Born: Born in Bildeston, Suffolk, 2 March or May 1814 and Christened 5 March or May 1814.  Died 1888.
Son of: Anthony Jones (1764-1832) and Mary Jones of Bildeston.
Brother of: Robert Jones (1800-1855) who married Elizabeth Charlotte Purvis (died 1849).
Richard married: 2 August 1837 (possibly in Berkshire?)  Elizabeth Helsham (1801-1866), daughter of  Henry Helsham and his wife Katharine Helsham (nee Crowe).
Richard and Elizabeth had issue:
1. Col Henry Helsham Helsham-Jones RE (1838-1920), who married Elizabeth Jane Hesketh (1842-1869) and then Mary Littledale Greenwood.
2. Henrietta Elizabeth Helsham-Jones who never married, born 2 March 1840 (died November 1919?).
3. Arthur Helsham-Jones (1841-1919) who married Alice Harriette Elizabeth Tooke (1846-1929).

We know about Dr Richard Jones from the following:
1. His portrait.
2. A note in the document by Dr Van Zwanenberg the Suffolk Medical Biographer (Suffolk Record Office qS614).
3. The 1881 census.
4. He is recorded in the military record of his son Col Henry Helsham Helsham-Jones.
5. He has a small mention in the book "With Friends Possessed A Life of Edward Fitzgerald" by Robert Bernard Martin, published 1885. 

Richard was apprentised to his father at Bildeston from 1830 to 1835 after which he spent a year at St Thomas Hospital.  He gained MRCS and LSA.  On the death of his wife's brother Dr George Helsham in May 1836 he succeeded to to the Woodbridge practice and lived there for the rest of his life.  It is interesting to note that his first son Henry appears to have been born out of wedloc in 1836 and Richard did not marry Elizabeth until the following year 1837?  The other unusual thing about their marriage was that Elizabeth was 36 and Richard was only 23, in other words she was 13 years older?

He was known to many people in the Woodbridge area including the painter Thomas Churchyard and the the author Edward Fitzgerald.  He was also a close friend of Lucy the daughter of the quaker poet Bernard Barton (1884-1849).  When Lucy died she left money to all of Richard Jones' children.

George Bullen, surgeon of Ipswich left his library to Richard Jones.

Richard is mentioned in the 1881 cenus as follows:
1881 - The Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, Suffolk.
Richard Jones aged 67 Birthplace Bildeston, Suffolk General Practitioner M.R.C.L.l.S.A
Henrietta E.Jones Daughter aged 41 Birthplace Woodbridge.
Constance M.H.Jones Granddaughter aged 12 Birthplace India.
Plus three servants.

Richard's wife Elizabeth died in 1866 and he died in 1888.  Around this time his three children took on the name Helsham changing their surnames from Jones to Helsham-Jones.

We have a copy of a crest of the Jones family.    This crest is on the back of an old ivory handled clothes brush.

There also exists in the family a blue on white china jug with the inscription Wm (William) Jones, Sir Daniel Arms, New Swindon.  Does anyone out on the internet know the significance of this item?  It might be connected to their wedding which for some reason took place in Swindon.

(Portrait of Richard Jones)

If you have any further information please do contact me.