John Winston was born on November 22, 1791 in Amelia County, Virginia, United States, eldest son of Alexander and Mary Ann (Winston) Jones. Upon his father's death in 1802, young Jones fell under the care of his uncle, Rev. David C. Jones.
Jones had studies with his guardian and in the Hanover schools, and completed his education by graduation from the law department of William and Mary College.
For several years after College Jones taught school in Amelia and in Lynchburg, to help provide an education for his brother.
In 1813 he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Chesterfield County, settling at "Bellwood, " near Petersburg. In 1818 he was appointed prosecuting attorney for the fifth Virginia judicial circuit, continuing in this office for seventeen years. In 1829, against his wishes, he was nominated for membership in the state constitutional convention and was returned senior member for his district, in competition with William B. Giles, Benjamin W. Leigh, Samuel W. Leigh, Samuel Taylor, and others. In that body he performed a faithful but modest and inconspicuous part.
Returning to private life upon its adjournment, in 1834 he was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives. He was reëlected to the four succeeding Congresses; served creditably as chairman of the ways and means committee (1841 - 43) during a period of financial stress; and, even though his seat was then being contested, was elected speaker of the House in the Twenty-eighth Congress. He naturally asked to be relieved from naming the committee on elections: a motion that the appointment be given to the speaker pro tempore, instead of being left to the House, was carried; and the precedent thus established has since been followed in choosing committees in whose reports the speaker might have a personal interest.
Declining to stand for reëlection in 1844, he turned again to law and agriculture, but just a year after his retirement from Congress he was chosen "by the unanimous vote of the people of Chesterfield" to represent the county in the legislature.
Early in the session of 1846-47 he succeeded W. O. Goode as speaker of the House of Delegates, and the following year was returned to the Assembly, but his health had failed so badly that he was unable to take his seat, and his death followed a few weeks after his resignation.
His amenity, dignity, assiduity, and talents so helped him to win the confidence and affection of his neighbors that he advanced rapidly in his profession.
Quotes from others about the person
Jones was characterized by M. P. Follett as "a clever politician who made but an indifferent presiding officer".
Jones married to Harriet Boisseau. He had son, Alexander.
