James I. Jones


General James I. Jones was an American general who was prominent in New York life in the 1800s.

Early life

Jones was born on August 25, 1786 in New York. He was the third son of John Jones and Eleanor Jones, who were both of English descent. His elder brother, John Jones Jr., died without issue, and his younger sister, Sarah Jones, was married to Peter Schermerhorn. James' cousin, Edward Renshaw Jones, was married to Elizabeth Schermerhorn, and was the grandfather of Edith Wharton and Frederic Rhinelander Jones.

Career

Jones "took an active and efficient interest in the military establishment of New York, in which he held the rank of major general of the third division of infantry." He was previously a Brigadier general with the 59th Brigade of Infantry. He also served as a trustee of the savings bank, the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company, the New York Hospital and was a vestryman of Trinity Church.
He was an ally of Philip Hone in the creation of Washington Square Park.

Jones's Wood

After his father's death in 1806, the family farm, known as Jones's Wood, was divided into lots among his Jones and his siblings, with James retaining the main house and its lot. James' sister Sarah, who had married the shipowner and merchant Peter Schermerhorn, received the parcel nearest to the city where the Schermerhorns first inhabited a modest villa overlooking the river at the foot of today's 67th Street. James and Peter controlled land beyond their shares as trustees for other family members. Later in life, Jones led the opposition to using his family's lands for the city's main park, thereby "paving the way for the creation of today's Central Park".

Personal life

In 1838, Jones was married to Elizabeth Schermerhorn, the daughter of Abraham Schermerhorn and Helen Van Courtlandt Schermerhorn. Elizabeth's younger sister was Caroline Schermerhorn, who married William Backhouse Astor Jr. of the Astor family. Together, they resided at 5 Washington Place, located at the northeast corner of Washington Place and Mercer Street in New York City, which Jones built in 1842 and which became a "center of society comparable to Mary Mason Jones's home nearby on Broadway". James and Elizabeth were the parents of:
In 1839, Jones was sculpted by Thomas Crawford, who is today best known for his numerous contributions to the United States Capitol. His wife's portrait was painted by Irish portrait painter Charles C. Ingham.
Jones died on September 3, 1858 in Basel, Switzerland. His widow Elizabeth died in Lenox, Massachusetts in August 1874 and was buried alongside her husband in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn.

Descendants

Through his daughter Eleanor, he was the grandfather of Eleanor Colford Morris, who died young; Augustus Newbold Morris who married Helen Schermerhorn Kingsland ; Eva Van Cortlandt Morris, who married Emile McDougall Hawkes William Henry Morris, who also died young; and Lewis Morris, who also died young.