John Jones (Ojibwa chief)
Encyclopedia
John Jones was a Mississauga
Ojibwa
teacher, missionary and Chief.
Fathered by Augustus Jones
, Jones was born to Tuhbenahneequay
on July 10, 1798 in the Humber River
valley. Augustus Jones and Tuhbenahneequay had been married in the 1790s in an Ojibwa ceremony. Jones was named Thayendanegea, sometimes spelt Tyantenagen, for his father's friend Joseph Brant
. The year of Jones' birth, his father married a Mohawk woman, Sarah Tekarihogen, in a Christian ceremony. Augustus Jones lived with Tekarihogen on his farm at Stoney Creek
during much of the year, and Tuhbenahneequay while surveying. In 1802, Tuhbenahneequay and Augustus Jones ended their relationship, and John Jones' care, as well of that of his full brother Peter, was left to his mother.
In 1816, their father fetched John and Peter to live with him and his wife at his farm in Stoney Creek
. Both Peter and John were enrolled at a local school, as neither spoke much English. The next year, the family moved to the Grand River
Valley, near Brantford
. Jones lated enrolled in a Hamilton
school to study his father's profession, surveying
.
In 1823, upon his brother Peter's conversion to Methodism
, Jones took up work as a schoolteacher at the missions where Peter worked, first Davisville near Brantford, then the Credit Mission
. 1823 also saw Jones marry Christina Brant (Kayatontye), the granddaughter of his namesake Joseph Brant. Jones was licensed to exhort by the Methodist Church on August 22, 1828. Joseph Sawyer was licensed at the same time, and the pair became the second Indians to be licensed to exhort by the Methodist Church, only Jones' brother Peter having already been so licensed.
In 1830, Jones' wife died of disease, as did four of their five children. Jones himself was struck with consumption
, which forced him to resign his position of schoolteacher at the Credit Mission's school. By 1835 Jones had recovered, and married Mary Holtby, the daughter of a local Methodist preacher. The lived at the Credit Mission and Mary was given the Ojibwa
name Pamekezhegooqua (Anishinaabe language: Bemi-giizhigookwe, "Woman who Goes Along the Sky"). The couple had four children. Jones was elected one of the three chiefs of the Credit band around 1840. In 1845 he served as Secretary of the Grand Council of Ojibwas at Saugeen. Jones died in 1847.
Mississaugas
The Mississaugas are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwa...
Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
teacher, missionary and Chief.
Fathered by Augustus Jones
Augustus Jones
Augustus Jones was an American-born Upper Canadian farmer, land speculator, magistrate, militia captain and surveyor. Jones trained as a surveyor in New York City, and fled as a United Empire Loyalist to Upper Canada...
, Jones was born to Tuhbenahneequay
Tuhbenahneequay
Tuhbenahneequay was a Mississauga Indian from the Burlington Heights area of Upper Canada. The daughter of chief Wahbanosay and Puhgashkish, she married Augustus Jones in a Mississauga ceremony sometime in the 1790s. Their first child, Thayendanegea was born in 1798. The same year, Jones...
on July 10, 1798 in the Humber River
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
valley. Augustus Jones and Tuhbenahneequay had been married in the 1790s in an Ojibwa ceremony. Jones was named Thayendanegea, sometimes spelt Tyantenagen, for his father's friend Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
. The year of Jones' birth, his father married a Mohawk woman, Sarah Tekarihogen, in a Christian ceremony. Augustus Jones lived with Tekarihogen on his farm at Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek may refer to:In Australia:*Stoney Creek Falls, in Queensland, AustraliaIn Canada:*Stoney Creek, Ontario, was a municipality that is now part of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada**Stoney Creek - an electoral district in Ontario...
during much of the year, and Tuhbenahneequay while surveying. In 1802, Tuhbenahneequay and Augustus Jones ended their relationship, and John Jones' care, as well of that of his full brother Peter, was left to his mother.
In 1816, their father fetched John and Peter to live with him and his wife at his farm in Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
. Both Peter and John were enrolled at a local school, as neither spoke much English. The next year, the family moved to the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
Valley, near Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
. Jones lated enrolled in a Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
school to study his father's profession, surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
.
In 1823, upon his brother Peter's conversion to Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, Jones took up work as a schoolteacher at the missions where Peter worked, first Davisville near Brantford, then the Credit Mission
Credit Mission
The Credit Mission was an Indian Mission on the Credit River in Upper Canada.Funded with the proceeds from Purchase #22 or #23, building began in 1826 under the leadership of Peter Jones. When construction began, about 200 Indians lived at the settlement in temporary structures. Thirty log cabins...
. 1823 also saw Jones marry Christina Brant (Kayatontye), the granddaughter of his namesake Joseph Brant. Jones was licensed to exhort by the Methodist Church on August 22, 1828. Joseph Sawyer was licensed at the same time, and the pair became the second Indians to be licensed to exhort by the Methodist Church, only Jones' brother Peter having already been so licensed.
In 1830, Jones' wife died of disease, as did four of their five children. Jones himself was struck with consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, which forced him to resign his position of schoolteacher at the Credit Mission's school. By 1835 Jones had recovered, and married Mary Holtby, the daughter of a local Methodist preacher. The lived at the Credit Mission and Mary was given the Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
name Pamekezhegooqua (Anishinaabe language: Bemi-giizhigookwe, "Woman who Goes Along the Sky"). The couple had four children. Jones was elected one of the three chiefs of the Credit band around 1840. In 1845 he served as Secretary of the Grand Council of Ojibwas at Saugeen. Jones died in 1847.