purchased by Thomas Wigginton Jones in 1883 and still owned by his descendants. Prior to
1812 Gabriel Gray, Sr., built the present dwelling house, and Gabriel, Jr., made it his home
from 1812 to 1852. It would be interesting to know if the land of Captain Gabriel Jones, sold
by his heirs in 1798 to Gabriel Gray, could possibly be the same land purchased by the
Captain’s great-grandson, Thomas Wigginton Jones.
The children of Jane Jones and John Gray were:
1. John ( - 1818) - no children
2. Gabriel ( - 1844) Children:
1. Patsy
2. Mary Page
3. Thomas
4. Gabriel, Jr. (Executor)
5. Lucy m. William Walker (Madison County)
6. Jane m. ___ Finney
7. Purife m. Thomas Gibson
8. Betsy m. Thornton Stringfellow
9. Rebecca m. Philip Mallory (Orange County)
10. Evalina m. Benjamin Farish (Orange County) (Benjamin Farish was
the brother of Emily Farish who m. Thomas D’Ell Hansbrough and of
Elizabeth Farish who m. William Wigginton Jones.)
3. William ( - 1807)
4. Mary
5. Peggy
6. Dorothy m. Philip Latham in 1792.
6. Dorothy Jones (1. Gabriel) m. Benjamin Johnston, son of William (Burgess from
Spotsylvania) and his wife, Ann Chew, (daughter of Larkin Chew and Mary Rogers of
Spotsylvania County).
There were probably other children, but Benjamin Johnston is known to have had
three sisters: 1. Judith (1727 - 1793) m. Robert Farish; 2. Betty ( - 1771) m. John Benger.
(John Benger was the son of Elliott Benger and Dorothy Brayne, whose sister, Butler, was
the wife of Governor Alexander Spotswood. William Byrd in his “A Progress to the Mines of
Virginia” describes a visit to Spotswood’s home at Germanna and speaks of “Miss Theky”,
Dorothea Brayne.) 3. Hannah m. Caleb Coleman.
Benjamin Johnston, who was a prominent attorney, acted in Spotsylvania County as
guardian for his nieces, Ann (m. Robert French, M. D., in Stafford in 1780), and Dorothea
Brayne Benger, and in relinquishing this guardianship, mention is made of his intending a
voyage to Great Britain. The Virginia Historical Magazine (Vol. 38, pp. 249-50) mentions
Benjamin Johnston and Dorothy, his wife, of Washington County, Pennsylvania, formerly of
Fredericksburg, formerly of Spotsylvania and Culpeper.
He had evidently previously owned considerable land in Culpeper, since he appeared
as a party to various purchases and sales there and sold his brother-in-law, Gabriel Jones, Jr.,
the land on which he lived.
The children of Dorothy Jones and Benjamin Johnston were:
1. William
2. Gabriel
3. Benjamin m. Elizabeth Thomas
4. Mary Ann
5. Sirpey
6. Robert
https://www.goodwin-keithley.net/documents/The%20Descendants%20of%20Gabriel%20Jones%20of%20Essex%20adn%20Culpeper%20Counties%2C%20VA%20by%20Mildred%20Conway%20Jones.pdf
