Jones
Posted on 3rd December, 2011 by Ruth Jones
Parish:
Weston Super Mare
Place/Region:
SOM Somerset
Period:
1800-1899
Period:
after 1900 
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Robert Landeman(n) Jones
RLJ was my g/great grandfather. He was, around the turn of the 19/20th century the land agent for the Smyth-Piggott family and had a lot of involvement in the building of The Pier amongst other WSM development. I would be interested in any information anyone has about him.
Thanks
Robert Landemann JONES 1816-1903
Good to hear from a new member!
As I understand it, the Robert Landemann JONES who was the agent for the Smyth Pigott family was born in about 1816 in Devon and died in 1903 in Weston-super-Mare - He is buried in Weston Cemetery in Grave Tc 2778a (with his daughter Apphia) - as can be seen on the CD of Cemetery Data - both burial records and memorials obtainable from this Society.
He was agent at a time of geat growth in the town - he oversaw the gradual releasing of land for development. In several books about Weston the story is recounted about how he was accused of being rather too friendly towards to Mrs Smyth Pigott - which resulted in a "Skimmity Ride" in the town.
I have noted 7 children for him - which is your ancestor?
As he had a son with the same name - born in 1851 in Pitminster - they sometimes get confused.
For a while, the family lived at Blagdon Villa, Pitminster and I have also seen written that his children were born at Blagdon. As there is a village near Weston called Blagdon that has also led to confusion.
Do you have any photographs of the family? - Perhaps you could write an article about him for Buckets & Spades?
R.L.Jones
Thanks for your comments. I do have this information. He was in fact born in 1815 and his son, also Rev RL Jones (and my grandfather) was born in 1851, so even more confusing! My grandfather was rector of Shepton Mallet for 50yrs!!My father was also Robert (though Septimus, not Landeman, as he was the 7th son!).
I do have photos and stories about my greatgrandfather, I was hoping to glean a bit more!!
I am particularly interested in the sentence 'In several books about Weston the story is recounted about how he was accused of being rather too friendly towards to Mrs Smyth Pigott - which resulted in a "Skimmity Ride" in the town.' Do you have any more information?!!
Robert Landemann JONES 1815-1903
A direct quote from "Weston-super-Mare Past" by Philip Beisly published 2001, Philimore & Co. Unfortunately he doesn't give a source. (possibly one of the local newspapers)
"relations between the squire and his agent were often tempestuous. We read in 1861:
Rumours have been rife during the week, to the effect that Mr R.L.Jones, the agent to John Hugh Smyth Pigott, Esq. ... had been peremptorily removed from the management of the estates, and that the removal had taken place in consequence of certain disclosures, which will in all probability lead to a suit in the Court of Divorce.
Pigott and his wife were the subject of a 'skimmity ride' after his wife, who was much younger than her husband gave birth to a son in 1860 and there were rumours that the squire was not the child's father. A local rabble paraded past the house above Flagstaff Hill one evening carrying effigies of their luckless victims."
Perhaps someone will have the source for this - Presumably matters were settled between them because although on the 1871 census they had moved to Brislington, by 1881 the JONES family were back living at Brockley Court - part of the Pigott estate - and he was decribed as a Land Agent.