The Grass Still Grows

       Always amazing for me, was how my Celtic, to become Welsh, yet still to become my Jones surname ancestors survived each new day among the hills of the Clwyd. Staying alive, while finding yourself still alive, would certainly be high on everyone's "to do list"! Since my 1950's, B&W T.V. days [see post November 2, 2015], "Circle the Wagons" would be a basic principle to be applied but, guess not many folks left to wheel the wagons following the 1350s. 

       Let's see now, there was Howel (JM-1), son of Llewelyn (JL-1), who was the eldest son of Iorwerth (JK-1) all down the family tree from that homestead place called Llwyn-Ynn [see posts of September 26, 2024, and August 28, 2023]. Gather all the sheep and guide them southeast, to that wool ready location at Oswestry. Herd all the cattle northeast to that other family place called Llwyn-Onn (at Wrexham) with their hides, skins, and meat. Having repeated this family occupation for generations, it would seem a good idea to keep things going the best way we know [see post September 23, 2023].  A little like "circling the wagons". Anyway, the grass still grows "among them there hills" as we would say in my part of the world!

P.S. Here is a scan of that Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) which in the Welsh can be written in the plural as Ynn or Onn. How about that!

From the glossary in the book by Ruth Thomas titled South Wales, published 1977 starting page 206. On page 208 she gives "Ash tree", "Onnen (pl. onn, ynn).

The Music Of Life II

        Life is our existence as we know it. Existence is our reality as we experience it. Experience is our innate perception of the environment that surrounds us. Our perception of this environment is brought to us through an organic platform made up of 100 trillion of cells that somehow have figured out a way to function in concert. A concert that provides our conscious existence with this experience. Beginning at the union of 23 chromosomes to make that first unique cell [seems to take 46 chromosomes to get things working well]. Our existence and experience play their first note...ah yes, the music of life.  

        Some 13 years ago a post titled "The Music of Life" was written [April 27, 2012]. Recently, re-reading this post, a couple of changes seemed more helpful. These changes are written in italics per above.

         The word innate meaning "existing in (or) belonging to an individual from birth" is defined [p. 590 from my Webster's]. The word inne (innan) does also exist in my Anglo-Saxon dictionary page 403 as referenced in Webester as meaning "within". How about that, the Saxons had it right!

         Additionally, could never remember an actual number to the cells until now when, low and behold, Guyton in my medical school physiology text page 9 gives his number between "...75 to 100 trillion cells in the human being..."! Let's keep that music of life still playing.

Coming Home

       On this Memorial Day May 26, 2025, would like to remember my Dad and, the many others coming home. Thank you for the life you gave and, the love still flowing in our Jones surname family tree. Remembering you and the others who served.

       On the back of this photo is written...

  On the Marine Robin coming home.

Another Platform For Discussion

       Paul Murtaugh in his book "Your Irish Coats-OF-Arms", published 1959, writes on page 2, "...for it was from his own genealogies that each man of the tribe, poor as well as rich, held the charter of his civil state, his right of property in the cantrel in which he was born, the soil of which was occupied by one family or clan, and in which no one lawfully possessed any portion of the soil if he was not of the same race with the chief." (Quote taken the Irish historian O'Donovan) The following scan is taken from this book showing just one page of the many that are drawn. There are no JONES surnames listed in the many Irish surnames given among the pages.

       The text is somewhat difficult to utilize by its unusual structure and indexes. The "Red Hand" symbol has its own unique story among the Irish.

Changes

      Howel (JM-1) ap Llewelyn (JL-1) ap Iorwerth (JK-1) ap Gruffydd (JJ-1) ap Iorwerth Fychan (JI-1) ap Jeuaf (JH-1) [1st of Llwyn-Onn] brought my Y-chromosome down the Celtic, to become the Welsh, yet to become my JONES surname family tree. Little did old Howel (JM-1) know the home front of Llwyn-Onn would continue to maintain the families' survival for generations yet to be. 

       Now those "Norman-French" (French speaking), those "Anglo-Saxons" (Early English speaking), all those "Church" folks (Latin speaking) and, my "Welsh" ancestors (Welsh speaking) faced one another across new dynamics of influences yet to be fully developed. Can you imagine not enough folks to plow all those fields and to milk all those cows! Unemployment going through the roof! Talking about inflation!!! Well anyhow, Edward III got busy with his "Order of The Garter" circling his followers around him, forming a commonalty of his realm. This gave strength to his "demesne" and a more developed (institutionalized) "Throne of England".

       Meanwhile, those Anglo-Saxon (warrior freeman) scattered all about the place in their shires were determined to maintain their rights and freedoms. They clustered around that group meeting in an elected Parliament, declared in 1362, that English would become the language of the law [Statue of Pleading 36 Edw III c.15]!!! Can you believe it, they opened Parliament for the first time in ENGLISH! Not all that French language stuff. What a deal!

        Then there were all those church folks who faced one another. Let's see now, residing at Rome was Urban VI who had England's support. Then there was residing at Avignon (French), Clement VII who "BOTH" claimed to be Pope. Here we go, war between two Popes?  Yes sir, the "Great Schism" [1378-1417] it has been called. England, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary and Italy (except Naples) was on one side. France, Naples, Scotland, Savory, Loraine, and the Spanish Kingdoms on the other side it was. Battles on earth joined by battles in the heavens. Oh my, where was one to go (?) was certainly a thought of the day.

       Finally, my ancestors who seemed to be hiding out in the hills (Vale of Clwyd) come to light. As it turns out, not so hiding after all. The Norman-French had taken control of Ruthin [the de Grey family] who were to cause all kinds of problems down the road. The Anglo-Saxon [Hanmer family] were to become important in stabilizing many branches of the family tree. The church group centered at St. Asaph, not far up the road, helped clarify many questions regarding my Jones family connections. On and on it could go but... 

      Whew, what can one say...changes all around.

A Discussion

        By now, the spring of 2025, it would seem probable that the multiple folks visiting this blog spot from the different places around the world might have some comments, questions, corrections or, suggestions regarding all this genealogy stuff about my Jones surname ancestors. Who would have guessed that all these countries including France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Russia, Israel, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Türkiye and 35 others including the old U.S. of A., would have paid a visit to this "old" genealogist's part of the world! 

       At any rate, allow me a chance to say "hello" and suggest this post starts a platform for discussion to all those who still might be interested in the genealogy of the JONES surname. A few basic suggestions: 1) the language used to be in English, 2) unclear terms involved be defined using Webster's dictionary [post 25 November 2024] and, 3) the goal being a mutual understanding.

       For example, never did my well-known ancestor, Inigo Jones (1573-1652), from my earliest days of genealogy tree climbing, not be considered Welsh [multiple posts but, most recent 15 December 2012, 25 December 2021, and 20 August 2024]. However, my most respected and frequently utilized Welsh text by John Davies [post of 16 November 2022] states on p. 256 "...Inigo Jones was the first Englishman (all efforts to make a Welshman of him have failed) ...".  Say What !!! Not a Welshman??? 

       Well, anyway, would love to discuss with anyone connected to this author's last known teaching location as member of the Department of Welsh History at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. His last activity was completing a history of BBC broadcasting in Wales. Suspect that there still might be some folks around his thought processes that remain to this spring day of 2025. Perhaps some of his associates could join in a discussion. Please post using the comment location at the end of this post under "post a comment".

On The Other Side

        Deep and wide was the valley of death that forged its way into the world starting just east of the 70th degree longitude around 1346. It followed the major European trade routes and seaports until it arrived in the bailiwick of my Celtic, to become Welsh, yet to become my Jones surname family tree. The court rolls of Ruthin (Vale of Clwyd) 1349 recorded 77 of the inhabitants died within 2 weeks starting March of 1349.  [p. 154, Ziegler, post 21 February 2024] More than 1/3 of the world's population and, my family's small part thereof, are thought to have perished stated by Davies (p.186) in his book on Wales. [see post 16 November 2022] Law and order flew out the windows. A shortage of labor left many of the fields unplowed, nor planted, or harvested and, a decay of the manor and the manorial system followed. [That is the Welsh system as discussed 10 April 2024!]

      Now to the eager genealogist there was nothing more exciting than to find an ancestor that had already compiled a well-documented, accurate, and completed family tree in the direction you are headed! Even more so when you faced "the end of the road" at "world's end" with such a deep valley before your family tree branches. As a reminder here is such the family tree as shown in posts before:

       Taken from Jones-Parry "Paternal Descent", pp. 354-355, County Families of Carnarvonshire, Nicholas, Vol. I, a referenced discussed in several post as early 27 February 2023. You can see that we made a home to last among the Vale of Clwyd and that place called Llwyn-Onn.