Phonetic not Genetic

Derivation of the Jones surname is shown in the figure to the right. The derivation is "phonetic", not "genetic". This is the reason that there are so many Jones in the English speaking world that carrying the surname, but they are not genetically related! It is a cohort effect that occurred during a transition period of Welsh-English history. The Tudors, of Welsh descent, annexed Wales into the English legal system by English law, Act of Union, 1536. [See post "Impact, The Act of Union 1536", Feb. 24, 2011.] This forced those of Welsh descent who had a father with the given name "John" to take its phonetic sound, written in the Anglo-Saxon "Iohannes", as a surname. [see posts: "The Domesday Book and John", Feb. 28, 2011; "1st To Record" , March 16, 2011; "Early English Records and the Jones Surname", March 24, 2001; "The First JONES Surname in English Records", March 28, 2011; "Ancient Petitions A Transition Period", April 16, 2011; "Welsh Names in English Records 1301 AD", April 23, 2011; "Norman Names", April 30, 2011; "Saxon Name Calling", May 4, 2011; "Dane Lands", May 8, 2011; "Welsh Birth Names 1301 AD", May 12, 2011; "Jones Surname 1273 - 1500 in England and Wales", May 17, 2011; "Jones Surname in Wales after 1500 AD", May 21, 2001; and "Jones Surname in England and Wales 1500 - 1700 AD", June 2, 2011.] During this transition period there were a variety of spellings including Ievan, Jevan, Johns, Joynes, and many others. [More will be said about this in a future post.]

Anglo-Saxon (Old English) to modern English...phonetic not genetic. This means that most who share the surname JONES are not related by Y-chromosome.

Sons of Cynrig

The sons of Cynrig(JF-1) continues my JONES family line. David(JG-13) and Ednyfed(JG-15) branch into other family surnames. It is Ninnian(JG-1) that become the direct lineage for my family. His third son Jeuaf(JH-1) marries into the line of Elystan Gloddydd(JF-6) and continues the connection to the eldest son of Tudor Trevor(JC-1) named Gronwy(JD-1). Iorwerth fychan(JI-1) becomes known as the first of "Llwyn-onn", which in the Welsh means "Ash Grove". The family continues to be connected to this name for many more generations to come. It would appear that a winter home was located just east of what is know as Wrexham. A summer home was located eastward into the hills around Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, just south of Ruthin. [Much more will be said about Llwyn-onn.]

The figure to the right shows the lineage from Iorweth fychan(JI-1) to Edward(JN-1). The boys in blue take center stage, and the boys in orange are cut short. [I have other graphs showing these lines.] My direct JONES lineage continues as:

Iorweth fychan(JI-1)
Gruffydd(JJ-1)
Iorwerth(JK-1)
Llewelyn(JL-1)
Howel(JM-1)
Edward(JN-1) marries Margaret Wylde(JN-2).

This makes fifteen generations from Gadforch(JA-1). Much more to come.

The Next Generations

You will begin to see why a coding and color system will be most helpful as the family tree begins to expand outward. A new chart is shown to the right, giving the lineage from Gadforch(JA-1) , but starting at the 6th generation. In Welsh genealogy, six generations makes up the cenedl, and Gadforch(JA-1) would be considered the pencenedl.

Elystan Gloddydd(JF-6) begins the lineage of Royal Tribe IV, and his sons and grandsons are shown. (the pink side)

The senior line of Tudor Trevor is taken up by Llydocka(JD-2) when his older brother has only one female descendant Rhingor(JE-3). His lineage (the orange side) through Ednyfedd(JF-4) produces four sons, with the most noted son, Rhys sais(JG-4) giving rise to three sons who become in Welsh history "sons of Rhys sais". They are credited with taking on the family's honour by seeking revenge on those who killed Cynrig(JF-1) in 1073 A.D. [The term "sais" means one who can speak Anglo-Saxon[English] and has taken on the English ways to some degree.] I suspect that the three sons of Cynrig(JF-1) were still infants when the older 1st cousins took revenge. This would have been during the first Norman invasion to the families' land following 1066! The descendants of Rhys sais(JG-4) become major players in the history of the period. It is here, that one son Tudor(JH-6), is listed in Domesday Book 1086, as "Tudor Walensis" on contested land in Shropeshire.

The baby boy Dingad(JD-3), has his descent through Cynrig(JF-1) with three sons; David(JG-13), Ninnian(JG-1), and Ednyfed(JG-15). (the boys in blue) It is through Ninnian(JG-1) that my JONES family continues its descent.



The second figure to the right shown the descent of Ednyfed(JG-15), who also had a Tydyr(JH-9). Both the names Ednyfed and Tudor(Tydyr) are frequently used among the family. You can again see why a coding and color system will be helpful in keeping everyone straight! The line of Ednyfed(JG-15) is the root of the family Broughton.

You will notice that there is often marriage between the family branches. Here, the color coding is also helpful. In my JONES family, Jeuaf(JH-1) marries Efa(JH-18) bridging the pink side with the blue side.

Holding the Bag

Vortigern [Gwrtheirn in the Welsh] was left holding the bag. He is blamed by later writers as being responsible for inviting those folks we call "Anglo-Saxons" to our island. Some present day writers believe that "Vortigern" which means "high king", was actually the name given to many individuals. Thus it was a symbolic name and not actually the name of one person. The Welsh however give a detailed genealogy of this "high king", and I give it as recorded in Heraldic Visitations of Wales and Part of the Marches by Lewys Dwnn, Vol. I, p.xv. Vortigern is 11th in descent from Beli Mawr. The founder of our Jones linage in Wales was 16th in descent from Vortigern. From Beli to Vortigern was roughly 400 years. The eleven generations would average 400/11= 36.36 years per generation. From Vortigern to Tudor Trevor was about 550 years, thus 550/16= 34.38 years per generation. Not a long lifespan, but for the time peroid the figures fit pretty well.

The genealogy in Dwnn is given as follows: Gwrtheirn Gwrthenau [called in English Vortiger]

his son: Cyndeirn : his son : Rhudd Fedel frych : his son : Rhydwf : his son : Pasgan : his

son: Cadell Dehurnllue: his son : Gwnfiw frych: his son : Gwnnan: his son : Gwriawn: his son:

Biodderch: his son : Bywyn: his son: Gwaethiawe: his son : Gwrgenaw: his son: Cadfarch: his

son Member [Ynys]: his son : Tudor Trefor!

What a list of names and spellings. This is the beginning of our JONES family lineage, of course holding the bag.

Sons of Beli mawr

It is believed that the "Mabinogi", which appears first in "The Red Book of Hergest", was first written down in the 1100s (twelfth century or thereabouts). This would mean that the Welsh began recording their oral history (stories) some 1000years after they are reported to have occured. Two Welsh manuscript collections still exist. The first is called "The White Book of Rhydderch (Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch) written down about 1300-1325. The second is called "The Red Book of Hergest" (Llyfr Coch Hergest) which copy is dated 1375-1425. It is generally believed that portions of various accounts were written down a hundred years before these collections were recorded. It is in these collections that my direct JONES line is recorded.

The sons of Beli Mawr; Lludd, Caswallawn, Nyniaw, and Llefwlys are clearly recorded in the sources listed above. The lineage of Beli Mawr is recorded by Lewys Dwnn, Vol. I, pp. xv, xvi, and gives a son Afflech. This may be a fifth son or an attempt at spelling Llefwlys. [A = Ll, f = ef, fle = fwl, ch = ys ?] At any rate, Lewys Dwnn gives the ancestry of another Jones grandfather named Vortiger (Vortigern) who has direct discent from Beli Mawr. This direct disent is as follows:

"Vortiger was son to Rhydern ap Deheufraint ap Eidigant, ap Eudeirn ap Enid ap Endos ap Enddolan ap Afallach ap Afflech ap Beli mawr...". My direct JONES line.

1.Jones G.,Jones, T. The Mabinogion. Everyman, London, 1949. pp.21,71,75.

2.Morus, C. The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed. Aryan Theosophical Press, London, 1914

3.Dwnn, L. Heraldic Visitations of Wales and part of the Marches. Vol. I, printed and published by William Rees, Chester, London, 1846.