A native of Tipton, Staffs,he was converted in Wednesbury in 1742 under the preaching of Charles Wesley. He suffered in the Walsall riots of 1743 and his father's house was attacked in the Wednesbury riots. He was a prosperous man, living in West Bromwich with a servant, coachman and carriage. Wesley called him 'one of the early apostles in the cause' and employed him for a time in the Staffordshire Circuit, but his talents as a preacher were limited. He attended the 1748 Conference. After his marriage he continued to preach occasionally. Although Wednesbury, the first Methodist society in Staffordshire, had land let to them for a preaching house, it was Tipton Green that had the first purpose-built chapel in the county, built by Jones at his own expense in 1750. He eventually gave it to John Wesley, who conveyed it by trust deed to the Tipton society on 11 July 1786.

Entry written by: DHR and JAV
Category: Person
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