Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

JONES.
Ralph Jones, the ancestor, was able to bear arms in Plymouth
in 1643. He was of Barnstable in 1654, and settled
at Scorton. His house stood on the main land within a
few feet of the bounds of Sandwich. He was a farmer
and owned lands with the Fuller families, with whom he
was connected by marriage. In 1657 he was fined for not regularly
attending meeting, not a very henious offence for a man who
resided six miles from the place of worship. He afterwards became
a zealous member of the Quaker society in Sandwich, and
suffered persecution on that account. He does not appear to
have been an early member, for in 1657 he took the oath of fidelity,
which the Quakers uniformly declined to do. His absenting
himself from the Barnstable Church, however, indicates that he
early favored the Quakers, some of whom resided in his immediate
vicinity.
In the Postscript to Bishop's New England Judged George
Keith, in a reply to the marvels of Cotton Mather, tells a story
about Ralph Jones, which is not entirely apochryphal. He says,
"I shall only add one passage more, which I was informed of,
and had it writ from some of the people of Barnstable, how that
from an honest man, a Quaker, in the Town of Barustable, were
taken four cdws, with some calves, the Quaker's name being
Ralph Jones, who is yet alive ; and these Cattle were taken away
by the Preacher of that Town, his son-in-law, who had married
his Daughter, and returned to the Priest as a part of his Wages.
The Priest sent to Ralph Jones to tell him, He might have two of
his cows returned to him if he would send for theTn. But he never
sent, and so the said Priest used them and disposed of them as
his own, killed one of the calfs, and sent a part of it to his
Daughter, that lay in child-bed ; she no sooner did eat a little of
the Calf, but fell into great trouble and cryed, Return home the
man's Oows, I hear a great noise of them ; and so died in that
Trouble. The Priest alledged, the Quakers had bewitched his
Daughter, although it cannot be proved that ever they had any
business with her. But to what evil construction will not Malice