ABSTRACT
WI L L I A M JON E S was born on September 28. 1746. in London. the second son and third child of William Jones. FRS. His father was a native of Anglesey and came of good peasant stock; a remarkable talent for mathematics brought him the esteem of such men as Newton and Halley. and eventually the vice-presidency of the Royal Society. He was a fairly old man when William was born. and he died in July 1749. leaving the boy (his elder brother had perished in infancy) to be brought up by his mother on somewhat exiguous means. William's mother. to whom he was most devoted. appears to have been a remarkable woman; daughter of George Nix the cabinetmaker. Maria Jones had learned algebra. trigonometry and the theory of navigation from her mathematical husband. who once described her as 'virtuous without blemish. generous without extravagance. frugal but not niggard. cheerful but not giddy. close but not sullen. ingenious but not conceited. of spirit but not passionate.' She devoted herself to the early education of her son. and under her enlightened guidance William was able to read rapidly and correctly at the age of four. and was brought up on Shakespeare. An accident in infancy permanently impaired the vision of one eye.
