Sussex

Britannia Prima the Romans named this part of  Albion.  It is the site where the Anglo-Saxons are reported to have landed in 477 AD.  At any rate, the first Jones to be recorded is "Frances Jones",
1558 - 1603. [bundle 148/no. 24]

No additional information was recorded in the index used to analyze the Jones surname.

I thought it might be helpful to review the source of this documentation for the readers.  Each post gives the identity of the record as it is listed in "Lists and Indexes" of the Chancery Proceedings, Public Record Office.  One cover sheet is shown below.

The index contains various amounts of information listed in categories: 1) "No." [where the numbers shown with each post- "bundle/no." is derived, 2) "Plaintiff" [the name or names are usually given], 3) "Defendant" [name or names usually given], 4) "Place of Subject" [not always listed or included], and 5) "County" [location of suit recorded].  The records are grouped by the dates of the ruling monarch.  The example shown above is A.D. 1558 - 1579. [The start of Elizabeth I reign.]   Some of my research notes are shown that states there were approximately 6 bundles contained in the 20 years which would be roughly 3.3 years per bundle.  The bundle number refers to the actually group of records.  As you can see then, the record of Frances Jones is stored in bundle 148 and is the 24th record in this bundle.  It is for the years 1558 - 1603.  The numbers in the right upper corner are the library numbers where the indexes are kept. [University of Alabama]  Whew...enough already.

Filling In The Spaces 1553-1555

The next two counties to see the surname JONES were Carmarthen and Denbigh.  For the years 1553-1555, a Griffith Jones appears in Carmarthen [1015/68-69].  A Robert Johnes is listed from Denbigh at a little later date [1362/55-56]. 

The figure above shows the geographic positions for these two Welsh counties.  Denbigh being the most northern, and Carmarthen in the south.  Both border the "middle counties" and suggest again the spread of the English legal system into Wales following the Act of Union 1536.  It was during these times that the English surname system became the law of Wales.

Please remember that the numbers in brackets above give the references for the legal cases as they are recorded in the Public Record Office, "List of Early Chancery Proceedings" with first number being the "File No.", and the second being the "Nos." of the case in that particular file.