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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Henry (d.1727)

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677883Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 30 — Jones, Henry (d.1727)1892Gordon Goodwin

JONES, HENRY (d. 1727), compiler, born at Langton, Dorset, was the son of the Rev. Charles Jones. He was educated on the foundation at Eton, whence he proceeded in 1712 to King's College, Cambridge, of which he was elected fellow, and graduated B.A. in 1716, and M.A. in 1720 (Harwood, Alumni Eton, pp. 292-3). He abridged the 'Philosophical Transactions' from 1700 to 1720, 2 vols. 4to, London, 1721; 2nd edition, 1731; 3rd edition, with the Latin papers translated, 1740. In his preface he is very severe on Benjamin Motte, a printer, who had issued a bad abridgment of the same portion just before his appeared. Motte published a 'Reply' in 1722 (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. i. 482-3). Jones died unmarried in January 1727 at the Red Lion, Kensington, whither he had gone for the benefit of his health (letters of administration in P. C. C., 26 Jan. 1727). On 18 June 1724 he was admitted F.R.S. (Thomson, Hist. of Roy. Soc. Append iv.)