Charles Colcock Jones
Encyclopedia
Charles Colcock Jones, Sr. (December 20, 1804 – March 16, 1863) was a Presbyterian clergyman, educator, missionary, and planter of Liberty County, Georgia
.
The son of a merchant
and planter
with deep roots in coastal Georgia
, Charles Colcock Jones, Sr. was born at Liberty Hall, his father's plantation in Liberty County. He made a profession of faith when he was seventeen and was then prepared for the Presbyterian
ministry at Phillips Academy
(1825–27), Andover Theological Seminary (1827–29), and Princeton Theological Seminary
(1829–30). In 1846, Jones received an honorary doctor of divinity
degree from Jefferson College
, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
.
While in the North, Jones agonized over the morality of owning slaves, but he returned to Liberty County to become a planter, a missionary to slaves, and a somewhat reluctant defender of the institution of slavery. In 1830, he married his first cousin, Mary Jones; they had four children, three of whom survived to maturity.
Jones served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Savanah, Georgia (1831–32), professor of church history and polity at Columbia Theological Seminary
, Columbia, South Carolina, (1835–38), returned to missionary work in 1839, and was again professor at Columbia Seminary (1847–50). He then moved to Philadelphia and served as corresponding secretary of the Board of Domestic Missions of the Presbyterian Church until 1853, when his health failed and he returned again to Liberty County. Jones spent the remainder of his life supervising his three plantations, Arcadia, Montevideo, and Maybank, while continuing his evangelization of slaves. Besides many tracts and papers, Jones published The Religious Instruction of the Negroes in the United States (1842) and a History of the Church of God (1867). His Catechism of Scripture Doctrine and Practice (1837) was translated into Armenian and Chinese.
Two of Jones's children became notable in their own right: Charles Colcock Jones, Jr.
(1831–1893), a Georgia lawyer, historian, and amateur archaeologist; and Joseph Jones (1833–1896), a Louisiana physician and medical school professor.
In 1972, literary critic Robert Manson Myers published a huge collection of Jones family letters in The Children of Pride, a work of more than 1,800 pages, and the book won a 1973 National Book Award
. In 2005, historian Erskine Clarke published Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic based on an even larger collection of Jones family correspondence.
Liberty County, Georgia
Liberty County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 61,610. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 60,503...
.
The son of a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and planter
Plantations in the American South
Plantations were an important aspect of the history of the American South, particularly the antebellum .-Planter :The owner of a plantation was called a planter...
with deep roots in coastal Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Charles Colcock Jones, Sr. was born at Liberty Hall, his father's plantation in Liberty County. He made a profession of faith when he was seventeen and was then prepared for the Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
ministry at Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
(1825–27), Andover Theological Seminary (1827–29), and Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
(1829–30). In 1846, Jones received an honorary doctor of divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree from Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
.
While in the North, Jones agonized over the morality of owning slaves, but he returned to Liberty County to become a planter, a missionary to slaves, and a somewhat reluctant defender of the institution of slavery. In 1830, he married his first cousin, Mary Jones; they had four children, three of whom survived to maturity.
Jones served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Savanah, Georgia (1831–32), professor of church history and polity at Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . It is located in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Stephen A. Hayner is the seminary's president.-Description:...
, Columbia, South Carolina, (1835–38), returned to missionary work in 1839, and was again professor at Columbia Seminary (1847–50). He then moved to Philadelphia and served as corresponding secretary of the Board of Domestic Missions of the Presbyterian Church until 1853, when his health failed and he returned again to Liberty County. Jones spent the remainder of his life supervising his three plantations, Arcadia, Montevideo, and Maybank, while continuing his evangelization of slaves. Besides many tracts and papers, Jones published The Religious Instruction of the Negroes in the United States (1842) and a History of the Church of God (1867). His Catechism of Scripture Doctrine and Practice (1837) was translated into Armenian and Chinese.
Two of Jones's children became notable in their own right: Charles Colcock Jones, Jr.
Charles Colcock Jones, Jr.
Charles C. Jones Jr. was born October 28, 1831 in Savannah, the son of Charles Colcock Jones, a Presbyterian minister. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1852 then followed with a law degree from Harvard University in 1855. He became mayor of Savannah in 1860....
(1831–1893), a Georgia lawyer, historian, and amateur archaeologist; and Joseph Jones (1833–1896), a Louisiana physician and medical school professor.
In 1972, literary critic Robert Manson Myers published a huge collection of Jones family letters in The Children of Pride, a work of more than 1,800 pages, and the book won a 1973 National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
. In 2005, historian Erskine Clarke published Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic based on an even larger collection of Jones family correspondence.