Merchant, military officer, and Federalist politician who served as Governor of Rhode Island from 1811 to 1817.
| When Burke met | 1811 |
| Where Burke met | Providence, RI |
| Occupation | Civil Office |
| Interaction with Burke | Gave Burke letters of introduction |
| Identity Status | Confirmed |
| Genealogy | Wikitree |
| Memoir Pages | 74, 82-8 |
Notes
William Jones (born October 8, 1753, Newport, Rhode Island; died April 1822, Providence, Rhode Island) was a merchant, military officer, and Federalist politician who served as Governor of Rhode Island from 1811 to 1817. During the Revolutionary War, Jones served as an army captain at the battles of White Plains and Princeton, and later as a Captain of Marines aboard the ship Providence. Following a mercantile career in Providence, he became a Justice of the Peace and Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1809–1811). As governor, Jones notably opposed the War of 1812. His civic affiliations included serving as a fellow of Brown University and president of the Peace Society.
Sources
Burke, William. Memoir of William Burke: A Soldier of the Revolution, Reformed from Intemperance, and for Many Years a Consistent and Devoted Christian; Carefully Prepared from a Journal Kept by Himself; to Which Is Added, an Extract from a Sermon Preached at His Funeral, by Rev. Nathaniel Miner. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany, 1837.