Captain Daniel Fones

Notes:

Some family trees have Daniel's wife as Mercy Remington.

See notes for Daniel's grandfather John.

From the book "The Correspondence of the Colonial Governors of Rhode Island, 1723-1775" (Google Books), p 329, "Fones was an enterprising sea captain who represented North Kingstown in the General Assembly. He was sent to Cape Breton with the Connecticut transports, in command of the Rhode Island colony sloop, Tartar, and there distinguished himself by intercepting at Famme Goose Bay a force of 1200 French and Indians, who were advancing from Annapolis to the relief of Louisburg. This was two days before the surrender of the fortress."

From the book Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Vol 3 p 94 (pub 1980 by General Society of Mayflower Descendants, ed Anne Borden Harding): "He m. Mercy ----- perhaps 1743 - 1747. The identity of his wife, the birth place and dates of his children is [sic] not known . . . From 1744 to 1747 he commanded the RI colony sloop Tartar . . . he is referred to as mariner in his will."

The will of Capt. Daniel Fones of North Kingstown, dated 8 Apr 1790 and proved 9 Aug 1790, mentions son Daniel dec'd leaving widow Mary; daughters Mary w/o Edward Yorke of East Falmouth, Nova Scotia; Martha w/o Michael Spencer of East Greenwich, and their son Fones Spencer; granddaughter Margaret w/o William Helme; grandchildren -- children of Mary and probably dec'd son Daniel -- Cynthia, Christopher, Constant, Mary, Dutee, and Daniel.

Daniel married Mercy Unknown Abt 1733. Mercy was born Abt 1715; died Bef 8 Apr 1790. [Group Sheet]

1. Daniel Fones was born Abt 1734, North Kingstown, RI; died Bef 8 Apr 1790.
2. Mary Fones was born Abt 1736, North Kingstown, RI.
3. Martha Fones was born Abt 11 Jan 1747/48, North Kingstown, RI.
4. Elizabeth Fones was born Abt 26 Oct 1750, North Kingstown, RI.

Notes:

I have estimated the birthdates for Jeremiah's children.

His will mentions wife Martha; sons Joseph, John, Daniel (under 21), Samuel, & Thomas; and daughter Margaret Davis, dec'd; also grandon John Davis.

Jeremiah married Martha West 9 Nov 1710, Jamestown, Newport Co., RI. Martha (daughter of Francis WEST, Sr. and Susanna SOULE) was born Abt 1676, MA or RI; died 2 Dec 1764; was buried , Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Rt. 102, Exeter, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

As a widow, Martha lived with her brother Francis West (Jr.), probably after the death of her first husband.

Notes:

FONES Jeremiah, and Martha; m. by John Eldred, Warden, Nov. --, 1710.

Notes:

John Fones settled at Kingston in 1669.

He may be the John Fones who was Town Moderator at Jamestown about 1680 (see Proprietors Records at town hall, p. 4).

From "Graveyards of North Kingstown, RI" by Althea H. McAleer (RIGS), Lot 4: "the Foneses were early settlers in North Kingstown. In 1672, John Fones and others negotiated with the Indians for a tract of land north of Devil's Foot and west of the Post Road now known as the Fones Purchase. Jeremiah, son of John, and Daniel, grandson of John, both settled on this land. Two old Fones houses, Jeremiah's and that of his son Daniel, the privateer and commander of the colony sloop "Tartar" stood until well into the 20th century on the NW corner of Post Road and Devils Foot Road. [My note: This area has recently been changed due to road construction and rerouting.] According to Hunter White, a Fones house, probably Jeremiah's, was on Namcook Road. It was owned by the Foneses until 1784, then by the Vaughans, the Reynoldses, and the Madisons. The old Fones Graveyard was found by George Harris in 1883 near the NE corner of Newcomb and Post Roads."

My note: this land of the Fones family is near or adjacent to the land of my Austin ancestors.

John married Margaret Unknown Abt 1660. Margaret was born Abt 1640. [Group Sheet]

Francis — Susanna SOULE. Susanna (daughter of George SOULE and Mary Marie BECKETT) was born Abt 1642; died Abt 1684, Kings Towne, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

George Soule came to America on the original Mayflower voyage to Plymouth. He was a servant to Edward Winslow. George signed the Mayflower Compact on 11 Nov 1620.

Interesting to note, particularly in the light of our twins, and other twins elsewhere on our family tree: "Soule descendants have shown a strong genetic trait of twinning." (see "Mayflower Descendants Through Five Generations" Vol. 3 , George Soule, p. 14) We have three lines of descent from George Soule.

I believe this has been disproven since being published, but still an interesting theory: "As was his wife Marie Bucquet, 'George Sowle . . was apparently also of a Waloon family. His proposed father Jan Sol was born in Brussels . . . the seat of the French community of Belgium and of the Flemish community. George Soule signed his will as 'Gorge Sowle,' thus blending the Dutch first name with an English-sounding surname. He was probably known as 'Joris Sol' or 'Joris Jansz' in Leiden and Haarlem before 1620.' " (source: The Mayflower Quarterly, December 2012, pp 378 & 379, article by Louise Walsh Throop)

In answer to my question about why George would have been known as Joris Jansz, Louise replied: "There were standard abbreviations for the -son ending or -daughter ending: the Dutch used -zn for the -son ending. So if George Sowle [his English name] was originally a Dutch boy of Huguenot background, he could have been called Joris [the equivalent of Gorg or George] the son of John, or Jansen, or the Dutch version: jan-zoon or Janzn. By the way, Labis is probably the surname of George's mother.....with the possibility she came from an upper-class family." (email from Louise Walsh Throop dated 14 June 2013)

From the "Soule Kindred Newsletter" of Winter/Spring 2016: "George's place and date of birth are the subject of much conjecture. Some sources identify the name Soule as originating in the village of Soles in the county of Kent. Another possibility is that it was brought to England from Normandy in 1066 when the French conquered England."

For additional information on George, see: http://www.themayflowersociety.com/pilgrim.htm

See this excellent web site by Caleb Johnson: http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/Passengers/GeorgeSoule.php

The text of his will can also be found at this site.

Also visit here for more information: http://www.soulekindred.org/

George married Mary Marie BECKETT Abt 1625, Plymouth, MA. Mary (daughter of John BECKETT and Ann ALDEN) was born Abt Feb 1604/05, Watford, Hertfordshire, England; died Dec 1676, Duxbury, MA; was buried , Standish Cemetery, Duxbury, MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I have estimated Marie's birth year. She arrived at Plymouth, MA, aboard the ship "Anne" in 1623. She may have come in the care of Elizabeth Warren who came with her five daughters (see Sould Kindred article mentioned below).

Her name is sometimes given as Mary Becket or Mary Bucket.

The earliest written record in Plymouth gives her name as Marie Buckett. She is next mentioned in the May 1627 Division of Cattle, listing George Sowle, Mary Sowle, and Zakariah Sowle. They are included in the section "Richard Warren and his companie Joyned with him."

"When she first set foot in Plymouth Colony in 1623, she was known as Marie Bucquet. In later records she was Mary. She was probably about 18 years of age in 1623 in order to travel by herself. If she was about 47 years old at the birth of her last child, she would have been born no later than about 1604." (source: The Mayflower Quarterly, Dec 2012, p 378, article by Louise Walsh Throop, MBA)

Soule Kindred Newsletter, Summer 2016, "Mary Beckett -- found?" article by March Kelly:
Latest research suggests that George's wife was Mary Beckett from Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Her grandfather was John Beckett, a tailor, who married Mary c1577. His will dated 20 July 1590 mentions son John Jr. and daughter Mary. John Jr. married Ann Aldyn in 1603 and they had five known children, including Mary in 1605.