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Simeon Raymond Jones Was born April 27, 1773 in Norwalk, Connecticut. He went to Morristown, New Jersey and completed his education there. In Vol. 24-26 of The New Jersey Historical Society Proceedings, pp. 182 we find" Marriage Records of the Second River Reformed Dutch Church - Belleville: "Mr. Simeon R. Jones to Miss Rebecca Ward, Sept. 18, 1795." She was the daughter of Bethuel and Hannah-Dodd Ward. In Ausburn Towner's A History of the Valley and County of Chemung, C.D. Mason & CO. 1892: "In 1804 came the Rev. Simeon R. Jones, the first one bearing that name to settle in the valley. He was a minister attached to the Presbyterian Church and took up the work left by the Rev. Clark Brown and his successor, Rev. John Smith. Mr. Jones was also a school teacher and followed that vocation, uniting the two professions in one. He came originally from Norwalk, Conn. but removed with his family to Morristown. J.J. where his education was completed. He was well fitted for his church work in those primitive times, being a strong hearty man with a sonorous voice and almost unlimited powers of endurance. But the church did not prosper under his ministrations. He was inclined to the Congregational method of doing business, being of a very independent turn of mind, and took the church from its Presbyterian appellations. There was much trouble and dissatisfaction, which after continuing for five years was somewhat calmed and alleviated by a return to the Presbyterian fold and a uniting with the Ontario Association. This continued four years more, when the church became connected with the Geneva Presbytery, was transferred to the Bath Presbytery, and finally to a Presbytery of its own, the Chemung. There was an actual disruption of the church for one year when the Rev. Ambrose Porter, who cam from the same Presbytery in New Jersey to which Mr. Jones belonged, came to the town and acted as pastor. The majority of the church went to him, but the minority clung to Mr. Jones. At the end of the year Mr. Porter left the field and the division was more or less healed. It was entirely so when in 1816 the Rev. Hezekiah Woodruff was called and succeeded Mr. Jones in his labors." In the History of Chemung, Tompkins & Steuben Counities New York, pp. 238 w2e find: "rev. Simeon R. Jones in 1805 was the earliest pastor in Elmira and taught school and preached in the schoolhouse. He was one of the Boanergers' of the border, who held up the terrors of the law to persuade men to Christ rather than delineating the beatitudes. He was a Presbyterian, but organized the first church as a Congregationalist. He preached many years." On page 253: "In January 1805, the Rev Simeon R. Jones entered upon the pastoral charge of the Congregation (First Presbyterian Church in Elmira). He represents the state of the community as being then deplorably bad. The Sabbath was desecrated by sports, labor, and business, small as the place was, it sustained six taverns and tippling ships, and intemperance was almost universal. Even professors of religion became implicated in the prevailing crisis. A refreshing from God's presence was now enjoyed, - several heads of families were hopefully converted and the state of things assumed quite a new aspect. About this time, in accordance with Mr. Jones views and at his suggestion the church became Congregational." In Hotchkin's History of Western New York - A History of the Purchase and Settlement of Western New York and of the Rise, Progress and present State of the Presbyterian Church in that section , by Rev. J. H. Hotchkin, N.Y.: Published by M.W. Dodd, Brick Church Chapel, opposite City Hall, (1848), pp. 188-189, "In the year 1780, four ministers of the Presbytery of New York, Rev. Jacob Green, Rev. Joseph Grover, Rev. Amzi Lewis, and Rev. Ebenezer Bradford seceded from the Presbytery of New York and from the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, and organized themselves into an ecclesiastical body by the name of "The Presbytery"... These Presbyteries for a time embraced a large number of ministers and churches in the lower counties of New York and adjacent parts of New Jersey. This Society acted as a Missionary Society, and some of its missionaries, at an early period, visited Western New York...Rev. Simeon R. Jones, who preached in the congregation of Elmira several years, was also a missionary of this Society." History of Bradford County, PA, pp. 160: "The church of Wells. In 1795 Rev. Daniel Thatcher organized a church in Elmira and finding a few members in the town of Wells, he constituted them into a branch of the same church. This little society survived by a few years, ministered to mostly by Rev. Simeon Jones." In Woodlawn Cemetery, near Elmira, N.Y. we find: Reverend Simeon R. Jones died March 13, 1857 aged 84 years. Rebecca Ward, his wife died Nov. 11, 1831, aged 55. They had no children. |
