Jones was a physician and lend speculator. He was born in Kentucky in 1792 and served in the Kentucky militia during the War of 1812. He moved to Texas in 1833 to engage in land speculation. He was an early investor in the Galveston City Company and served as an agent for the company. He also acquired a large section of land on the west end of the island in a partnership with Edward Hall. His land speculation business also included acquiring and surveying the land that became Corpus Christi as well as an attempt to create a townsite at Bolivar. He served one term as a Congressman from Galveston in the Texas Congress. He lived in Galveston until his death in 1878.
