JAMES JONES great-grandfather JAMES McKEE
“Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania”
Editor: John W. Jordan, LL. D.
Illustrated.Volume 2.
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1913
Pg. 709
JONES – The name of JONES is of Welsh origin, being in the possession case, so to speak, and is derived from the Christian name JOHN.The Welsh distinguished themselves one from another by employing the Welsh preposition “ap” which, literally rendered, means “the son of,” for distinction, “Thomas ap John,” or, THOMAS, the son of JOHN.Later an “s” was added, also an “e” inserted, for the sake of euphony, and the “h” dropped , JOHNS, JOHNES, JONES.The great warrior and crusader, SIR HUGH JOHNYS or JONES, derives his name in this way.
___JONES was a native of Wales and emigrated to the United States with his wife.He was drowned in the Ohio River before the birth of his child. His wife, who was a MISS McKEE, died at McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, Pa., shortly after the birth of her child, JAMES.
JAMES JONES, son of the preceding, was born at McKees Rocks, Pa., Nov. 28, 1812.Thus early orphaned, he was reared and educated in the place of his birth, and became a coal boat pilot.He fell heir to a farm of about 125 acres, where Woodlawn is now located, this having come to him from his great-grandfather, JAMES McKEE, who emigrated to America in 1834, lived at South Side, Pittsburgh, then went to Evansville, Indiana, where he and his wife died.MR. JONES, upon the acquisition of this farm, became engaged in its cultivation, with which he was occupied until his death in 1887.He was a Republican in politics, and a member of the Lutheran Church.He married HANNA BAIRD, born in Germany, Nov. 28, 1822, died in 1892 on her husband’s farm.They had children: MARGARET, born May 12, 1841, married D. A. McDONALD, died March 20, 1866; MARIA, born Jan. 21, 1843, died June 4, 1857; JOHN B., born Sept. 17, 1845, died April 25, 1880; JAMES T., born Feb. 19, 1849, died Dec. 18, 1899; ALEXANDER McKEE; THOMAS M., born April 15, 1857, died June 27, 1904; THADDEUS F., born Jan. 24, 1860; CHARLES ALBERT, born Nov. 27, 1862, died Dec. 24, 1865; ULYSSES GRANT, born March 3, 1865, died April 25, 1911.
THADDEUS F. JONES, son of JAMES and HANNAH (BAIRD) JONES, was born in Logstown, now Aliquippa and Woodlawn, Beaver County, Pa., Jan. 24, 1860.His early years were passed on the homestead farm.He commenced his business career as a pilot on the river, and was thus occupied for a number of years.He then became ferryman, and also rented pleasure boats to the people in general, and amassed a considerable fortune.He and his brothers sold the homestead farm to the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company in 1907, and since that time MR. JONES has lived retired from business affairs.He had a fine residence erected at Allegheny Avenue and Sixth Street, in which he is living at the present time.He is a staunch supporter of Republican principles, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.His fraternal connections are with the following organizations: Woodlawn Lodge, No. 1221, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Aliquippa; Lodge No. 1708, Improved Order of Eagles, of Aliquippa; Russell Lodge, No. 1065, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Woodlawn.
MR. JONES married, Sept. 18, 1885, HENRIETTA SWAGGER, of Woodlawn, and they have had children: FANNIE L., married SAMUEL PECKARD, chief electrician of the Lake Erie Railroad; HANNAH, married JOHN MACKEY, of McKee Rocks, has a daughter, MADELINE; ALMA, married MILTON BOYD, has a child, ALEXANDER DONALD; THOMAS JAMES, married LILLIAN CARNEY, of Sharon, Pa., and now lives in Youngstown, Ohio; JOHN McKEE, a member of the class of 1914 of the Aliquippa High School; EDGAR, studying as a machinist and electrician at the McKees Rocks shops; ELMO JUDSON, died in infancy; EDITH ANGELINE, attends school at Aliquippa.