LETTERS: John Jones not related

To the editor:

I read Mary Grow’s biographical essay on John “Black” Jones (July 24 issue) with great interest. The reason this article caught my eye more so than most of Grow’s excellent work was the fact that my Jones ancestors arrived in South China a long time ago. Since I read it I have discovered John Jones is unrelated to my family, which, based on what I learned about him, came as a great relief.

John Jones, born in 1743, was a surveyor, which apparently was a big deal back then. He lived in China for a period and was the first to survey China Lake, according to Grow. But this Jones was not exactly someone I would call a model citizen. He was described as “lithe of limb, flippant of speech,” “replete with sensation and romance,” and “the incorrigible and dauntless tory of Fort Western in Augusta.”

A tory! For a while he would “use his influence to disturb town meetings and bother the popular party generally,” which sounds like our current day politicians, but his support for the British during the revolution went too far. Jones enlisted with the British Army with the rank of captain and actively fought against our people. Eventually, and deservedly, he landed in jail, twice, yet somehow escaped each time.

Here is my point: there is an island on China Lake named John Jones Island, located across from Fire Road 38 and China Primary School. It’s possible the name doesn’t refer to this traitor. (Surely it does!) Having read Grow’s essay we must not be indifferent to this grave mistake. The Town of China should never honor traitors and criminals in this manner, especially since there are so few islands on China Lake. I urge those with authority to consider renaming this island with all deliberate speed. There are many other good Joneses from which to choose.

Geoff Hargadon
South China