A Number Analysis: Wales and Jones

Several of the previous post have shown the chronology of the JONES surname as it appears in the English legal records.  Starting in the south, the surname appears in a gradual pattern of spread from the "border" counties to the western coastal counties.  The following figure shows a map of the total number of JONES surnames appearing over the period 1500-1700 for the counties of Wales.  This demonstrates the total number of those with the JONES surname that were involved in the English legal records.

Monmouth seems to be the "hotbed" of legal action with almost twice as many cases with the JONES surname occurring. [#77]   William FitzOsbern began the Norman occupation here in 1068 AD. [After the Roman and Saxon of course.]  It was here that Geoffrey of Monmouth (ca. 1100AD) took his name, and wrote his now famous stories. [The world of literature would never be the same!]

Montgomery comes in a distant second, with the Montgomery family (Roger de Montgomery), perhaps finding things a little more difficult in the north.  His son, Robert of Belesme, probably helped things by trying to set up his own kingdom which Henry I frustrated.  It would seem that Denbigh and Shropeshire produced a similar number of legal cases. [#44...#41...#40]

Those counties surrounding Monmouth are pretty close to the same number of JONES with Glamorgan (#34), Hereford (#33), Carmarthen (#30), and Brecon (#29).

The western most counties show a distant third, with Angelesey showing the fewest.(#5).  Mereioneth (#16), Cardigan (#12), and Caernarvon (#8) sharing the same with Pembroke (#8) is shown.

Interesting, that Chester, the northern most border county only shows #5.  I suspect this has to do with the fact that Chester had already established the English legal system here since Hugh d'Avranches had his go at it. [One of his nicknames was "the Wolf" given for his ferocity against the Welsh.]

At any rate, the total number of those recorded with the JONES surname 1500-1700 is shown. 

JONES In The Middle 1547-1553

The middle counties of Wales became the next area of JONES surname 1547-1553.  The counties are shown in green above, Radnor being 1st, with William Jones [14/96].  Brecon was 2nd, with Roger Jones [1238/45-46].  Merioneth was 3rd, with William Jones [1238/50].  Montgomery Co. was 4th, with Richard Joones [1238/56-60]  This is based on the record numbers shown following each name, which is assumed to be recorded in chronological sequence in the legal records.   Thus, the south's influence seems to be the direction of the appearance of English influence in the legal system of Wales as it followed the Act of Union, 1536.   On, and on, it would go...more to come.  See the prior post which describes the blue, pink, and orange counties as shown on the map above.

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.

Jones Surname in Wales after 1500 AD

The Jones surname begins to appear in the counties of Wales on the most part after 1500 AD. The first Jones was Robert in 1496 from Cardiff, but it took those Tudor boys to bring the Welsh into the English system. The figure to the right shows the appearance of the Jones surname as it occurs in the counties 1544 - 1553. North to south, the border counties in Wales begin the connection. The table below shows the number of Jones by Welsh counties over the years 1544 - 1700! All these names begin to appear after the Act of Union 1536. With the reign of Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603) the Jones surname rapidly increases with the highest numbers between 1558 - 1579. By 1558 all the counties of Wales, except Pembroke, had a JONES! The first Jones here (Pembroke) appears after 1579. Montgomery had the highest number (44), followed by Denbigh (40), followed by Glamorgan, then Flint (32). Thus by 1579, every county of Wales had a Jones.





These figures are abstracted and copied from The Jones Genealogist, Vol. VI, No. 4, Nov/Dec, 1999. They represent more than 25 years of research into the Jones surname. The English counties will follow. Remember that you can click on the pictures to enlarge the table for the Welsh counties.

A Precarious Position

We left our Welsh ancestors in a very precarious position. The Norman invasion and conquest of England was at hand, and by 1086, the military conquest of Wales was underway. However, several key events took place which changed the future timing of the complete conquest of Wales and the gradual introduction of the JONES surname.

First, William I died in 1087 leaving his son William II to continue his plan of Welsh conquest. However, with any change in power, there is a change in control and administration. This change in leadership allowed at least a "break" in the intensity of the military invasion.

Second, the Norman lords and barons were becoming increasingly independent, and the death of William I allowed for a more lax sense of loyalties. Also, these same "lords" were beginning to want more independence and control of their own lands. Thus, the Normans starting fighting one another.

Third, the Welsh princes began to recognize that the Norman invasion was threatening to become a permanent occupation of Welsh territories. They realized that actions needed to be taken to maintain their remaining lands and to recover occupied lands.

It is important to recognize that the Welsh responses to the Norman invasion were different within the geographic regions of Wales. The multiple family groups tried to figure out how to face this new challenge to the best of their advantage.

The northern most sections of Wales responded to the Norman invasion by intense and fierce rebellion for the next 200 years. Influenced by the heritage of the oldest son of Rhodi Mawr (Royal Tribe I), this geopolitical region maintained resistance to Norman conquest until 1282 A.D. The last direct heir, Llwewllyn ap Griffith, Prince of North Wales, was killed at the battle of Builth on the Wye.

The border areas of Wales were bound by a stronger Roman tradition, laws, roads, and commercial ties with the Anglo-Saxons. Already more "Anglicized" [the Welsh term was Sais], this geopolitical region tended to respond to the Norman invasion by offering their daughter in marriage to the Norman lords. This strategy helped them to maintain their lands, resources and trade, while keeping Welsh lands identified with ancient Welsh traditions. However, this strategy also gave lands to the Normans as the Welsh-Norman families evolved under this new breed of "land barons". It was in this geopolitical region that the most powerful Norman "lords" evolved. This area became known as the "March" and the nobles were know as the "Lords of the March". [Lords of the Border] Their strength was partly due to the Welsh support obtained by marriage. This strategy often produced treaties which could be used by the Welsh princes to use the Norman military to their advantage. By treaties, the Welsh princes agreed to aide the Normans in their battles. In return, the Welsh families obtained recognition of their royal and legal claims under Norman law, while becoming essentially vassals to the Norman lords. It was in this context that the JONES surname evolves.

Our Human Needs

Oxygen, water, food (sugars, fats, proteins), clothing, shelter, security, and social group, are all foundational to our human existence. The environment that surrounds one is often helpful or harmful in helping to provide for these basic human needs. This was especially true for our family's small piece of the world. The two previous posts have shown the water, and rocks which make up most of the environment in which our Jones family came to live. By itself, the weather would have changed around the priority for some of the items, making clothing and shelter perhaps more important. [During winter months especially!]

It has been estimated that about 5 hectares (a hectare is 2.47 acres) are needed to support one human. Of course this assumes the land can be planted or grazed upon. The map to the right shows roughly the land that might be best to live upon in our little part of the world. The water (ocean, lakes, rivers, and streams) would certainly provide a plentiful source of food and water. The land is another story. What parts could you farm or raise livestock upon? The geography appears to divide the land into regions that are separated by hills and mountains. There are four major land divisions that could support social groups (families). I have shown these by Roman numbers I, II, III, and IV. As family groups would increase in size, the demands on the land and sea would also increase. The families that gain control of the areas of "plenty" would have an advantage over others. As time would tell, these four geographic areas became the major settlement areas of our land.

Last Choice

Mountains, mountains, and more mountains seemed to form the character of the land. Surrounded by ocean (sea level) on three sides, the land quickly rises to over 600 feet. [see last post] Here billions of years ago, the first limestone, sandstone, and slate were formed. [Known as the Cambrian period which is thought to represent the earliest geologic period.]

The map to the right is my attempt to show the tallest mountain peaks and their geographic locations. The center of the compass is located approximately in the central Beacons. The highest peak is 2097 feet and in 1586 a writer named Camden called the Becons "Arthure's Hill". To the north shows the general distribution of the mountain peaks which slice the land into ridges, hollows, moors, lakes, forest and streams. The highest peak is Yr Wyddfa [Snowdon] which in the Welsh is Eryri meaning "abode of Eagles". Snowdonia refers to the whole group of mountain peaks that form a distinctive ridge which separates this part from the rest of the land. The mountain ridges run various directions, some north to south, some northeast to southwest, some east to west, producing a very narrow coastline and a quilt like pattern of land which could support farming and agriculture. You can certainly understand how the land provided areas that could be settled (family tribal groups) yet separated from one another by mountain ridges rather than by miles. You can also understand how this land might be the last choice in which to settle your family.

The Roman Dance

It was the grandsons and great grandsons of Beli Mawr that had to dance to the Roman music as they took control of the island. A detailed chronology of this dance is given by Salway who states that the conquest of the south and east of the island was accomplished by 47 AD. There was a Roman military campain on the Welsh border 47-52 AD. He records the foundation of London around 50 AD, which would of course mean that the Romans had taken Lud's Town before this date. The conquest of Wales was continued 52 AD - 58 AD and reached the island of Anglesey 60 AD. The conquest of northern Britain and Wales was completed 71 AD - 84 AD. So there you have it. The family of Beli Mawr is lost to the Roman world for the next 400 years. Somehow, at least one son Afflech had a lineage to survive. As given by Dwnn:

"Vortiger ap Rhydern ap Dehenfraint ap Eidigant ap Eudeirn ap Enid ap Endos ap Enddolau ap Afallach ap Afflech ap Beli mawr."

This lineage is given in Dwnn, L. Heraldic Visitations of Wales and part of the Marches, Longman & Co., London, 1846. Vol I, pp. xv - xvi.

The chronology is documented in Salway, P. The Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain. Oxford University Press, 1993. pp. 539-540.

"Walas"

As the Roman Empire gradually conquered the known world, they produced a new Celtic culture that spoke both a Celtic language and a Latin language. The Germanic tribes that resisted the Roman advance remained mostly north of the Danube. [They were ultimately able to get their revenge sacking the city of Rome some 500 years later.] Those tribes remaining true to their German roots had a word for those Celtic folks to the south. These folks had betrayed their German roots and had become "Romanized". These Celts had taken on Latin, and of course, this was not acceptable to the true Germanic tribes. The Germans used the term "walas" to denote those "foreigners" who spoke Celtic languages but were also Latin-speaking. It was this term that was later applied to Celts in general. Little did these Germans know that years later, Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, would apply this term to describe the Britons who occupied the island yet to come, and the country yet to be, Wales. It is Wales that is home to our surname JONES.