Jones was born in Gloucester County, Virginia at Marlfield Plantation.

[1] He was a direct descendant of Roger Jones, who came to Virginia in 1680 with Lord Colepeper.

[2] In a retrospective discussion of slavery in the South, Jones stated in a letter that "The great slave owners in no manner resembled what I have read of the barons of the fourteenth century who haughtily received the trembling vassals; on the contrary the old Virginia gentlemen were courteous and polite to all classes, not only to the whites, but to the slaves themselves.

"[3] Jones was buried at Abingdon Church, following his death in Newport News.

Jones had moved to Newport News in 1899, where in addition to serving as mayor built a law practice and was a prominent Baptist.