Elizabeth - Welcome.
Here is some information from my database that may help you:
JONES, THOMAS WILLIAM. Saved in Lifeboat number 8. Lived at 68 Nesfield Street, Liverpool. Occupation - Able Seaman. 32 years old. (Born in Anglesea). Ship before the Titanic - RMS Oceanic.
(From The ''Wells'' Journal May 30th 1912).
LADYS PRAISE OF A TITANIC SEAMAN
One of the able seamen on the Titanic, Thomas Jones, a native of Anglesey has received the following letter from New York:-
''I feel I must write and tell you how splendidly you took charge of our boat on the fatal night. There were only four English people in it - my cousin (Lady Rothes), and her maid, you, and myself, and I think you were wonderful. The dreadful regret I shall always have, and I know you share with me, is that we ought to have gone back to see whom we could pick up, but if you remember, there was only an American lady, my cousin, self, and you who wanted to return.
I could not hear the discussion very clearly, as I was at the tiller, but everyone forward and the three men refused. But I shall always remember your words, ''Ladies, if any of us are saved remember I wanted to go back. I would rather drown with them than leave them'', you did all you could, and being my own countryman I wanted to tell you this''. Yours very truly Gladys Cherry.
It seems that Jones was in charge of a boat in which there were 35 ladies and three men. Captain Smith ordered him to row for a light which they saw in the distance, put the passengers in safety, and return to the Titanic as soon as possible. He failed to reached the light, and when he saw that the Titanic has sunk he wanted to go back and save some of those struggling in the water, but was overruled. After eight hours in the open boat they were picked up by the
Carpathia.
(From the Cambridge Chronicle April 26th, 1912, page 5).
''Falling ice from the berg killed many persons on the decks. - William Jones, of Southampton, fireman.''
Jones apparently admired the Countess of Rothes very much indeed. In fact he later presented her with the brass number plate of the boat and in later years they maintained a correspondence.
The countess's cousin Miss Gladys Cherry was also in boat 8 and later wrote the following letter which was printed in a number of Newspapers:
LETTER TO TITANIC HERO
Thomas Jones, a native of Anglesey, who was an able seaman on the Titanic, has received the following letter, dated from the Great Northern Hotel, New York:
 I feel I must write and tell you how splendidly you took charge of our boat on the fatal night. There were only four English people in it-my cousin Lady Rothes, her maid, you and myself-and I think you were wonderful.
 The dreadful regret I shall always have, and I know you share with me, is that we ought to have gone back to see whom we could pick up; but if you remember, there was only an American lady, my cousin, self and you who wanted to return. I could not hear the discussion very clearly, as I was at the tiller; but everyone forward and the three men refused; but I shall always remember your words: "ladies, if any of us are saved, remember, I wanted to go back. I would rather drown with them than leave them." You did all you could, and being my own countryman, I wanted to tell you this.
Yours very truly, Gladys Cherry.
(From The Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard (incorporating "The Henley Free Press"), 07th June 1912 (p.3))
In an interview Jones said that there were thirty-five ladies and three men in his boat. When he saw that the Titanic had sunk he wanted to go back and save some of those struggling in the water, but was 'overruled'.
Best regards
Brian
