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| Beautiful Wales, mountainous land of the red dragon and Eisteddfods (music festivals) and King Arthur, gives us the distinguished surname of Jones. The Romans vacated the British Isles at the end of the third century. The Welsh or Ancient Britons were left in sole possession of all of England, all the way north to the banks of the Clyde. The Saxons forced them westward into the mountains of what is now Wales, north to Cumberland and southern Scotland, and into Cornwall. Rhodri Mawr, or Roderick the Great, was the first recorded monarch of all Wales. He died in 893. On his death he gave Wales to his three sons, Anarawd became King of North Wales, Cadalh became King of South Wales and Mervyn became King of Powys, or mid Wales. The ancient history of the name Jones also emerges from these same Welsh chronicles. It was first found in Denbighshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. From some of the many early records researchers examined, manuscripts such as the Domesday Book, the Pipe Rolls, Hearth Rolls, the Black Book of the Exchequer, the Curia regis Rolls, the family name, Jones, was traced in many different forms. Although the name Jones was mentioned in several different records, it was spelt Jones, Jonas and these changes in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son. It was not uncommon for a person to be born with one spelling, marry with another and still have another on the headstone in his or her resting place. The Norman conquest of Wales was less then conclusive. A testimony to the Welsh fighting spirit is that there are more castles, or ruins of castles, to the square mile in Wales than anywhere else in the World. The Welsh tactic was to thrust, then retire to their bleak mountain homes to plan their next attack. As peace gradually returned to this picturesque country, the Welsh, attracted by the economic opportunities, moved eastward into the English cities. This distinguished Welsh family name name Jones emerged in Denbighshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated with manor and estates in that shire. Their ancient family seat was at Llanerchrugog. The name Jones, second only to Smith as prolific surnames, descends from three main sources, from Gwaithvoed, Lord Cardigan, Cheif of one of the 15 noble tribes of North Wales in 921, and from Bleddyn Ap Cynfyn, King of Powys, and Dyffryn Clwyd, a Chieftan of Denbighland. All three lines merged in Denbighshire about the 11th century and it is not known which of the three produced most of this prolific surname. They were a very strong English Welsh border family in Hereford, Shropshire, Carnarvon (Glan Helen), Brecon, and by the 16th century occupied Castle March, Bower Park, Fonmon Castle, Glamorgan and they also settled in Cardigan, Gloucestershire, Montgomeryshire, Flint. By the 17th century this name had encroached into most of the south east English counties. Prominent amongst the family during the late middle ages was Dyffryn Clwyd Jones. For the next two or three centuries the surname Jones flourished and played an important role in local county politics and in the affairs of Britain in general. Religious conflicts followed. The newly found passionate fervour of Cromwellianism found the Roman Church still fighting to regain its status and rights. The power of the Church, and the Crown, their assessments, tithes and demands imposed a heavy burden on rich and poor alike. They looked to the New World for their salvation. Many became pirates who roames the islands of the West Indies such as Captain Morgan. Some were shipped to Ireland where they were knoen as the 'Adventurers for land in Ireland'. Essentially, they contracted to keep the protestant faith, being granted lands for small sums, previously owned by the Catholic irish. In Ireland they could be found in almost every county. The New World also held many attractions. They sailed across the stormy Atlantic aboard the tiny sailing ships, built for 100 passengers, but sometimes carrying 400 or 500, ships which were to become known as the "White Sails". The overcrowded ships, sometimes spending two months at sea, were wracked with disease. those that survived the elements were often stricken with small pox, dysentery and typhoid, sometimes landing with only 60 to 70% of the original passenger list. In North America, one of the first migrants which could be considered a kinsman of the Jones family or having a variation of the family surname spelling, was Anne Jones who settled in 1648 in Virginia; also settled in Virginia were Charles Jones in 1636; Christopher Jones in 1652; David Jones in 1636, 1624, 1635; Dorothy Jones in 1654; Edward Jones in 1624; Elizabeth Jones in 1624; Evan Jones in 1635; George Jones in 1622; Henry Jones in 1638; Howel Jones in 1642; Hugh Jones in 1635; Humphrey Jones in 1636, and many many more. There are many notable contemporaries of this name, Emlyn Jones, American sociologist; Sir Brynmore Jones, British chemist; Evan Jones, archivist; Sir Ewart Jones; Geraint Jones, conductor; Sir Glyn Jones, diplomat; Gwyn Jones, physicist; Gwynneth Jones, opera singer. Whilst researching the family name Coat of Arms we traced the most ancient recording and grant of Arms. Those many branch Coat of Arms which were granted down through the ages may also be appropriate to the name. The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was blue with a silver lion with blood dripping from a wound in its chest. The Crest is a lion rampant. The ancient family motto for this distinguished name is "Heb Dduw Heb Ddim, A Duw a Digon". |
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