James Jones

     James Jones was born in 1734. He and Christianah Folch were married circa 1764. He had nine wagon loads of furniture and household goods when he moved, around 1772, to Kingstown (Kingston), New York. James leased 52 acres of corporation land, on lease forever, for the annual rent of 12 skipples of wheat. He cleared about 20 acres and had erected a good log house with an apple orchard. His livestock consisted of 10 horned cattle, 2 horses, and 14 hogs. He and his family were living here when the revolutionary war between Great Britain and the United States broke out. Because he would not join the Rebels, he was imprisoned for 3 years and 2 months, in close confinement, with nine months in irons. He either escaped or was released in 1780, made his way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The trustees of the Corporation sold his land under the pretense of rent being due and warned his wife off. She managed to sell some cattle and saved one wagon load of furniture. Everything else was plundered or destroyed. James filed a claim for losses suffered during the war and states his losses as £250 New York currency. Images of the claim can be found here. He appeared as household head on the census of 17 September 1787 at district of Niagara, Upper Canada. He was listed as a head of household with 1 woman, 2 sons (over 16), 1 boy under 10 and 3 girls. He had 5 acres of land cleared and 3 bushels of wheat sowen. Total persons 8. James died in 1792 at Niagara District, Upper Canada, at age 58 years, This date is based upon his son Jonathan's Land Petition.