Thomas Jones (historian)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jones was a lawyer and politician of colonial New York
.
in 1750. Then he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1757, he was appointed Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Queens County, but left the office the next year. On December 9, 1762, he married Anna DeLancey (1746-1817, daughter of Lt. Gov. James DeLancey
), but they had no children.
From 1769 to 1773, he was Recorder of New York City
. From 1771 to 1773, he was also Corporation Counsel of New York City. In 1773, he was appointed to the Provincial Supreme Court and held the office until the end of the colonial administration.
Opinion in the colony was sharply divided in 1775 when Massachusetts rebelled against British rule, and Judge Jones came down squarely on the side of loyalty to Crown authority. For his disaffection for the rebellion he was kidnapped and exchanged for a friend of opposing opinions.
On October 23, 1779, the New York State Legislature passed an Act of Attainder which included ex-Judge Jones's name. His estate was confiscated, and he was forced to sail with his wife to England, remaining in exile until his death. There he wrote a History of New York During the Revolutionary War and of the Leading Events in the Other Colonies at That Period. (ISBN 1432529358 , ISBN 9781432529352)
The book supplied details about the battle for Brookland as he called it or Battle of Long Island
and complained against the generosity of the Treaty of Paris (1783)
and consequent mistreatment of Loyalist
s. Jones singled out for particular attention the evacuation of the village of Hempstead
, the recovery of escaped slaves by their Rebel owners, and the abandonment of Britain's Iroquois
allies in northern New York. The manuscript lay almost a hundred years on a closet shelf until it was discovered and published.
Comptroller Samuel Jones
was Thomas Jones's first cousin.
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
.
Life
He was the son of Judge David Jones (1699-1775) and Anna (Willett) Jones (1704-1750). He graduated A.B. from Yale CollegeYale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
in 1750. Then he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1757, he was appointed Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Queens County, but left the office the next year. On December 9, 1762, he married Anna DeLancey (1746-1817, daughter of Lt. Gov. James DeLancey
James DeLancey
James DeLancey served as chief justice, lieutenant governor, and acting colonial governor of the Province of New York.DeLancey was born in New York City on November 27, 1703, the first son of Etienne DeLancey and Anne-daughter of Stephanus Van Cortlandt...
), but they had no children.
From 1769 to 1773, he was Recorder of New York City
Recorder of New York City
The Recorder of New York City was a municipal officer of New York City from 1683 until the early 20th century. He was at times a judge of the Court of General Sessions, of the Court of Special Sessions, and the New York Court of Common Pleas; Vice-President of the Board of Supervisors of New York...
. From 1771 to 1773, he was also Corporation Counsel of New York City. In 1773, he was appointed to the Provincial Supreme Court and held the office until the end of the colonial administration.
Opinion in the colony was sharply divided in 1775 when Massachusetts rebelled against British rule, and Judge Jones came down squarely on the side of loyalty to Crown authority. For his disaffection for the rebellion he was kidnapped and exchanged for a friend of opposing opinions.
On October 23, 1779, the New York State Legislature passed an Act of Attainder which included ex-Judge Jones's name. His estate was confiscated, and he was forced to sail with his wife to England, remaining in exile until his death. There he wrote a History of New York During the Revolutionary War and of the Leading Events in the Other Colonies at That Period. (ISBN 1432529358 , ISBN 9781432529352)
The book supplied details about the battle for Brookland as he called it or Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
and complained against the generosity of the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
and consequent mistreatment of Loyalist
Loyalist
In general, a loyalist is someone who maintains loyalty to an established government, political party, or sovereign, especially during war or revolutionary change. In modern English usage, the most common application is to loyalty to the British Crown....
s. Jones singled out for particular attention the evacuation of the village of Hempstead
Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
, the recovery of escaped slaves by their Rebel owners, and the abandonment of Britain's Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
allies in northern New York. The manuscript lay almost a hundred years on a closet shelf until it was discovered and published.
Comptroller Samuel Jones
Samuel Jones (NY comptroller)
Samuel Jones was an American lawyer and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Jones and Phoebe Jones ....
was Thomas Jones's first cousin.
Sources
- The Jones Family of Long Island: Descendants of Major Thomas Jones (1665-) by John Henry Jones (pages 86 to 96)