Isaac Jones was born in 1797. He was orphaned at age 14. The Guilford County Court awarded him to gunsmith Craft Jackson "to learn the art and mystery of a gunsmith". He lived with Craft Jackson from 1811 to 1818. He then purchased some land on Deep River near Craft Jackson and built a home and gun shop. He lived there and worked as a gunsmith until 1838, when he moved to Montgomery County, Indiana. I do not know if he made guns in Indiana.
There are two early signed examples of his work known. One is one display at the Greensboro Historical Museum, (unfortunately it is labeled as being made by another gunsmith. I have brought this to their attention several times but they have not fixed it.) The second early rifle is identical to the one in the museum and is owned by a friend of mine. The two early rifles were helpful to me in identifying the only two known rifles that I attribute to Craft Jackson. Both of the two early Isaac Jones Rifles are signed simply I * J. Both rifles are a mixture of "Early Deep River School" architecture and early "Jamestown School" features. Both have wide butts, low combs, incised carved line on the comb with no tab, simple fore-stock molding, three screw barrel tang, and twisted star patchbox final, with three piercings on each sideplate. The patchbox design is the same overall shape as found on the two Craft Jackson attributed rifles, with the exception that they have no piercings on the sideplates.
They are several signed Isaac Jones, "Jamestown School", full-stock, flintlock, patchbox rifles known. The best example is on display at The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Old Salem. It is the only Jamestown School rifle in their collection.
I hope this helps.
Michael
