Re: William Paul, Fredrickburg, VA
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In reply to:
Re: William Paul, Fredrickburg, VA
10/06/98
Ran across this when looking for my William Paul of prob. Augusta Co, VA.Maybe it will be of assistance to you.
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Virginia Vital Records:Virginia Will Records, Will of William Paul (Brother of John Paul Jones), Page 832
WILL OF WILLIAM PAUL
"In the name of God, Amen.I, William Paul, of the town of Fredericksburg and County of Spotsylvania, Virginia.Being in Perfect sound memory thanks be to Almighty God and knowing it is time appointed unto all men to Die Do make and Ordain this my last will and Testament in manner and form following -- Revoking all former Wills by me heretofore made.
Principally and first of all I recommend my soul to Almight God who Gave It Hoping Through the merits of my Blessed Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ to find Redemption, and as Touching and Concerning What Worley Estate, it hath pleased God to bless me with I dispose of in the following manner.Item.It is my Will and Desire that all my just debts and Funeral Expenses be first paid by my Executors hereafter named who are desired to Bury my Body in a decent Christian Like manner.
Item.It is my Will and desire that my Lots and Houses in the Town be sold and converted into money for as much as they will bring.That with all my other Estate being sold and what of my Outstanding debts that can be Collected, I give and bequeath unto my beloved sister Mary Young and her two Elder children in Arbiglin in the Parish of Kirthburn in Stewarty of Galloway, North Britain & their heirs forever.And I Do hereby impower my Executors to sell Convey the said Land, Lotts & Houses and make a fee simple therein as firmly as I could or might do it in my proper person.
I do appoint my Friends Mr. Wm. Templeman & Mr. Isaac Heslop my Executors to see this my Will Executed.Confirming this to be my last Will and Testament.In Witness whereof I have unto set my hand & fix'd my Seal as my Last act & Deed This 22d Day of March 1772
William Paul (Seal)
Wm. Paul having heard the above will distinctly read, Declared the same to be his last Will & Testam't in presence of us
John AtkinsonB. Johnston
Fras. Holmes
At a Court held for Spotsylvania Co. Dec 16, 1774.The last will of Wm. Paul was proved & the executors therein named refusing to take the executorship, John Atkinson was appointed executor with John Waller as security in 500 lbs sterling.
William Paul was buried in St. Georges Churchyard, Fredericksburg, where the tomb remains; but there is no record either in Spotsylvania or in Fredericksburg of the sale of his estate, or of any account rendered by the executor.The name of John Paul or John Paul Jones does not appear in either record.The house and lot where Wm. Paul lived can still be identified, and as the title can not be tranced from Wm. Paul down, it would be interesting to know how far back it can be traced from the present owner.
Mary, sister of Wm. and John Paul, married first Richard Young and secondly Mark Lowden,See "John Paul Jones as a Citizen of Virgina,"This Magazine, VII, 286-293)
Other reference sources for John Paul Jones:
http://webpages.homestead.com/revwar/files/JONES.HTMhttp://webpages.homestead.com/revwar/files/JONES.HTM
http://www.wsdar.org/maplebluff/essay_etc_.htmhttp://www.wsdar.org/maplebluff/essay_etc_.htm
http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/index.htmlhttp://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/index.html
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Found the subtopic in the above that was interesting and am listing below.
July 21
WHY JOHN PAUL TOOK THE NAME "JONES"
This might be interesting to you. In researching our Branch family tree, we discovered this story in a book written by Mary Jones Polk, who married Colonel Joseph Branch on November 29, 1859. Her stories concerning the Branch family were published under the title BRANCH-MEMOIRS OF A SOUTHERN LADY-WITHIN THE LINES and was also published in Munsey's Magazine, July 24, 1847, in the works of Cyrus Townsend and Fred Olds of Raleigh, North Carolina, and noted in DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY by Stewart-Trowbridge by Scribner's.
"On July 6, 1747, a son was born to a Scottish gardener and his wife, and was given the name of John Paul, Paul being the family name. In later years John Paul came to America to settle an estate willed to him by his brother. In his travels he became acquainted with a great many people here, among them two brothers, Allen and Wylie Jones, and their wives.
These two families had adjoining plantations and at times John Paul would stay with first the one and then the other of these families. These men were grandsons of Robin Jones who had come to America in 1700 and settled in Sussex County, Virginia. John Paul's bold and frank, sailor-like manner endeared him to the Jones families and through them he met many important governmental figures, among them was Joseph Hewes, Chairman of the Committee of Naval Affairs. It was through him that John Paul was given a post as Lieutenant in the Navy.
While on one of John Paul's extended visits to the homes of the Jones families, particularly that of Wylie, whose wife was a woman of very noted activities in caring for poor girls who needed her in learning to care for their business interests as well as their personal self-images, sometimes having as many as twelve to fifteen living in her home. John Paul was very impressed with the Jones families and he told them that he was going to take the name of "Jones" and make it famous. Hence the name John Paul Jones.
The DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY states, following an account of his birth and background that "for some unknown reason he took the name of Jones." Mary Polk Jones Branch's grandfather was present at this event and the story became a part of their family history.
See: BRANCH-MEMOIRS OF A SOUTHERN LADY-WITHIN THE LINES by Mary Jones Polk Branch, published by Joseph G. Branch Publishing Co. Publishers, Chicago and Copyrighted in 1912 by Joseph G. Branch.
Also Munsey's Magazine, July 24, 1847 Works of Cyrus Townsend-Fred Olds of Raleigh, North Carolina Dictionary of American Biography - Steward - Trowbridge, Scribner's I don't have to add that I am a "branch" of this Branch family.
Carol Smith of San Angelo Texas
[email protected]
EDITOR'S REPLY: Though family oral tradition often does not make good history, this is the most reasonable explanation we've ever heard of why JPJ took the name "Jones." It serves as a plausible answer to the Jones riddle, still allows for the name to be a "cover" for John Paul's pending trial for murder in Tobago, and nicely dead-ends the issue of a Jones genealogy. Thanks for the research and the excellent source references.
http://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/index.htmlhttp://www.seacoastnh.com/jpj/index.html
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http://216.219.144.97/jpaulj.htmhttp://216.219.144.97/jpaulj.htm
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/traditions/html/jpjones.htmlhttp://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/traditions/html/jpjones.html
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq58-1.htmhttp://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq58-1.htm