Eli Jones (1807-1890) was born in China, Maine, the son of Abel and Susannah Jepson Jones. He m. Sybil Jones in 1833. He was acknowledged a minister and began traveling in the ministry with his wife to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Together they also visited most of the Yearly Meetings in the United States; in Africa they visited Liberia; in Europe, they journeyed to England, Ireland, France, Norway, Germany and Switzerland and Greece. Finally, they went to do religious work in the Middle East. Jones was active in most New England Yearly Meeting committees, working for the causes of temperance, education and peace. He served in the legislature in Augusta, Maine, in 1854, and was responsible for re-opening Oak Grove Seminary in 1856, serving as principal that year.
Sybil Jones (1808-1873) was born in Brunswick, Me., the daughter of Ephraim and Susannah Dudley Jones. She taught in a Friends School in 1824-25, then in public schools for 8 years. Jones was acknowledged a Quaker minister, traveling with her husband in the ministry. In 1850, she felt moved to minister in Africa; she and her husband were guests of President Roberts in Liberia. During the Civil War, she tended the wounded in Washington and Philadelphia. She comforted Mrs. Lincoln after the President's assassination and gave spiritual advice to President Johnson. In 1867, Sybil and Eli Jones began their last missionary journey to Europe, Athens, Syria, Egypt England and Palestine, establishing missions on Mt. Lebanon and Ramallah, Palestine. Sybil Jones was a member of China (Me.) Monthly Meeting.
James Parnell Jones (1835-1864) was born in Dirigo, Me., the son of Eli and Sybil Jones. He was a cousin of Rufus M. Jones and older brother of Richard Mott Jones. He m. Rebecca Runnels in 1857. He attended Haverford College from 1851-1852 (he received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Michigan). He became a teacher and principal of Valley School in Michigan. Still a Quaker, he determined that the outrage of slavery was a stronger principle than his pacifism and became an officer in the Union army, achieving the rank of major. He was disowned by his Meeting in China, Me. He died in battle at Crystal Springs, Va.
Biographical information from Dictionary of Quaker Biography, internal evidence and an article by Peter Curtis, "A Quaker and the Civil War." <emph render="italics">Quaker History</emph>, vol. 67, 1978, no. 1, p. 35..
Coll. no. 1009
Gifts , 1965-1966; Addition by purchase from Kenneth C. Walker, 1967. Another addition, gift,1979 and
gift , 1968.
Papers include, part I, papers of Eli (1807-1890) and Sybil (1808-1873) Jones, Friends' ministers and missionaries from Maine: personal and family correspondence, including letters, 1867-1890, from son-in-law William Jacob; Charles B. Jones, head master of Oak Grove Seminary, Vassalboro, Me., Sept. 26, 1887, telling of fire at the school; letters to and from Eli Jones, about work in Syria and Palestine; letters, 1853-1883, of Richard Mott Jones, head master of William Penn Charter School, Phil., and letters about him and the school to his wife (Annie) Virginia (Costello) Jones, 1915-1918; letters to Susan Taber Jones, notabely 23 from her mother, Sybil Jones, during Sybil's travels in the ministry, ca.1851-1869, and 12 letters from her father, Eli Jones, about travels and Friends' work in Syria and Palestine, ca.1852-1884. Papers also include travelling Minutes, journals and diaries, accounts of travels abroad, albums, memorials, poetry, legal and business papers, photographs and sketches, maps of Friends Meetings and missions abroad; other;
Papers of Charles M. Jones and Ellen (Maxfield) Jones.
204 items, 1892-1896.
These papers consist almost entirely of letters to Charles and Ellen Jones from family and friends, while they were in charge of the Eli and Sybil Jones Mission at Ramallah, Jerusalem, Palestine. Content is mainly personal. They also include a small group of William Francis Maxfield materials, 1895-1908, including photographs, clippings and genealogy.
Letters of James Parnell Jones.
35 items, 1852-1864.
These letters were written from Haverford College (student); Valley School (teacher) and as a soldier in the Civil War.
Concerns wedding of a Miss Cachett and Captain Prince
[Tells of death of brother, Ephraim Magoon, in Civil War battle, at Dinwiddie Court House, Pa.,
[Condoles over death of father]
[Concerns death of Eli Jones]
[Welcoming her return from abroad]
[sympathy about death of Eli Jones]
[Note from S(tephen) Dillingham on last page]
[Tells about his marriage to Alice Osborne]
[Business matter]
[Speaks of fire at the Seminary and determination to build it up again; regrets he could no get away to join family (?) gatherings]
After the death of Sybil Jones, the writer responds to Eli Jones' request to recollect their school days together, which the writer proceeds to do
Addressed to parents and siblings, 20 letters indicate his and Sybil Jones' locations during the period 1840-1876 as Bridgetown, Baltimore, Upper Canada, New Bedford, Mt. Pleasant (OH), New York, Philadelphia, Burlington, South China (Me), Dublin (Ireland), Leeds (England), Congeries (France), Stavanger (Norway), Nimes (France), Jamestown (N.C.), London (England), Brumana (Syria); Packfield (England). In a letter of 1st mo 5, 1853, Jones states that in the past year, he and Sybil Jones traveled 6800 miles and attended over 150 meetings in the previous year. He often reports on attendance at Meetings, and describes people whom they have met, including Jasper Cope, Francis King, Mahlon Day, William Fox, Benjamin Seebohm, Sarah Robson, but also recommends best Christian practices for living and refers to his and Sybil Jones' work in Lebanon. He describes at some length the ministerial visits of James Backhouse (4th mo 1st 1853)and the situation in Brumana ; and, of course, discusses health.
[Tells of arrival and experiences in the city]
[Reports on continuing travels]
[Encloses letter from Henriette Sophia Pike]
[Describes opening session of State Legislature, and his being the only Quaker there, to affirm, instead of swear, his oath of office]
[Gives her news of her brothers, James Parnell at Haverford, Richard and Grellet at West Hill; Eli and Sybil, about to sail for England]
[Tells of his and Sybil's religious ministry in North Carolina]
[Tells of travels]
[Gives advice about home affairs and news of travels]
[Gives advice about home affairs and news of travels]
[Tells about educating natives]
[Tells about work of Friends' mission there]
[Tells more experiences, including interview with Governor of Palestine]
fragment
[Concerns affairs of the Palestine Mission]
[Business]
[including announcement of her engagement]
[Written to Eli, at Providence Boarding School; two additional pages filled with letters from his parents and sister Eunice]
[Contributes to contraband store; is worried lest Eli Jones impoverish himself, to help the freedmen; offers to help him financially]
[Sends circular of Women's Foreign Missionary Association of Friends of Phila., and ask what they can do to help with the Mission work at Mt. Lebanon]
[Sends money order to help establish girl's training home at Brumana]
[With P.S. from husband George; discuss plans for starting girls' school and also a boy's boarding school]
[Hoping to hear him speak at North Carolina Yearly Meeting, about Palestine]
[Sends box of fossils]
[Tells of trip to Europe, state of things at Mission, etc.]
[Invites him to come to tell Bible School about travels in Holy Land and about Friends' principles in general, etc.]
[Wants him to attend meeting of Sister's Tract Association]
[1875: Speaks of proposed Syrian Cimmittee at meeting in London; 1884: Speaks of obituary to Sybil Jones in the
[Speaks of starting small trees from cone of cedar of Lebanon, etc.]
[Give news of the Mission and speak of need for training school for girls]
[Gives news of E. Grellet Jones, hoping to start medical practice in Enfield Center, N.H.]
[Tells of school there and related matters]
[Speaks of Eli Jones's 80th. birthday]
[Sends money for Eli Jones's support]
[Negro boy speaks of Eli Jones 's efforts to help the slaves]
[Tells of funds being raised to help the Friends' Mission in Palestine]
[Speaks of her editorship of the
[In Norwegian; partial translation filed with letter]
[Thanks him for help in raising money for Friends Mission on Mt. Lebanon]
[Concerns building and launching of new Training Home for Girls]
[English woman, brought to Maine by Sybil Jones to take care of her mother, remained with family for the rest of her life. Tells of trip from Maine to Philadelphia, where she takes care of Jones children]
[Tells of missionary work and general conditions in Alaska; tells of whites depraving Indian girls]
[Concerns a Friends' minister named John Henry Douglas, and whether to invite him to come and minister in New England Yearly Meeting]
[Gives account of rough crossing made by Charlie [Jones?] in his travels]
[Tell of school days in Trenton]; to China Monthly Meeting, from Vassalboro, Me., 4mo. 15, 1873 [asking permission to marry, co-signed by Annie Virginia Costello]; to father, Philadelphia, 7mo. 17, 1883 [tells of furnishing a house, etc. (head master of William Penn Charter School)]
[telling of grandmother's ill health and urging their prompt return]
[Concerns renewal of insurance]
[Tells of the work of the school and of how much Eli and Sybil Jones meant to it]
[Condolence on death of Eli Jones]
Poem, South China, Maine,
Speaks of the difficulty of leaving all her children in order to do God's work
[Tells of her father's death]
[Sends donation for their support]
[Wife of Richard Mott Jones; gives news of family and friends; tells of great storm in Maine that damaged Bangor badly]
about Richard Mott Jones, his death, and the ensuing changes in the William Penn Charter School;
[Encourages her in practice of Christian Science]
[Says she has consumption]
[Speaks of his improving health]; letter to Susan T. Jones, Dirigo, Me. St. Albans, March 24 [Speaks of James going to war, gives family news] (with envelope); letter to Susan T. Jones, Germantown, Pa. Camp near Weldon Railroad, Oct. 13, 1864 (with envelope) [Mourns death of James Parnell Jones in battle]; letter to Susan T. Jones, Germantown, Pa. Camp, 1st. Maine Cavalry, Va., Feb. 15 [1865] (with envelope) [Acknowledges money and mittens]
[Gives news of family and friends]
(now Moses Brown School)
The photographs are of places and people, including in native dress. Included among the identified are Abdel Kadir, H. Hishmeh?, Dr. B.J. Manasseh, M. Isaac, Ramallah, a teacher at Ramallah, A.S. Tatnell (or Tadwell), "Blind at the school, Beirut; Ghandoor is reading"
According to a note in the hand of Mary Hoxie Jones, the album contained photos from Brumana & Ramallah and Syria. Not all the photographs are identified.
[Letter of introduction for Eli and Sybil Jones]
[Gives reminiscences of student days at Penn Charter School and pays tribute to Richard Mott Jones and his influence]
[Tells of friends met at Yearly Meeting]
[Gives history and reminiscences of Pond Meeting House; regrets cannot attend Centennial]
[Discusses school for Oldtown Indians; also asks about Mt. Lebanon Mission]
[Reports on progress at school; speaks of Susan and passage to (Ireland?)]
[Tells her her son, William, is missing in action]
[Reminisces about town (China?) in 1860's and '70's]
[Tells grievances against School Committee and decision to resign. 2nd. letter has p.s. from wife, Marianne K. Saleeby]
[Noteworthy are 4 letters of Timothy B. Hussey, North Berwick, Me., 12mo. 2, 1895 - 1mo. 7, 1896]
[attended PYM at which John Wilbur spoke. When some Friends wished him removed, Nathan Kite said it was a pity to persecute “that just man.”]
[change in curriculum at H.C.; finds himself ahead of others students and is reading extensively.]
[discusses slavery, elections; building of new observatory at H.C. also gas lights and gymnasium; Jones elected curator of Loganian Society]
[is learning French and thinks it would be valuable for his father to learn it if he will open a school in future.]
[subject of slavery is not allowed at H.C., as well as certain others which are interdicted; thinks little of Phila. Friends.]
[distressed with the state of society and current literature.]
[Many Wilburites in attendance; had thought of getting job at Oak Grove Seminary, but then took position at Valley School.]
[is the principal at Valley School; before leaving H.C., gave the valedictory address before Loganian Soc.; describes his travels after leaving H.C. en route to Adrian, Mich.]
[talk of his duties at Valley School; feels he may not stay another term, but go to Oak Grove]
[believes wholeheartedly in the union's cause and hopes parents will see his viewpoint.]
[tells of movements and actions within his regiment.]
[tells of the battle of Drainsville.]
[speaks of army life, illness of his baby.]
[army practices and maneuvres, morale, etc.]
[concerns unnecessary farming equipment he had bought which now he wishes to dispose of to pay his debts.]
[explanation for his joining the army.]
[in hospital and notes differences between wounded Rebels and Union soldiers.]
[reports details of a mutinous event.]
[“I have never felt more deeply and firmly the importance of this great struggle than at present”.]
[has returned to Camp after being wounded.]
[in regard to the death of her husband James P. Jones,
See article by Peter H. Curtis: “A Quaker and the Civil War: the Life of James Parnell Jones.” in
Ms. Coll. 1009
Jones family papers, Addition, ca. 1839-1917
Gift, , Sept. 26, 1980 [acc. #4099]
User Note: This addition begins with Box 5.
(Sources for above: DQB; Jones genealogy collection;
Primarily letters by Eli, Sybil and Richard Mott Jones, also includes several journals, diaries, photographs, printed items, scrapbook, and other papers chiefly of Eli, Sybil and Richard Mott Jones.
Letters and journals of
Letters of Eli and Sybil Jones are primarily addressed to their sons, James Parnell Jones and after his death in 1864, to Richard Mott Jones.
Letters of
Letters, 1848-1864, of
Other material in this addition to the Jones family papers includes miscellaneous letters chiefly addressed to Eli, Sybil and Richard Mott Jones from various persons and photographs of Eli and Sybil Jones and family.
This addition consists of 9 boxes, numbered 5 through 13 (original collection consists of boxes 1 through 4], arranged as follows:
Letters are arranged alphabetically by author and chronologically within a specific author. As an aid to the researcher, the locations for Eli, Sybil and Richard Mott Jones's letters are listed for each folder. These place names are only listed once and are listed in the order in which they first appear in the folder.
Written from: New Bedford; Burlington; South China, Me.; Westbrook; Providence; New York; Half Moon, Saratoga Co., N.Y.; Hillier, Upper Canada; Sandwich, N.H.; Newport.
Written from: Kilnock, County of Carlow, Ireland; Waterford; Ballindury, Co. of Antium, Ireland; Lisnagarvey, Ireland; London; South China, Me.; Manchester; Minden, Germany; Stavanger, Norway; Nìmes, France; Liverpool; Limerick, Ireland; Birmingham; Bergen, Norway.
Written from: Nîmes, France; South China, Me.; “Traveller's Home” (the Jones's family home in Dirigo, Me.); Cincinnati.
Written from: Providence; Dirigo, Me.; Baltimore; “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.); Washington, D.C.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.; “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.); Washington, D.C.; Maple Grove, Me.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.; New Garden, N.C.; Jamestown; Lynn; Raleigh, N.C.; Providence; Washington, D.C.
Written from: Jamestown; “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.); Lynn; London; York, England.
Written from: Stoke Newington (near London); London; Boulogne, France; Conginies, France; Bêirut; Jaffa, Palestine; Dublin; Plymouth; Cornwall; Falmouth; Truro; Bridgewater; Canterbury, Kent; Brighton; Folkestone; N[icirc]mes, France; Longines, France.
[includes handwritten copies of 2 letters (intended for publication) to William J. Allinson giving an account of their travels from 11 mo. 22 to 12 mo. 2, 1867 and from 1 mo. 25 to 1 mo. 31, 1868].
[Letters w/ wrapper of Richard Mott Jones “Received from my parents while at Besborough 9th Mo. 27 '67 to 4th Mo. 27th '69”]
Written from: Jerusalem; London; Stoke Newington; “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.); Washington, D.C.; Conginie, France.
[Letters, 1869-1 mo. 1870, w/ wrapper “Letters from Parents while I was in England and on the Continent”]
Written from: West Hill, Burlington, N.J.; Trenton, N.J.; Mt. Pleasant, Ohio; Plainfield, Indiana; Cincinnati; Richmond, Indiana; Cambridge City, Indiana; Baltimore [on “Abraham Lincoln” stationery]; Jamestown; Oak Grove, Vassalboro, Me.
[Letters, 1852-1854, w/ wrapper “Written to my Parents from West Hill and Trenton, Spring of '52 to Spring of '54.” Letters, 1860, w/ wrapper “Written home while traveling with mother in the autumn of 1860.” Letters, 1861, w/ wrapper “A few stray letters written from Oak Grove, not only while a pupil but while Principal”]
Written from: Haverford College; Dirigo, Me.
[Letters w/ wrapper “Letters written to my Parents while at Haverford 9th mo. '63 to 7th Mo. 10th '67”]
[Letters w/ wrapper “Letters written to my Parents while at Besborough 9th Mo. 27 '67 - 4th Mo. 27 '69”]
Written from: Geneva; Paris; Bonn; Berlin; Hamburg; London; Oak Grove Seminary, Vassalboro, Me. (while Principal of school); Philadelphia.
[Letters, June 1869 - June 1870 w/ wrapper “Written home from England and the Continent 4th Mo. 27th '69 to 6th Mo. 26th '70”]
Written from: New Bedford; on board ship on way to Liberia; Liberia; Philadelphia; Providence; South China, Me.; London; Letterpack, Connamarea; Kilnock, Ireland.
Written from: Stavanger, Norway; Bergen, Norway; Christiannia (now Oslo), Norway; Düsseldorf; N. France; Congenes, France; Gloucester; London; Liverpool; “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.); Baltimore; South China, Me.
Written from: South China, Me.; Baltimore.
Written from: Jamestown; Dirigo, Me.; Upper Darby, Pa.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.; Washington, D.C.; New York.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.; Germantown; Philadelphia.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.; New Bedford; Lynn.
Written from: Washington, D.C.; Dirigo, Me.; Winthrop; Baltimore.
[Sybil Jones was in Washington when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Letter of April 20, 1865 tells of her visits to the White House and meetings with Secretary Stanton and Mary Todd Lincoln.]
[See Box 11, folder 4,
Written from: Washington, D.C.; Newport; Dirigo, Me.
Written from: Dirigo, Me.; Sidney, Me.; Baltimore; Recouncy, Va.; Jamestown; Guilford, N.C.; Lynn; New York; Besborough, Ireland; London; Cliff House [Marske nr Redear!?].
Written from: Stoke Newington; on board ship in Mediterranean; on ship near Tripoli; B[ecirc]irut; Ham House; Bristol; Lizard; Brookfield near Plymouth; Besbrook, Ireland; Plymouth; Ballytore; Kilnock; Belfast; Lissue, Lisburn; Teapark Green near Belfast.
[w/ wrapper “Received from my parents while at Besborough 9th mo. 27th '67 to 4th mo. 27th '69”]
Written from: Jerusalem; B[ecirc]irut; London; Stoke Newington; on board ship returning home; “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.).
Written from: “Traveler's Home” (Dirigo, Me.); Windham, Me.
Includes: Jane []; “Uncle” [of Virginia Costello]; R. [Rebecca] W.
Includes: D.P.
Includes:
Includes: Anna E.
Includes: William P.
Includes: 2 financial accounts “Money expended in the East by Eli Jones and party” and “Amount of the fund distributed before coming to B[ecirc]irut”
[note: identification of photographs provided by Mary Hoxie Jones, (?) indicates “possibly” or “probably” in notes of MHJ]