Recording Pioneers


Joseph William JONES  ("Joe")1876 - 1960   arrowarrow PIONEER    PARENTS    LIFE    NOTES    LABELS    PHOTOS    THANK YOU

PIONEERRESPOND

Joseph William JONES  ("Joe")1876 - 1960

aka Joseph W. Jones, Joseph Jones, Joe Jones, J. Jones
nationality
occupation inventor and manufacturer
birth 27 June 1876, Saratoga, New York, USA
baptism
death 7 Mar 1960, New York, USA
burial Setauket (Presbyterian Church) Cemetery, Setauket, Suffolk, New York
marriage married on 7 Aug 1901 in Manhattan, New York to:
Jean(ie) Reid WHITFORD

b. 21/29 Nov 1872, Brooklyn, NY, USA
d. 24 Aug 1948, Manhattan, NY, USA - burial: Setauket Cemetery, Stony Brook, Long Island, New York


PARENTS

father William Colpitts JONES

b. 26 Mar 1840, New Brunswick, CANADA
d. 31 Mar 1913, Richmond/Staten Island, New York City, USA

mother Victoria Ann (Alexandrina Victoria) SHAW

b. 13 Sep 1838, Granville, Nova Scotia, CANADA
d. ca 1916, ........., ENGLAND

marriage They got married in 1864, Gaspe, CANADA
children
  • Percival (Percy) Shaw

    b. 17 Jan 1865/1866, Moncton, New Brunswick, CANADA
    d. 25/26 Mar 1951, NYC, NY, USA

  • Mary (Molly) Victoria

    b. .... 1867, Moncton, New Brunswick, CANADA
    d. .........

  • Florence E.

    b. .. Mar 1869, Saratoga, NY, USA
    d. ...............

  • Joseph William

    b. 27 June 1876, Saratoga, NY, USA
    d. 7 Mar 1960, New York, USA

  • Ernest Albert

    b. 1 Jul 1880, Saratoga, NY, USA
    d. 10 Feb 1952, .........., ENGLAND


LIFE


see HAIL COLUMBIA WEBSITE
see: Zonophone article (P. Cleary)
see: From Tinfoil to Stereo. Evolution of the Phonograph (p. 132-133, 142)
Sailed for Europe on 27 Jan 1900 to make Zonophone records (article in Phonoscope)
His name is not found on passenger lists of ELLIS ISLAND


1880 US CENSUS
William C. Jones, 40y, Real Estate Agent
Victoria Jones, 40y, Keeps House
- Percival S. Jones, 15y, at school
- Mary V. Jones, 13y, at school
- Florence E. Jones, 11y, at school
- Joseph William Jones, 5y
- Ernest A. Jones, 1y
Residence: 6 th Ave. West Side, NYC, NY, USA



1900 United States Census, Manhattan, New York (9 June 1900):
William C. JONES (b. Jan 1845, CANADA; 55y)
Victoria JONES (b. Jan 1840, CANADA; 60y)
- Percival (b. Jan 1870; 30y) lawyer
- Mary (b. Jan 1874; 26y) journalist
- Florence (b. June 1876 (= 1867?); 24y) artist
- Joseph W. (b. May 1877; 23y) inventor
- Ernest (b. Jan 1881; 19y)
Residence: Irving Place, New York
Riddled with conflicting dates - HS



1905 New York State Census, Manhattan, 1905:
Joseph W. JONES (28y)
Genie W. JONES (25y)



1917-1918 WWI Draft Registration Card:
Joseph William Jones, Mechanical Engineer
Spouse: Janie R. Jones
Residence: 15 West 55 th St., Manhattan, NY, USA


1920 United States Census, Manhattan, 17-20 Jan 1920:
Joseph W. JONES (43y) manufacturer machinery
Jean W. JONES (42y)
Residence: West 55 Street, Manhattan, New York City



1930 US Census:
a) Joseph Jones, 53y, Inventor, Instrument, Working on own account
Jeanie Jones, 50y
Residence: Park Ave., Manhattan, NY, USA
-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
b) Percival S. Jones, 65y, Corporation Lawyer
Minnie E. Jones, 52y
Jean S. Jones, 23y
Anne Highleyman, 21y, Assist.Tuyer, Dress Shop
Peter Highleyman, 3y
Residence: 19 Old Farm Rd., Darien, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA



1940 US Census:
Joseph Jones, 64y, Inventor, Machinery
Jeanie Jones, 60y
Residence: East 35 St., NYC, NY, USA



Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2001:
Josep (sic) W. Jones (83y) widowed
Death Date: 7 Mar 1960
Death Place: New York
Residence Place: Norfolk, Litchfield, Connecticut


Jones PATENT

Joseph W. Jones lived in New York City and had a house in Guilford [New Haven Co.], Connecticut, Stony Creek
birth year is from gravestone.
He is listed as age five in 1880 census.
His inventions are at the Smithsonian Museum of History and Technology. Jones Speedometer, instrument in the Lindberg plane. Phonograph records. RCA on cylinder, taximeter, ways of timing speed in autos, Jones motorola (wind up phonograph).
He had a little dog who lost all her hair.
When he died, Ann FULLER (Anne SHAW JONES, b. 7 Feb 1909, New York; 3rd wife of Charles F. FULLER and daughter of Percival Shaw Jones) took his ashes to the Setauket Presbyterian Church Cemetery where he was buried in the old part of the cemetery with his wife in the Smith-Whitford lot. He left his house in Norfolk CT to his assistant who had been with him in business.
(source: Our Genealogy: The Franke/Colucci Family Web Site)


About Joseph W. Jones' assistant
Thanks to Barry Webber, Executive Director of the Norfolk Historical Society, we now know that Jones' assistant was Clarence Eugene Rees, who was born on 17 May 1898, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio and died on 23 April 1966, New Canaan/Kanaan, Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Clarence E. Rees, 67, of Maple Avenue, former president of Jones Matrola (sic) Mfg. Co. in Stamford, died Saturday at Litchfield County Hospital, Winsted, After a brief illness.
Spouse: Lorena Ayres M. Rees is also mentioned in the Norfolk documents.
Father: Moses REES (b. 26 July 1858, New York City, NY - d. 7 Aug 1932, The Bronx, New York City, NY)
Mother: Alice Louisa STACKHOUSE (b. .... 1870, ........... - d. .... 1946, ...........)
Moses Rees met Alice Stackhouse in Lebanon Pennsylvania and they were married there on 1 September 1892.
Children:
- Elsie/Elizabeth Isabella (b. .... 1893, ....... - d. .... 1975, ...........)
- Albert L. (b. .... 1894, ......... - d. .... 1992, .........)
- Clyde Harvey (b. 1896, ......... - d. .... 1967, ...........)
- Clarence Eugene (b. 17 May 1898, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio - d. 23 April 1966, New Canaan/Kanaan, Fairfield County, Connecticut)
- Mina Spiegel ((b. 2 August 1902, Cleveland, Ohio – d. 25 Oct 1997, New York City, USA)



NOTES

  • From Tinfoil to Stereo. Evolution of the Phonograph: by Oliver Read and Walter L. Welch. Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc., Indianapolis, 2nd ed. 1976. (pp. 99/131-135/142-143/161/165-166/169/171-173/175)
  • Music On Record (Gaisberg), p. 25
  • The American Graphophone Company and the Columbia Phonograph Company enter the disc record business, 1897-1903 by Raymond R. Wile (ARSC Journal, Vol. 22, No. 2, Fall 1991)
  • Radio Manufacturers of the 1920's: Vol. 2: Freed-Eisemann to Priess, pp. 77-79 by Alan Douglas (online). 1995 (2nd printing)
  • Findagrave website: gravestone
  • On REES: https://norfolkct.org/
  • On REES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mina_Rees
  • On REES: Mina Rees (1902-1997) - Biography. https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Rees/
  • On REES: Clarence E. Rees, Firm Head, Dies (in: Hartford Courant, vol. CXXIX, No. 114, Hartford, Conn., 24 Apr 1966, p. 39


COMPANIES & LABELS



PHOTOS

courtesy Library of Congress



THANK YOU


Maria Kapkidi (co-researcher RP)
Barry Webber