William H. Jones, M.D.
This highly esteemed gentleman, who is making his home in Jeffersonville, Fayette County, was born in North Wales on the 12th of February, 1816. His parents were William and Jane Jones, both natives of Wales. The father was by trade a miller and carried on that business in his native country until his death, which occurred in 1815. He ran a watermill, and when a farmer sent his grain to his mill he would weigh it and put the amount down in a book, and when ground and bolted he would again weigh it and then make out a ticket stating the weight of the grain and its products, thus showing whether or not the customer received his own product or not. At his death, he left a wife and six children: Thomas, William H.; Davis, who is a resident of Cincinnati and has a very prominent family of sons engaged in the electric business; and Abel. The rest of the number are deceased.
The subject of this life history was educated in his native country until fourteen years of age, having studied Latin and the histories of all foreign countries. He was taken from school and bound out in a printing office for a period of seven years, but after a short time his eyesight became very poor, and he was released from his apprenticeship. Mr. Jones then went to work at the trade of a cabinet-maker and carpenter, and followed this for some years. When about twenty-three years of age, he went to Manchester, England, and in 1842 set sail for America, taking passage at Liverpool on a sailing-vessel and landing at New York City after an uneventful voyage of seven or eight weeks. He remained a short time in this great city, when he went to Washington, D. C, and there met a Senator from Ohio, of whom he asked something in regard to Ohio. He was only answered in a short and rude manner, which he did not at all like. Not believing all the people of the Buckeye State to be like this one whom he had met, he went to Cincinnati and began working at stair-building. Subsequently, he began the study of medicine and was graduated from the Eclectic Medical College in 1849, having built the stairs in the college for part of his tuition.
After his graduation. Dr. Jones began to practice in Oak Hill, Jackson County, Ohio, remaining at that place about two years. At the expiration of this time, he came to Jeffersonville, Fayette County, and has since then been engaged in his practice in this place and is highly honored and esteemed by every one with whom he comes in contact. The Doctor is now in his seventy-sixth year and has a fine experience as a physician, and has performed some very difficult and noted operations in surgery. By his perseverance and thrift, he has laid up for himself and family a comfortable competency for a rainy day and makes his home in a handsome dwelling one mile from town.
Dr. Jones was married, February 7, 1852, to Olivia Hidy, by whom he has six children living: Humphrey, William, Mary J., Carey, Emma and Minnie. The two sons are prominent attorney's in Washington C. H. Emma O., the second daughter, is a graduate of the Chicago Medical College and has held some important positions in hospitals, etc. She is now practicing medicine at Jeffersonville with good success. She has had several severe cases of diphtheria, but has never lost a case. Dr. Jones and his estimable wife are members of the Universalist Church.
From PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF FAYETTE, PICKAWAY AND MADISON COUNTIES, Chapman Bros., Chicago, 1892