THE MORGAN JONES FAMILY
Morgan Jones - Circa 1860
Morgan Davis Jones and Jane Roberts Jones were residents of New Cambria, Macon County Missouri from 1866 until their death. Like many residents of New Cambria, both were born in Wales; Morgan in Llambeth on November 13, 1829 and Jane in Pen-y-Gross in north Wales on September 30, 1845. Jane spent her childhood in Trevine, just north of St. David and not far from Lampeter, where Morgan spent his. They were married 31 July, 1863 ; Jane giving her age as 21, when she was actually 18 and Morgan giving his age as 30, when he was actually 34. They left for America soon after the marriage. Accompanying them to American was a nine year old child by the name of Elizabeth Thomas who was the daughter of Morgan’s first wife who had, apparently, died in childbirth a year after their marriage. Probably without any legal action, Elizabeth was raised and considered by Morgan as his daughter . According to family records the three arrived in New York at 6:00 pm, August 28, 1863 on the Great Eastern steamship. (The time and date of the arrival was confirmed by the sailing records of the elegant, but grotesque 693 giant.) A one-way passage from England to America in 1863 was as little as $30 for “very comfortable accommodations”. The family broke their trip to Missouri in Pomeroy, Ohio, which is located near Kent. They spent three years in Ohio where Morgan applied for U.S. citizenship, but for unknown reasons, never followed through on the application. He later reapplied for citizenship and received it in 1886. Also, for unknown reasons, when Morgan and Jane continued their trip to Missouri, 12 year old Elizabeth was left behind. Years later, in 1881, writing from New Cambria, Morgan responded to a letter from Elizabeth telling of his family life on the farm they had purchased one and one half miles west of the town. In it he stated they had 80 acres of land with a good orchard, 12 milk cows, 25 steers, 10 sheep and five horses. At that time he and Jane had five children; two girls - Catherine age 15, Ellenor 11 and three boys; Evan age seven, Gideon age four and Henry 11 months. Like most couples in the nineteenth century, Morgan and Jane had a large family. And like most other families of the day, they probably did not expect to raise them all to adulthood. Three of their eleven children never made it beyond the cradle. The first names of two of these infants were later used again. When Morgan was not farming he was employed by the railroads as a stone mason. Some of his work is still visible today, notably his own tombstone in the New Cambria cemetery The children were: Catherine , 1866-1913 Morgan and Jane are buried in the family plot in New Cambria, along with eight of their children and a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren.
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