RANSOPHER HEYWOOD JONES
SURNAMES: JONES, MCGEE, MORRIS, RICHARDSON.
Ransopher Heywood Jones was born in Mississippi on March 14, 1819 - a son of
Woody Jones, b July 5, 1786, and Elizabeth McGee, b January 13, 1791, d December
2, 1865 in Mississippi. Woody and Elizabeth married June 30, 1807 and had eight
sons and four daughters- all born between 1808 and 1831: Sterling, Hiram,
Solomon, Jeremiah, Cassandra, Ransopher Heywood, Miranda, Woody II, Robert, Mary
Elizabeth, Anselm Helme, and Amanda Jones.
As a
young man, Ransopher Heywood moved to Washington Parrish, Louisiana where, on
January 8, 1840, he married Cassandra Morris, b November 20, 1822 in Louisiana,
d March 28, 1905 in Mooreville, Falls County, Texas - a daughter of Wetten Hall
Warner Morris and Sarah (Richardson) Morris. R. H. and Cassandra Jones had three
sons: James Jones, b January 23, 1841, d August 10, 1911; Hardy Richardson
Jones, b January 7,1844, d January 17, 1922; and John D. Jones, b January 17,
1848, d March 26, 1861.
During
the gold rush of 1849, R. H. Jones went to California to "make his fortune" -
leaving his family in Louisiana. Returning to Louisiana ca 1854 with one gold
nugget and one gold stick pin, he packed up his family in 1855 and moved from
Louisiana to Texas - first to Cooke County, thence to Bee County, to
McLennan County, and finally settling at Mooreville in Falls County.
Years later, he gave two granddaughters the fruits of his gold rush days in
California: To Carrie (daughter of son, James), the gold nugget; and to Madge
(daughter of son, Hardy), the gold stick pin.
R. H.
Jones served in the Texas Militia during the Civil War - enlisting in 1863 to
assist in protecting settlers against Indians. A letter written in 1866 from R.
H.'s brother, Hiram Jones, related how the Mississippi family members had been
devastated during the Civil War.
Ransopher Heywood and Cassandra (Morris) Jones were both buried in the
Mooreville Cemetery.
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of
these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 258 column 1 and 2.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.