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Below is a sample of a family biography
included in the Biographical and Historical
Memoirs of Monroe County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed in 1890.
These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing
ancestors or filling in the details in a family tree. Family biographies often
include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.
Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place
of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including
maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if
married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service,
church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often
ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical
record.
Capt. William J. F. Jones is a farmer and mechanic of Pine
Ridge Township, Monroe County, Ark., but his birth occurred in Maury County,
Tenn., in 1831, his parents being William and Penny (Skipper) Jones, natives
respectively of North Carolina and Virginia. They were both taken to Maury
County, Tenn., when small and were reared, educated and married in that State.
Mr. Jones died when our subject was about twelve years of age, and his wife
afterward married again and removed to Texas, where she died in 1883, both she
and Mr. Jones having been earnest members of the Methodist Church. Mr. Jones
was a farmer, as were his father and father-in-law, Joseph Skipper, and all
were early settlers of the State of Tennessee. Capt. William J. F. Jones was
the second of five children, and he and his elder brother, John W., were
reared to a farm life and after their father’s death assisted in the support
of the family until they attained manhood, William J. F. being so occupied
until he was twenty-four years of age. He was married in 1854 to Nancy A., a
daughter of William and Louisa Malone, by whom he became the father of ten
children, three sons and two daughters being now alive: William C., James T.,
Maggie I. (wife of John L. Barnett), Viola J. and Theodore T. After his
marriage Mr. Jones resided in De Soto County, Miss, (which was Mrs. Jones’
native birthplace), until 1856, since which date he has been a resident of
Monroe County, Ark. His first home here was a little log-cabin among the
woods, twelve miles east of Clarendon, and here, after many years of slow and
disheartening labor he finds himself the owner of 680 acres of as fine land as
there is in the county, and by his own efforts he has put 125 acres under the
plow. At the breaking out of the war he owed $500 on his homestead of 120
acres, but during this time he paid off the debt in full, and although suit
was afterward brought against him for the amount, the case was decided in his
favor. The rest of his property has been made since then. In 1861 he joined
Company A, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry, as a private and became a member of
the Army of the Tennessee, participating in the battle of Shiloh. On May 15,
1862, he was detailed home for recruits, and had no difficulty in raising
sufficient men to form Company E, which was attached to the Sixth Arkansas
Infantry, and he became its captain. He was in the engagements of Prairie
Grove and Helena, but was taken captive at the latter place on July 4, 1863,
and was taken to Alton, Ill., where he spent one month, and from that time
until January 9, 1865, he was kept a prisoner at Johnson’s Island. After being
paroled he returned to his farm. His first presidential vote was cast for
Pierce in 1852, but since 1874 he has been a member of the Union Labor party.
He belongs to the Agricultural Wheel. His wife is a member of the Christian
Church.
This family biography is one of 86 biographies
included in the Biographical and
Historical Memoirs of Monroe County, Arkansas published
in 1890. For the complete description, click here:
Monroe County Arkansas History, Genealogy
and Maps
View additional Monroe County,
Arkansas biographies here:
Monroe County, Arkansas Genealogy
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