JOHN (JP-1) The Jones Surname Bridge

John (JP-1) ap Robert (JO-1) is the next in line among the branches of my JONES family tree.  To become a JONES one must have a JOHN among the branches.  It was this JOHN (JP-1) of Llynn-Onn who was the one for my family.  His wife was Jane Almer (JP-1) who has a distinct family tree of her own.

It was during the period that Wales was placed completely under the laws of England (Act of Union, 1536 and additions of 1542) that the Welsh naming system [ name "ap" name "ap" name "ap", etc.] was truncated to the English "surname" system [first name then surname].  It was a matter of what the English "ear" heard when a Welshmen gave his "name ap JOHN" that was to become the surname JONES.

Robert (JO-1)

Robert ap Edward also married a Margaret.  She was Margaret Eyton (JO-2) of Rhuabon, Co. Denbigh.  He is given as "of Llywn-Onn" and continues the family story of balancing the fence along the border land between Wales and those folks from the other side of the Island.

The following figure tries to shown the border established by the Anglo-Saxons some time in the early 700s.  The first fence was called Wat's Dyke which in the Anglo-Saxon means "guard dyke".  It was followed by Offa's Dyke some years later, and became the flash point for more many struggles.  It was along this border that my family live for many generations.

North to south, east to west, the family survived riding the fence.

Edward (JN-1)

Edward ap Howel would be the next in line.  He is identified as "of Llwyn-Onn", and his wife is Margaret Wyle of Bersham.

Bersham was a border area along Wat's Dyke.  Llwyn-Onn of Llanfair was to the west, and Llywn-Onn of Wrexham was to the east.  It must have been along these roads that the family managed to survive both the Anglo-Saxon colonization, and the gradual Norman annexation.

The above figure shows the time analysis for these generations, Howel (JM-1) and Edward (JN-1).  Both the wives were named Margaret, and this name becomes the most common name among my JONES family tree.