Allen Jones (December 24, 1739 – November 10, 1798) was an American planter,

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

brigadier general of the

Halifax District Brigade The Halifax District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at the ...

, and statesman from

Edgecombe County, North Carolina Edgecombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,900. Its county seat is Tarboro. Edgecombe County is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

Early life

Allen Jones was born in

(later Halifax County), in the

Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern Colonies, Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies, thir ...

. He attended

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

in England.

Profession

After returning to the colony, he was a member of the

House of Burgesses between 1773 and 1775 and delegate to the five

North Carolina Provincial Congress The North Carolina Provincial Congresses were extra-legal unicameral legislative bodies formed in 1774 through 1776 by the people of the Province of North Carolina, independent of the British colonial government. There were five congresses. They ...

es (1774-1776), serving as vice-president in the Fourth Provincial Congress. Jones served in the military throughout the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

(1775–83). *Colonel over the

Northampton County Regiment Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

of Militia (1775-1776) *Brigadier General over the

of North Carolina militia (1776-1783) He also served in the

State senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

1777 to 1779, 1783, 1784, and 1787; and as a Member of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

in 1779 and 1780. Jones was a delegate at the state convention that rejected the proposed

Constitution of the United States The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...

at Halifax, in 1788. He was the older brother of Congressman Willie (pronounced Wylie) Jones, a leader in neighboring Halifax County. Together they were the source of the Jones surname adopted by the

Scottish American Scottish Americans or Scots Americans (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ameireaganaich Albannach''; sco, Scots-American) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, d ...

naval hero during the Revolutionary War,

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...

— whose birth-surname was Paul. Allen Jones was also the father-in-law of

North Carolina Governor The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

and Constitutional Convention delegate

William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie (June 20, 1756 – November 29, 1820) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, military officer during the Revolutionary War (United States), Revolutionary War, and List of Go ...

Death

Allen Jones died on his plantation, ''Mount Gallant'', near

Roanoke Rapids Roanoke Rapids () is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,754 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mou ...

, Northampton County, North Carolina, on November 10, 1798. Interment was in the private burial ground on his estate.

References

External links

Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Allen 1739 births 1798 deaths Continental Congressmen from North Carolina 18th-century American politicians People educated at Eton College North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution Militia generals in the American Revolution Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses Members of the North Carolina House of Burgesses