Peter Jones
Peter Jones was a significant figure in the 19th century, known for his role as a missionary and advocate for the Ojibwa people. Born to a Welsh father who was a Canadian government surveyor and a Missisauga chief's daughter, Jones was raised in a traditional Indigenous manner but later converted to Christianity. He was baptized an Episcopalian at age sixteen and experienced a profound religious transformation in 1823 at a Methodist mission. After being ordained in 1830, Jones dedicated his life to the ministry, traveling extensively across Ontario and New York State as an itinerant minister. He was also a political lobbyist, working to support Indigenous rights and interests. In addition to his missionary work, Jones authored several religious tracts and hymnbooks, and he translated Ojibwa texts into English. His notable publications include "The Life and Journals of Kah-ke-wa-quona-by" and "A History of the Ojebway Indians," which provide valuable insights into Ojibwa customs and history. His legacy continued through his son, who followed in his footsteps as a missionary.
Peter Jones
- Born: January 1, 1802
- Birthplace: Burlington Heights, Ontario
- Died: June 29, 1856
- Place of death: Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Category: Missionary
Tribal affiliation: Ojibwa
Significance: As missionary, author, and political activist, Jones worked tirelessly on behalf of his people in southern Ontario and New York State
Jones’s father, Augustus Jones, was a Welshman and a Canadian government surveyor who married Tuhbenahneeguay, daughter of Wahbanosay, a Missisauga chief. Joseph Brant, the influential Mohawk, was Augustus Jones’s close friend.
Although reared in traditional Indian fashion, Jones was baptized an Episcopalian and given the English name Peter at age sixteen. In 1823, he was converted at a Methodist mission. Serving initially as a church deacon, Jones was later sent on missionary tours. After being ordained in 1830, he lived the remainder of his life working tirelessly as an itinerant minister. As a missionary and also as a political lobbyist, Jones traveled extensively throughout Ontario and New York State.
He also wrote numerous religious tracts and hymnbooks and translated Ojibwa texts into English. Two of his most important works are The Life and Journals of Kah-ke-wa-quona-by (1860) and A History of the Ojebway Indians (1861), which remains a source for information on customs of the Ojibwa.
One of Peter Jones’s sons by his English wife—his son was also known as Peter Jones—continued his father’s missionary work after the elder Peter Jones died.