James Jones 1804 - 1842  |  his parents
& Frances Ann Lewis ca 1820 -  |  her parents 
& Dr. James Batchelor of New Orleans d bef 1870
of Butler Co AL

The solitary headstone three miles west of the Crenshaw Cemetery on The Ridge was inscribed: "Sacred to the memory of James Jones, who died August 31st, 1842, aged 38 years." The numbers were worn and his age could have been "38" or "33." A verse followed the name and dates, but it was illegible by the 1960s when Myra Ware Crenshaw copied the marker’s inscription.

How did this marble marker come to stand alone in rural Butler County? Who was James Jones, and where was the family who cared for him and put up this marker at the time of his death?

Research revealed that James Jones was the son of early Butler County settlers Andrew and Sarah Jones. He was born in 1804 or 1809 in North Carolina and came as a child with his parents to Fort Dale in 1818-1819. James married Frances Ann Lewis, daughter of David Lewis, about 1838-1839. Frances’ sister Patsy married James’ brother Mathias Jones, and Mathias and Patsy’s daughter Matilda Jones married her mother’s first cousin, John Brooke Lewis – who became guardian of James Jones’ only son several decades later.

The 1840 Butler County census shows the James Jones household with 3 males, age 20-30 (James with two brothers or cousins), 1 female, age 15-20 (wife Frances Lewis, born 1819-1820), 1 female, age 10-15, 1 male, age 10-15 (two teenage cousins or boarding students?), and 1 male under age 5 (perhaps an infant son who died). James had 25 slaves with 13 people working in agriculture. Neighbors included Robert Yeldell, Hugh McKee, Wilkes Berry Waters, Philemon Berry Waters, Grey Thigpen, Mansel N. Womack and George Lewis.

An interesting reference to James Jones is found in Alabama Supreme Court records of 1845, when a case was brought by Joseph Jones against Frances Jones, administratrix of James Jones’ Butler County estate. Joseph claimed that a debt was owed him from his brother James’ estate. He testified that in 1839 or 1840 an agreement was made between them for Joseph to put up a "dwelling house and out houses" on James’ land with "hands furnished by brother." After James’ death, Joseph moved from the house but apparently felt that Frances (or James’ estate) owed him half the value of the house – and he sued to get it.

Child of James Jones and Frances Lewis:
1. James F Lewis 1841 -
     married 20 Oct 1868 Rose P Ferris ca 1843 DC -

James and Frances Jones had one son who lived to adulthood, James F. "Jimmy" Jones, born 1841. After James Jones Sr.’s death in 1842 (and the 1845 lawsuit), Frances married Dr. James Batchelor of New Orleans. Dr. Batchelor served in Nott’s Company of Alabama Volunteers in the Florida Seminole Wars, and was Jimmy’s guardian before John B. Lewis took on the responsibility. Dr. Batchelor and Frances have not yet been identified in the 1850-1860 census, but records indicate that they were probably living in New Orleans – since part of Jimmy’s inheritance (perhaps from his grandmother Sarah Jones’ estate) was "a negro girl named Harriett" who died in New Orleans in the 1850s.

In 1860 Jimmy was a 19-year-old student, living with his uncle and guardian John B. Lewis at Monterey in Butler County. A year later, the War Between the States began and Jimmy joined the Confederate army with many of his cousins and neighbors. He became a corporal in Company G, 9th Alabama Infantry. His cousin, Noland Lewis (also in the 9th Alabama), wrote a letter home to Butler County in July 1861, reporting that "Jimmie is in New Town, near Winchester. He has been quite sick with measles and fever but is improving. I think he physics himself too much, almost as bad as Jim Womack." In August, Noland wrote: "Jimmie Jones has become a second Jim Womack – carried his little medicine in his pockets and has every pain that anybody else has. He is doing tolerably well, sick most of the time, but not seriously ill." In October 1861 Jimmy had a furlough, perhaps for sick leave, as Noland wrote to his brother John: "Jim Jones leaves us tomorrow for home, and I send you a note by him." Jimmy’s hypochondriac tendencies were undoubtedly the inspiration for his career choice: he became a pharmacist after the war.

One of Jimmy’s friends and fellow soldiers was Edward Crenshaw. After the war, the Butler County boys kept up their friendship. Edward wrote in his diary on May 31, 1865: "Jimmy Jones came up to stay with me a few days." A day later on Thursday, June 1, 1865, he wrote: "Jimmy and I moved into Pa’s office in the yard today ... we are very well fixed." Edward’s father, Walter Henry Crenshaw, was a lawyer and judge who served as Alabama’s Speaker of the House from 1861 to 1865. Walter Henry must have felt that his legal services were not needed after the fall of the Confederacy, since he allowed the young men to make his office their bachelor headquarters.

Perhaps through visiting Jones, Lewis and Womack relatives in Mississippi, Jimmy Jones met his future bride. On October 20, 1868, he married Rose P. Ferris in Noxubee County, Mississippi. Rose was born 1843-1844 in the District of Columbia. Her father, H. C. Ferris, was a native of Ireland. After their marriage, Jimmy and Rose lived in Macon, Mississippi, where he had a drugstore. In the 1870 Noxubee County census, "James F. Jones" was age 28, born Alabama, with wife Rose P., age 26, daughter Mary F., age 1, born Mississippi, and "Frances A. Batchelor" (Jimmy’s mother), age 50, born North Carolina. Dr. Batchelor had apparently died, and Frances lived the remainder of her life with her son’s family.

In the 1880 census, Jimmy and Rose’s children were Mary, 11, James, 8, Martha, 6, Ruthy, 4, and Mathew H., 2. Also in the household were "F. A. Bachelor" (Jimmy’s mother), age 61, born North Carolina, with both parents born North Carolina, and "H. C. Ferris" (Rose’s father), age 63, born in Ireland, both parents born Ireland.

The 1920 census shows Jimmy and Rose Jones still living in Macon. He was 78 years old and she was 76. Their unmarried daughter Pattie (Martha), age 45, lived with them, as did bachelor son Henry M. (Mathew), age 41. The family has not been traced further, but cemetery records, probate records and death certificates would reveal more facts about "Jimmy" and his children – the only descendants of James Jones who died in 1842 in Butler County.

 Written by: Annie Crenshaw

Sources: Genealogical files of Myra Ware Williams Crenshaw; diary of Captain Edward Crenshaw, CSA; census and probate records of Butler County, Alabama and Noxubee County, Mississippi; Alabama Supreme Court records; Confederate military records.

Isaac Jones ca 1811 - ca 1893  |  his parents
& Ann Womack  |  her parents
of Copiah Co MS

Isaac Moore Jones was born 1811-1812 in North Carolina, the son of Andrew Jones and Sarah Moore. He was probably named for his mother’s brother, Isaac Moore (1783-1853), who married Polly Jones and settled in Dallas County, Alabama.

Isaac Jones came with his parents to Butler County in 1818-1819 when they settled near Fort Dale. He served as a private in the Creek Indian Wars in 1836-1837 with his neighbor and cousin Grief Jones in Henderson’s Company, Smith’s Alabama Mounted Volunteers.

After his militia service, Isaac married Ann Womack about 1838. Ann was the daughter of Jesse Womack and Frances Carter who married in Jones County, Georgia, in 1817 and settled in Butler County. Ann Womack’s sister Lucinda married Thomas Chiles Crenshaw, and her brother William Green Womack made Butler County history as he was killed by a slave in 1845. Alfred Carter, brother of Frances and early settler of Butler County, married Nancy Jones, whose sister Ann married first Mansel Womack and then Matthew Patton.

The Carter, Jones and Skinner families had intermarried since colonial days in Virginia and the Carolinas. Isaac’s father, Andrew Jones, was said to be the grandson of Kindred Skinner and Judith Carter. All the family connections have not been traced, but Moore Carter (born about 1680 - died 1740) married Jane Kindred (born about 1690/1700 - died 1764). Their daughter Susannah married William Skinner and another daughter married a James Jones. Moore Carter’s grandsons James and Kindred Carter moved to Warren County, Georgia about 1780, where Kindred was the ancestor of U.S. president Jimmy Carter.

Isaac Jones operated a general store with his brothers and was postmaster at Fort Dale in Butler County in 1839. He and wife Ann moved to Copiah County, Mississippi, between 1843 and 1845, where he was a planter. In the 1850 Mississippi census, their neighbors included his wife’s cousin Kinchen W. Paul (grandson of Mansel Womack), and other relatives. Many Butler County family names are found in this part of Mississippi as Alabama settlers moved westward.

Isaac Moore Jones Sr. and his wife Ann Womack were still living in Crystal Springs at the time of the 1880 census. He was a farmer, age 65, born in North Carolina, with parents born in North Carolina. Ann was "keeping house," age 59, born in Alabama, parents born in Georgia. They stayed in touch with their Alabama cousins over the years, who often visited them in Mississippi. Isaac died about 1893, and Ann died sometime after 1880. They are buried in the County Line Baptist Church Cemetery in Copiah County, Mississippi.

 Written by Annie Crenshaw

 Sources: Family charts and research of Catherine Octavine Bowers Selman (Mrs. R. L.) of Williamsburg, Virginia, great-great-granddaughter of Isaac Moore Jones and Ann Womack; census and probate records of Butler County, Alabama, and Copiah/Hinds/Warren Counties, Missississippi.

Children of Isaac Moore Jones and Ann Womack:
1. Wiley Andrew Joseph Jones 14 June 1839 AL -    general merchant
     married 18 April 1859 Margaret E. "Maggie" Osburn
      a. William A. Jones ca 1860 -
      b. Jimmie O. Jones ca 1863 -
      c. Robert V Jones ca 1868 -
      d. Mary E. Jones ca 1873 -
2. Isaac Moore Jones 19 Dec 1840 AL -   farmer Copiah Springs MS
     married 23 Dec. 1861 Martha E. Aills
3. Sarah Matilda Jones 13 Dec 1843 AL -
     married 31 Dec 1862 Bulow Hoxie Terry 18 Oct 1830 GA -deputy sheriff in Crystal Springs, MS 1880
son of Joseph Minter Terry (born 1799 - died 1862 Hinds County, Mississippi) and Martha Perrin Mims (born 1808 - died 1842 Columbus, Georgia). Martha was the granddaughter of Drury Mims and Lydia Jones of Virginia, and cousin of the "Mims Massacre" family of Fort Mims, Alabama.
      a. M. Fannie Terry 1863 -
      b. Anna Terry 1865 -
      c. Beulah Terry 1867 -
      d. George Terry 1869 -
      e. Lula Terry ca 1873 -
      f. Mary Ella Terry ca 1875 -
      g. Willie Terry ca 1879 -  [a boy]
4. Frances P. Jones 16 Aug 1845 MS - 21 Nov 1897
     married 8 Sept 1866 Capt. James B. Enochs
       a. Martha A Enochs 1869 -
       b. Isaac W Enochs 1872 -
       c. Fannie Enochs 1874 -
       d. Sarah M Enochs 1875 -
       e. Katie Enochs 1876 -
       f. John M Enochs 1878 -
       g. Frank Enochs 1879 -
5. Lucinda E. Jones May 1847 MS -
     married George T. Hardy 1842 -  contractor   Vicksburg, Warren County, MS
        a. Henry J Hardy 1868 -
        b. Anna M Hardy 1871 -
6. William Allen Jones 24 March 1850 MS - 5 Jan 1888   farmer Crystal Springs, Copiah Co MS
      married 25 Oct 1875 Cora Tillman
         a. Fred Jones 1878 -
         b. Alma Jones 1880 -
7. James Carter Jones 23 Sept 1853 MS - 25 Mar 1865
8. Mary Ella Jones 11 Feb 1855 MS - 
     married Isaiah Hardy     clerk  - Vicksburg MS
        a. Robert W Hardy 1875 -
        b. Katie L Hardy 1876 -
        c. Edwin O. D. Hardy 1878 -
        d. Mary E. Hardy 1879 -