PAGE 2—THE HERALD, Ahoskie. N. C.—MILESTONE YEAR 1959
Family Included First Chowan Grad:
Colonel Jones: Neglected Figure
In 18th Century Hertford Story
One of the neglected figures of
early Hertford County history,
Col. James Jones, sired a long and
illustrious line which has been
written about at length.
The tales always centered on
the “other” side of the family,
however, rather than the Jones
side. The Colonel was, in fact, the
great-great-great-grandfather of
J. Raynor Moore of Powellsville,
and it is on the Colonel’s land
that the Moores live today.
Perhaps unfortunately, J. Ray
nor Moore’s paternal great-grand
father was also distinguished, and
much closer to memory in the
span of time.
The history of the Moore fami
ly, back to the illustrious Dr.
Godwin C. Moore, patriarch of
the Chowan Baptist Association,
has become a legend. Yet the his
tory of the Jones family, from
which J. Raynor Moore is also
descended, sheds a light on a for
gotten page of this county’s ear
liest years.
Col. James Jones was one of
the most important men in the
province of North Carolina, at the
turn of the 18vh century. The
grant of land from the King of
England to Jones is part of the
collection of Moore family papers
and mementos. Col. Jones is listed
as one of the major landowners
in what was first Bertie precinct,
then Hertford County.
His holdings totaled almost a
thousand acres near Pitch Land
ing on Chinkapin Creek, stretch
ing back from Pitch Landing al
most to the present town of Pow
ellsville.
On King's Council
Col. Jones was one of the rep
resentatives of the province on
the King’s Council, a judiciary
body appointed by the King of
England at the recommendation
of the provincial Governor. At the
time of Jones’s service, during the
1754-64 decade, Arthur Dobbs
was provincial Governor. Mem
bers of the King’s Council were
required to own at least one
hundred acres of land, and had
supervision over the Assembly of
elected freeholders which govern
ed the province.
Pitch Landing served, in the
early 1700’s, as the post office for
the entire southern area of what
came to be Hertford County.
Although not listed as one of
the “King’s Landings” where
stores were unloaded, it was a
major center of trade and trans
portation. The Colonel’s fine home
was not actually at the Landing,
but was situated on the banks
of what is variously termed
Stony Creek, Bear Swamp, or
“Jones Hole,” as it was called in
his day. This site is about five
miles from Bethlehem Baptist
Church, off the main paved road
running to Powellsville.
It was at this home that James
Jones, Jr., was born in 1765, the
heir to an imm.ense fortune in
land and slaves. James, Jr. suc
ceeded his father in the service
of Hertford County, serving in
the House for twelve years. Win-
borne’s history of Hertford Coun
ty records that he “inherited a
large estate from his father,” and
married Anne Walton.
His sons were Dr. William
Jones, James Jones, III, and
Jones Family Pictures:
Old Oil Porfraifs of Pioneers
Howell Jones. After his death at
the early'age of 51 in 1816, his
widow married Col. Matthias
Brickie, Jr., son of the first n
ister in Bertie precinct, the Epis
copalian Matthias Brickie.
James Sidney Jones, the son ol
James Jones, III, did not
choose to remain a plantation
owner on the Jones estate, but
moved to Georgia. He disposed of
the Colonel’s broad acres by sell
ing them to his brother-in-law,
James Ward, of Bertie County,
See JONES, Page 4
UNUSUAL ANTIQUES—Every corner of the J.Raynor Moore parlor, in the ante-bellum home
near Powellsville, is filled with interesting details from the past. James Elliot Moore, grandson
of the J. R. Moores, stands before an immense K.iabe piano which his great-great-grandfather,
Maj. John W, Moore, purchased from the Chicago World Exposition of 1896. On the piano is a
large glass candle cover, used well over 150 years ago. On the wall hangs a portrait of Julia
Wheeler Moore, the wife of Dr. Godwin C. Moore of Baptist fame. The large framed painting is a
fanciful scene of Sir Walter Raleigh spreading his cloak for Queen Elizabeth. According to family
legend, Ann Ward Moore, first graduate of Chowan College and J. R. Moore’s grandmother, posed
for the figure of Queen Elizabeth. (Staff photo)
FIRST ALUMNA—Charming, attractive and intelligent—these
are the adjectives used to describe Ann Jones Ward, the first
graduate of Chowan Baptist Female Institute. The heiress to the
large fortune and lands of her mother, Elizabeth Jones Ward
Delk, the educated young woman married into an equally dis
tinguished family when she became the bride of John Wheeler
Moore, son of Dr. Godwin Cotton Moore. Maj. and Mrs. John W.
Moore returned to the Jones homestead after the Civil War, and
were active in the affairs of Bethlehem Baptist Church. This
portrait hangs in the home of J. Raynor Moore, Ann’s grandson.
(Staff photo)
BAPTIST PATRIARCH—Dr. Godwin C. Moore, moderator of the
old Chowan Baptist Association and a distinguished scholar,
looks down from the mantel of the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.
Raynor Moore near Powellsville. Dr. Moore was the great-grand
father of Mr. Moore. The portrait is one of a pair in the home
painted in the early 1800’s, sometimes credited to the noted
painter, Tom Sully, (Staff photo)
CIVIL WAR HERO—Major John Wheeler Moore, who served
valiantly in the Civil War, was the author of two important
works, a roster of North Carolina troops and a history of public
schools in North Carolina. This portrait of him, now in the home
of his grandson, J. Raynor Moore, near Powellsville, was painted
when Major Moore was about 26 years old. (Staff photo)
RARE PIANO;—This extremely rare “harp” piano, believed to
be one of only two in existence, was one of the first experimental
models in upright pianos. The exposed strings soon lost their tone
because of weather variances, however, and the plan was aban
doned. This model stands in the parlor of the J. Raynor Moore
home near Powellsville, in front of a portrait of “Aunt Martha”
Worrell of Virginia, who was the sister of Dr. Godwin C. Moore.
(Staff photo)
COFIELD — These early
oil portraits, done in colors
now faded on thin canvas, have
been preserved in the attic of the
home of William S. and John T.
Bazemore, between Cofield and
Harrellsvillc. The Bazemores and
their brother Elbert, whose home
is farther up the “Bazemore
road,” own six sections of the
original eight which belonged to
Howell Jones, brother of James
Jones, III, All of the land be
tween Pitch Landing on Chinka
pin Creek and Bear Swamp near
Powellsville wa.s part of the orig
inal land grant to the first Col.
James Jones in pre-Revolutionary
War days.
The portraits, painted in the
first quarter of the 19th century,
were part of the few items saved
from the old Howell Jones homo,
when it burned in 1930. A brick
found in the chimney after the
fire was dated “1825,” indicating
the home was built then.
Howell Morgan Jones, a son of
James Howell Jones, who first
lived in the home, married Mary
Thomas, daughter of Abraham
Thomas of Bethlehem. Howell
M. Jones was wounded in the
Civil War and later died from
complications, leaving his wife
and seven small children. One of
their daughters, Aurelia Jones,
married John T, Bazemore. It is
their sons who now own the
property.
Left Portrait
The portrait at left is of Eliza
beth Jones Ward Delk. daughter
of James Jones III, sister of
William Jones and James Sidney
Jones. Her first husband was her
first cousin, James Howell
Jones, a fact which has kept the
Jones family history confused.
The names James, Howell, and
Sidney recur in all branches of
the famUy. By her marriage with
James Howell Jones, Elizabeth
Jones became the mother of sev
eral children, including Howell
Morgan Jones.
The portrait of James Howell
Jones is at right. The jagged
tears in his picture were caused,
according to family tradition, by
a stick of stovewood which a
cook threw through the picture
because she disliked the way
“The eyes followed her.”
After the death of her first
husband, Elizabeth Jones mar
ried James Ward of Bertie Coun
ty, who died in 1843. Only one
child, a daughter Ann, was
born to them, and she was, of
course, the half-sister of Howell
M. Jones.
For a third (and final) hus
band, Elizabeth Jones Ward mar
ried the eminent Baptist preach
er, the Rev. James A. Delk, and
moved to Murfreesboro.
The children’s portraits are
older than those of the man and
wife. J. T. Bazemore said that
the boy is probably James Sid
ney Jones, the son of James
Jones III. The portrait was pre
sumably painted in the late 1790’s
or early 1800’s. This date is de
termined by the fact that the
girl is supposedly Helen Jones,
who died in childhood after a fall.
Both children were the offspring
of James Jones III, and their
sister was Elizabeth, who is pic
tured only as an adult.
James Sidney Jones as a young
man practiced law in this county.
In the decade between 1830-40,
he moved to Georgia after sell
ing his land and home to his
brother-in-law, James Ward. That
home near Powellsville is now.
occupied by; J. Raynor Moore,
whose grandmother was Anne
.Tones Ward,' daughter of Eliza
beth and James Ward.
1. .ar *
. • (' '■
The 200th Anniversary of Hertford
County IS most certainly an event
that should be marked b'/ celebra
tion, The accomplishments of the
citizens of Herffcrd Ccunfy during
the past 200 years along social and
economic lines have been outstand
ing and progressive. We are proud
to work and live in this forward-look
ing area.
We Look Forward.,.
1 n our profession we try to-constantly
look into the future , , , your future
and ycur family's future. History
tells us that economic planning for
the future means security for any
family , , , and we believe, insurance
is jusf such planning. An insured
family is o forw'ard-looking family.
Let us help you with your future
plans.
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BRYANT INSURANCE
AGENCY
Ahoskie, N. C.
125 W. Main St.
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