This family hooks in to the Goodwins in the early 1700s, but it is an extremely interesting clan for two reasons: the Joneses were among the earliest settlers of Pennsylvania, and much of their Old World history has been preserved. In fact, their lineage can be traced back to the Middle Ages, to the kings and queens of England.

Welsh children, until about 1700, were given their father's name as a sur-name, with the prefix “ap-” to mean “son of.” A man named John, whose father’s name was William, would be known as John ap William. If John's son was Rees, he would be Rees ap John. After about 1700, the “ap” name of a Welshman in Pennsylvania became his family’s surname in the modern sense. “Ap-Howell” became Powell, “ap Richard” became Pritchard, “ap-Rees” became Price or Press, “ap-Hugh” became Pugh, and so on. In names that did not accept an initial “p” sound smoothly, the “ap” was dropped altogether, and “ap-William” became simply William. Lewis and Meredith (from this family tree) came about the same way. “Ap-John” became John but sometimes also Jones, which is how the Joneses in this genealogy came to be called that. The transition was gradual, and sometimes a Welshman is designated by both old and new styles in his lifetime. The son of John ap William, who was named Rees, was sometimes called Rees ap John, Rees John, or Rees Jones.

1. JOHN ap WILLIAM (c.1590-c.1670) was a Quaker farmer in Glan y Llyn parish, on the banks of Bala Lake in Wales. John suffered in the persecution of Quakers in 1661, and probably spent some time in prison for his beliefs. The name of his wife is not known, but he had three children: Evan Jones, Rees Jones, and Margaret Jones. All immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1680s. Margaret was a widow at the time of her immigration. Evan John died soon after he arrived in America.

2. REES JONES (d. Nov. 26, 1697). On his certificate to join Merion Meeting in Pennsylvania, Rees’ home village is listed as Llwyn Grevill, in Clynn parish, Merionethshire, Wales. He had married Hannah Price (1656-1741), daughter of Richard Prees, about 1678. They and their three children came to America with other Welsh settlers aboard the ship "Vine," out of Liverpool. On this journey, the "Vine" sailed from Dolyserre, near Dolgule, in Merionethshire, and arrived in Philadelphia on July 17, 1684.

Rees Jones was one of the 17 original purchasers in the Welsh Tract, a large swatch of land in William Penn’s colony that was bought by Welsh Quaker investors who intended to set up a semi-autonomous Welsh-speaking palatine there. Rees bought 156.25 acres in Pennsylvania on April 1, 1682, for £3, 2s, 6d. But Rees did not cross the Atlantic until fairly late, after most of the other 16 investors had arrived and taken up their claims.

When he arrived in Pennsylvania, Rees found that the best land had been taken already, and his property was laid out in an undesirable strip back from the Schuylkill River, and in a separate chunk in the (then) wilderness of Goshen Township, Chester County. Rees eventually bought or inherited better land, and he soon owned 153 acres in what is now Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County. He built his log cabin near the present Merion train station.

Rees and Hannah had nine children: Richard Jones (c.1679-July 16, 1771) married Jane Evans (d.1711) in 1705. Lowry Jones (1682-Nov. 25, 1762) married twice, first to Robert Lloyd and later to Hugh Evans (who had been married twice already himself). She died in Philadelphia, after having eight children by her first husband and three more by her second. Most of the old upper-crust families of Philadelphia are descendants of her offspring. Evan Jones (c.1683-Jan. 1708) and his brother, John Jones, inherited 153 acres in Goshen from their father. Evan never married. Jane Jones (Sept. 15, 1685-Aug. 27, 1764) was the family's first child born in Pennsylvania. She married David Davis and had nine children, four of whom married into the Ashbridge family, then the wealthiest in Goshen Township. Jane is buried in the cemetery at Goshen Meeting. John Jones (b. April 6, 1688) had a twin sister, Katherine Jones, who died in infancy. Sarah Jones (July 25, 1690-March 28, 1758) married twice and had nine children. Of Edward Jones nothing is known. Margaret Jones (b. June 20, 1692) also married twice.

Rees Jones is buried at Merion Meetinghouse. His wife, Hannah, remarried twice after Rees’ death. Through Hannah, the Joneses claim an ancient lineage, back to Welsh princes who married daughters of the Plantagenet kings of England.

3. RICHARD JONES (c.1679-July 16, 1771) came over from Wales with his parents when he was about 5 years old. He inherited 100 acres in Merion from his father, along with their home plantation. Richard married twice and had three children by each wife. His first wife was Jane Evans, whom he married on April 6, 1705. She died Feb. 27, 1711, and was buried at Merion Meetinghouse.

Their children were Reece Jones (b. Feb. 4, 1706), who married Amy Cock; Ann Jones (b.1707), who married Thomas Goodwin; and Hannah Jones (b. Nov. 8, 1709). Richard sold his Merion lands in 1729 and moved with his family to 157 acres in Goshen, next to lands owned by his brothers, Evan and John. Richard and Evan bought more land in adjacent parcels, and after various transactions the Richard Jones holdings in Goshen stood at 178 acres. Richard died in Goshen in 1771, probably more than 90 years old.

4. ANN JONES (b. Nov. 11, 1707) was one of Richard’s three children by his first wife, Jane Evans. Ann married Thomas Goodwin II (1694-1775) of Goshen in 1729 when she was 22 and he was 35.