(Click on image to enlarge)
St. Jones Within, 1956 (Photo courtesy Cynthia Hogan)
The origin of the name may never be fully understood. However, circa 1840 it was known as Jones’ Harbour, possibly named after one or more of the Jones brothers from Trinity (Samuel, William and/or Stephen) who were overwintering here. The “St.” aspect of the name is without known explanation. The “Within” is to distinguish it from the “Without”; St. Jones Without (referred to elsewhere as Outside) being ‘out’ nearer the bay, and St. Jones Within (Inside) being more ‘in’ (distant) from the bay.
Early Settlers
Using the community names of where the children were born as an indicator of the approximate time when the family moved to their new home, the following might suggest the order of settlement at St. Jones Within:
All of the children of William George and his wife Elizabeth Ann (nee Morris) Blundon had been born when they arrived from Lower Island Cove and settled at St. Jones Within circa 1861.
Mary Ann King, first child of Simeon and Rosanna (nee Janes) King of Grates Cove, was born at St. Jones Within in 1864, indicating that that family had settled there before that time.
Most of the children of Hezekiah and Grace (nee Stoyles) Benson were born at Grates Cove before the family settled at St. Jones Within circa 1865.
Edward and his wife Mahala (nee Garland) King from Broad Cove, Conception Bay, arrived to settle at St. Jones Within some time before 1866. In 1866, Mary Elizabeth was their first child born here.
Somewhere between 1865-1870 Eliab and Caroline (nee Emberley) Robbins, from Lower Island Cove, arrived to settle at St. Jones Within. A son, Eleazer, was their first child born here, in 1872.
About 1870 Matthias and his wife Elizabeth (nee Price) Garland, from Lower Island Cove, settled at St. Jones Within. Rachel was their first child born here, in 1877.
In the early 1870s, Benjamin and his wife Etrianna (nee Benson) Squires settled at St. Jones Within. Joseph John was their first child born at St. Jones Within, in 1872.
Early in the 1870s James and his wife Abagail (nee King) Rodgers, from Old Perlican, settled at St. Jones Within. Their first child born at St. Jones Within was Mary Ann, in 1873. Following the death of his wife, Abagail, James married Mary Ellen Brown of Hatchet Cove.
In the early 1880s, Martin and his wife Rosanna (nee Jacobs) Hillyard from Heart’s Content settled at St. Jones Within. In 1886, Elijah was their first child born at St. Jones Within.
Early in the 1880s, William Josiah and Elizabeth Ann Butt settled at St. Jones Within.
About 1881, William Robert and his wife Martha Sarah (nee Benson) Miller settled at St. Jones Within. The Miller surname had originally been Wallace. Hezekiah was their first child born at St. Jones, in 1883.
About 1890, having married Rachel Benson of St. Jones Within, James John Tucker, from St. John’s, settled there. He would later marry Susanna Smith of Hodge’s Cove. James John’s and Susanna’s first child born at St. Jones Within was Rachel Frances, in 1890.
Among the other families to later settle at St. Jones Within were Holloway, Price, Toope and Meadus.
Religious Denominations
The community of St. Jones Within was founded by people of the Methodist faith. As in many other such communities, for years church services were held in homes before a chapel was built. It would be thirty or more years before it had its first church, opened circa1893. None other than the Methodist denomination has ever had a church there.
Occupations
As in most nearby communities, the inshore fishery was the main occupation in the earlier days. As well, “woods work” was an activity that took place there since the mid-1830s.
Note: This article is subject to further correction and revision.
NOTE: See also information from Decks Awash, Volume 15, Number 6, November – December 1986