Wayne County, NC - Heritage Series Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be reproduced without permission. Transcribed by Linda Harmon. The John Paul Jones Tradition Our Heritage By Claude Moore John Paul Jones (1747-1792), sometimes called the "Father of the United States Navy," has been the subject of several traditions regarding his association with the Willie Jones family of Halifax, North Carolina. In 1966 Mrs. Elizabeth Henderson Cotton the curator of the Southern Collection at the University at Chapel Hill wrote a book in defense of the North Carolina position on this tradition. This book is entitled "The John Paul Jones Willie Jones Tradition" and is well worth reading by students of North Carolina history. While in school at the University I had the pleasure of working under Mrs. Cotton in the Southern Collection and I have high regard for her ability as a historian. She was the sister of Dr. Archibald Henderson and a widow of Admiral Lyman Cotton. He was born John Paul in Kirkbean Parish, Scotland, and was the son of John and Jan McDuff Paul. The young John went to sea when he was twelve and served on merchant ships. In 1773 he accidentally killed a mutineer in self-defense aboard a ship in the West Indies. He became very depressed and came to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where his brother William lived. The tradition is that he came to North Carolina, met Allen and Willie Jones and lived in their home for a time and changed his name to John Paul Jones in gratitude to his benefactors. It is a known fact that John Paul became acquainted with Joseph Hewes, a prominent ship builder of Edenton, a member of the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hewes was able to get a commission for him in the United States Navy. This is the record of John Paul Jones in the Navy: Commissioned in December, 1775, as First Lieutenant on U.S.S. Alfred; Captain of U.S.S. Providence and U.S.S. Alfred, and captured many British ships; 1777, Commander of U.S.S. Ranger; 1778, commander of U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard, defeated two British men of War; Continued in navy until 1781, and was given a gold medal by Congress. John Paul Jones received a Commission in the Russian Navy and exemplified great heroism in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. He died in Paris in 1792 and in 1905 his remains were removed to the Chapel at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. In Mrs. Cotton's book, she cites letters and interviews with members of the Willie Jones family supporting the tradition that he was a benefactor of the Jones family of Halifax and that he took their name. While I was school principal in Halifax County I met several descendants of the Jones family and talked to many old residents including my good friends Mrs. Sterling Gary and her daughter, Miss Nannie Gary, and they all said that they had been nurtured on this tradition. Members of the Ashe family have told me he same thing. Governor John Ashe married a sister of Mrs. Willie Jones and lived for a time in Halifax. With so must support, I am strongly inclined to believe this tradition. In Mrs. Cotton's book, she concludes, "What would history be without tradition? But the rattling of dry bones, shorn of half its beauty and majesty." ============================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linda Harmon ==============================================================