Exhibit

The Jones Family of Bath Co. Kentucky

and

The Thompson Family of Fleming County Kentucky


By

Mrs. H. L. Benson
Columbia, Missouri



Copied for reprinting and indexing by

Lee H. Hoffman
P. O. Box 148
Mt Sterling, KY 40353




These histories were received in the mail by my mother about 1958 - 1965, who probably received them from the author. I would like to point out that the author's name is not denoted on the papers. If there were an acompanying letter, it has been lost with time. Therefore, I am not sure if Mrs. Benson is the actual author or if she just mailed a copy to my mother. However, they appear in places to be verbatim copies of sections of Mrs. Benson's two volume History of the Bronaugh Family, and may be early drafts of that work.

My mother was visited by a lady researching the Jones family who saw the portraits of Samuel Jones and his wife in my mother's living room. My recollection is that the lady was visiting Kentucky from the West, which would certainly include Missouri. My mother told of the lady's excitement at seeing the portraits. I believe Mrs. Benson was that lady. The portraits are noted in the history and are now in the possession of my brother, Harry G. Hoffman II of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.

..........................................................

The Jones Family of Bath Co. Kentucky


The story of the Jones family of Bath Co. Ky. is merely an attempt to put together the bits and scrap of meager information that has come down to us the descendants of this family.

In our immediate branch of the family, the descendants of Thos. and wife Mary Byram Jones, (most of whom came to Missouri) so much has been lost. Their family Bible and papers where information might have been found was given to their oldest son Alvin Fletcher Jones, it then went to his only son, Thomas Jones, who had no children and these things were left in the possession of his wife and her people and ultimately became lost.

From faintly remembered stories and parts of family records in our family by the granddaughters of Thomas Jones, by the discovery of an important court record which showed who out first ancestor to Kentucky was, plus a record of his children, also a most important record of the early Thompson-Jones family from descendants who live in Mo., and last but not least the recent locating of descendants of Uncle Sam Jones (the brother of
our Gr. parent Thos. Jones) whose family records verify much that has been supposition and also agrees with the early court record - this together with a little information given years ago of another branch of this family is the sum total of family lore with which to start this story.

With this and some background in history plus traditions, incidents and a bit of imagination let us hope that with this small beginning and also with the interest that is now manifest among many of the descendants that something of real worth will be discovered and added to this little history.

Beginning with imagination it is not hard to picture the ancestors of this family living in the lovely Welsh countryside, the home of the dark eyed Celtic people whose love of music, poetry, wit and gaiety are outstanding characteristics of many of their descendants in this country even to the present day.

For although we do not know who the first ancestor was who came to this country or when he came, the name Jones gives us positive proof that he was of Welsh descent.

The story of the Welsh names is told this way: When Henry VIII was King of England he decreed that all Welshmen should take surnames, so each man took his fathers name and that accounts for so many Welsh surnames being also Christian names such as Thomas, George, Williams, Roberts, Evans, Hughes [, etc.] Jones, it seems is John's son in the Welsh version. A typical Welsh name is Llewelyn and was the name of their great ruler who was killed fighting the English as were also his two sons. Henry VIII himself was part Welsh, his father Henry Tudor was a Welsh prince.

The Welsh people are undoubtedly the best representatives today of the ancient Celtic people who at one time lived not only in England (Britain) but also in France (Gaul) and in parts of Ireland and Scotland. As we know they were conquered in Gaul by the Romans but it was a good many years later before they were finally conquered in Britain. When at last settled down they lived peacefully beside their Roman conquerors for several hundred years, assimilating somewhat with them but retaining their language and customs. This name Brython is undoubtedly the same as Britain and it is to them that credit is given for taking the Celtic language to Wales where it is still the language of that country.

Their literature is said to be noted for brilliancy and imagination but unfortunately it is not well known in England for the simple reason it is written in Welsh, a very difficult language for the English speaking people to understand. This language is closely related to the Gaelic of Scotland and the Erse of Ireland but more closely resembles the speech of Cornwall
and Brittany, France.

The Celtic people were united by one powerful force, their priests or Druids; who were more than theologians and priests, they were also judges and teachers. Instructing from memory they were custodians of Celtic lore and learning. It is not hard to suppose therefore that the Welsh love of poetry, music and things of the spirit might be traced to those ancient Britons whose priests held such high rank in their society and whose mystical rites among the ancient oaks of England showed their belief in immortality long before the missionaries from Rome brought them Christianity.

Besides their priests or Druids they also had their Bards who were poets and minstrels and at their great national gatherings the two were always present. Although Druidism was suppressed by the Romans the custom of having officials called Druids and dressed like them in flowing white robes to preside at the bardic congress or Eisteddfad has continued down to present day. This festival which lasts several days is attended by thousands of people from all over Wales to take part in the various musical and literary competition and to keep alive the national spirit. In bygone days every household of importance had its own bard.

Before recording the modern history of our family let us take one more quick glance at these ancestors of ours who lived in the dim and distant past, even before they reached the shores of England more than two thousand years ago. Here is what a modern historian, Lincoln Barnett has to say of them: "Although at the peak of their power, around 250 B.C. the Celts never formed an empire or even a nation. Their various branches were held together by a common bond of language and a sense of kinship based on shared element of thought taste, emotion and religious belief. They were nomadic, undisciplined and warlike yet in curious contrast there lay deep in the Celtic temperament a gift of imagination, a love of learning and a flair for poetry and story telling which eventually would prove their greatest bequest
to posterity.

"Adaptable and inquisitive, they absorbed many of the elements of the Mediterranean civilizations with which they came in contact and carried them northward to the untamed woodlands and mashes of Europe. The Celts were torchbearers who brought the light of ancient cultures to the shores of the North Atlantic and the mysterious islands that loomed in the mists beyond. But perhaps their most precious legacy has sprung from the unique and
essential Celtic character transmitted to their present day descendants in western Europe - their rebellious and unconfined spirit, their humor and above all their flair for fantasy and poetic expression." end quote.

Although we do not know the name of our first ancestor to this country or to which state he came there is a possibility that it was Pennsylvania as many Welsh people settled in that state in the early seventeen hundreds. It is said in our family that the Thompsons were Scots-Irish (also came at this period to Pennsylvania and a little later many of them went on to North
Carolina through the Valley of Va. from Penn. It may have been that the two families traveled this route together. From an authentic source writing of the early settler to the valley of Va. from Penn. it says, "As early as 1730 there had been a heavy immigration from Penn. into Va. of Scotch, Welsh and German most of whom settled in the upper valleys. Naturally therefore it was in this section that here flourished the Welsh Baptist church and
the Scotch Presbyterians."

Of all this we can only speculate what we know will be recorded.



Thomas Jones I

The first Jones ancestor of whom we have positive proof was Thomas Jones. He settled in Bath Co. Ky. probably about 1789 or the early 1790's who his parents were is not yet known but it is almost certain that he came from North Carolina. There is a record in the Thompson family that his daughter Mary married Lawrence Thompson in that state in 1788 or 1789 and that they came to Kentucky about that time and settled near Covington. In those days it is safe to say that Mary Jones was at home or at a nearby church when she married so the Jones family must have been living in North Carolina at that time. There is also other evidence that near [...omitted...] Covington until 1798 until Mary and Lawrence Thompson came to Fleming Co. Ky. and settled near Hillsboro.

Where Thomas Jones and his family were at this time we can only guess but it is safe to assume that the Thompson and Jones families traveled together to Ky. Undoubtedly several of Thomas Jones' married children came at the same time besides Mary one of which was probably our ancestor Francis Jones who married Elizabeth Thompson. The proof of these children of Thomas Jones
is found in an old deed in the Bath Co. Courthouse which will be given later.

As Lawrence and Mary Thompson lived first near Covington, Kentucky they undoubtedly came down the Ohio River instead of by land through Cumberland Gap. When we look at the map we wonder how anyone would or could go across the mountains of Va. and West Va. to get to the Ohio River from North Carolina. One would think that they would go through Cumberland Gap as most early settlers from N.C. and Va. entered Ky. We know however that
many others did go down the Ohio on rafts, to Ky. For those coming from Pennsylvania and farther east this would be comparatively easy, starting at Pittsburgh they could float all the way down on the Ohio. A further study of the map reveals however one possible way our ancestors could have traveled. The river New starts in North Carolina flows through the mountains until it reaches the Kanawha which flows into the Ohio. Many of
the early Kentucky settlers stopped at Maysville in Mason Co. Ky. but it seems the Thompson-Jones clan went a little farther downstream to Covington near present Cincinnati.

A much easier speculation is how they got to Bath Co. and adjoining Fleming Co. from Covington. They could easily take the Licking River route which is one of the main rivers of eastern Kentucky and flows straight from the Covington area to Bath and Fleming forming the division line of these two counties.

The Thompsons as we have said settled in Fleming Co. in 1798 but the Jones family were in Bath Co. before this date. We know this from the obituary of Thomas Jones who was the grandson of the first Thomas Jones to Ky. According to this obituary he was born in Bath Co., Ky. on Nov. 9-1796. So the Jones family were probably in Bath Co. several years before this date even as early as 1789.

The northern part of Bath Co. not far from Sharpsburg was where the Jones family located. Some of their homes were in the "Bald Eagle" area. This is the name of a creek and the location is described in a "History of Bath Co." by V. B. Young when speaking of a tract of land acquired by Valentine Stone in 1799 said ---"and found it lying on Bald Eagle Creek in what is now Bath Co. and perhaps as rich a body of land as lies within the borders of Kentucky." This part of the county is perhaps not more than fifteen or twenty miles from where the Thompson family located in Fleming Co.

When Thomas Jones came to Bath Co. it was still part of Montgomery Co. Bath was formed in 1811, so some of the oldest records of the family may still be in Montgomery Co. Courthouse. The deed that is of such great importance to our family was found at the Bath Co. Courthouse in Owingsville and is as follows:

Bath Co. Ky. records, deed book B. p. 452
Sept. 21, 1811-A deed of conveyance of the estate of Thomas Jones
decd.
Between-
Joseph Jones and Lucy his wife
Thomas Jones and Janice his wife
John Jones and Kate his wife
Francis Jones and Elizabeth his wife
Henry Shouse and Elizabeth his wife (late Elizabeth
Jones)
Lawrence Thompson and Mary his wife (late Mary Jones)
Joseph Thompson and Nancy his wife (late Nancy Jones)
Heirs and all representation of Thomas Jones decd. and
Benjamin Jones of the county of Bath in the state of Kentucky of
the other part witnessed that the said ...(repeat of the above
names)..... In consideration of the sum of 800 dollars in hand
paid before the sealing and delivering of this indenture. The
receipt hereof this... has ordained and sold .....do grant
bargain and align and confirm to Benjamin Jones and his heirs and
assigns a certain tract of land situated, lying and being in the
county of Bath and Montgomery on the waters of Hinkston Fork of
Licking River part of entry and survey of 1000 acres granted to
Enoch Smith by patent being date 1st of April, 1785-bounded as
follows:
Beginning S.E of ....to cherry tree stump...containing 100
Acres to the said Benjamin Jones-and the heirs of said Thomas
Jones decd. for themselves and their heirs will and forever
defend all and every person, the testimony thereof we have
hereunto set our hand and seal.
Delivered in the presence of John Jones and Francis Jones.
Proven Sept. 1818
signed by the above named heirs. Recorded Aug. 2, 1819



A little further study of this old deed suggest that the land was probably not a part of the Jones tract of land where their homes were but was some other that Thomas Jones owned and was being divided several years after his death. As it says it was in Bath and Montgomery counties this suggest that it was on their border but the deed again says it was on the Hinkston fork of the Licking River which is nearer Fleming Co. than Montgomery and is close to Owingsville. One other explanation might be that 1811 being the year of the deed was also the year the counties were divided perhaps that was the reason for naming both counties.

One other unexplained mystery, who was Benjamin Jones who bought the land? A brother of Thomas perhaps who came with him to Ky. or a nephew? Anyway it shows there was another Jones family in Bath Co.

The important thing of course in the deed is the list of children and the date showing positively that here is our first Jones ancestor to Ky. Here is the proof- First the Thompson family record is verified by the names of Lawrence Thompson and Wife Mary Jones. Then in our family tradition said that our ancestor was Franklin Jones who married Nancy Thompson, recently
acquired records from relatives in Ky. said he was Frank (Francis) and his wife was Elizabeth Thompson which of course is correct and agrees perfectly with the list of children. Of course the location of the land is a final proof if any were needed.

Of these children of Thomas Jones I, the first two, Joseph and Thomas nothing is known of their descendants, if any. It is possible that they settled in another part of the state or even remained in N.C. as the two other sons John and Francis were the witnesses of the deed, and they are the two also who had descendants in Bath Co.

The daughter Mary and husband Lawrence Thompson as we know settled in Fleming Co. Nothing whatever is known of Elizabeth Jones Shouse and her descendants but Joseph and Nancy Jones Thompson may be the ancestors of the Thompsons who lived near Sharpsburg. That there was a family of Thompsons there who were related to us is shown in old letters written in the 1880's.

As nothing is known of the first two son's of Thos. Jones I, Joseph and Thomas as mentioned above here is what is known of his third son John.


John Jones

According to the list of children of Thos. Jones I, John Jones had a wife Kate. He also had a son James R. Jones. This information was obtained years ago from Mrs. J. C. Nelson of Sharpsburg whose husband was a grandson of Jas. R. Jones. These lists of children are very incomplete but at least we do have two children of James R. Jones-
1 Margaret Jones Nelson
2 Daniel Jones

Margaret Jones married James Nelson and they lived several miles from Sharpsburg, Ky. Their handsome brick home is still standing and in good repair. Their son J. C. Nelson was educated in law at Northwestern University. He married my mother's first cousin whose mother was a Sharp.

Daniel Jones, the son of the above James R. Jones lived in Sharpsburg. His home a large white house still standing.

The children of Daniel Jones were:
1 Conduit?
2 James?
3 John Carlton
4 a daughter

Of three of these children very little is known. One of the sons had a son Taylor Jones of Fulton, Mo. This is it seems the son of James as nothing seems to be known of Conduit. That there was a daughter has only recently been discovered while reading an old letter from Mrs. Wm. Barker (the mother of Mrs. J. C. Nelson) written in 1880-after speaking of some recent deaths she says "and neighbor Daniel Jones daughter".

Of the third son of Daniel Jones, Dr. John Carlton Jones there is so much available data that only a small part will be used. He was a well known educator and President of Missouri University. He was born at Sharpsburg, Ky. in 1856, attended school in Ky. then came to Fulton, Mo. where he was graduated from Westminster College in 1879. He studied at John Hopkins,
the universities of Leipzig and Munich where he received honorary degrees. He was a member of many learned societies among them Phi Beta Kappa. This tribute was from a newspaper----"He was universally loved, a scholar and a gentleman."

Dr. Jones wife was a Miss Thompson and they had the following children:
Major Gen. Lloyd Jones
Mrs. Cuhlman of Chicago
Mrs. Patterson Bain (Margery Jones) She is a resident of Columbia, Mo. and is very much a Jones in fact as well as in name. It is amazing to see in her such marked characteristics that have been noted often in other branches of the family. Her quick wit and humorous conversation, her warm, generous and hospitable nature and even a resemblance through the eyes a Jones
distinguishing feature. She too was an excellent scholar a Phi Beta Kappa as was also her daughter, Adeline.

To continue with the children of the first Thomas Jones we now come to his fourth son --

Francis Jones

Francis Jones the fourth son of Thos. Jones I, married Elizabeth Thompson. They had the following children-

Samuel Jones
Thompson "
Ralls "
Benjamin "
Claud? "
Jonithan "
Jane " married a Hopkins
Debby " " " Wilson
Thomas Jones (our ancestor)

The above list is probably not complete as this was a large family. These names were supplied by the granddaughters of the above Thos. Jones. Of the entire list there is very little known except of Samuel and our ancestor Thomas.

Samuel, or uncle Sam Jones as I have often heard him spoken of in our family, lived near Sharpsburg where he preached for many years he was said to have been very wealthy and had a lovely home in the country and had so many negroes that he did not know some of them when he saw them. He was a Baptist of the "old school" and as so many of the Jones men were described, a fine old gentleman, no doubt. He married in 1814, Mary Ann Ralls. She
probably did not live long for his second wife Nancy Bailey is given in the records obtained from his descendants as the mother of his children. They are as follows:
Lide married a Ratliff
Lou (Louise?) married a Ratliff
Thomas Jefferson married Elizabeth Athison
Elizabeth married Roland Burbridge, she Elizabeth Jones Burbridge is the grandmother of Mrs. T.G.Hoffman of Mt. Sterling, Ky. who has a lovely miniature of the grandmother, a sweet faced lady, and she also has two very handsome life sized portraits in oil of her gr. grand-parents Uncle Sam and Aunt Nancy Jones. These portraits are the work of a real artist and not "primitive" as was so often found in these early days.

Thomas Jefferson Jones (he was referred to in our family as cousin Tom Jeff Jones) was apparently the only son of Uncle Sam Jones. His home was about three miles east of Sharpsburg on the Owingsville road. He had four daughters and most of them must have been "beauties". They were:
Mary married a Cunningham
Nannie Lee married a McKee
Minerva " " (Siptern) Tipton
Wenona " " Ford

I have so often heard my mother speak of Nannie Lee Jones, describing her as a brunette with unusually beautiful eyes and she must have had much of the Jones wit and humor for she was evidently very attractive. She must have been about the age of my mother and a close friend, and the younger girls the age of my mother's sister "aunt Dick" as they are mentioned by her in letters written from Ky. to my mother in Mo.

In a letter from Mrs. Marshall of Mt. Sterling who is a daughter of the above Minerva Jones (Siptern) Tipton she says "yes, my aunt Nannie Lee was considered a beauty but many have said my mother was quite beautiful" then with characteristic Jones humor she said, they add "you don't look like her".

Mrs. Marshall concluded her letter by saying "we have one cousin who looks like the Jones, tall, dark, and handsome."

Mrs. Marshall's maiden name was Wenona (Siptern) Tipton and she
married Garrett M. Marshall they had four sons as follows:
Lemon (Siptern) Tipton - killed in world war two
Robert Garrett
William Burwell
Thomas Byrd d. 1956


The children of Nannie Lee Jones McKee were Cleveland,
Thomas J, Miles and George.

Of the other children of Francis Jones and Elizabeth Thompson there is little to relate until we come to gr. grandfather Thos. Jones, but the second one in the list, following uncle Sam Jones is Thompson Jones I have heard him mentioned and have also found a reference to him in one of my
aunt Dick's letters. She wrote "I saw aunt Priscilla the other day she seems quite sad, talked a good deal about uncle Thompson (Jones) their sale was a week ago--he left all to aunt Priscilla her lifetime but she is going to have a division made. "The date of the letter Nov. 16, 1887." So evidently Uncle Thompson Jones passed away about that time and left a family, not one of their names is known to me.

The next three names in the list are Ralls, Benjamin and Claude--of them there is no data at all - at least I have none - Jonithan, I have heard of only recently through a granddaughter of Thomas Jones, who said that she had heard that Jonithan a brother of her grandfather had gone as a young man to North Carolina with a valuable string of mules and horse and was never
heard of again. They thought he had been robbed and killed. This was probably long before the Civil War and the country was still comparatively wild especially through the mountains. She said no one would believe that Jonithan would do anything dishonest as he came from a very religious, honorable and highly respected family, so he was evidently killed. An interesting thing in this story is that he was going to North Carolina. It
looks like part of the family was there, probably as we have said, the two oldest sons of Thomas Jones I whose descendants would be second cousins of Jonithan Jones.

the two daughters Jane Hopkins and Debby Wilson there is no data. There probably were other daughters and sons. I have heard that great grand- father Jones had three brothers who were "preachers" but this cannot be stated for a fact.


Thomas Jones III

Thomas Jones was the grandson of our first Jones ancestor to Ky. and was no doubt named for him. As has been said his father was Francis Jones and his mother Elizabeth Thompson. His father was called Frank and that is probably the reason our family, after all these years got it confused with Franklin as Tradition in our family said his name was. As we stated in the beginning of this paper the Bible and records of Thomas Jones were lost so
we had to rely upon what could be remembered by the present generation until other records were found as has been explained.

From his obituary we have the birth and death date and the fact that he was born in Bath Co. Ky. on Nov. 9, 1796 - and died at Pleasant Hill Mo. June 27, 1883.

Whether he was an older or younger child of Franklin and Elizabeth Jones is not recorded but that he was born a few years after the family came from N.C. is evident.

He was married twice, the first time to Eliza Ratliff on Jan. 1, 1827 she died and left three children- Ruth, Margaret and Eliza. Ruth m. Todd Kirk (no record of descendants) or of Margaret the last named Eliza married Joseph Baird and had several children which will be listed later.

Thomas Jones married about 1835 or 1836 to Mary Moore Byram who was born in 1816. They had a large family and lived three or four miles north of Sharpsburg. His farm had a pretty location, situated among gently rolling hills. The house is gone now but it must have sheltered many people in its time, not only their own family but others who needed a home. One of these was her mother Ruth Fletcher Byram who lived to be very old she was the
sister of Gen. Thomas Fletcher who had a magnificent home near Sharpsburg and entertained Lafayette on his last visit to the U.S.

Thomas Jones was a deeply religious man, my mother said he was one of the best men she ever knew. His wife was gifted in caring for the sick, taking care of her children and grandchildren. through serious illnesses often without the aid of a doctor. She was often sent for when neighbors fell ill, all this besides running her own home. Of course in the early days
there was plenty of help with the negroes and other But after the Civil War things were different. He had gone security for his brothers-in-law one of which was Col. Bob Patton, these he had to pay this and the Civil War which wrecked so many families, caused him to sell their home and go to nearby Nicholas Co. where land was cheaper. He was getting to be an old man, but after a few years he decided there was a better opportunity in Mo. He was eighty years old then. He acquired a good farm not far from where my father's family the Bronaughs lived. Most of his married children also came to Mo. at this time. After a few years the family which then consisted, besides themselves, of two granddaughters who were orphans (my mother and sister) went to Pleasant Hill where he bought a home and lived there until he died in 1883. His wife a few months later. The following excerpt is taken from his obituary which was written evidently by a friend who knew him well. It was signed G.W.T.

"Thomas Jones was one of those strong-armed and pure-hearted yeomanry of the land of the most unsullied integrity which has done so much toward making the American Republic what it is today. The deceased has sat on juries in courts where Thomas H. Marshall pleaded the cause of the commonwealth----" after giving his date of birth and that he was born in Bath Co. Ky. he
mentioned that he was eighty years old when he came to Cass Co, Mo. The children of Thomas Jones and his wife Mary Byram Jones were:
Nancy Amelia Jones born 1837 died 1867 married Richard Sharp
Benjamin " died in infancy
Sourency " " young
Alvin Fletcher Jones married Susan Neil
Belle died young
John Gardner Jones " Belle Hedrick
Henrietta Alice married Benjamin P. West
Pauline married Thomas Atkinson
Adelia married Samuel Hardin Bronaugh

The oldest of these children, Nancy Amelia Jones married Richard Sharp the son of Dr. Joseph Sharp of Sharpsburg. Although my mother could scarcely remember her she thought of her as being very lovely. She said she had good advantages in education, being the oldest, she was married before her father
had financial reverses. They lost their first two children then her husband contracted typhoid fever from which he died a few months before my aunt was born. She was called Richard Virginia or Dickie for her father. After her husbands death she grieved so much that it impaired her health and she died of tuberculosis about a year later, leaving two little orphans one a baby (Dickie) and my mother about four years old.

They made their home with their Jones grandparents until they were grown my mother returned to Ky. to finish her education while staying at Aunt Joan Sharp Barkers. After their grandparents death Aunt Dick who was then about seventeen also returned to Ky. and received her finishing education then taught school for a few years before she married J. Fletcher Grimes of
Maysville, Ky. My mother had married a few years earlier in Ky., Robert B. Bronaugh of Cass Co. Mo. and she returned with him to make her home there for the rest of her life.

To continue the children of Thomas and Mary Byram Jones-

Of the next three children almost nothing is known as they died young. Their oldest son Alvin Fletcher Jones served in the Confederate army and married his distant cousin Susan Neil, [ ... omitted ...] she was related on the Byram side. The Byrams were as decided blond types in the Jones family. They had one son, Thomas (who left no children) and two daughters, Mary Alice a very beautiful blond girl who died young as did her younger sister.

As the next child in this list, Belle died young we now come to John Gardner Jones. Uncle John was a deciede (sic) and complete Jones from his very dark eyes to his wit and story-telling ability. The story is told of him as a child of five or six years of age, after hearing his uncle Sam Jones preach would get up on something and standing there in his little white linen suit would preach Uncle Sam's sermons over again. He had a decided literary learning as he was a Shakespearian student, reading the plays as long as he lived long into the night. He had received some college education in Ky. attending the Ky. University at least two years where he studied law. This he never practiced, however his son-in-law was a well known lawyer, Harris L. Moore, who married their only child-Nancy, who was much like her father in looks, wit and gaiety.

The next in the list, Henrietta Alice (aunt Alice) was the beauty of the family. A "Jones" type, a decided brunette with the usual beautiful eyes that so many of them had. She finished her education at Louisville, Ky., staying with her aunt Nancy Byram Patton. She married Benjamin West in Ky. and they came to Mo. about the time the rest of the family did. They had a large family but lost several of their children in the early years, those who survived were Mary, Adelia, Myrtle, Margaret, Charles and Sam. Western Missouri was a hard place for young people with a growing family to get a financial start for economic conditions following the war were bad. Cass Co. had been torn by border and guerrilla warfare and following the war farm prices were ridiculously low. Aunt Alice was equal to these conditions and
the demands of a large family by managing well, was an excellent housekeeper and cook and homemaker. They saw that their children not only received a good average education but were instructed in religion and high moral standards.

Charles West was probably more like his grandfather Jones than any grandson he had. Perhaps not so much in looks although he was the tall slender brunette type so often found in the Jones family. The similarity was more to be found in his gentle, kindly nature, his absolute integrity and his deep religious faith that people recognized him to be outstanding and often
remarked what a good man he was. Although his business was in Kansas City he spent part of every week on his farm and with his livestock showing the love of nature and growing things to be his chief recreation.

His brother Sam is also the same type and has the gift of story telling and humor in abundance.

It is to their sisters Margaret West and Mrs. Mary West Gross that I am indebted for important data, through their correspondence with Mrs. Collup of Harrisonville, Mo., a direct descendant of Lawrence and Mary Jones Thompson and who had data that forged the first link in the chain of evidence that has finally resulted in getting our Kentucky kin straight. Also in remembering all they could of what they had heard of their
grandfathers family.

Pauline the next daughter of Thos. and Mary Jones died so long ago that I do not have a great deal to report. It seems she was also pretty as the "Jones girls" usually were. Also like her father she was a devout Baptist. I know little more and what there is seems so very sad to think of. They had two little boys, Eugene and William called "Willie" and were, I suppose, having the usual economic struggle here in Mo., when she was killed by a train accident. This of course was a terrible shock to the family and the little boys were taken by Uncle John and aunt Belle Jones and Willie was taken by aunt Dee and uncle Sam Bronaugh. (Uncle John took Eugene) they were unusually bright children and Eugene went to Ky. to finish his education in law. He had an outstanding mind even brilliant from what I have heard. He was just ready to practice when he developed tuberculosis and died.

Last but not least we come to Adelia, Aunt Dee to me and I knew her better than any of the others as she had married my father's brother, Uncle Sam Bronaugh. Although Aunt Dee was my mother's aunt there was not very much difference in their age as Aunt Dee was the youngest and my mother's mother the oldest of this large family.

She was as much one type of Jones as Uncle John was the other. She was the gentle type that was often found in the deeply religious ones. She had a warm generous nature with a keen sense of humor that no doubt helped her through many a difficulty. She had something of a poetic nature and of course a love of the Bible and all its precepts. She looked very much
like her father, the same slender face, high forehead and regular features and exactly the same expression in her eyes. It may be they looked more like the Thompsons than the Jones. Even in her youth her pictures show a sad expression in her large hazel eyes. This is as if nature made her for the role she was to play in life and equipped her with the necessary ingredients to be equal to its demands, for hers was not an easy life.

She was born in Bath Co. Ky. 10-8-1859 and d. 11-17-1938 in Eugene, Oregon, and came to Mo. with her parents when she was a young girl, later marrying their neighbor Samuel H. Bronaugh. He was of a gay, kind and generous nature but impulsive and restless. Having a desire to see the world he traded and lost his inheritance, a nice farm when he was barely twenty-one, by the trickery of some unscrupulous men. After that it was uphill all the way. They had four children; Eulah Elizabeth, Pauline, Robert and Sam. Of these children Robert died in infancy and Pauline a pretty bright child had a physical handicap that kept her from attending school for only a short time but not from learning, for her letters are beautifully written and well
expressed, so much so that it is simply amazing when one thinks of her limited opportunity. In those letters she also shows her deep appreciation for little things that my parents did for her and of her sorrow that she was not able to do more for herself. All her life aunt Dee had to see this promising child denied the normal pleasures of youth and maturity but for whom she cared for with such love and patience.

How proud she and uncle Sam would be to see after all their struggles their other children and grandchildren now enjoying so much that was denied them and also contributing much. Their daughter Eulah Reid still is doing the religious work that she has done for so many years and her children one a circuit judge, a daughter Margaret married to a brilliant professor who has
served in our State Dept. and abroad, giving her the opportunity of meeting outstanding personalities of our day. And their beloved granddaughter Mary Alice whom aunt Dee took when she was delicate baby and nursed her into a strong and vigorous child, and who grew into a girl of great charm with a gay and witty personality.--Then Aunt Dee's son Sam Bronaugh who is an outstanding citizen of Eugene, Oregon whose son Richard was a 1956 Phi Beta Kappa graduate.

These things I was telling a few years ago to my mother's cousin, Mrs. J. C. Nelson of Sharpsburg whose husband was related to the Jones on his mother's side, she replied "It's that fine Jones mind."

Now for gathering up a few threads I failed to weave into this Jones pattern. In speaking of Thomas Jones III and his children I mentioned those of his first wife, Eliza Ratliff one of which I know nothing and presume she died young, the second married Todd Kirk and the third Eliza who married Joseph Baird and there is much to relate of this gay and devoted family who were so close to my mothers family. They were Elizabeth, Thomas,
John (Jack), Margaret, Mary and Ward. Of these Margaret (cousin Mag) who was an outstanding "Jones". She was also near my mother's age and they were more like sisters than cousins, corresponding as long as they lived. They even looked alike both having the "Jones eyes". Not the black ones as uncle John had but the soft dreamy type, almost hazel in color, and rather deep set. Here the resemblance stopped for cousin Mag was the extrovert, the
entertainer that could keep a room full of people laughing at her ridiculous experiences and never tiring of hearing them. She had a large family and a lovely home near Knoxville, Tenn. which was often filled with guests. One of her daughters, Eliza Richards established a mountain school in Kentucky, working for years both in the school and to keep it supported.

My mother, Margaret Sharp Bronaugh was a quieter type than cousin Mag Richards, a constant reader and an excellent judge of literature. Her sister aunt Dick was a good student and teacher and was a vivacious personality. Her sons were William and Robert Grimes the latter being something like the Jones with his entertaining and humorous conversation.

In a letter written by aunt Dick to my mother from Pleasant Hill, in 1882 she says "Cousin Lonny? Jones that lives in Pettis Co., Mo. was here on business and when he heard that grandpa was here came up to see him he said he had promised to dine with some friends and couldn't possibly stay--I presume you have heard grandma speak of his step mother cousin Pauline. He is very wealthy..." (I have no idea who this is.) Then in another dated
Oct. 1883, after speaking of attending the fair and the "Association" and in speaking of the latter she says "There was quite a large crowd ... we had a very big preacher from Kansas (although he wasn't a bit of a Yankee), that was related to us, cousin William Franklin Jones. He has met cousin Spencer who says he is so jolly, is a lot like uncle John in his conversation." It would be nice to know who he is also.

It is now time to say something about the Thompson cousins the descendants of the first Thomas Jones daughters who married Thompsons. The little that is known will be on the following pages.





The Thompson Family of Fleming County Kentucky.


Of this Thompson family nothing is known beyond Lawrence Thompson who married Mary Jones, Elizabeth Thompson who married Francis Jones and Joseph Thompson who married Nancy Jones. That all three Thompsons were of the same family is all but a proven fact as all indications and family tradition points to this making the descendants double cousins. This seems to have been known in the Thompson family. And to quote Mr. Collup who sent
the data on Mary Jones and Lawrence Thompson and descendants she wrote: "If I remember rightly, Mary and Frank Jones were brother and sister and Nancy and Lawrence Thompson were also.

At any rate all three families came to Ky. apparently at the same time as well as the father Thomas Jones.

The name Thompson like Jones is not uncommon therefore it is hard to trace. If the county in North Carolina where they came were known that would simplify things in trying to find records of the family before they came to Ky.

What we do know however is that the name is Scotch or Scotch-Irish both by tradition and fact. And that they were very probably came from Penn. to N. C. when so many followed that pattern.

The story of Lawrence Thompson who married Mary Jones in North Carolina has already been told and how they came to Covington, Ky. about 1788 and remained there about ten years before coming to Fleming Co. Ky. Their first child Priscilla Thompson was born there July 17-1790 and d. Oct. 6-1875.

When the family came to Fleming Co. about 1798 they settled near Hillsboro. Besides their daughter Priscilla there was at least one son, whose descendants are in western Mo. On Nov. 22-1812 Priscilla Thompson married William Filson son of Samuel Filson, a soldier of the Revolution from Va. who settled near Hillsboro in 1805. William Filson born 1785 d. 1874.

William Filson and Priscilla Thompson had the following children:

Mary Filson married Thomas Boyd. (Mary born 1814)
Milinda Filson married James Reeves.
Washington Filson married Susanna Howard.
Elizabeth Filson married William Buckley.
Lawrence Filson married Martha Busick.
Eviline (1 twin) married D. D. Williams.
Angeline (2nd twin) died at eighteen.
James Leonard Filson married Susie Marythan (?)
Emily Filson born Dec. 25-1827 married Barns F. Hayden
in Fleming Co.

Of these children Emily Filson was the 9th of Priscilla and William Filson. She married Barns F. Hayden and was the mother of Mrs. Lon Meyers who was the mother of Mrs. Stewart Collup and Mrs. Wynona House.

Besides their daughter Priscilla, Lawrence and Mary Jones Thompson had at least one son whose name is not given in the records. Two branches of this son live in western Mo. The line must go this way, He had a daughter Nancy Thompson who married in Fleming Co. Ky. John Mets of Pennsylvania. A son Wilson T. Mets was born there April 13, 1822. The T. in his name is probably Thompson the name Wilson is found in the family also. There was a names that comes to mind Wilson Thompson who was the author of a book on religious doctrines another Baptist of the "old school".

Wilson T. Mets went to Indiana as a young man and there in 1844 married Phoebe Ricketts she died in 1869 leaving the following children:

Mary, De Witt, Clinton, Hester (Barber), Samuel and Josephene. Of these children Hester (Mrs. Charles Barber) is the one known to me. She was an attractive person and whose daughter Mrs. Allen Brockhouse is much like her and whose home is in Kansas City Mo.

Going back again to the son of Lawrence and Mary Jones Thompson, as has been said there was the above mentioned daughter Nancy and evidently she had a brother who was John or she had a son John who came to western Mo. not long after the Civil War and whose descendants are still there.

From piecing together data here and there this seems a probable line-- From this John Thompson who married Elizabeth Emmons and settled in Cass Co. Mo. he had a daughter who married a Mr. Ellison and who were the parents of Ada Ellison Brockhouse of Kansas City, Mo.

Again let us turn to old letters from my Aunt Dick when she was a young girl living with her grandparents in Pleasant Hill, Mo. to her sister, at that time in Sharpsburg, Ky. Date Oct. 25, 1882.

She wrote "cousin Belle Thompson came down "Fair" week visiting her sister cousin Sillah." It sounds as if cousin Belle Thompson lived in Kansas City then.

Then in Oct. 1883 she wrote "I was up to cousin John Thompsons Sunday they have a very pretty place and are fixed up very nicely. They have a very nice room they keep for company, it has a pretty hemp carpet on the floor; a beautiful hanging lamp and several nice ornaments and pictures."

Of these descendants of Lawrence and Mary Jones Thompson the above, is of course very little known as there are probably more descendants both in Ky. and Mo. But at least it does record what little I have and other data can be added by others who know more. Much of the data of the John Thompson family as well as that of Wilson Mers was sent by Mrs. Allen Brockhouse of K. C. Mo.


Joseph Thompson

Of the descendants of Joseph Thompson the brother of the above Lawrence Thompson and of Elizabeth Thompson who married Francis Jones (our ancestor) there are no records of the family but again from old letters from my aunt Dick Sharp, written at Sharpsburg to my mother who was by this time married and living in Mo. She writes of Thompson cousins. I feel sure must be
descendants of the above Joseph and Nancy. Here is a letter dated Aug. 1887. She writes "Lula Thompson and Amanda Ratliff came home Sat. evening --they wrote for Lula to come home, Kate and Nan are both sick. Nan has a fever and Kate has an abscess on her lungs. A great many think Kate will not live long. They say Lulu has made a conquest. I hope she has, Amanda says he is an awfully nice gentleman."

Then in Nov. the same year she wrote "Kate Thompson is some better."

Then in Feb. 1888 she wrote "I believe I wrote you that Mag Thompson and Mr. J. Smith were to be married soon. Miss Belle is making her underwear, it is beautiful, very handsome. She also made her tea-gown. She had the rest of her dresses made in Mt. Sterling. I am glad cousin Dick is going to get one son-in-law. I think Kate also intended to marry if she had been able."
(note-- I do not know if Kate Thompson died at this time or not).

In another letter also Feb. 1888 she writes "Mag Thompson is to be married Wed. They go to Chicago on their bridal Tour. I have an invitation to the wedding, the "tickets" are lovely, as pretty as I ever saw. Mag's intended husband is from Fleming Co. I think they will have only a lunch at cousin Dicks and start onto Chicago. Her husband to be owns a farm in Fleming Co. I don't know whether it is of much value or not Joe Moffitt said he
made 7000 dollars this year on tobacco but you know how Joe exaggerates when the notion strikes him!"

In one of those same letters she say "It was Col. Thom Jones who wrote the verses in your album, you seem to be quite a favorite with him." (I do not know who this Col. Jones is but must be some of the family, probably that of Daniel Jones.

So here are the "scraps and bits" I promised in the beginning hoping that others may enjoy knowing something of the Jones and Thompson kin. And may also add to it.

Post script; It has been said in our family that the well known evangelist of the late eighteen hundreds, Sam Jones, was undoubtedly related to our family. Here is what aunt Dee said about it as remembered by her daughter; "She said that he must be a relative because he was the image of her brother John (Jones), talked exactly like him and looked astonishingly like him.".....

I remember seeing his (Sam Jones) picture years ago and of noticing the resemblance and also of hearing what an entertaining speaker he was with so much wit and humor that hundreds flocked to hear him.

This is an interesting study in heredity, how these strong characteristic come down for several generations in separate branches of one family. He certainly must have been a descendant of one of the brothers left in North Carolina. I have heard my mother say that she thought her grandfather Jones had a brother in North Carolina, This was all rather vague and what it probably was her grandfather Jones father (Francis) had two brothers there Joseph and Thomas, who must have remained when the rest of the family came to Kentucky.
........................................












The Jones Family of Bath Co. Kentucky

and

The Thompson Family of Fleming County Kentucky





By

Mrs. H. L. Benson
Columbia, Missouri



Copied for reprinting and indexing by

Lee H. Hoffman
P. O. Box 148
Mt Sterling, KY 40353




These histories were received in the mail by my mother in about 1958
- 1965 probably received them from the author. I would like to point out that the author's name is not denoted on the papers. However, the papers are the same as those included in the Mrs. Benson's "History of the Bronaugh Family".

My mother was visited by a Mrs. Benson while she was researching the
Jones family. My mother told of the Mrs. Benson's excitement at
seeing the portraits of Samuel and Nancy Jones. The portraits are noted in the history and are now in the possession of my brother, Harry G. Hoffman II also of Mt. Sterling, KY.



The Jones Family of Bath Co. Kentucky


The story of the Jones family of Bath Co. Ky. is merely an
attempt to put together the bits and scrap of meager information
that has come down to us the descendants of this family.

In our immediate branch of the family, the descendants of
Thos. and wife Mary Byram Jones, (most of whom came to Missouri)
so much has been lost. Their family Bible and papers where
information might have been found was given to their oldest son
Alvin Fletcher Jones, it then went to his only son Thomas Jones
who had no children and these things were left in the possession
of his wife and her people and ultimately became lost.

From faintly remembered stories and parts of family records
in our family by the granddaughters of Thomas Jones, by the
discovery of an important court record which showed who out
first ancestor to Kentucky was, plus a record of his children,
also a most important record of the early Thompson-Jones family
from descendants who live in Mo., and last but not least the
recent locating of descendants of Uncle Sam Jones (the brother of
our Gr. parent Thos. Jones) whose family records verify much that
has been supposition and also agrees with the early court record
- this together with a little information given years ago of
another branch of this family is the sum total of family lore
with which to start this story.

With this and some background in history plus traditions,
incidents and a bit of imagination let us hope that with this
small beginning and also with the interest that is now manifest
among many of the descendants that something of real worth will
be discovered and added to this little history.

Beginning with imagination it is not hard to picture the
ancestors of this family living in the lovely Welsh countryside,
the home of the dark eyed Celtic people whose love of music,
poetry, wit and gaiety are outstanding characteristics of many of
their descendants in this country even to the present day.

For although we do not know who the first ancestor was who
came to this country or when he came the name Jones gives us
positive proof that he was of Welsh descent.

The story of the Welsh names is told this way: When Henry
VIII was King of England he decreed that all Welshmen should take
surnames, so each man took his fathers name and that accounts for
so many Welsh surnames being also Christian names such as Thomas,
George, Williams, Roberts, Evans, Hughes [, etc.] Jones it seems
is John's son in the Welsh version. A typical Welsh name is
Llewelyn and was the name of their great ruler who was killed
fighting the English as were also his two sons. Henry VIII
himself was part Welsh his father Henry Tudor was a Welsh prince.

The Welsh people are undoubtedly the best representatives
today of the ancient Celtic people who at one time lived not only
in England (Britain) but also in France (Gaul) and in parts of
Ireland and Scotland. As we know they were conquered in Gaul by
the Roman but it was a good many years later before they were
finally conquered in Britain. When at last settled down they
lived peacefully beside their Roman conquerors for several
hundred years, assimilating somewhat with them but retaining
their language and customs. This name Brython is undoubtedly the
same as Britain and it is to them that credit is given for taking
the Celtic language to Wales where it is still the language of
that country.

Their literature is said to be noted for brilliancy and
imagination but unfortunately it is not well known in England for
the simple reason it is written in Welsh, a very difficult
language for the English speaking people to understand. This
language is closely related to the Gaelic of Scotland and the
Erse of Ireland but more closely resembles the speech of Cornwall
and Brittany, France.

The Celtic people were united by one powerful force, their
priests or Druids; who were more than theologians and priests,
they were also judges and teachers. Instructing from memory they
were custodians of Celtic lore and learning. It is not hard to
suppose therefore that the Welsh love of poetry, music and things
of the spirit might be traced to those ancient Britons whose
priests held such high rank in their society and whose mystical
rites among the ancient oaks of England showed their belief in
immortality long before the missionaries from Rome brought them
Christianity.

Besides their priests or Druids they also had their Bards
who were poets and minstrels and at their great national
gatherings the two were always present. Although Druidism was
suppressed by the Romans the custom of having officials called
Druids and dressed like them in flowing white robes to preside at
the bardic congress or Eisteddfad has continued down to present
day. This festival which lasts several days is attended by
thousands of people from all over Wales to take part in the
various musical and literary competition and to keep alive the
national spirit. In bygone days every household of importance
had its own bard.

Before recording the modern history of our family let us
take one more quick glance at these ancestors of ours who lived
in the dim and distant past, even before they reached the shores
of England more than two thousand years ago. Here is what a
modern historian, Lincoln Barnett has to say of them: "Although
at the peak of their power, around 250 B.C. the Celts never
formed an empire or even a nation. Their various branches were
held together by a common bond of language and a sense of kinship
based on shared element of thought taste, emotion and religious
belief. They were nomadic, undisciplined and warlike yet in
curious contrast there lay deep in the Celtic temperament a gift
of imagination, a love of learning and a flair for poetry and
story telling which eventually would prove their greatest bequest
to posterity.

Adaptable and inquisitive, they absorbed many of the
elements of the Mediterranean civilizations with which they came
in contact and carried them northward to the untamed woodlands
and mashes of Europe. The Celts were torchbearers who brought
the light of ancient cultures to the shores of the North Atlantic
and the mysterious islands that loomed in the mists beyond. But
perhaps their most precious legacy has sprung from the unique and
essential Celtic character transmitted to their present day
descendants in western Europe - their rebellious and unconfined
spirit, their humor and above all their flair for fantasy and
poetic expression." end quote.

Although we do not know the name of our first ancestor to
this country or to which state he came there is a possibility
that it was Pennsylvania as many Welsh people settled in that
state in the early seventeen hundreds. It is said in our family
that the Thompsons were Scots-Irish (also came at this period to
Pennsylvania and a little later many of them went on to North
Carolina through the Valley of Va. from Penn. It may have been
that he two families traveled this route together. From an
authentic source writing of the early settler to the valley of
Va. from Penn. it says, "As early as 1730 there had been a heavy
immigration from Penn. into Va. of Scotch, Welsh and German most
of whom settled in the upper valleys. Naturally therefore it was
in this section that here flourished the Welsh Baptist church and
the Scotch Presbyterians."

Of all this we can only speculate what we know will be
recorded.



Thomas Jones I

The first Jones ancestor of whom we have positive proof was
Thomas Jones. He settled in Bath Co. Ky. probably about 1789 or
the early 1790's who his parents were is not yet known but it is
almost certain that he came from North Carolina. There is a
record in the Thompson family that his daughter Mary married
Lawrence Thompson in that state in 1788 or 1789 and that they
came to Kentucky about that time and settled near Covington. In
those days it is safe to say that Mary Jones was at home or at a
nearby church when she married so the Jones family must have been
living in North Carolina at that time. There is also other
evidence that near [...omitted...] Covington until 1798 until
Mary and Lawrence Thompson came to Fleming Co. Ky. and settled
near Hillsboro.

Where Thomas Jones and his family were at this time we can
only guess but it is safe to assume that the Thompson and Jones
families traveled together to Ky. Undoubtedly several of Thomas
Jones married children came at the same time besides Mary one of
which was probably our ancestor Francis Jones who married
Elizabeth Thompson. The proof of these children of Thomas Jones
is found in an old deed in the Bath Co. Courthouse which will be
given later.

As Lawrence and Mary Thompson lived first near Covington,
Kentucky they undoubtedly came down the Ohio River instead of by
land through Cumberland Gap. When we look at the map we wonder
how anyone would or could go across the mountains of Va. and West
Va. to get to the Ohio River from North Carolina. One would
think that they would go through Cumberland Gap as most early
settlers from N. C. and Va. entered Ky. We know however that
many others did go down the Ohio on rafts, to Ky. For those
coming from Pennsylvania and farther east this would be
comparatively easy, starting at Pittsburgh they could float all
the way down on the Ohio. A further study of the map reveals
however one possible way our ancestors could have traveled. The
river New starts in North Carolina flow through the mountains
until it reaches the Kanawha which flows into the Ohio. Many of
the early Kentucky settlers stopped at Maysville in Mason Co. Ky.
but it seems the Thompson-Jones clan went a little farther
downstream to Covington near present Cincinnati.

A much easier speculation is how they got to Bath Co. and
adjoining Fleming Co. from Covington. They could easily take the
Licking River route which is one of the main rivers of eastern
Kentucky and flows straight from the Covington area to Bath and
Fleming forming the division line of these two counties.

The Thompsons as we have said settled in Fleming Co. in 1798
but the Jones family were in Bath Co. before this date. We know
this from the obituary of Thomas Jones who was the grandson of
the first Thomas Jones to Ky. According to this obituary he was
born in Bath Co., Ky. on Nov. 9-1796. So the Jones family were
probably in Bath Co. several years before this date even as early
as 1789.

The northern part of Bath Co. not far from Sharpsburg was
where the Jones family located. Some of their homes were in the
"Bald Eagle" area. This is the name of a creek and the location
is described in a "History of Bath Co." by V. B. Young when
speaking of a tract of land acquired by Valentine Stone in 1799
said---" and found it lying on Bald Eagle Creek in what is now
Bath Co. and perhaps as rich a body of land as lies within the
borders of Kentucky." This part of the county is perhaps not
more than fifteen or twenty miles from where the Thompson family
located in Fleming Co.

When Thomas Jones came to Bath Co. it was still part of
Montgomery Co. Bath was formed in 1811, so some of the oldest
records of the family may still be in Montgomery Co. Courthouse.
The deed that is of such great importance to our family was found
at the Bath Co. Courthouse in Owingsville and is as follows:

Bath Co. Ky. records, deed book B. p. 452
Sept. 21, 1811-A deed of conveyance of the estate of Thomas Jones
decd.
Between-
Joseph Jones and Lucy his wife
Thomas Jones and Janice his wife
John Jones and Kate his wife
Francis Jones and Elizabeth his wife
Henry Shouse and Elizabeth his wife (late Elizabeth
Jones)
Lawrence Thompson and Mary his wife (late Mary Jones)
Joseph Thompson and Nancy his wife (late Nancy Jones)
Heirs and all representation of Thomas Jones decd. and
Benjamin Jones of the county of Bath in the state of Kentucky of
the other part witnessed that the said ...(repeat of the above
names)..... In consideration of the sum of 800 dollars in hand
paid before the sealing and delivering of this indenture. The
receipt hereof this... has ordained and sold .....do grant
bargain and align and confirm to Benjamin Jones and his heirs and
assigns a certain tract of land situated, lying and being in the
county of Bath and Montgomery on the waters of Hinkston Fork of
Licking River part of entry and survey of 1000 acres granted to
Enoch Smith by patent being date 1st of April, 1785-bounded as
follows:
Beginning S.E of ....to cherry tree stump...containing 100
Acres to the said Benjamin Jones-and the heirs of said Thomas
Jones decd. for themselves and their heirs will and forever
defend all and every person, the testimony thereof we have
hereunto set our hand and seal.
Delivered in the presence of John Jones and Francis Jones.
Proven Sept. 1818
signed by the above named heirs. Recorded Aug. 2, 1819



A little further study of this old deed suggest that the land was
probably not a part of the Jones tract of land where their homes
were but was some other that Thomas Jones owned and was being
divided several years after his death. As it says it was in Bath
and Montgomery counties this suggest that it was on their border
but the deed again says it was on the Hinkston fork of the
Licking River which is nearer Fleming Co. than Montgomery and is
close to Owingsville. One other explanation might be that 1811
being the year of the deed was also the year the counties were
divided perhaps that was the reason for naming both counties.

One other unexplained mystery, who was Benjamin Jones who
bought the land? A brother of Thomas perhaps who came with him
to Ky. or a nephew? Anyway it shows there was another Jones
family in Bath Co.

The important thing of course in the deed is the list of
children and the date showing positively that here is our first
Jones ancestor to Ky. Here is the proof- First the Thompson
family record is verified by the names of Lawrence Thompson and
Wife Mary Jones. Then in our family tradition said that our
ancestor was Franklin Jones who married Nancy Thompson, recently
acquired records from relatives in Ky. said he was Frank
(Francis) and his wife was Elizabeth Thompson which of course is
correct and agrees perfectly with the list of children. Of
course the location of the land is a final proof if any were
needed.

Of these children of Thomas Jones I, the first two, Joseph
and Thomas nothing is known of their descendants, if any. It is
possible that they settled in another part of the state or even
remained in N.C. as the two other sons John and Francis were the
witnesses of the deed., and they are the two also who had
descendants in Bath Co.

The daughter Mary and husband Lawrence Thompson as we know
settled in Fleming Co. Nothing whatever is known of Elizabeth
Jones Shouse and her descendants but Joseph and Nancy Jones
Thompson may be the ancestors of the Thompsons who lived near
Sharpsburg. That there was a family of Thompsons there who were
related to us is shown in old letters written in the 1880's.

As nothing is known of the first two son's of Thos. Jones I,
Joseph and Thomas as mentioned above here is what is known of his
third son John.


John Jones

According to the list of children of Thos. Jones I, John
Jones had a wife Kate. He also had a son James R. Jones. This
information was obtained years ago from Mrs. J. C. Nelson of
Sharpsburg whose husband was a grandson of Jas. R. Jones. These
lists of children are very incomplete but at least we do have two
children of James R. Jones-
1 Margaret Jones Nelson
2 Daniel Jones

Margaret Jones married James Nelson and they lived several
miles from Sharpsburg, Ky. Their handsome brick home is still
standing and in good repair. Their son J. C. Nelson was educated
in law at Northwestern University. He married my mothers first
cousin whose mother was a Sharp.

Daniel Jones, the son of the above James R. Jones lived in
Sharpsburg. His home a large white house still standing.

The children of Daniel Jones were:
1 Conduit?
2 James?
3 John Carlton
4 a daughter

Of three of these children very little is known. One of the
sons had a son Taylor Jones of Fulton, Mo. This is it seems the
son of James as nothing seems to be known of Conduit. That there
was a daughter has only recently been discovered while reading an
old letter from Mrs. Wm. Barker (the mother of Mrs. J. C. Nelson)
written in 1880-after speaking of some recent deaths she says
"and neighbor Daniel Jones daughter".

Of the third son of Daniel Jones, Dr. John Carlton Jones
there is so much available data that only a small part will be
used. He was a well known educator and President of Missouri
University. He was born at Sharpsburg, Ky. in 1856, attended
school in Ky. then came to Fulton, Mo. where he was graduated
from Westminster College in 1879. He studied at John Hopkins,
the universities of Leipzig and Munich where he received honorary
degrees. He was a member of many learned societies among them
Phi Beta Kappa. This tribute was from a newspaper----"He was
universally loved, a scholar and a gentleman."
Dr. Jones wife was a Miss Thompson and they had the
following children:
Major Gen. Lloyd Jones
Mrs. Cuhlman of Chicago
Mrs. Patterson Bain (Margery Jones) She is a resident of
Columbia, Mo. and is very much a Jones in fact as well as in
name. It is amazing to see in her such marked characteristics
that have been noted often in other branches of the family. Her
quick wit and humorous conversation, her warm, generous and
hospitable nature and even a resemblance through the eyes a Jones
distinguishing feature. She too was an excellent scholar a Phi
Beta Kappa as was also her daughter, Adeline.

To continue with the children of the first Thomas Jones we
now come to his fourth son --

Francis Jones

Francis Jones the fourth son of Thos. Jones I, married
Elizabeth Thompson. They had the following children-

Samuel Jones
Thompson "
Ralls "
Benjamin "
Claud? "
Jonithan "
Jane " married a Hopkins
Debby " " " Wilson
Thomas Jones (our ancestor)

The above list is probably not complete as this was a large
family. These names were supplied by the granddaughters of the
above Thos. Jones. Of the entire list there is very little known
except of Samuel and our ancestor Thomas.

Samuel, or uncle Sam Jones as I have often heard him spoken
of in our family, lived near Sharpsburg where he preached for
many years he was said to have been very wealthy and had a lovely
home in the country and had so many negroes that he did not know
some of them when he saw them. He was a Baptist of the "old
school" and as so many of the Jones men were described, a fine
old gentleman, no doubt. He married in 1814, Mary Ann Ralls she
probably did not live long for his second wife Nancy Bailey is
given in the records obtained from his descendants as the mother
of his children. They are as follows:
Lide married a Ratliff
Lou (Louise?) married a Ratliff
Thomas Jefferson married Elizabeth Athison
Elizabeth married Roland Burbridge, she Elizabeth Jones Burbridge
is the grandmother of Mrs. T.G.Hoffman of Mt. Sterling, Ky. who
has a lovely miniature of the grandmother, a sweet faced lady,
and she also has two very handsome life sized portraits in oil of
her gr. grand-parents Uncle Sam and Aunt Nancy Jones. These
portraits are the work of a real artist and not "primitive" as
was so often found in these early days.

Thomas Jefferson Jones (he was referred to in our family as
cousin Tom Jeff Jones) was apparently the only son of Uncle Sam
Jones. His home was about three miles east of Sharpsburg on the
Owingsville road. He had four daughters and most of them must
have been "beauties". They were:
Mary married a Cunningham
Nannie Lee married a McKee
Minerva " " (Siptern) Tipton
Wenona " " Ford

I have so often heard my mother speak of Nannie Lee Jones,
describing her as a brunette with unusually beautiful eyes and
she must have had much of the Jones wit and humor for she was
evidently very attractive. She must have been about the age of
my mother and a close friend, and the younger girls the age of my
mothers sister "aunt Dick" as they are mentioned by her in
letters written from Ky. to my mother in Mo.

In a letter from Mrs. Marshall of Mt. Sterling who is a
daughter of the above Minerva Jones (Siptern) Tipton she says "yes
my aunt Nannie Lee was considered a beauty but many have said my
mother was quite beautiful" then with characteristic Jones humor
she said, they add "you don't look like her".

Mrs. Marshall concluded her letter by saying "we have one
cousin who looks like the Jones, tall, dark, and handsome."

Mrs. Marshalls maiden name was Wenona Siptern Tipton and she
married Garrett M. Marshall they had four sons as follows:
Lemon (Siptern) Tipton - killed in world war two
Robert Garrett
William Burwell
Thomas Byrd d. 1956


The children of Nannie Lee Jones McKee were Cleveland,
Thomas J, Miles and George.
Of the other children of Francis Jones and Elizabeth
Thompson there is little to relate until we come to gr.
grandfather Thos. Jones, but the second one in the list,
following uncle Sam Jones is Thompson Jones I have heard him
mentioned and have also found a reference to him in one of my
aunt Dick's letters. She wrote "I saw aunt Priscilla the other
day she seems quite sad, talked a good deal about uncle Thompson
(Jones) their sale was a week ago--he left all to aunt Priscilla
her lifetime but she is going to have a division made. "The date
of the letter Nov. 16, 1887." So evidently Uncle Thompson Jones
passed away about that time and left a family, not one of their
names is known to me.

The next three names in the list are Ralls Benjamin and
Claude--of them there is no data at all - at least I have none -
Jonithan, I have heard of only recently through a granddaughter
of Thomas Jones, who said that she had heard that Jonithan a
brother of her grandfather had gone as a young man to North
Carolina with a valuable string of mules and horse and was never
heard of again. They thought he had been robbed and killed.
This was probably long before the Civil War and the country was
still comparatively wild especially through the mountains. She
said no one would believe that Jonithan would do anything
dishonest as he came from a very religious, honorable and highly
respected family, so he was evidently killed. An interesting
thing in this story is that he was going to North Carolina. It
looks like part of the family was there, probably as we have
said, the two oldest sons of Thomas Jones I whose
descendants would be second cousins of Jonithan Jones.

the two daughters Jane Hopkins and Debby Wilson there is no
data. There probably were other daughters and sons. I have
heard that great grandfather Jones had three brothers who were
"preachers" but this cannot be stated for a fact.


Thomas Jones III

Thomas Jones was the grandson of our first Jones ancestor to
Ky. and was no doubt named for him. As has been said his father
was Francis Jones and his mother Elizabeth Thompson. His father
was called Frank and that is probably the reason our family,
after all these years got it confused with Franklin as Tradition
in our family said his name was. As we stated in the beginning
of this paper the Bible and records of Thomas Jones were lost so
we had to rely upon what could be remembered by the present
generation until other records were found as has been explained.

From his obituary we have the birth and death date and the
fact that he was born in Bath Co. Ky. on Nov. 9, 1796 - and died
at Pleasant Hill Mo. June 27, 1883.

Whether he was an older or younger child of Franklin and
Elizabeth Jones is not recorded but that he was born a few years
after the family came from N.C. is evident.
He was married twice, the first time to Eliza Ratliff on
Jan. 1, 1827 she died and left three children- Ruth, Margaret and
Eliza. Ruth m. Todd Kirk (no record of descendants) or of
Margaret the last named Eliza married Joseph Baird and had
several children which will be listed later.

Thomas Jones married about 1835 or 1836 to Mary Moore Byram
who was born in 1816. They had a large family and lived three or
four miles north of Sharpsburg. His farm had a pretty location,
situated among gently rolling hills. The house is gone now but
it must have sheltered many people in its time, not only their
own family but others who needed a home. One of these was her
mother Ruth Fletcher Byram who lived to be very old she was the
sister of Gen. Thomas Fletcher who had a magnificent home near
Sharpsburg and entertained Lafayette on his last visit to the
U.S.

Thomas Jones was a deeply religious man, my mother said he
was one of the best men she ever knew. His wife was gifted in
caring for the sick, taking care of her children and
grandchildren. through serious illnesses often without the aid of
a doctor. She was often sent for when neighbors fell ill, all
this besides running her own home. Of course in the early days
there was plenty of help with the negroes and other But after the
Civil War things were different. He had gone security for his
brothers-in-law one of which was Col. Bob Patton, these he had to
pay this and the Civil War which wrecked so many families, caused
him to sell their home and go to nearby Nicholas Co. where land
was cheaper. He was getting to be an old man, but after a
few years he decided there was a better opportunity in Mo. He
was eighty years old then. He acquired a good farm not far from
where my fathers family the Bronaughs lived. Most of his married
children also came to Mo. at this time. After a few years the
family which then consisted, besides themselves, of two
granddaughters who were orphans (my mother and sister) went to
Pleasant Hill where he bought a home and lived there until he
died in 1883. His wife a few months later. The following
excerpt is taken from his obituary which was written evidently by
a friend who knew him well. It was signed G.W.T.

"Thomas Jones was one of those strong-armed and pure-hearted
yeomanry of the land of the most unsullied integrity which has
done so much toward making the American Republic what it is
today. The deceased has sat on juries in courts where Thomas H.
Marshall pleaded the cause of the commonwealth----" after giving
his date of birth and that he was born in Bath Co. Ky. he
mentioned that he was eighty years old when he came to Cass Co,
Mo. The children of Thomas Jones and his wife Mary Byram Jones
were:
Nancy Amelia Jones born 1837 died 1867 married Richard Sharp
Benjamin " died in infancy
Sourency " " young
Alvin Fletcher Jones married Susan Neil
Belle died young
John Gardner Jones " Belle Hedrick
Henrietta Alice married Benjamin P. West
Pauline married Thomas Atkinson
Adelia married Samuel Hardin Bronaugh

The oldest of these children, Nancy Amelia Jones married
Richard Sharp the son of Dr. Joseph Sharp of Sharpsburg.
Although my mother could scarcely remember her she thought of her
as being very lovely. She said she had good advantages in
education, being the oldest, she was married before her father
had financial reverses. They lost their first two children then
her husband contracted typhoid fever from which he died a few
months before my aunt was born. She was called Richard Virginia
or Dickie for her father. After her husbands death she grieved
so much that it impaired her health and she died of tuberculosis
about a year later, leaving two little orphans one a baby
(Dickie) and my mother about four years old.

They made their home with their Jones grandparents until they
were grown my mother returned to Ky. to finish her education
while staying at Aunt Joan Sharp Barkers. After their
grandparents death Aunt Dick who was then about seventeen also
returned to Ky. and received her finishing education then taught
school for a few years before she married J. Fletcher Grimes of
Maysville, Ky. My mother had married a few years earlier in Ky.
Robert B. Bronaugh of Cass Co. Mo. and she returned with him to
make her home there for the rest of her life.

To continue the children of Thomas and Mary Byram Jones-

Of the next three children almost nothing is known as they
died young. Their oldest son Alvin Fletcher Jones served in the
Confederate army and married his distant cousin Susan Neil, [ ... omitted ...] she was related on the Byram side. The Byrams were
as decided blond types in the Jones family. They had one son,
Thomas (who left no children) and two daughters, Mary Alice a
very beautiful blond girl who died young as did her younger
sister.

As the next child in this list, Belle died young we now come
to John Gardner Jones. Uncle John was a deciede (sic) and
complete Jones from his very dark eyes to his wit and story-
telling ability. The story is told of him as a child of five or
six years of age, after hearing his uncle Sam Jones preach would
get up on something and standing there in his little white linen
suit would preach Uncle Sam's sermons over again. He had a
decided literary learning as he was a Shakespearian student,
reading the plays as long as he lived long into the night. He
had received some college education in Ky. attending the Ky.
University at least two years where he studied law. This he
never practiced, however his son-in-law was a well known lawyer,
Harris L. Moore, who married their only child-Nancy, who was much
like her father in looks, wit and gaiety.

The next in the list, Henrietta Alice (aunt Alice) was the
beauty of the family. A "Jones" type, a decided brunette with
the usual beautiful eyes that so many of them had. She finished
her education at Louisville, Ky., staying with her aunt Nancy
Byram Patton. She married Benjamin West in Ky. and they came to
Mo. about the time the rest of the family did. They had a large
family but lost several of their children in the early years,
those who survived were Mary, Adelia, Myrtle, Margaret, Charles
and Sam. Western Missouri was a hard place for young people with
a growing family to get a financial start for economic conditions
following the war were bad. Cass Co. had been torn by border and
guerrilla warfare and following the war farm prices were
ridiculously low. Aunt Alice was equal to these conditions and
the demands of a large family by managing well, was an excellent
housekeeper and cook and homemaker. They saw that their children
not only received a good average education but were instructed in
religion and high moral standards.

Charles West was probably more like his grandfather Jones
than any grandson he had. Perhaps not so much in looks although
he was the tall slender brunette type so often found in the Jones
family. The similarity was more to be found in his gentle,
kindly nature, his absolute integrity and his deep religious
faith that people recognized him to be outstanding and often
remarked what a good man he was. Although his business was in
Kansas City he spent part of every week on his farm and with his
livestock showing the love of nature and growing things to be his
chief recreation.

His brother Sam is also the same type and has the gift of
story telling and humor in abundance.

It is to their sisters Margaret West and Mrs. Mary West
Gross that I am indebted for important data, through their
correspondence with Mrs. Collup of Harrisonville, Mo., a direct
descendant of Lawrence and Mary Jones Thompson and who had data
that forged the first link in the chain of evidence that has
finally resulted in getting our Kentucky kin straight. Also in
remembering all they could of what they had heard of their
grandfathers family.

Pauline the next daughter of Thos. and Mary Jones died so
long ago that I do not have a great deal to report. It seems she
was also pretty as the "Jones girls" usually were. Also like her
father she was a devout Baptist. I know little more and what
there is seems so very sad to think of. They had two little
boys, Eugene and William called "Willie" and were, I suppose,
having the usual economic struggle here in Mo., when she was
killed by a train accident. This of course was a terrible shock
to the family and the little boys were taken by Uncle John and
aunt Belle Jones and Willie was taken by aunt Dee and uncle Sam
Bronaugh. (Uncle John took Eugene) they were unusually bright
children and Eugene went to Ky. to finish his education in law.
He had an outstanding mind even brilliant from what I have heard.
He was just ready to practice when he developed tuberculosis and
died.

Last but not least we come to Adelia, Aunt Dee to me and I
knew her better than any of the others as she had married my
fathers brother, Uncle Sam Bronaugh. Although aunt Dee was my
mothers aunt there was not very much difference in their age as
Aunt Dee was the youngest and my mothers mother the oldest of
this large family.

She was as much one type of Jones as Uncle John was the
other. She was the gentle type that was often found in the
deeply religious ones. She had a warm generous nature with a
keen sense of humor that no doubt helped her through many a
difficulty. She had something of a poetic nature and of course a
love of the Bible and all its precepts. She looked very much
like her father, the same slender face, high forehead and regular
features and exactly the same expression in her eyes. It may be
they looked more like the Thompsons than the Jones. Even in her
youth her pictures show a sad expression in her large hazel eyes.
This is as if nature made her for the role she was to play in
life and equipped her with the necessary ingredients to be equal
to its demands, for hers was not an easy life.

She was born in Bath Co. Ky. 10-8-1859 and d. 11-17-1938
in Eugene, Oregon, and came to Mo. with her parents when she was
a young girl, later marrying their neighbor Samuel H. Bronaugh.
He was of a gay, kind and generous nature but impulsive and
restless. Having a desire to see the world he traded and lost
his inheritance, a nice farm when he was barely twenty one, by
the trickery of some unscrupulous men. After that it was uphill
all the was. They had four children; Eulah Elizabeth, Pauline,
Robert and Sam. Of these children Robert died in infancy and
Pauline a pretty bright child had a physical handicap that kept
her from attending school for only a short time but not from
learning, for her letters are beautifully written and well
expressed, so much so that it is simply amazing when one thinks
of her limited opportunity. In those letters she also shows her
deep appreciation for little things that my parents did for her
and of her sorrow that she was not able to do more for herself.
All her life aunt Dee had to see this promising child denied the
normal pleasures of youth and maturity but for whom she cared for
with such love and patience.

How proud she and uncle Sam would be to see after all their
struggles their other children and grandchildren now enjoying so
much that was denied them and also contributing much. Their
daughter Eulah Reid still is doing the religious work that she
has done for so many years and her children one a circuit judge,
a daughter Margaret married to a brilliant professor who has
served in our State Dept. and abroad, giving her the opportunity
of meeting outstanding personalities of our day. And their
beloved granddaughter Mary Alice whom aunt Dee took when she was
delicate baby and nursed her into a strong and vigorous child,
and who grew into a girl of great charm with a gay and witty
personality.--Then aunt Dee's son Sam Bronaugh who is an
outstanding citizen of Eugene, Oregon whose son Richard was a
1956 Phi Beta Kappa graduate.
These things I was telling a few years ago to my mothers
cousin Mrs. J. C. Nelson of Sharpsburg whose husband was related
to the Jones on his mothers side, she replied "Its that fine
Jones mind."

Now for gathering up a few threads I failed to weave into
this Jones pattern. In speaking of Thomas Jones III and his
children I mentioned those of his first wife, Eliza Ratliff one
of which I know nothing and presume she died young, the second
married Todd Kirk and the third Eliza who married Joseph Baird
and there is much to relate of this gay and devoted family who
were so close to my mothers family. They were Elizabeth, Thomas,
John (Jack), Margaret, Mary and Ward. Of these Margaret (cousin
Mag) who was an outstanding "Jones". She was also near my mothers
age and they were more like sisters than cousins, corresponding
as long as they lived. They even looked alike both having the
"Jones eyes". Not the black ones as uncle John had but the soft
dreamy type, almost hazel in color, and rather deep set. Here
the resemblance stopped for cousin Mag was the extrovert, the
entertainer that could keep a room full of people laughing at her
ridiculous experiences and never tiring of hearing them. She had
a large family and a lovely home near Knoxville, Tenn. which was
often filled with guests. One of her daughters, Eliza Richards
established a mountain school in Kentucky, working for years both
in the school and to keep it supported.

My mother Margaret Sharp Bronaugh was a quieter type than
cousin Mag Richards, a constant reader and an excellent judge of
literature. Her sister aunt Dick was a good student and teacher
and was a vivacious personality. Her sons were William and
Robert Grimes the latter being something like the Jones with his
entertaining and humorous conversation.

In a letter written by aunt Dick to my mother from Pleasant
Hill, in 1882 she says "Cousin Lonny? Jones that lives in Pettis
Co. Mo. was here on business and when he heard that grandpa was
here came up to see him he said he had promised to dine with some
friends and couldn't possibly stay--I presume you have heard
grandma speak of his step mother cousin Pauline. He is very
wealthy..." (I have no idea who this is.) Then in another dated
Ott. 1883, after speaking of attending the fair and the
"Association" and in speaking of the latter she says "There was
quite a large crowd ... we had a very big preacher from Kansas
(although he wasn't a bit of a Yankees), that was related to us,
cousin William Franklin Jones. He has met cousin Spencer who
says he is so jolly, is a lot like uncle John in his
conversation." It would be nice to know who he is also.

It is now time to say something about the Thompson cousins
the descendants of the first Thomas Jones daughters who married
Thompsons. The little that is known will be on the following
pages.





The Thompson Family of Fleming County Kentucky.


Of this Thompson family nothing is known beyond Lawrence
Thompson who married Mary Jones, Elizabeth Thompson who married
Francis Jones and Joseph Thompson who married Nancy Jones. That
all three Thompsons were of the same family is all but a proven
fact as all indications and family tradition points to this
making the descendants double cousins. This seems to have been
known in the Thompson family. And to quote Mr. Collup who sent
the data on Mary Jones and Lawrence Thompson and descendants she
wrote: "If I remember rightly, Mary and Frank Jones were brother
and sister and Nancy and Lawrence Thompson were also.

At any rate all three families came to Ky. apparently at the
same time as well as the father Thomas Jones.

The name Thompson like Jones is not uncommon therefore it is
hard to trace. If the county in North Carolina where they came
were known that would simplify things in trying to find records
of the family before they came to Ky.

What we do know however is that the name is Scotch or
Scotch-Irish both by tradition and fact. And that they were very
probably came from Penn. to N. C. when so many followed that
pattern.

The story of Lawrence Thompson who married Mary Jones in
North Carolina has already been told and how they came to
Covington, Ky. about 1788 and remained there about ten years
before coming to Fleming Co. Ky. Their first child Priscilla
Thompson was born there July 17-1790 and d. Oct. 6-1875.

When the family came to Fleming Co. about 1798 they settled
near Hillsboro. Besides their daughter Priscilla there was at
least one son, whose descendants are in western Mo. On Nov. 22-
1812 Priscilla Thompson married William Filson son of Samuel
Filson, a soldier of the Revolution from Va. who settled near
Hillsboro in 1805. William Filson born 1785 d. 1874.

William Filson and Priscilla Thompson had the following
children:

Mary Filson married Thomas Boyd. (Mary born 1814)
Milinda Filson married James Reeves.
Washington Filson married Susanna Howard.
Elizabeth Filson married William Buckley.
Lawrence Filson married Martha Busick.
Eviline (1 twin) married D. D. Williams.
Angeline (2nd twin) died at eighteen.
James Leonard Filson married Susie Marythan (?)
Emily Filson born Dec. 25-1827 married Barns F. Hayden
in Fleming Co.

Of these children Emily Filson was the 9th of Priscilla and
William Filson. She married Barns F. Hayden and was the mother
of Mrs. Lon Meyers who was the mother of Mrs. Stewart Collup and
Mrs. Wynona House.

Besides their daughter Priscilla, Lawrence and Mary Jones
Thompson had at least one son whose name is not given in the
records. Two branches of this son live in western Mo. The line
must go this way, He had a daughter Nancy Thompson who married
in Fleming Co. Ky. John Mets of Pennsylvania. A son Wilson T.
Mets was born there April 13, 1822. The T. in his name is
probably Thompson the name Wilson is found in the family also.
There was a names that comes to mind Wilson Thompson who was the
author of a book on religious doctrines another Baptist of the
"old school".

Wilson T. Mets went to Indiana as a young man and there in
1844 married Phoebe Ricketts she died in 1869 leaving the
following children:

Mary, De Witt, Clinton, Hester (Barber), Samuel and
Josephene. Of these children Hester (Mrs. Charles Barber) is the
one known to me. She was an attractive person and whose daughter
Mrs. Allen Brockhouse is much like her and whose home is in
Kansas City Mo.

Going back again to the son of Lawrence and Mary Jones
Thompson, as has been said there was the above mentioned daughter
Nancy and evidently she had a brother who was John or she had a
son John who came to western Mo. not long after the Civil War and
whose descendants are still there.

From piecing together data here and there this seems a
probable line-- From this John Thompson who married Elizabeth
Emmons and settled in Cass Co. Mo. he had a daughter who married
a Mr. Ellison and who were the parents of Ada Ellison Brockhouse
of Kansas City, Mo.

Again let us turn to old letters from my Aunt Dick when she
was a young girl living with her grandparents in Pleasant Hill,
Mo. to her sister, at that time in Sharpsburg, Ky. Date Oct. 25,
1882.

She wrote "cousin Belle Thompson came down "Fair" week
visiting her sister cousin Sillah." It sounds as if cousin Belle
Thompson lived in Kansas City then.

Then in Oct. 1883 she wrote "I was up to cousin John
Thompsons Sunday they have a very pretty place and are fixed up
very nicely. They have a very nice room they keep for company,
it has a pretty hemp carpet on the floor; a beautiful hanging
lamp and several nice ornaments and pictures."



Of these descendants of Lawrence and Mary Jones Thompson the
above, is of course very little known as there are probably more
descendants both in Ky. and Mo. But at least it does record what
little I have and other data can be added by others who know
more. Much of the data of the John Thompson family as well as
that of Wilson Mers was sent by Mrs. Allen Brockhouse of K. C.
Mo.


Joseph Thompson

Of the descendants of Joseph Thompson the brother of the
above Lawrence Thompson and of Elizabeth Thompson who married
Francis Jones (our ancestor) there are no records of the family
but again from old letters from my aunt Dick Sharp, written at
Sharpsburg to my mother who was by this time married and living
in Mo. She writes of Thompson cousins. I feel sure must be
descendants of the above Joseph and Nancy. Here is a letter
dated Aug. 1887. She writes "Lula Thompson and Amanda Ratliff
came home Sat. evening--they wrote for Lula to come home, Kate
and Nan are both sick. Nan has a fever and Kate has an abscess
on her lungs. A great many think Kate will not live long. They
say Lulu has made a conquest. I hope she has, Amanda says he is
an awfully nice gentleman."

Then in Nov. the same year she wrote "Kate Thompson is some
better."

Then in Feb. 1888 she wrote "I believe I wrote you that Mag
Thompson and Mr. J. Smith were to be married soon. Miss Belle is
making her underwear, it is beautiful, very handsome. She also
made her tea-gown. She had the rest of her dresses made in Mt.
Sterling. I am glad cousin Dick is going to get one son-in-law.
I think Kate also intended to marry if she had been able."
(note-- I do not know if Kate Thompson died at this time or not).

In another letter also Feb. 1888 she writes "Mag Thompson is
to be married Wed. They go to Chicago on their bridal Tour. I
have an invitation to the wedding, the "tickets" are lovely, as
pretty as I ever saw. Mag's intended husband is from Fleming Co.
I think they will have only a lunch at cousin Dicks and start
onto Chicago. Her husband to be owns a farm in Fleming Co. I
don't know whether it is of much value or not Joe Moffitt said he
made 7000 dollars this year on tobacco but you know how Joe
exaggerates when the notion strikes him!"

In one of those same letters she say "It was Col. Thom Jones
who wrote the verses in your album, you seem to be quite a
favorite with him." (I do not know who this Col. Jones is but
must be some of the family, probably that of Daniel Jones.

So here are the "scraps and bits" I promised in the
beginning hoping that others may enjoy knowing something of the
Jones and Thompson kin. And may also add to it.



Post script; It has been said in our family that the well known
evangelist of the late eighteen hundreds, Sam Jones, was
undoubtedly related to our family. Here is what aunt Dee said
about it as remembered by her daughter; "She said that he must be
a relative because he was the image of her brother John (Jones),
talked exactly like him and looked astonishingly like him.".....
I remember seeing his (Sam Jones) picture years ago and of
noticing the resemblance and also of hearing what an entertaining
speaker he was with so much wit and humor that hundreds flocked
to hear him.

This is an interesting study in heredity, how these strong
characteristic come down for several generations in separate
branches of one family. He certainly must have been a descendant
of one of the brothers left in North Carolina. I have heard my
mother say that she thought her grandfather Jones had a brother
in North Carolina, This was all rather vague and what it
probably was her grandfather Jones father (Francis) had two
brothers there Joseph and Thomas, who must have remained when the
rest of the family came to Kentucky. 

Compiler: Lee Hoffman, 410 Nevada Ave., Mt. Sterling, KY 40353

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