1699-1775
Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature, 1758-1773
David Jones was born at Fort Neck on September 16, 1699, the son of Major Thomas Jones, a Welsh settler who had acquired an extensive landed estate on Long Island. He was well educated, studied law, and became a leading member of the New York Bar.
In 1734, he was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Queens County. Elected to the Provincial Assembly in 1737, Jones became Speaker of the Assembly in 1745, a position that he held for thirteen years. During this time, he was a close ally of Chief Justice James De Lancey. On November 21, 1758, he was appointed Fourth Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature and held the office of First Justice from March 17, 1762 until he left the bench in 1773. He was a judge in the landmark 1764 case of Forsey v. Cunningham. He died in Fort Neck, New York, on October 11, 1775.
Sources
Jones, John H. The Jones Family of Long Island, Descendants of Major Thomas Jones (1665-1726) and Allied Families. 1906.
Jones, William Alfred. “Memorial of the late Honorable David S. Jones.” The Magazine of American History. Vol. 3.