Hugh Jones
Hugh Jones was an English-born scholar and minister who played a significant role in colonial Virginia during the early 18th century. After earning a master's degree from Oxford, he immigrated to Virginia in 1716, where he became the chaplain to the General Assembly and served as a minister at historic Jamestown. Jones also contributed to higher education by teaching mathematics and philosophy at the College of William and Mary. His career was marked by a notable dispute involving the college's president, James Blair, which ultimately led to Jones's return to England in 1721. He returned to Virginia four years later, where he took on the challenging role of presiding over Saint Stephen's parish. Throughout his life, Jones wrote several important works, including "The Present State of Virginia," which provides insight into the region's culture and the dynamics of slavery. His writings are recognized for both their educational contributions and their depictions of early African American culture during a time of significant social change. Hugh Jones's legacy includes advancements in English grammar instruction and a nuanced, albeit limited, exploration of relationships between slaveholders and enslaved individuals in the Chesapeake region.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Hugh Jones
Writer
- Born: 1692
- Birthplace: Hereford County, England
- Died: September 1, 1760
- Place of death: Cecil County, Maryland
Biography
Hugh Jones was born and educated in England. After receiving a master’s degree from Oxford, he immigrated to the United States, settling in Virginia in 1716. He was appointed the chaplain to the state’s General Assembly and served as a minister at Jamestown. Jones also taught mathematics and philosophy at the College of William and Mary.
In 1719, Jones entered into a dispute between the Reverend James Blair, who was the president of William and Mary, and Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood. A meeting of ministers was convened, and there was a motion to suspend Blair because of his Scottish ordination. Blair won the dispute, and remained at the college. Because he had sided with Spotswood during the dispute, Jones found his situation at the college untenable and he returned to England in 1721. After four years, however, Jones returned to Virginia. He was assigned to preside over Saint Stephen’s parish in King and Queen County, Virginia, a particularly unpleasant assignment because the parish was difficult to manage. In 1726, Jones moved to Maryland, where he served at a number of parishes until his death in 1760.
Jones’s writings include The Present State of Virginia, written in 1724, a valuable reference about the natural, physical, emotional, and intellectual state of colonial Virginia. Jones also described early African American culture as the institution of slavery spread across the Chesapeake area of Maryland. Although Jones’s depiction of African American life under slavery was naïve, he thoroughly depicted the relationships between white slaveholders and their slaves. He described the growing number of slaves who spoke English and the emergence of kinship ties among the slave population. Jones also is credited with introducing new instructional methods for teaching English grammar, and his writings on the subject were the first printed in the United States.