Thomas Hugh Jones

In 1804 they moved to Tennessee, "accomplishing that pioneer migration

with wagons and teams. The first location was In Smith Co., and after-

wards they moved to Maury Co. and were among the first settlers in that

region. His slaves worked for a number of years clearing up the tract of

timber land which he acquired in Maury Co. and a substantial rock house

was the home of the family until 1825.

The records of Maury Co. contain several records of the family. By an act

of legislature we find "Duck River to be made navigable " The following

were the Commissioners, "Nov. 9, 1815, Thomas Jones, John Brown and

Richard McMahan were appointed Commiasioners"

The first five children of Thomas and Catherine (Shaw) Jones were born in

Wake Co., North Carolina, the sixth one was born In Smith Co., Tennessee,

In 1806, the place of birth of the next three is not recorded, however

the last five were born in Maury Co., Tennessee. After the birth of their

last child in 1825, they moved to Gibson Co., Tennessee, in 1825.

"He then sold and. moved to Gibson Co. and once more went through the

pioneer experience. He bought tracts of land here and built his house

four miles south of Trenton, in which vicinity he lived until his death

at the age of about eighty-five years. His wife's maiden name was

Catherine Shaw, who was born in North Carolina, a daughter of John Shaw

who was born in Ireland or of Irish parentage in America. The wife

survived her husband for ten years, and she was also eighty-five years

old when she died."

They reared fourteen children, five sons and nine daughters, and to each

of these their father gave two hundred acres of land and five slaves as

his heritage."

The first white settlement in the region which later became Gibson Co. UGS

in 1819 by Thomas Fife, John Spence and James F. Randolph. Then Gibson Co.

was formed in 1838. It is in the section of the state known as the

plateau. At that time there was only one Co. between it and the

Mississippi River.

"The face of the Co. when first viewed by these hardy pioneers, was most

beautiful to behold. The woods stretched into vast forests of poplar,

hickory, oak and ash timber, while in the river and creek bottoms the

cypress and tall cane were seen. The face of the earth was covered with

pea vines, so high and thick that man or beast could be easily followed

by its trail through it. The woods abounded with deer, bear, wolves,

catamounts, panthers, wild turkey and the smaller game, and upon these

games the first settlers were, to a great extent, compelled to subsist,

as food was indeed a scarce article. For a number of years afterwards,

in fact, until they were all killed off, the stock of the settlers was

destroyed at on alarming extent by the wolves and bears, scarcely a night

passing but that a young calf or shoat was carried off. "

"The first settlements were in the nature of clearings. One pioneer,

more bold than the others, would push forward into the forest, make a

clearing and build a cabin, and in a short time others would follow and

settle near him. The homes of the settlers were small log cabins. The

furniture was usually of the early settler's own make, little if any

articles being brought from the old States. In those days the settlers

were more neighborly and sociable than now, and would think nothing of

walking six or eight miles to help a neighbor build a house or roll logs,

asking nothing but a similar lift in times of need."

Thomas Jones owned more land in Gibson Co., Tennessee than any other

person between 1825 and 1852, the year of his death. In looking through

the deed and grant books in the Court House in Trenton, Tennessee I

counted one hundred and forty five sales of land .by him. He deeded

several tracts to his children. One tract of two hundred ninety-six and

one-half acres he deeded to his daughter, Elizabeth. "In consideration

of the love and esteem, find other good causes that I have for my

daughter…" Then to his daughter Frances, he gave three hundred fifty six

and one-half acres. "In consideration of the love and affection which I

have and beareth unto the said Frances, 'as also for the better

maintenance, support and livelihood of her..." Then to his daughter,

Catherine, he gave four hundred and twenty acres. "For the love and

affection I entertain for Catherine Lassitar..."

"It was not from the cesspools and scum of the society of the old States

that West Tennessee was peopled. The rich virgin lands of the district

early attracted the enterprising and industrious men of wealth and

intelligence, the strongest and best material from the old States a

historic fact well attested by men now living who have kept pace with the

ever marching time.

"The brave hearts and strong arms of the heroic fathers, husbands and

sons were nobly sustained by the heroism of mothers, wives and daughters

who shared with them the toils and hardships of subduing the wilderness.

For a brief sketch of some of the incidents of the early days of the

family I would like to quote a letter here.

"Dear Cousin: Yours of the 5th just to hand. Yes, I would like to see

and talk with you. Think I could tell you many things that happened

during the Civil W~T. I am in my eightieth year so you see I am no

spring chicken. "Great grandpa, Thomas Jones, died when I was very young,

but great grandma, Catherine Shaw, I remember well. She was said to be

the most beautiful girl in North Carolina when she was young. I saw her

when she was seventy-nine years old and she was a fine looking old lady

then. Great grandpa and two or three of his negro slaves (he owned forty

one slaves) brought a four-mule-wagon-lead of silver and gold from middle

Tennessee to Trenton and he was the first president of the first bank in

Trenton. He bought o strip of land from the Forked Deer River commencing

about five or six miles west of Humboldt and running nearly to Trenton

for $1.25 an Acre and he and his children were settled along this strip

of land. This land, as old as it is, some of it is worth now, I guess,

$100.00 or more an acre.

"I remember my grandfather and grandmother well. I have grandfather's

full name 'John Washington Jones.' Cousin John W. Boswell and I were

both named for grandpa. I have been away from Gibson Co. for over fifty

years and have partially lost track of some of my relatives. Our Jones

family or generation, when I was young, used to think very highly of our

kindred and we were proud of each other.

"The Alstons in our genealogy, I had about forgotten how they came in

until I began to review the subject. And the McLemores also and this

reminds me. A few years ago I was away down in Texas and ran across an

old Negro. I heard another man call the old man 'Uncle Bob' and I looked

at him and said 'Howdy do. Uncle Bob.' He looked at me and said, 'Boss,

I don't know you.' I said, 'Where did you come from, anyway?' He said,

'I come from Jackson, Tennessee before the Civil War. ' He said that

they walked his and some other Negroes through by land before there were

any railroads. "Well," I said, "who did you belong to in Tennessee?"

He said, "I belonged to Mr. Shug McLemores he sold me to Mr. John Reed

and he brought me here before the Civil War." When he said he belonged

to Uncle Shug I began to call over some of the members of the family and

then told him they were my kin folks. The old darkey clapped his hands

and said, "Boss, I knos you knos 'em." He was so glad to meet me. It

had been a long tine since he had seen anyone from Tennessee. "Uncle Shug

McLemore and great grandpa married sisters, but I can't remember what his

wife's given name was. If you remember, your Aunt Molly (Mary Elizabeth

Jones) married ten McLemore, one of Cousin Young McLemore's sons. Young

McLemore was a Presbyterian preacher and used to preach at Pon Creek and

would stay with your grandpa (Wesley Fletcher Jones) when he would come

to preach. Young McLemore was a son of Shug McLemore.

"Yes, I knew several of the Perrys. Old Uncle John Perry and his

brother, Hatham Perry. I often heard my father (Alexander Mitchell

Jones) speak of them. Jarrett Perry once ran a hotel in Humboldt, and

Cousin Albert Perry (Doctor) used to live near Bowers Chapel. Fonser

Grin married Cousin Mattie Perry. In 1856 my father lived where your

grandpa lived near Bowers' Chapel. My father owned that place twice

before Uncle Wesley got hold of it.

"I knew the Wilkins family. Remember old grandma Wilkins mother of

Thomas, Sam, Lucious, Aunt Mary (Mary Ann Wilkins), Mrs. McCulloch (Sarah

Louisa Wilkins) and Mrs. Senter (Lucy Jane Wilkins). Many of the Wades

and Freemans and many others too tedious to mention."

"It was nearly bed time when I commenced this letter, so guess I had

better go to bed. You may hear from me before long in answer to your

questions. Your cousin, John W. Jones."

Another letter which discloses some of the traits of the family is quoted

in part here. "My dear Cousin: We are Irish, Welch and English. Our

Jones family shows too much English. I don't like our bluntness. People

can have a pleasant way of doing unpleasant things "but it runs In the

Jones' family of having a blunt or an unpleasant way of doing even

pleasant things. This might have come from the Shaws, I don't know. But

I don't tike it - even though I inherited my share. I'm still trying to

overcome it. If you got your share begin now to shake loose - bluntness

never won a heart. I admire frankness and honesty - we have that, but

wish the other had been left out."

"Thomas Jones give the land for the first church built in Trenton. The

church was located on the southeast corner of Church and Second Streets.

On May 9, 1834 he deeded "Lot #59 in Plan of Trenton, for the building of

a Methodist Episcopal Church." So, through the gift of the lot and the

building of the church Thomas Jones is responsible for one of the main

streets of Trenton being named Church Street.

A son-in-law Reverend Alexander M. Williams was on the committee to

receive the grant.

Thomas Jones died September 26, 1852. "Feb. 4, 1851, I give and

bequeath, to my beloved wife, Catharine Jones and her heirs forever all

the estate which I may own at the time of my death. Thomas Jones." The

will named Catharine Jones as executrix and John W., Willis and Thomas W.

Jones as executors. The will was probated in October, 1852. On 1860

Catharine had an estate of $33,000."

Thomas Jones' is buried in the family graveyard on the original Gibson Co.

home place. A beautiful monument was erected by the family at that time

and it is one that would grace any cemetery today. I shall quote here

the inscription on his monument.

SACRED

IN THE MEMORY OF

THOMAS JOHES

JAN. 2,1771

SEPT. 26, 1852

81 YRS. 8 MO. 24 DAYS

"THY BIRTH PLACE, EARTH

THY HOME IN HEAVEH"

The wife of Thomas Jones is buried "beside him on the old home place. In

the little plot surrounded) by the "neat iron fence" buried Thomas

Jones, Catharine (Shaw) Jones, Elizabeth (Jones) Barham and her first

husband, Reverend Alexander M. Williams.

There was a picture of Catharine (Shaw) Jones made and six of her

daughters had their pictures made and glued them in a circle around the

picture of the mother. Two pictures of the original set are still in

possession of members of the family and a copy is owned by-her great,

great, grandson, Wallace Alexander Jones.

Thomas and Catharine (Shaw) Jones were the parents of fourteen children.

One died in infancy and the other thirteen lived to be married. To one

union no children were born, and one son returned to Maurv Co. and I do

not know the number of children born to him, but to the other eleven

there were born ninety children. If the one who returned to Maury Co. had

ten children (which would be in keeping with the family precedent) then

there were born to this North Carolina family one hundred grandchildren

in Tennessee.

Grave Yard in cotton field behind Mr. Doaks house, 4 miles S/W of Trenton