Hi Stephen,
fraid I can't be much help except offer my sympathies with your plight !.

It was this website that surprised me by advising Jones is the most common Forest surname, not my experience in my first 20 years from 62 onwards, as a Jones in Cinderford & at the RFDGS in Berry Hill, but I'm not denying the statistical facts as they've been proven by my own problems tracing my family tree these last few months. My son is William Jones, named after my father William Jones, named after his before him and so on ad infinitum. In our case they are Lydbrook/Ruardean WJ's which seems to be the hotbed area for Jones', unless of course you think it's Mitcheldean ??.

I don't think our paths will cross genetically but I'll keep a lookout and contact you if they appear to do so. Meanwhile keep smiling thro, good luck !

FOD records

Marriage at Mitcheldean - 13 September 1804 (by LICENCE) - which would possibly give more information i.e. age/occ/Parish - there are two examples of a Licence (from my x Grandparents) on the FOD site - under Documents & Articles - Misc. Documents - Marriages Bonds - one earlier than the other...

William JONES - Parish of Mitchel Dean
married
Mary WILLIAMS - Parish of Mitchel Dean

witnesses: Joseph MAYO and Maria WILLIAMS

There are two siblings of William JONES 1805 - christened at Mitcheldean

George - 4 October 1807
and
Mary Anne - 11 June 1820 (upwards of 10 years old, William (Currier) and Mary JONES

?

FOD records Marriage at Mitcheldean, 1842

Mary Ann JONES - father: William JONES (Farmer)
married
George CROOK

witnesses: Timothy BENNETT and Mary JONES

1851 Census, Newent
Black House

George CROOK - 38 - farm er of 130 acres, born Glos. Flaxley
Mary Ann CROOK - 41 (c1810) - born M Deene, Glos.
Maria CROOK - 5 - born Glos. Newent
George W CROOK - 1 - ditto
Margaret SMITH visitor unmarried age 20 born Newnham
Harry GREEN - visitor 27, born Hereford Aston Ingham
and a couple of Farm Servant

1851 Census, Herefordshire, Hope Mansell,
Upper End

George JONES - 43, farmer of 124 acres, born Gloucestershire, Mitcheldean
Jane JONES - wife - 45 born ditto
William Bennett JONES - son 15 - born Herefordshire, Hope Mansell
James Charles JONES - son - 13 - ditto
Es=+ 3 servants

There are 3 BENNETT JONES baptisms at Hope Mansell (FOD records) - not sure which generation/wife? BENNETT name comes from

William BENNETT JONES 1835
George William BENNETT JONES - 1874
Alfred William BENNET JONES - 1874
William BENNET JONES - FOD B.C. 1878

On the Gloucestershire Records Office - Genealogical Database - there is

1878 - William BENNETT JONES (Gender - Mother) Farmer, Ref: d2598/5/5 - non conformist

------------

1841 Census (Mitchell Dean - on Ancestry)

William JONES - 69 c 1772 Farmer, not born in County
Mary Ann JONES - 25 Housekeeper (born in County) - married George CROOK
Ann EVANS - 20 F/M
William PARRY - 25 M/S
John GREEN - 17 - M/S

Year: 1842
Month: Oct
Day: 3
Surname: JONES
Forenames: William
Residence: Mitcheldean
Age_at_death: 71 [implied 1771]
Officiating_Minister: George Cox Curate
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death: [not sta
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 220 in 1/9
Page_No: 41
Parish_Chapel: Mitcheldean

1841 High Street
William Jones abt 1774 [OUT OF COUNTY] Mitchell Dean,Gloucestershire Farmer
Mary Ann Jones abt 1816 Gloucestershire, England Mitchell Dean, Gloucestershire
Ann Evans abt 1821 Gloucestershire, England Mitchell Dean, Gloucestershire
William Parry abt 1816 Mitchell Dean, Gloucestershire
John Green abt 1824 Gloucestershire, England Mitchell Dean,

next door to (witness in Mary Ann's marriage)
Timothy Bennett abt 1804 Gloucestershire, England Mitchell Dean, Gloucestershire Malster ( Widow of Beata)
Thomas Bennett abt 1781 Gloucestershire, England Mitchell Dean, Gloucestershire
Jane Bennett abt 1834 Gloucestershire, England Mitchell Dean, Gloucestershire

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

suspect for family of Mary and Maria Williams

possible wifes for Isaac
1757 HART Mary Baptism Aston Ingham
1751 HART Mary Baptism Aston Ingham

Year: 1777
Month: Jul
Day: 3
Grooms_Surname: WILLIAMS
Grooms_Forenames: Isaac
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: [not stated]
Grooms_Occupation: Labourer
Grooms_Residence: Leonard Stanley
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: HART
Brides_Forenames: Mary
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: [not stated]
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: of this parish
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: 1777 Jun 15 22 29
Signature_or_Mark: Both mark
Witness_1: John Beavan
Witness_2: William Mash
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: W. H. Baker rector
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: AR90/5
Page_Number: 13
Parish_Chapel: Aston Ingham

1778 WILLIAMS Elizabeth Isaac Mary Aston Ingham
1780 WILLIAMS Mary Isaac Mary Aston Ingham
1781 WILLIAMS Nathaniel Isaac Mary Aston Ingham
1784 WILLIAMS John Isaac Mary Mitcheldean
1785 WILLIAMS Maria Isaac Mary Mitcheldean

Year: 1821
Month: Feb
Day: 27
Surname: WILLIAMS
Forenames: Isaac
Residence: Mitcheldean
Age_at_death: 73 [implied 1748]
Officiating_Minister: John Newport Curate
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death: [not sta
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P 220 in 1/9
Page_No: 12
Parish_Chapel: Mitcheldean

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Stephen

I am afraid I cannot tell you who William Jones parents are either, but have found the thread very interesting and it has helped me make further connections.

If I can add to the story, some of which I know you are familiar with (as I have you in my family tree and know your link to William Jones), but for the sake of the thread :

Timothy Bennett 1803 who married Beata Hale was the son of James Bennett 1783 and Sarah Marfell 1780 (well you knew they had to get in somewhere). James Bennett 1783 being the son of Thomas Bennett 1747 & Jane Cowles 1756. Thomas Bennett 1747, being the son of James Bennett 1718 & Elizabeth Hazel 1711. Thomas Bennett 1747 had 4 siblings including a brother James 1742 who married Elizabeth Annetts (one of my 5 times great grand parents, as their daughter Jane Bennett 1771 married John Marfell 1762)

Timothy Bennett's sister Jane Bennett 1806 married George Jones 1807, son of William Jones 1771 and Mary Williams where we came in. I won't detail the link but George Jones 1807 & Jane Bennett 1806 had a great grandaughter Violet Dorothy Florence Jones 19 Sep 1901 who married a Jonathon Marfell 1904.

Jim Ashton

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=18347#p18360