Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/508

This page needs to be proofread.
472
JONES
JONES

cal society (New York, 1879). This work is a valuable contribution to American history. It is an account of the Revolution from a loyalist point of view, and is the only contemporary history written by one living at that time. — The first Thomas's grandson, Samuel, son of William Jones, lawyer, b. 26 July, 1734 ; d. in Westneck, L. I., 21 Nov., 1819, studied law in the office of William Smith, the historian of New York, who was subse- quently chief justice. During the Revolution he remained in the British lines, being a loyalist in principle, but took no part in the war. After peace was declared he became a strong Federalist. He held many offices of trust, political and legal, was often in the state assembly, and an active mem- ber of the convention at Poughkeepsie that adopted the constitution of the United States in 1788. In 1789, with Richard Varick, he revised the stat- utes of the state of New York, of which work he did the principal part. In the same year he was appointed recorder of the city of New York, an office he held for eight years, when he was suc- ceeded by Chancellor Kent. At the request of John Jay in 1796 he drew up the law establishing the comptroller's office of New York state as it now (1887) exists, and was appointed in that year to this office, which he held for three years, after which he retired to his country-seat, Westneck, L. I. Dr. David Hosack said : " Common consent has indeed assigned him the highest attainments in jurispru- dence, and the appellation of father of the New York bar." " No one," says Chancellor Kent, " sur- passed him in clearness of intellect and in mod- eration and extreme simplicity of character ; no one equalled him in his accurate knowledge of the technical rules and doctrines of real property, and his familiarity with the skilful and elaborate, but now obsolete and mysterious, black-letter learning of the common law." He published, with Richard Varick, " Laws of the State of New York " (2 vols., New York, 1789), and contributed valuable papers on the history of New York to the collections of the New York historical society. — His second son, Samuel, jurist, b. 26 May, 1769 ; d. in Cold Spring, N. Y., 9 Aug., 1853, was graduated at Columbia in 1790, and studied law in his father's office, having for his fellow-student De Witt Clinton. He held many important judicial offices, and at the outset of his career took an active part in politics. He was a member of the assembly in 1812-'14, recorder of New York city in 1823, chancellor of the state in 1826-'8, chief justice of the superior court of New York city in lb28-'47, and justice of the state su- preme court in 1847-9. At the age of eighty, on the expiration of his term, he resumed practice at the bar, and was actively engaged in profession- al life till within about two months of his death. He was active in the councils of the Protestant Episcopal church, and to his latest days remarka- ble for his interest in all matters of social and pub- lic importance. Judge Jones, like his father, was often called the " father of the New York bar." — Another son, David S., lawyer, b. in Westneck, L. I., 3 Nov., 1777; d. in New York city, 10 May, 1848, was graduated first in his class at Colum- bia in 1796. For a few years after leaving college he was secretary of Gov. Jay, and for nearly half a century one of the most active and influential members of his profession. After residing for sev- eral years on his estate at Massapequa, L. I., he re- moved to New York. He was especially interested in the institutions of that city, Columbia college, the Society library, and the General theological seminary, and connected with each of them as trustee and legal adviser for an unusual term of years. He also took much interest in the affairs of the Protestant Episcopal church. He was first Sdge of his native county while a resident at assapequa, and about 1840 received the title of LL. D. from Alleghany college, Meadville, Ph. Mr. Jones was connected by his three marriages with the Livingston, LeRoy, and Clinton families. See " Memorial of the Hon. David S. Jones " (New York, 1849).— David S.'s son, William Alfred, au- thor, b. in New York city, 26 June, 1817, was gradu- ated at Columbia in 1836, and studied law with Daniel Lord, but has never practised. He resided in his native city till 1867, and since then has lived in retirement in Norwich, Conn. He was librarian of Columbia college from 1851 till 1865. Mr. Jones has contributed many literarv and critical essays to periodicals. His published volumes, which are principally collections of these essays, are "The Analyst, a Collection of Miscellaneous Papers" (New York, 1839); "Literary Studies" (2 vols., 1847) ; " Essays upon Authors and Books " (1849) ; "Memorial of Hon. David S. Jones," his father (1849) ; and " Characters and Criticisms " (2 vols., 1857). His pamphlets include "The Library of Columbia College " (New York, 1861) ; " The First Century of Columbia College " (1863) ; and " Long Island," an address before the Long Island his- torical society (1863). — The first Samuel's grand- son, Samuel William, jurist, son of Maj. William Jones, of Cold Spring, b. 6 July, 1791 ; d. in New York city, 1 Dec, 1855, was graduated at Union in 1810. He studied law in the office of his uncle, Samuel Jones, and practised in Schenectady, N. Y., of which city he was mayor many years. He was also surrogate, and first judge of Schenectady county. — The first Samuel's nephew, Walter Restored, marine underwriter, son of John Jones, b. in Cold Spring, L. I., 15 April, 1793 ; d. in New York city, 5 April, 1855, was the founder of the Atlantic mutual marine insurance company, of New York city. By his untiring energy and devo- tion, his accuracy and masterly management of its interests, he built up a comparatively weak cor- poration to a valuable institution, over which he presided for many years. Mr. Jones was largely interested also in manufacturing enterprises, and especially in whaling operations, at a day when that was a lucrative department of our national industries. He may be considered the founder of the Life saving association. — Walter Restored's nephew, John Divine, son of John H. Jones, b. in Cold Spring, N. Y., 15 Aug., 1814, was placed in the office of his uncle, and under his guidance filled all the offices of the Atlantic company, of which he has been president since 1855. Mr. Jones has been a liberal benefactor of many public institutions, especially to the Protestant Episcopal church of New York city and Long Island, and to the His- torical society of New York.


JONES, Walter, physician, b. in Virginia in 1745; d. in Westmoreland county, Va., 31 Dec. 1815. He was graduated at William and Mary in 1760, and studied medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland, receiving his degree in 1770. On his return he settled in Northumberland county, Va., and at- tained note as a scholar and physician. In 1777 he was appointed by congress physician-general of the hospital in the middle military department. He was afterward elected to congress as a Demo- crat, serving from 1797 till 1799, and again from 1803 till 1811. He was at one time a free-thinker, but he subsequently embraced the Christian faith and wrote a volume denouncing his former theories.


JONES, William, governor of Rhode Island, b. in Newport, R. I., in 1754; d. in Providence, 9