See his genealogy [Sorry, this is password-protected and only available to family members. If you need access, contact Mabry Tyson] See an ancestry chart linking him to some of the early Colonial families.
BIRTH: 15 APR 1821, Frederick Co.,Virginia,(Now Clarke Co.),"Fairfield"
DEATH: 21 JUN 1877, Selma,Alabama
BURIAL: 1877, ,Selma,Alabama
Father: Roger JONES
Mother: Mary Ann Mason PAGE
Family 1: Gertrude Thomas TARTT
MARRIAGE: 23 MAR 1865, Selma,Alabama
Roger ap_Catesby JONES
Catesby ap_Catesby JONES
Tartt ap_Catesby JONES
Gertrude Letitia JONES
Mary Page JONES
Mattie Moran JONES
As a lieutenant he was the executive and ordinance officer on the first Confederate Ironclad, "The Virginia," fomerly the U.S.S. steam frigate, "Merrimac." She was engaged in a spirited battle off the mouth of the James River, first, against the "Cumerland" and the "Congress," lying at anchor. Later, while engaged with the "Minnesota," Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan was wounded and Catesby took over command. The fighting continued against the ironclad, "Monitor," who retreated into shallow water where the "Virginia" could not pursue her on account of the ship's greater draft.
This was the first naval battle between ironclad ships, and it changed naval warfare forever. There are a number of descendants living in Selma, Alabama.
He was shot down on the streets of Selma, Alabama, June 29th, 1877, by a man whose child had had a fight with one of his children (Catesby) when Captain Jones was wholly unexpecting and unprepared for such a catastrophe.
As a US Navy Officer, he sailed around the world several times and served on the Old Ironsides (USS Constitution).
He served in the Depot of Charts under Matthew Fontaine Maury and helped chart the eastern Gulf Coast.
He worked on ordnance at the Navy Yard in Washington DC with Dahlgren to develop the Dahlgren gun.
As a Confederate State Navy officer, he was the Executive officer of the C.S.S. Virginia (formerly U.S.S. Merrimack) and was in command of the ironclad when it fought the U.S.S. Monitor.
He was in command of the Naval Works at Charlotte, NC.
He was Chief of Ordnance Works at Selma, AL.
His personal journal covers the years from 1836 (age 15) to 1845 when he was at sea most of the time.
Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center Catesby ap Roger Jones's uniform is on display in Columbus, GA. The (burned-out) hull of the C.S.S. Chattahoochee, commanded by Jones is there. Also has the hull of the C.S.S. Jackson, an Ironclad. Another ironclad, C.S.S. Neuse is preserved at Kingston, NC. The Cairo, and Ironclad riverboat, is at Vicksburg National Mark, MS.
George Washington Gift's papers are held by the Southern Historical Collections at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. These include letters from aboard the Chatahoochee and talk about life on board and refer to Catesby ap Roger Jones. There are also two letters from Jones.
The Navy Department Library has a list of officers who resigned in the early days of the Civil War.
The "ap" in his name is a Welsh indication for "son of". His father was Roger, so he was Catesby ap Roger. Not all of his family used "ap", but some of the current generation still do.
He ancestry included a number of famous families.
The Jones line contains a number of important military men from the early days of Virginia (but I only list the two closest to Catesby).
Catesby's father, Roger Jones, was the Adjutant General of the United States from 1824 until his death in 1852. Catesby writes in his journal of performing a play at a vacation spot where his father and President Tyler were.
Catesby's uncle, Thomas ap Catesby Jones, was an influential USN Commodore. He signed the first US treaty with the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) in 1824 and left a significant pro-US sentiment. He is perhaps most known for his misunderstanding that the US was at war with Mexico in 1842 and siezed Monterey (California) ofr a day.
The Catesby name can be traced back to Sasfrid de Catesby who is listed in the Domesday book of 1086.
In that line, there are several knights, including Sir William Catesby who served in the court of King Henry VI of England.
His son, also Sir William Catesby, was even more well known, and more powerful as the advisor to King Richard III. He is the "cat" in a famous couplet
"The Cat, the rat and Lovell our dog
Ruleth all England under a Hog"
He is one of the characters in Shakespeare's Richard III. In that play, King Richard was addressing Catesby with the famous line
"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"
Catesby could have used that horse for himself. When Richard's army was defeated, he was taken prisoner and beheaded three days later.
Five generations and several Knights later was Robert Catesby. His father, Sir William, had been prosecuted for his strong Catholic faith and this probably embittered Robert against the controlling party in England. The persecution of the Catholics led him to be one of the leaders of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. He was killed in a raid, but, as punishment, they dug up his body and beheaded it. For more details on the situation at the time, see this BBC story.
Mark Catesby is famous as a naturalist and artist in the early 1700s (long before Audobon). Individual plates of his birds, plants, and other animals from his The Natural History of Carolina, Georgia, Florida and the Bahama Islands may sell for more than $10,000.
Mark Catesby's sister was Catesby's great-great-grandmother. She married into the Cocke family that was important in the early government in Virginia.
His mother was a Page. The Pages include a number of governors and other important people. I'm afraid there are too many to list here. Of special importance to Catesby was his uncle Richard Page who was a Captain in the USN and then General in the CSA. Also, Catesby's mother was a first cousin to Robert E. Lee. This line also ties to the Nelson,Randolph, Byrd, Mason and Walker families.
Other important families include Carter, Meriwether, Fitzhugh, and Taliaferro.
