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Teague Jones (ca 1624 - before 1702) was born about 1620 in England and arrived in Massachusetts in 1645.
Teague Jones is not in the list of those able to bear arms in 1643, ages 16 to 60, which shows that he had probably not yet arrived in the Colony unless he was under sixteen. He was probably newly arrived in Yarmouth in 1645 as a single man. There is no record by what ship he arrived or whence he came or with whom.
There is no reason to believe he was married by 1645, but he may have been by 1650. Teague Jones is mentioned several times in Plymouth Colony Court Records, showing he often came under the discipline of the authorities, but he is never mentioned as taking any part in the affairs of the town.
Teague Jones is first mentioned in Plymouth Colony Records among five men from Yarmouth, sent out by the town as its quota for the expedition against the Narragansett Indians, who went on the Expedition against the Narragansetts on Oct. 28, 1645. "Teague Jones came to Massachusetts at a very early date, since he appears at Yarmouth in 1645 among soldiers" which went forth with the late expedition against Narrohiggansets and their Confederates, in October of that year.
On 14 August 1645 there appears a record of "soldiers sent out against the Narragansetts in the late expedition. From Sandwich were Thomas Burges, Thomas Greenfield, Lawrence Willis, Thomas Johnson, and Robert Allen, out thirteen days. From Barnstable were John Foxwell, John Russell, Jonathan Hatch, and Francis Crocker, fourteen days. And from Yarmouth were William Northcoate, William Twining, Teague Jones, Henry Wheldono, and William Chase, fourteen days. There were delivered to each soldier, on going forth, one pound of powder, three pounds of bullets, and one pound of tobacco. They set out on August 23rd and advanced to Rehoboth but returned September 2nd without seeing any action and were discharged." It was ordered by the court, that each sachem shall hereafter keep within his own bounds.
In 1645 Teague Jones was fined to take allegiance to the British Crown.
Nancy Thatcher Reid writes that Teague was called to court from time to time for misdemeanors, most of which involved nothing more than a certain air of "joie de vivre," which the sober orthodox residents of the town deplored or maybe envied. "Not altogether a desirable citizen, disputatious & fond of strong drink. His wife may have been an Indian."[4] He had the following children: Jeremiah Jones born before 1650; Ruhamah Jones born about 1650; Josiah Jones born about 1661; Elizabeth Jones.
On July 7, 1646, a suit between Teague Jones and Ralph Whelden and the latter's daughter was adjourned.[5]
On Oct. 29, 1649, Richard Berry accused Teague Jones, of committing sodomy and other unclean practices with Sarah White Norman, wife of Hugh Norman and Jones was put under heavy bonds for his appearance at the March term of the Court to answer. On 6 March 1650 Berry acknowledged before the General Court that he had given false witness under oath and he was sentenced to be whipped at the post in Plymouth. His fondness for strong drink, also, caused him trouble with the authorities. Richard, notwithstanding his humiliating confession that he had sworn falsely, and his visit to the whipping-post, continued to live on excellent terms with his friend Teague at Doctor's Weir, near the mouth of Bass River. The court, however, thought differently, and caused them "to part their uncivil living together" in 1653.[7] Teague and Richard were also found playing cards on the Sabbath.
At a General Court held at Plymouth on October 29, 1649, "Teag Joanes complaineth against Edward Sturges in an action for slander to the dammag of an hundred pound," and a verdict was rendered for the defendant.[6]
At a General Court on October 4, 1655, "Teage Jones accused Masshantampaineto haven stolen a gun from him,' but the jury decided in favor of the Indian."[10]
At the October session of the Court in 1660 he was fined £6. "for refusing to take the oath of fidelitie" but the fine was "abated"; [11] p>
OnOn 3 Oct 1662 Teague "overtaken with drink, having formerly been a transgressor in that kind, was fined fifty shillings."[12] An inventory of spirits in Yarmouth in June and July 1662 showed six people brought 113 gallons. Teague was shown as one of many buying 10 gallons of alcohol, "one case forfeit to the country."
On June 15, 1667, he was reported to the General Court at Plymouth for not attending meeting but it is not specified whether this refers to the civil Town Meeting or to the meetings for worship.
He was living in 1667, or about that time, in the south part of Yarmouth in a house on the west side of Bass River, near Stage Island, where he had a farm.
In 1668 Teague purchased five additional acres.
By 1673 we find mention of Jeremiah Jones and soon after of Samuel and Josiah, who seem of the right age to have been his sons, and that was the opinion of Savage (1860) and of Frederick Freeman (1858, as gleaned from his Annals of Yarmouth).
By deed dated February 14,1673-4, he bought from William Nickerson, Sr., a farm at Monomoit, bounded north by the White Pond and the land of John Nickerson and east by "the highway that leads into the Inlands". It was in a locality which the Indians called Ockpeset or Ockepset. By the same deed he obtained six acres of upland at the Oyster Pond furlong, two acres of meadow at the end to the Oyster pond, two acres more on the south side of the Oyster Pond and thirty acres of meadow at Gregory's Neck, being the neck at the east side of Taylor's pond, South Chatham. The creek from "Little Oyster Pond" to the sea was on the south of one portion of his land.
By deed dated December 27, 1675, he added to the above farm a tract of five acres on the east side of it, lying between a pond and the highway and bounding east on land of Edward Cottle. This lot as evidently in the vicinity of the Kendrick and Flynn houses, West Chatham.
He was taxed toward King Philips War in 1676. This was the first time he appeared on Yarmouth tax rolls. A "rate" made this year 29 Apr 1676 towards the charge of the late war shows both the tax-paying inhabitants at this date and their comparative wealth, and among them we find: Teague Jones - 2s, 4d and 1s, 4d.: Samuel Jones - 12s, 5d: Jeremiah Jones - 2s, 14d.[15]
The early Joneses of Yarmouth were mostly Quakers. Earliest records find show the Yarmouth Friends' monthly meetings were held alternating at the homes of John Dillingham and Teague Jones beginning in 1681.
Teague Jones lived several years at Monomoit, selling out before 1686, possibly before 1683, about 16 acres to Elisha Hedge and returning to Yarmouth where he was living as late as 29 May 1691 when he deeded his Bass River farm to his son Jeremiah, who was then occupying it. Josiah Jones, doubtless his son, and Joseph Eldredge, son of Robert, then lived on adjoining farms. Joseph Eldredge's son Jeremiah may well have been named for Jeremiah Jones, who was probably his uncle. Sargeant Joseph Eldredge, son of Robert Eldredge and Elizabeth Nickerson, perhaps married first a daughter of Teague Jones, a neighbor at Monomoit from 1675 to 1683. He acquired land and probably lived for a time in the south part of Yarmouth on the western side of Bass river. His land adjoined land of Teague Jones and his sons, and the circumstances indicate that it was a family community.
There is no settlement of his estate and no record of his family. Michael Stewart, by deed dated October 12, 1702, bought from the proprietors of Monomoit a large irregular tract at what is now West Chatham, on both sides of the highway, lying between the ponds there and Regged Neck and extending from the present Doane neighborhood westerly to the present George Buck neighborhood. This tract is described as follows: ranging Northerly by ye reputed lands of Teague Jones deceased.
Teague Jones died between 21 Jul 1683 and October 12, 1702, in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts at age 63.
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