Edward Jones (missionary) facts for kids

Edward Jones (1807–1865) was an important African American missionary. He traveled to the colony of Sierra Leone in Africa. Edward Jones was a very well-known leader in Sierra Leone. He became the first person to be a naturalized citizen of Sierra Leone, meaning he officially became a citizen there, even though he kept his American citizenship too.

Jones also made history as the first Black principal of Fourah Bay College. He was also the first Black American to graduate from Amherst College in Massachusetts. Edward Jones was the brother of Jehu Jones, who was also a famous African American preacher.

Growing Up in Charleston

Edward Jones was born in Charleston, South Carolina. His family was well-respected and had mixed heritage in this city, which had many African American residents. Many people of mixed heritage in Charleston were formerly enslaved. Some had even fought for the Patriots in the American Revolutionary War and were freed for their loyalty.

Edward's father, Jehu Jones, bought his freedom in 1798. He paid $140 to his owner, who was a tailor and had taught him the trade. Jehu Jones also bought freedom for his wife, Abigail, and their children. Edward's father became very successful. He made a lot of money from buying and selling land. He eventually owned a hotel that served white travelers. Even though his father was very successful, Edward Jones was proud of his African heritage. He was a member of the Brown Fellowship Society in Charleston, which was a group for free men of color.

Moving to Sierra Leone

Jones first moved to Liberia, another country in Africa. However, he did not stay there for long. Soon after, he moved to the colony of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

A Leader in Sierra Leone

Edward Jones is best remembered for his life in Sierra Leone. He became a great leader and is seen as one of the founders of an important Krio family. The Krio people are a group in Sierra Leone with roots in various parts of Africa and the Americas.

Jones was a supervisor in the village of Kent, Sierra Leone, which was home to freed Africans. There, he met Hannah Nylander, who was a settler from Nova Scotia. They got married. Hannah was from another important family. Her mother was a Black Loyalist (meaning she was of Black American descent), and her father, Gustav Nylander, was a German missionary.

Edward Jones married three times in his life, and all of his wives passed away in Sierra Leone. He had six children, but only one of them lived to adulthood. Jones also became the first principal of the new Fourah Bay College in Fourah Bay, Sierra Leone, which is a part of Freetown. The only known picture of Edward Jones was hung on a wall at this college. Edward Jones passed away in England in 1865.