Priscilla Jones

Priscilla Mary Jones (nee. McDonald) (b. 22nd April 1903 - d. 3rd February 1948) was born in Manchester and moved to North Grove in 1924. She remained there until here death in 1948.

Priscilla Jones was the wife of Earl Jones and the mother of Walter Jones.

Life
Priscilla Jones was born into a wealthy family in Manchester in 1903 as the youngest child of Lana and Hugh McDonald and the sister of Bertram McDonald.

She attended an all-girls boarding school during her schooling years and from the age of ten she was with her mother and brother marching through the streets with Emmeline Pankhurst protesting Women's Rights.

Although her family were all politically motivated, Priscilla was happy to just settle down.

In the Summer of 1917, her brother and his friend Earl Jones stayed at the house after taking leave from fighting on the Western Front in World War One. They had both met each other at University and had both left to join the war effort in late 1916.

Priscilla and Earl became close over the six weeks that he was there and it was only after he left that she realised that she was in love with him. She wrote letters to her brother and whenever she did, she always asked how he was.

When the war ended, Bertram came home but Earl went back to his home town of North Grove. It wasn't until 1923 that he returned back to the McDonald home to visit.

Priscilla at the time was still single and when Earl came down to visit, the two started to see each other with only Bertram knowing about it.

In the Autumn when Earl was due home, he asked Priscilla to marry him and she accepted. Her parents were happy with the decision but they had wished that their daughter would marry into a more wealthy and influential family.

Priscilla and Earl were married in May 1924 and soon after moved into Earl's family home in North Grove which was on its own estate and lands. Priscilla became friends with Earl's sister Mildred and helped to look after her niece and nephew Edgar and Janet while Earl continued his political career as a Councilman for North Grove Borough Council.

Priscilla and Earl failed to get pregnant despite trying for a few years and it was not until 1927 that Patricia became pregnant and gave birth to Walter Jones.

Priscilla was a very hands-on mother and she always made sure that she was around Walter and that he had the best education. Priscilla and Earl never had another successful pregnancy and instead had a string of miscarriages which only made her closeness with Walter that much special.

The years between 1927 - 1939 were the happiest in Priscilla's life.

In 1939, Britain declared war on Hitler's Germany and with Earl serving Britain in World War One he was asked to start training younger recruits to go and fight. He stayed on British Soil as he was deemed too old to fight within the army - much to Priscilla's relief.

In 1944, Earl Jones is asked to help during D-Day and thereafter stays in France to help liberate towns within France. Priscilla wanted him to return home - which he did for three weeks in October 1944.

In December 1944, Earl helped partake in the Battle of the Bulge where he was killed. Priscilla was devastated and inconsolable.

Walter tried to look after his mother but in 1945, he was on his way to Oxford University. He was reluctant to go but his mother convinced him and assured him that she would be okay - only wanting the best for her son as she always had.

In 1948, after three years of living alone and being a recluse, Priscilla had had enough of living and hung herself.

Family
Mother: Lana McDonald

Father: Hugh McDonald

Brother: Bertram McDonald

Husband: Earl Jones

Son: Walter Jones

Grandson: Peter Jones

Sister-In-Law: Mildred Justice

Nieces: Janet Justice, Debra Justice and Nancy Justice

Nephew: Edgar Justice