What are scones?  "It is hard to describe a scone to someone who has never
had one.  It's lighter than a biscuit, smoother than an English muffin, heavier
than a muffin, and thicker than a flat bread."   Fast Breads by Howard Early
and Glenda Morris, p. 188.

Scone: Derivation and Pronunciation: The word scone derives from the
Gaelic sgonn which rhymes with "gone".  Originally, scones were baked inScotland, Northern England and Wales on a hot griddle over a fire. 

Types of Scones:  There are two basic types of scones, drop scones (a.k.a.
griddle scones) and cream tea scones.

Griddle scones were originally made without baking powder which did not come into common usage until approximately 1850.  Hence, griddle scones did not rise overmuch.  Griddle scones are the precursor to modern drop scones which, when
 made well, have a pleasantly lumpy, delicious, crust outside a rich, dense, tasty, interior perfect for smothering in butter and jam.  When made badly they are the dry, unpleasantly lumpy, dough chunks some people have come to associate with scones.

Cream tea scones, a lighter scone, grew in popularity with the advent of baking powder. The addition of baking powder resulted in scones with a lighter density and a cakey rather than flaky texture, sweetness, and flavor.  These scones came to be
popular in cream teas where the scone is served warm under a blanket of Devonshire cream and strawberry jam all complimented by a fine tea. 

Jones Scones traces its lineage to the traditional British cream tea scone.