Essex

The spelling of the surname JONES had a variety of expression during the transition period following the Act of Union, 1536 - 1541.  Johns, Joanes, Jons, Jhons, are a few examples.

Here, Edward Johans appears in the legal records [bundle 103/ no.6].  It is a case involving a William Highman.  The "manor of Ashdon (Asshenden) St. Lawrence" is given as the location.  The dates were between 1558 - 1579.   The first name "Edward" was very common during this time, and the Welsh spelled it a variety of ways.  The counties near, and surrounding London were occupied by a number of JONES.

Cambridge

The Romans were the first to found a town at Cambridge.  Later, forest and land were cleared for market towns and villages.  A city of colleges were founded among these lands.  It was William Jones [bundle 104/ no. 65] who finds himself among the legal records 1558 - 1603.

The Jones surname has an interesting origin among the counties of England and Wales.  The following figure shows these distribution of the Jones surname arriving to Cambridge and Oxford for the years 1500 - 1600.

This study would suggest that certain areas [counties] were the primary source to each college system.  Cambridge in the "pink", and Oxford in the "blue".  "White" was the county that had folks with the Jones surname attend both colleges.  "Yellow" did not seem to have any folks with the Jones surname attend either during this period of time.  My own Jones family attended Oxford in the 1500s, and their origins fell within the "blue" distribution. [Counties of Denbigh and Flint.]  What a deal!