JONES Glamorgan 1515

The JONES surname appears in Wales over a period of some 100 years.  Of course, the surname starts its course in English records, not Welsh records. [Records written in English, not Welsh!]

The English legal records of Wales begin 1273, under the rule of Edward I.  As Wales became "more and more" under English control, the system of English surnames became the norm.  Their appearance in the county (legal) records give indirectly a history of this phenomena.  South Wales seems to start the JONES surname.  This most likely reflects the fact that South Wales came under control of Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman control much easier (geographically) than other parts of this western land.

Glamorgan is the first Welsh county to show a JONES surname.  In the legal records 1515-1518, the name John Jones appears.  [File 421/ folio 72]  The map to the right shows the location of this Welsh county in relationship to the other Welsh counties since the Act of Union 1536.  Of course it had to be a John Jones.   Glamorgan was also the first county to have a JONES surname appear in 1496.

The next several post will show the chronology of the appearance of the JONES surname for Wales from around 1500 - 1700.   South Wales begins the story.