Register of (NC-born) Negroes & Mulattoes: Bartholomew County, Indiana, no. 1.
by Lisa Y. Henderson
Enoch Jones, age 13, born Robeson County NC, registered 22 Aug 1853. He was described as “rather a light negro”; small scar one-half inch long on back of left hand near wrist; son of William Riley Jones Esq. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Irvin Jones, age 14, born Robeson County NC, registered 22 Aug 1853. He was described as “rather a light negro”; four feet eleven and one-half inches and growing; with no scars or marks; son of William Riley Jones Esq. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Lucinda Jones, age 5, born Scott County VA, registered 22 Aug 1853. She was described as a black girl, “lively and of a light complexion,” with a burn scar on the right side of her neck; daughter of William Riley Jones Esquire. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Lucy Ann Jones, age 40, born Halifax County NC, registered 22 Aug 1853. She was described as rather a dark mulatto woman; five feet two inches; “right arm very much crooked having been broken”; married with eight children. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Mary H. Jones, age 3, born Bartholomew County VA. “A plump little darkie” with a light unblemished complexion; daughter of William Riley Jones Esquire.” Witness: George B. Gaines.
Oliver Jones, age 7, born Richmond County NC, registered 22 Aug 1853. He was described as a black boy three and a half feet high, “but will get higher fast;” a “rather light” negro; no remarkable scars; son of William R. Jones. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Thomas Jones, age 9, born Richmond County NC, registered 22 Aug 1853. He was described as a black boy three feet eleven inches high, a “rather light” negro who “seems to be growing;” son of William Riley Jones Esquire. Witness: George B. Gaines.
William Riley Jones, age 40, born Robeson County NC, registered 22 Aug 1853. He was described as a rather dark mulatto man; five feet three inches; with a scar about ¾ inch long on the right hand; rather square built; with round features. Witness: George B. Gaines.
William R. Jones Jr., age 1, born Bartholomew County IN, “plump little nigger baby,” fair-skinned, no scars; son of William R. Jones Sen. Registered 22 Aug 1853. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Willis Jones, age 12, born Robeson County NC, light negro boy, four and a half feet and growing, no scars, son of William Riley Jones. Registered 23 Aug 1853. Witness: George B. Gaines.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 
Lucy Ann Morgan Jones – wife of William Riley Jones is a distant cousin of mine on the Morgan side.
Wanted to note that she was the daughter per her death certificate of John Morgan Jr, who was originally from Northampton County, NC. The family settled in Halifax County after the death of John’s first wife Mary Ladd around 1786. We are unsure of Lucy’s mother’s name but wanted to thank you for posting this information on the Jones family.
Also to add that I saw you have a piece about Civil War soldiers and wanted to add that William Riley Jones actually joined the USCT MI 102nd towards the end of the war and served in SC. I was surprised to find this out since he was nearly 50 years old when he joined.
The family later moved away from Indiana and settled in Ypsilanti, MI but some of their children later moved back to Indiana in the late 19th/early 20th century.
The Morgan family of Lucy Ann Morgan Jones, had quite a few members move to Indiana as well from NC. My own ancestor – George Morgan and wife Delila Bass Morgan lived in Posey, Franklin County, IN in 1850 but the census taker mistakenly recorded they were from MD and not NC. Lucy Ann was a first cousin of George Morgan – their fathers (John Jr and Matthew Sr) were brothers and both sides of the family lived in the Robeson County area prior to both moving out of NC to IN. George later moved to Canada but the Jones family stayed in Ypsilanti, MI from the 1860s through their deaths. William Riley Jones died around 1888. Lucy was enumerated as his widow on the 1890 veterans census. She died in 1907 and her age was reported as 100 years old.