Robert Jones advertised himself as a drawing master and portrait painter. According to Scott, he was patronised by the Stowe family, and had been a student at the Royal Academy, where he was noticed by Reynolds. Jones walked over from Maids' Moreton, some one-and-a-half miles to Gawcott in 1825, where he taught the fourteen year old Scott. Scott said that Jones was an accomplished artist, and made great improvement to his technique. His ‘knowledge of anatomy and perspective was perfect’ and together they went sketching around the neighbourhood with Hillesden Church as the favourite subject.