William Jones, Sr. Family in Greene County, Alabama

William Jones, Sr. was born September 8, 1767, in North Carolina. On December 2, 1791, he signed a marriage bond in Wake Co., North Carolina to marry Diannah Vaden (Vadine), (1770-August 31, 1851) the daughter of William Vaden and Catherine English Vaden. This marriage produced four children. They were: Henry R. (October 11, 1792-November 22, 1842); Jessee (May 20, 1796-May 14, 1856); Eliza (born February 22,1799 ) and William V. (Born June 12, 1805 ). William Sr. and his children all migrated to Greene County, Alabama where he took out his first land patent by 1829. He became a planter in the Pleasant Ridge community.

Henry R.'s first wife is not known, but he had eight children by her. The first was Margaret Valencia (January 23, 1823- February 26, 1892) who married Archibald Gilmer (Gilmore) of Pickens County on January 30, 1844. She is buried in the Pleasant Hill Presbyterian cemetery in north Greene County. Second was Woodson C. (April 13, 1824-August 24, 1868). He married Charity (Cherry) Elizabeth Williams, daughter of Lawrence Williams, on January 18, 1847. He is buried in the Pleasant Hill Pesbyterian cemetery in north Greene County. Third was Diannah Agnes. Fourth was Amanda Ellen, who married Dely Hales. Fifth was William Henry Thomas. Sixth was Emily (Emma) Jane. Seventh was Sidney Allison (October 8, 1834-September 26, 1895). He married Lucinda Miller (February 4, 1836-June 4, 1894) in Franklin County. Eighth was Rufus (Ruphus) M. Henry R's first wife is not known but probably died in Greene County, Alabama. He later married Martha Medlin, widow of Williford Medlin, on October 28, 1841. He is buried in Greene County. The Jones family cemetery has not been located. It probably has been destroyed by tree farming operations.

Jessee Jones was married first to Jane Horton and, after her death, to Rhoda Bolton. Eliza was married to Nathaniel Mitchell and had seven children: Fenno (wife Harriett), Wesley, Alpheus, Wilie, Calvin, Elizabeth and Martha Ann. William V. probably never was married.

William Senior died May 15, 1843, in Greene County. His lands were sold in 1847 in settlement of his estate. Again, his burial location is unknown. Prior to William Sr.'s death, Jessee had had three daughters marry and move to Franklin County, Alabama They were: Emeline E., who married Benjamin Bolton; Diannah, who married Andrew Turner Bonds; and Sarah Ann, who married James Massey. By 1847, Jessee had moved to Franklin County, and took his mother, Diannah with him. Other orphan children of Henry R. were sent to Franklin County to live with relatives. Sidney Allison went to live with cousin Diannah Bonds. Rufus lived with his uncle Jessee. William Henry Thomas married Sarah C. Medders and after the War Between the States moved to Burnsville, Mississippi. Emily Jane stayed in Greene County to live with her sister Margaret Valencia Jones Gilmore. Emily was dead by 1853.

LAND information (Feb. 08, 2006)

There were a number of Jones people who patented land in the immediate area of the Jones Cemetery (see Snedecor 1855 map). John Jones took 3 of the 4 north most 40 acre parcels of the section. (This could be the John Jones buried in the Pleasant Ridge cemetery born in Georgia 1793 and died in Pleasant Ridge 1847) Among other places, William D Jones was in S4 & 9, T23N, R1W. Calvin Jones was in sections 2 & 3, T23N, R1W (Section 2 contains the Jesse Horton Cemetery). Henry G. Jones was around located close to the Pleasant Ridge church.

William Jones, Sr., owned the following lands at his death, all in present day Greene County, which were sold in 1847 in settlement of his estate.

(1) W 1/2 of NE 1/4 S6 T23N R1E (50 acres off north end set aside as dower) 80 Acres
(2) NW1/4 of SE 1/4 S6 T23N R1E 40
(3) E 1/2 of NW 1/4 S6 T23N R1E (all set aside as dower) 80
(4) NE 1/4 of NW 1/4 S31 T24N RlE 40
(5) W 1/2 of SE 1/4 S31 T24N R1E 80
(6) E1/2 of NE 1/4 S31 T24N R1E 80

The following land was initially listed in his will but claim was later dropped:
(7) W1/2 of SW 1/4 S31 T24N R1E 80

(1) Patented by WJ on Jan 5, 1831, Certificate #7367
(2) Patented by Elijah Sullivan Nov 5, 1839, Certificate #9914.
(3) Patented by William Fleming Dec 31, 1828, Certificate #6976
(4) Patented by WJ Feb 13, 1835, Certificate #14118
(5) Patent records missing
(6) Patented by WJ, NE 1/4 of NE1/4 on Dec 28, 1833, Certificate #10375. Obviously, later bought SE 1/4 of NE 1/4 at some other time.

Records have been found of at least two other parcels of land WJ patented. This list is not inclusive as the search could not be done by person, but was done by a scan of the local lands.
NW 1/4 of NE 1/4 of S31 T24N R1E on Dec 12, 1834, Certificate #13218
NE 1/4 of NW 1/4 of S31 T24N R1E on Feb 13, 1835, Certificate #14118

William Jones, Sr. Family mOVES ON TO
Franklin County, Alabama

William Jones, Sr., a native of Wake County, North Carolina, had moved to Greene County, Alabama, and had taken land grants there by 1829. After his death (May 15, 1843) a majority of his surviving descendants moved to Franklin County. Jessee, a son of William Sr., had three daughters who had married and moved to Franklin County. They were: Emeline E., who married Benjamin Bolton; Diannah, who married Andrew Turner Bonds; and Sarah Ann, who married James Massey. By 1847, Jessee had moved to Franklin County, taking the rest of his family, including his mother Diannah Vaden Jones, with him. Another son of William Sr., Henry R., had died November 22, 1842, leaving several minor children. These were sent to live with other relatives. Sidney Allison went to live with Diannah Bonds in Franklin County. Rufus M lived with Jessee in Franklin County. William Henry Thomas moved to Franklin County. He married Sarah C. Medders and after the War Between the States moved to Burnsville, Mississippi. Emily (Emma) Jane stayed in Greene County to live with her sister Margaret Valencia Jones Gilmore. Emily was dead by 1853. Other married daughters of Henry R. remained in Greene County. Son Woodson C. remained in Greene County.

Diannah Vaden Jones died August 31, 1851. She was buried originally in the Jones/Ezzell Cemetery, located at the house her son Jessee had built. With the coming of the Bear Creek Watershed Development, all graves in the cemetery were relocated in 1978 to the Greenhill Cemetery on the south side of the lake.

Sidney Allison Jones (October 8, 1834-September 26, 1895) spent his youth living with his cousin Diannah and her husband Andrew Turner Bonds, who operated a trading post on the military road in Franklin County. His earliest employment seems to be timber cutting. A trading post ledger, dated around 1849, lists him as purchasing an ax and two files. He was married to Lucinda C. Miller (February 4, 1836-June 4, 1894), daughter of John and Esther Miller. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1862 in Frankfort. (Frankfort was the county seat 1849-1879). He also was a farmer, jail keeper (Frankfort), liquor salesman and general store owner. The log store was adjacent to the jail on the north side of the town square. The land on which it stood was bought from the estate of Reuben Moody on October 11, 1889. S. A. was a Unionist during the War, as were his brothers William and Rufus. He was also a Mason. S. A. and wife are buried in the Jones Cemetery, northwest of Frankfort on County Road 58, just south of the Colbert County line, on the land where he lived his last years.

S. A. and Lucinda had two sons and two daughters. The first son was John H. (October 20, 1858-June 11, 1932). His wife was Willie B. John H. had a large family, including three daughters who married Poss brothers. John H, his wife, some children and spouses of some children are buried at Duncan Creek Baptist Church. The next son was James Sidney (November 9, 1865-May 10, 1905) who married Elizabeth Womble (March 28, 1872-February 5, 1940), daughter of William Amos and Susan Reed Womble, on January 14, 1892. James Sidney farmed and raised cattle in the Frankfort community, just south from where his father lived on present day County Road 58. He operated the general store on the north side of the town square in Frankfort his father had owned and was postmaster there from February 12, 1898 to April 7, 1902. He and his wife are buried in the Jones family cemetery.

James Sidney and wife had four children. First was Luther Percy (October 2, 1891-May 11, 1965) who married Lena Belle Hester (December 21, 1895-October 14, 1961). Percy raised his family on "The Bend" of Cedar Creek in Franklin County and later lived in Tuscumbia. He was a carpenter. He and his wife are buried in Memorial Gardens, Tuscumbia. Next was Charles Preston (November 27, 1895-October 13, 1972) who married Mattie Pearl Henry, (March 27, 1894-March 22, 1935) the daughter of James E. and Nancy Catherine Thomason Henry. After Pearl's death, he later was married to Mary -----. Charlie was a farmer and later engaged in sales. He and Pearl are buried in the Rock Creek Church of Christ Cemetery, Colbert County. Next was Florence Myrtle who married, in order: John Bryant Sparks, William Jones and Harry L. Hurst. She lived at various times in Franklin, Colbert and Lauderdale counties. She and Harry Hurst are buried in Memorial Gardens, Tuscumbia. Last was James Roy (February 4, 1904-March 10, 1985) who married Lassie Belle Henry, daughter of James E. and Nancy C. Henry on November 11, 1934. J. R. was only one year old when his father died. He spent some of his early years in the household of William H. Gates, a merchant of Frankfort, whom his mother married after the death of James Sidney, J. R.'s, father. He later lived with his brother Percy. He then spent some years in Cleveland, Ohio where he first was employed as a factory worker. He later became manager of an A&P food store. With the coming of the Depression, the store closed and he returned to Colbert County where he married and for a short time was a farmer. Later he did factory work and then became a carpenter like his older brother Percy, from whom he had learned the trade. J. R.'s early married life was spent in the Rock Creek community in south Colbert County. In 1945 they moved to Valdosta, a suburb of Tuscumbia and spent the remainder of their lives there. J. R. and wife are buried in Memorial Gardens, Tuscumbia.

James Roy and wife had three children. First was Bebe Loretta (March 19, 1937 - ?) who married William Joseph Cosby, Jr. of Rogersville, Alabama on November 23, 1956. They had two children, Donna Lynne and Jeffrey Lee. Loretta and Bill are now retired and live in Valdosta (Tuscumbia). Next was James Ray (October 24, 1939 - ?) who married Janice Ellen Simon on June 16, 1962. They had two children, Angela Rae and James Anthony. James Ray is now retired and lives in Florence. The third was Nathaniel (November 3, 1942- ?) who married Maurita Annette Allen (September 12, 1946 - ?) daughter of Warren Cortez and Covell Owens Allen, on June 4, 1966. They had two children, Denby Ann and Allan Sidney. Nat works with BellSouth Telecommunications in Birmingham. Rita is a part time teacher at Vestavia Hills High School. Denby married John Daniel Potts on August 25, 1990. She is now working full time at home with their first child, Matthew Warren. Allan is an attorney in Birmingham.

Sources: Alabama and North Carolina State Archives; Colbert, Franklin and Greene County court records; numerous public library records; Morman Salt Lake City, Utah research facility; University of Alabama Pauline Gandrud Jones Research Center; family Bibles; oral histories, etc. Submitted by: Nathaniel Jones, 2500 Brook Water Circle, Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243