Christopher Jones, Mayflower Captain

Christopher Jones was the captain of the Mayflower when it took the Pilgrims to New England in 1620. Christopher Jones, her master, was a native of Harwich, co. Essex, England, born about 1570, the son of Christopher and Sybil Jones of the same parish, also a mariner and ship owner who died in 1578, leaving to his son bearing his name his interest in the ship Marie Fortune when he should attain the age of 18 years.

Christopher, Jr., married (1) on Dec. 23, 1593, Sarah Twitt of Harwich (co. Essex, England), who died in 1603; and (2) in the same year Josian, widow of Richard Grey of Harwich (co. Essex, England).

Capt. Christopher Jones was a man of considerable prominence in his community and was named as one of the burgesses of Harwich (co. Essex, England) in the charter granted to that town by James I.

In 1607 he was master of a ship called the Josian --- probably named for his wife--- but in 1609 he is first recorded as master of the Mayflower and one of the four owners of that vessel.

From that period onwards he was continuously master of [begins page 20] her up to the time when she was chartered by the Merchant Adventurers for her famous voyage. He removed to Rotherhithe, Surrey, about 1610, which became his home until his death.

By his first wife he had one son. This child died in infancy.

By his second wife, Josian, he had five children baptized in Rotherhithe 1611-1619 and a sixth child, John, baptized 4 March, 1620/1 at Harwich (co. Essex, England) whither his wife had gone while he was on this voyage and in anchor in Plymouth harbor.

After his return from New England in the Summer of 1621 he resumed his former trading voyages to Europe but not for long.

It is evident that the perils and deprivations of the Pilgrim voyage had undermined his health as it did so many of the other voyagers, for on March 5th, 1621/2 he was buried in St. Mary's, Rotherhithe.

Administration of his estate was granted to his widow, August 26th following, but of the subsequent history of her and her young children nothing is certainly know.

A Joan Jones, wiow, married one Thomas Barthelmore in 1626 at Stepney, directly across the river from Rotherhithe.

Christopher Jones left four sons-- Roger, Christopher, Thomas and John-- from whom it is possible that descendants still live who can trace their origin to the master of one of the famous ships of history.

When and where this ship of destiny was built is still an unsolved problem, but it is not improbable that she was launched at Harwich (co. Essex, England) and although later known as "of London" she was designated as "of Harwich" in 1609-11 in the Port Books.

Two years after the death of Capt. Jones an application was made to the Admiralty for an appraisal of the ship by three of her woners at that time--- Robert Child, John Moore and Mrs. Josian Jones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Jones_(Mayflower_Captain)

Jones was born in the port of Harwich in Essex co., on the eastern coast of England located on the North Sea. He died in Rotherhithe parish, London, sometime before March 5, 1622 and was buried at St. Mary The Virgin Church in Rotherhithe on that date.[1][2] He was a son of Christopher Jones (Sr.) and his wife Sybil _____. The senior Jones was also a mariner and ship owner who died in 1578, leaving to his young son bearing his name, and his interest in the ship Marie Fortune when he should attain the age of eighteen years.[2] Jones' mother Sybil married Richard Russel after his father’s death and continued to reside at the Jones family home on Kings Head Street in Harwich which is presently a visitor attraction.[3] Family[edit source | editbeta]

Christopher Jones married twice: 1. Jones married Sara Twitt at St. Nicholas Church, Harwich on December 23, 1593. She was age 17 and had been born about 1576. She was Jones’ neighbor, living opposite each other on Kings Head Street, Harwich, both residences still existing as visitor attractions. Sara had a wealthy father, Thomas Twitt, who had strong shipping interests. At his death, her father provided considerable funds for her and a 1/12 share in his ship Apollo. The two familiesC Within a year of his marriage to Sara they had a boy named Thomas, after Sara’s father. But per the Church Burial Register, it records the infant’s death on April 17, 1596. Sara had no more children and died at age 27. She was buried in Harwich on May 23, 1603.[3] 2. Jones married his second wife, widow Josian ___ Gray, widow of Richard Gray, age 21 at St. Nicholas Church in Harwich a few months after Sara’s death in 1603. Josian had seafaring relatives and her late husband was a noted mariner with friends among the Captains of the 1588 Armada Fleet and which included ‘treasure hunting’ in the Indies, this have may included attacks on Spanish treasure ships. Josian probably brought a substantial marriage portion and had inherited her late husband’s house in Church Street, Harwich together with other land and property.[3] It is believed Josian may have remarried in 1626 as in that year a ‘Joan Jones’, widow, married one Thomas Bartelmore at Stepney, London, directly across the Thames from Rotherhithe.[2] Their marriage produced eight children, of whom the following four children were known to have been born in Harwich: Christopher b._____ Thomas b. 1607 Josian b. 1609 John b. 1621.[3] He was baptized March 4, 1621 in Harwich, Essex, where Jones’ wife had gone to reside while he was on his voyage to the New World and was anchored in Plymouth Harbor over the winter of 1620-1621.[2] And the following children were born in Rotherhithe, London to which the family moved in 1611.[2] Roger b. 1611 Christopher b. 1614 Joane b. 1615 Grace b. 1619[3] Harwich, Essex[edit source | editbeta]

Queen Elizabeth I called Harwich ‘a pretty town’ and it was extremely loyal to her in sending three ships to join the attack against the Spanish Armada in 1588. As with Plymouth, Harwich became wealthy by the pillaging of Spanish ships of the Armada though its primary business then was the export of English woolen cloth to Holland for finishing. Its explorers also could relate some stories of far places traveled to, with tales when Jones was a youth of their men voyaging as far as Baffin Island in the far Arctic.[4] The entrance to Harwich port was covered with dangerous sandbars and sailors had to stay alert at all times. A prime example of this was on a night in 1627 when a strong North Sea storm wrecked more than thirty ships. These were the waters in when Jones served his apprenticeship at the side of his father and grandfather, who were both Harwich skippers. At age eighteen, Jones inherited his first part-share of a ship.[5] Harwich was a town managed by a company of mariners and shipwrights who enforced harsh discipline. In 1605 some women were hanged as witches and harlots were dragged through the streets by a cart with such as dice games also being banned. As with other seaports around the country, Harwich was a place where sea captains and merchants ran the local government and levied their own taxes on the citizens to take care of town business.[5] In his mid-thirties Jones was somewhat of a prominent Harwich citizen and was named as a burgess of Harwich in a new town charter granted by King James. Jones was coming into his own about this time, and with an assist from a bounty, he built a 240 ton, larger than average ship of his own which he named after his second wife – Josian. Jones used the ship for trading voyages as far south as to Bordeaux in France.[5] In 1601 he was one of 77 men who took the oath as freeman of the Borough of Harwich.[3] In 1604 his name is listed as one of the 24 capital burgesses on the Great Charter granted by King James I.[3] Civil accounts record Jones acting as an assessor for tax on land and property and also as a jury member when his father-in-law was reprimanded for failing to repair steps to the quay adjacent to his house.[3] In 1605 Jones was accused, with George Colman, for keeping hunting dogs, a pursuit that was only open to those classed as ‘gentlemen’ whose land was valued at a certain per annum value. Apparently Jones had prospered but had not reached the class of ‘gentleman’.[3] In August 1609 records first note Christopher Jones as master and part owner of the Mayflower when his ship was chartered for a voyage from London to Drontheim (Trondheim) in Norway, and back to London. Due to bad weather, on her return the ship lost an anchor and made short delivery of her cargo of herrings. Litigation was involved and was proceeding in 1612.[6] In a document of January 1611, Christopher Jones is described as being ‘of Harwich’, and his ship is called the Mayflower of Harwich (in Essex co.). Then about 1611, Jones decided to leave Harwich and moved south to London, where he made his home in Rotherhithe parish, a mile downstream on the Thames from the Tower of London. By that time, Jones had traded the ship Josian for a quarter-share in the smaller ship Mayflower.[4]

Christopher Jones, b. about 1570 and died 5 March 1622, married1 Sarah Twitt 27 December 1593. She was the mother of Thomas Jones, who died 17 April 1596. Sarah d. 1603, not having any more children.

Christopher Jones m2. Josian (Thompson) Gray shortly after Sarah's death. Christopher and Josian had the following known children:

• Christopher Jones b. 1604
• Thomas Jones, b. 1607
• Josian Jones, b. 1609
• Roger Jones, b. 1611
• Christopher Jones, b. 1614
• Joane Jones, b. 1615
• Grace Jones, b. 1619
• John Jones, b. 1621
• and one other child. See: Christopher Jones (Mayflower captain), Wikipedia (accessed 21 April 2017) for more information.