Jones, PAUL, United States naval commander, by his countrymen styled 'the Pirate,' was born in Kirkbean parish on the coast of Kirkcudbright-shire, 6th July 1747, the fifth and youngest child of John Paul, head-gardener to Mr Craik of Arbigland. Apprenticed at twelve as sailor-boy to a Whitehaven merchant, he made several voyages to America, where he had an elder brother settled in Virginia. This brother's property he inherited in 1773, having meanwhile for five years been mate on a slaver; and about the same date he changed his name John Paul for that under which he is famous. He embraced the cause of the American colonies; and when congress in 1775 resolved to fit out a naval force he offered his services. In April 1778, visiting the British coast in a brig of eighteen guns, he performed some most daring exploits, and took advantage of his familiarity with the scenes of his boyhood to make a hostile descent on the shores of the Solway Firth. At Whitehaven he fired one slip and spiked thirty-six guns; from St Mary's Isle he carried off Lord Selkirk's plate, but six years later restored it; and next morning in Belfast Lough he captured the Drake sloop-of-war—the first naval success of the Americans. The year after, as commodore of a small French squadron displaying the stars and stripes, he threatened Leith, and on 23d September fought close off Flamborough Head a most desperate and bloody engagement, in which he captured two British men-of-war. Louis XVI. created him a Chevalier of the Order of Military Merit, and congress voted him a gold medal. In 1788 he entered the service of the Empress Catharine, and as rear-admiral of the Black Sea fleet served creditably in the war against Turkey; but a twelvemonth later he quitted the Russian service. He died at Paris, 18th July 1792, his funeral being attended by a deputation of the Legislative Assembly. 'He was,' says Professor Laughton, 'a man of distinguished talent and originality; a thorough seaman, and of the most determined and ferocious courage. On the other hand, his vanity was excessive . . . and his moral character may be summed up in one word—detestable.'
See Lives by Sherbourne (1825), Janette Taylor (1830), Mackenzie (1841), Simms (1845), James Hamilton (1848), J. C. Abbott (1875), and James Barnes (1900); also an article in Blackwood's Magazine for October 1887, and J. K. Laughton's Studies in Naval History (1887).