320 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



after his obscure burial his remains were removed to 

 America, and buried with much solemnity and honour, 

 for he is spoken of as the father of the United States 

 Navy. 



Jones, whose original name was John Paul, was born 

 at Arbigland, in Kirkcudbrightshire, on 6th July 1747. 

 After achieving notoriety in the days of his boyhood he 

 took to the sea and had various adventures in slavers 

 and other craft. A brother of his, who had gone to 

 America, died in Virginia in 1773, leaving no will and 

 apparently a considerable fortune. On behalf of the 

 family John took charge of the estate and dealt with it 

 as he did later with other possessions that were not his 

 own. For a couple of years he kept modestly in the 

 background, having, perhaps, a full appreciation of 

 unwritten laws, then, in December 1775, he entered the 

 American Navy, disguised as Paul Jones. America, at 

 that time a British colony, had been driven to rebellion 

 by the folly and incapacity of the administrators at home, 

 and began that brave struggle which ended in total 

 independence. 



Jones made his name notorious on the British coasts. 

 A contemporary writer referred to him as this " noted 

 desperado," and harsher things were spoken by those 

 who suffered from his depredations. There are many 

 notable deeds to his credit ; but the best remembered is 

 his conflict with the British off the Yorkshire coast. 



Jones scoured and harassed the North Sea. He 

 showed a special liking for Scotch parts, and one of his 

 most celebrated compositions was a bombastic ultimatum 

 to the magistrates of Leith, which was never delivered. 

 Through the influence of the philosopher Franklin, who 



