Life History

Notes

• In the 1850 census, William Foote Jone's wife is reported as Nancy.  I have not been able to determine her maiden name.  Most genealogies lack this wife, reporting only his later wife (1870 and 1880 censuses) as the one wife, even though some also link to the 1850 and 1860 censuses reporting Nancy as the wife.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 13 November, Prairie Township, page 31-32 (16-17), Hse/Fam #23
  William F Jones 42 M [no occupation reported] b Virginia (b abt 1808)
  -- page 32 --
  Nancy Jones 37 F b Tennessee cannot read or write
  Manerva Jones 15 F b Arkansas
  Sarah Ann Jones 11 b Arkansas
  William F Jones 8 M b Arkansas
  Nancy Ann Jones 5  F b Arkansas
  Helen Jones 2 F b Arkansas
  John Holdway 20 M Laborer b Tennessee
  
  Jerry Griffitt provides some information on the Joneses of Prairie Township, Arkansas County, Arkansas, reporting three wives.  I cannot find any record for the wife he names as Mary Jane Granbery.  It may be William married her first and the early children are hers.
  
  Some of this information from Griffitt has the feel of family source information.  However, he reports the death of this William (William Foote) Jones as occurring in 1860, but has children born to him into later decades!  William died some time after the 1880 census.  Griffitt reports him in this census.
  
  Griffitt reports the second  (third? and last) wife as Mary E Jones.  Most genealogies have Mary as the only wife of William, and the mother of all the children, even if they link to the 1850 and 1860 censuses reporting his wife as Nancy.  The death in 1860 is obviously an error.  Mary Smith was first married to Benz Smith, a Prussian actually named Schmidt.
  
  William Jones
  Birth 1808 in Virginia
  Death Dec 1860 in Prairie Township, Arkansas, Arkansas
  Spouse Nancy [Last name unknown] b 1813
  Spouse Mary Jane Granbery 1826-1887
  Spouse Mary E. Jones b 1843
  --  Jerry Griffitt, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3144262/person/-858507754
  
  In 1860, William and wife Nancy are living a little farther west in the neighboring township of LaGrue.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 4 July, LaGrue Township, PO DeWitt, p 38, Hse #254, Fam #252
  William F Jones  52 M Farm $4000 Real Estate $1000 Personal Estate b Virginia (b abt 1808)
  Nancy Jones 48 F Housekeeper b Tennessee
  William Jones 17 M Farm Laborer b Arkansas
  Louiza H Jones 12 F b Arkansas
  Lurinda Jones 9 F b Arkansas
  Hannah Jones 5 F b Arkansas
  William Honwell [sic] 23 M School Teacher b Tennessee
  
  The last child of Nancy appearing in any census is Hannah, born in 1865.  In the 1870 census the 7-month-old Foote would be the first child of William and Mary.  Foote was born about November 1869.  This means Nancy died some time between 1855 and early 1869, when William would have married Mary E Smith.
  
  In 1870, William has moved back to Prairie Township and By 1880, William has married again.  He and his second wife Mary E Smith are living in Prairie Township again, in or near the town of St Charles.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 2 July, Prairie Township, PO St Charles, page 12, Hse/Fam #89
  Jones, William F 61 M W Farmer $320 Real Estate $500 Personal  b Virginia
  Jones, Mary E 28 F W Keeping House born Arkansas cannot read or write
  Jones, Lorinda 18 F W Farm Labor born Arkansas cannot read or write
  Jones, Foote 7mos M W born Arkansas November 1869

Sources

• 1. 1850 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 13 November, Prairie Township, page 31-32 (16-17), Hse/Fam #23
• 2. 1860 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 4 July, LaGrue Township, PO DeWitt, p 38, Hse #254, Fam #252
• 3. 1850 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 13 November, Prairie Township, page 31 (17), Hse/Fam #23
• 4. 1850 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 13 November, Prairie Township, page 32 (17), Hse/Fam #23
• 5. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #59679479
• 6. 1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 2 July, Prairie Township, PO St Charles, page 12, Hse/Fam #89