment settled near by at the same time.
It is known that there were hard times in England after the end of Napoleonic wars which ended in 1815 and the British government encouraged soldiers to settle in Canada and offered bonus lands to discharged soldiers. A typical voyage took six weeks to cross in a rolling boat, with stale drinking water and not too fresh food, and then up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal, where the easy part of the trip by water ended. Far beyond Montreal, the St. Lawrence River had many stretches of shallow, rocky water, and travelers often had to disembark while crew members poled the boat over rapids or pulled it along with long tow lines.
Your mother [Annie Arminella Jones (Baker)] told me that her grand father Wm Jones came into Winchester area from Renfrew and purchased his land for his farm. There was solid bush and he had to blaze a trail and make a road wide enough for a yoke of oxen to draw in his belongings, which he did on a sled, after clearing an area for his cabin, then going back for his family.
Aunt Theressa learned the following version from her grandfather, when she was a little girl he told her about coming to Canada by sailboat, taking six weeks to cross. His mother and sister died during the voyage and were buried at sea. He also related tales about being a soldier at age 17 and fought at York. I think here he was pulling Aunt Theressa's leg as Wm was born in 1815, battle of York was fought before he was born. Also in his story in "The Story of Dundas" he did not mention anything about his sister & mother's death at sea. So if he was a soldier he was called according to Roat [Rowat] Jones, when the militia was called from Mountain for Duty at the battle of the Windmill (Patriot War) which was around 1832. Roat said they arrived after the action. Aunt Theressa and Aunt Armie both told me grandfather Jones paid two dollars an acre for his farm.
Will Barkley told me that Wm Jones came to Merrickville to work on the Rideau Canal (construction started in 1826 and completed in 1832). He also told me that the first time he met Rebecca Smith, his future wife, he grabbed her, picked her up off of her feet and kissed her. They were married about 1837.
The original log cabin built by Wm Jones was in front of the present Jones farm near Winchester. He built a second cabin later which is now incorporated into the present farm house. When I visited there in 1962 with Aunt Armie, Roat Jones was living there and he is the fifth generation living on the farm. Roat pointed out the outline of the log cabin, which is now the living room with large heavy wooden beams in the ceiling and very thick walls. The original hand hewn beams in the ceiling have been left natural, for a beautiful effect. Roat said he has a piece of basswood that was part of the original cabin out front.
William Jones, born Oct. 13, County Fermanagh (sic) Ireland; emigrated with his family to Canada in 1820 with his parents, who stayed in Prescott awhile, then moved to Gouldbourn township, Carleton County. He married Rebecca Smyth (Smith), daughter of William B. And Rebecca [wrong, this is Elizabeth] Squires Smyth (Smith). William died Feb.29 1908, age 93, at Inkerman, Ontario. Rebecca died May 25, 1906 at Inkerman, Ont. on her 88th birthday.
Children:
Jim; m. Rhoda - had a large family
Hannah; m. Joe Feder (Feader) lived Maple Lake, Haliburton, 9 children
William
Jane; m. Andy Kennedy
Will; m. Katherine
Ann; m. Wess Mallery
Sarah; m. Gideon Barkley, 13 children r. Inkerman. Wilburn, Walter, Emma, Effie, Roy, Marie, Will, Lancy, Nellie, Frank, Nettie, Jessie, Emma
Alfred; b. June 20, 1851; m. Elizabeth Liscomb, dau. John Wesley and Mary Jane Billingsley Liscomb. M. Feb. 11, 1872 at Vernon or Winchester, Ont. d. Sept. 25, 1928; Elizabeth b. Aug. 14, 1854; d. April 12, 1902. M2 Mary Crowder, b. 1858; m. Dec. 16, 1902; d. Dec. 19, 1932.
Rebecca Smith, daughter of William Brundige and Elizabeth Squires Smith was born near Lake George N.Y. July 23, 1797. She came to Canada with her parents when about nine years of age, which would be about 1806. [This paragraph tells the details of Rebecca's mother Elizabeth's life, not Rebecca's, so should be ignored.]
William B. and Elizabeth Smith are buried in a farm plot, behind the tool shed on a farm occupied in 1962 by the Lawrence Cross family, southwest of Merrickville, Ont. near Easton's Corners. [This is also known as the "Smith Family Burial Ground".] I visited there with Will Barkley and we found only four monuments, all other markers were field stones. The monuments of William B. and Elizabeth were down and covered with 1-2 inches of dirt. The cemetery is now part of Lawrence Cross' cow pasture.
William Smith's stone read:
Died May 21, 1870 age 76-11-20
Elizabeth wife of William; died Dec. 11 1880 age 83 years
We visited with Mr. and Mrs. Cross and they let me examine the deeds of property that had full names of the Smiths. Mr. Cross said that about 100 people are buried in this plot, and he said that as long as he can remember there were only 4 markers, the rest all field stones.
The other 2 markers were for Geo. T. Smith who died Dec. 24, 18- and Mercy his wife who died Oct. 25, 1873 age 86.
William B. Smith & Rebecca [Wrong, should be Elizabeth.] Squires were married Sept. 27, 1817.
Children:
I think Squires is buried in Merrickville cemetery.
John Wesley and Mary Jane Billingsley Liscomb lived on a farm at Vernon on Castor River. Aunt Theressa told me that it took all day to travel the 15-20 miles from Winchester to her grandparents' home. She said they took their lunch and feed for the horse, and stopped several times to rest and feed the horse. There were usually her father and mother, Aunt Annie and the kids making the trip. Her grandfather Liscomb kept a canoe near the road, as it made a short cut to the cow pasture across the river from their farm. She said that if someone was across the river and the canoe was there, the kids would take the canoe and get to their grandfather's house ahead of the rest of the family, stranding whoever was across the road and river. Aunt Armie said that Elizabeth Jones was born in Osgoode which would be 15-20 miles from Winchester as stated by Aunt Theressa.
Children:
Aunt Theressa said that John W. Liscomb was born in Penn. USA. He died Mar. 6, 1886 age 53 at Vernon, Ont. Aunt Armie said that as a little girl (8 years old) she went to the funeral and remembers that he was buried in Springhill Cemetery on Rt. 31 south of Vernon and that in later years she and Asa Liscomb went to the cemetery and couldn't find the grave. His grave she said was just inside the main gate and to the right. Someone else was buried in the same plot.
John Liscomb's brothers and sisters were:
Mary Jane Billingsley, b. Aug. 12, 1828, Aunt Theressa said at Gaspe, Chaleur. I researched in Canadian Archives 1823-1841 Census, but did not find Billingsleys. I tried UEL records with no luck nor did I find their family in huge Billingsley Genealogy. They were numerous in Boston area. She died Dec. 10, 1920, age 92 at Lisbon, N.Y. I sent for N.Y.S. death certificate which gave her father's name as William, mother's name unknown, born in Canada, at age 92 years, 3 months, 28 days.
Brothers and Sisters:
Possibly niece and nephew: Ida and Susan
Alfred Jones: b. June 20, 1851, Mountain, Ont.; m. Rebecca Smith, [Wrong, this should be Elizabeth Liscomb], Feb 11, 1872; d. Sept 25, 1928, resided in Mountain Township and Winchester area all of his life. He married 2nd Mary Crowder, Dec. 16, 1902.
Elizabeth Liscomb, dau. of John Wesley and Mary Jane Billingsley was born Aug. 14, 1854 in Osgood, Ont. and died in Mountain, April 12, 1902.
Alfred Jones m2, Mary Crowder Dec. 16, 1902, d. Dec 19, 1932, age 73 yrs 6 mo.
Aunt Theressa said that Alfred Jones after he married, moved on a farm at Winchester, the place was called Long Point, later West Winchester, now just Winchester. They had one cow, a yoke of oxen, a young horse and a few hens. The house had three chairs, a table, and a stove, an old cupboard for their few dishes, a bed and bureau, an old couch or lounge. Elizabeth cut up her wedding dress to make curtains for the windows, they had paper blinds. They cleared the farm, but first cleared enough land to plant potatoes, sugar cane (? sugar beets), some tobacco and vegetables the first year. In her account to me, Aunt Theressa said that her father made furniture for the house in his spare time. Aunt Theressa was born here, April 23, 1874. She said that she weighed 2 1/4 pounds. She said a French woman named Provo was with her mother and she didn't speak English and her mother no French. Her father had gone for his mother and the doctor who lived a few miles away. Aunt Theressa said that she was wrapped in a blanket and nursed on a pillow. At age 86 she said she was still kicking.
Children all by 1st wife:
Amanda Theressa Jones, b. April 23, 1875 at Winchester Ont., dau. of Alfred and Elizabeth Liscumb Jones; married Norman James Liscomb, Dec 27, 1893 at Winchester. Norman Liscomb was adopted by a Liscomb family, not related to our family. His original name being Taylor; Theressa d. Aug. 8, 1968 at the home of her son Alfred in Hyde Park near London, Ontario. She and her husband lived most of their married life in and around Barrie, Ontario.
Norman Liscomb, b. May 8, 1871 at Toronto; d. July 14, 1948 at Barrie Ontario. They owned and operated a farm at Big Bay Point and about 1918 sold the farm and moved into Barrie, built a fine brick home. He then worked some at carpenter work and dabbled in Real Estate.
Children:
Annie Arminella Jones, b. Oct 23, 1875 at Windsor Ont.; m. Oct 6, 1897 at Riverside Ont. to Fred Hosea Baker; d. July 24, 1973 age 96, Kemptville, Ont. He d. Oct 9, 1951 at Merrickville, Ontario.
Children:
Sarah Jane Jones, b. Feb. 10, 1879; m. John Stowell; d. June 3, 1931 at or near Seattle Washington.
Children:
Rebecca Pearl Jones, b. Sept 14, 1883; m. Billings, d. Aug 4, 1912.
Children:
Hester McCamie (Camie) Jones, b. Nov. 3, 1889 at Mountain, m. Feb 16, 1909, Frank Brainard Everett at Watertown, NY; d. Sept, 17 at Danbury, Conn.
Children:
P.S. If a Jones fought at York, it must have been William's father. If his father was a soldier either at York or in wars in Europe, he could be the Jones who received land around Acton as a soldier of the 100th Infantry.
Your Cousin,
Alfred Everett