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This is a picture of Benjamin Heath Bonner, Almeda Catherine (Cottle) Bonner, and their 5 sons.
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This is a scan of a part of page 268 of Marriage and Death Notices from the Southern Christian Advocate: 1837-1860, by Brent Holcomb (1979).
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(file size=992k: updated 25 NOV 2006). |
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The origin of my BONNER family is unknown, but I assume it is English. My branch of this family has been in America for a very long time. The earliest records I have found in America for the surname BONNER are a pair of transportation records in November of 1638. My branch of the early American BONNER family can be found in Prince George County, Virginia, at least as early as 1722. They were in Martins Brandon Parish, near Blackwater Swamp, Jones Hole Swamp, and Cattail Swamp. The earliest record I have which spefically mentions my BONNER ancestor is the will of Silvia (Williamson) Bonner, dated 22 JUL 1776. This will was made due to her possession of property as result of prior marriage. This will was recorded 13 MAR 1789. Though the traditional records have yet to sort out the exact relationships among the BONNER clans in early Virginia, it is worth noting that the BONNER family of Martins Brandon Parish match DNA with the BONNER family of Albemarle Parish. This relationship is demonstrated by indenture between said families (see Surrey County, Virginia, Deed Book "G" (1749-1753), page 443). The exact relationship between the two families is hampered by the fact that the Albemarle Parish BONNERs had many members named "John", and the Martins Brandon Parish BONNERs had two members named "William" who died about the same time. Thus, while it is essentially guaranteed that the Martins Brandon Parish BONNERs derive from John Bonner I of Albemarle, it is not known via which son descends the William Bonner family of Martins Brandon Parish. Many folks have John Bonner II of Albemarle married to Jane Cook or else Mary Cooke. I have never found any evidence of this, but I would note that the 1638 import mentioned above includes Thomas BONNER, and also Henry Cooke. So it is possible that all the early Virginia BONNERs descend from a single family of BONNER that began arriving in 1638. |
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