The branch of the family I am most concerned with is the one residing in Flemington. But there are many branches of the tree that I am unfamiliar with and welcome additions and corrections.
Some Family Tree rules: All the family trees on this website are focused on residents of Hunterdon County. Once a family moves away, I lose track of them. Children of daughters are included, but not their grandchildren. Surnames highlighted in green represent families that also have trees published on this website. However, I have not added the link to their tree for fear it might overwhelm my website. Go to the families page where the names have links.
First Generation:
(1) Abraham Bonnell (c.1700 – 1768) & Mary Shinn (c,1705 – after 1768)
Bonnell first appears in Hunterdon County in 1752 when he purchased a tract of 250 acres along the Capoolong Creek near Pittstown from the West Jersey Society. In the 1760s, he bought more land near Clinton and built a tavern, which he ran with his son Abraham, Jr. (2.1). (For more information see the lovely website, Bonnell Tavern.)
He is thought to have also run a tavern called the Boarshead, but whether that was located on Route 579 in old Amwell Township is hard to say, as ‘Boarshead’ was a fairly common tavern name. When he wrote his will in 1768, he identified himself as an “Innholder of Kingwood.” At that time, Kingwood’s boundaries included the Township of Union.
Second Generation:
(1) Abraham Bonnell & Mary Shinn
| (2.1) Col. Abraham Bonnell, Jr. (1732 – 1797) & Elizabeth Foster (1732 – 1822)
| | Col. Bonnell is the only one of the four children with much of any record in Hunterdon County. But I have no information on his wife Elizabeth Foster.
| (2.2) Jacob Bonnell (c.1735 – 1811) & Mary Schooley
| (2.3) Isaac Bonnell (1743 – 1833) & Catherine Severns (c.1755 – 1839)
| (2.4) John Bonnell (c.1744 – bef. 1812) & unknown (c.1750 – 1848)
Third Generation:
(1) Abraham Bonnell & Mary Shinn
| (2.1) Col. Abraham Bonnell & Elizabeth Foster
| | (3.1) John Bonnell (1757 – 1845), left for PA, no further record
| | (3.2) Mary Bonnell (1760 – 1760), died an infant
| | (3.3) Jeremiah Bonnell (1763 – 1763), died an infant
| | (3.4) Clement DuMont Bonnell (1766 – 1836) & Rachel S. Wolverton (1766 – 1836)
| | | | Rachel was the d/o Chas Wolverton & Mary Drake
| | | | Clement was the tavernkeeper of Bethlehem Twp. & a Freeholder
| | (3.5) Alexander V. Bonnell (1768 – 1819) & Catharine Mattison (1770 – 1854)
| | | | owner of Fleming’s Castle and tavernkeeper in Flemington
| | | | on the lot later occupied by the County Hotel on Main Street.
| | (3.6) Sarah Newell Bonnell (1770 – 1793) & Joseph Godley (1757 – 1829)
| | (3.7) Abraham Bonnell (c.1777 – after 1838) & Catharine Rhea (~1780 – ), no info.
| | (3.8) Charles Foster Bonnell (1781 – 1847) & Deborah Leigh (1788 – 1846)
| (2.4) John Bonnell & unknown, probably left Hunterdon
| | (3.1) John Bonnell (1762 – 1823) & Rhuhanah Fitzrandolph (1773 – 1865)
Fourth Generation:
(1) Abraham Bonnell & Mary Shinn
| (2.1) Col. Abraham Bonnell & Elizabeth Foster
| | (3.4) Clement DuMont Bonnell & Rachel S. Wolverton,
| | | (4.1) Mary Bonnell (1787 – 1852) & Joseph Bowlby
| | | (4.2) Elizabeth Bonnell (c.1789 – ) & Daniel Carhart (c.1788 – 1879)
| | | (4.3) Abraham Bonnell (c.1800 – )
| | | (4.4) Charles Wolverton Bonnell (1798 – 1846) & Abigail VanDoren (1805 – 1887)
| | | (4.5) William Bonnell (1804 – 1865) & Margaret Hinchman (1813 – 1901)
| | (3.5) Alexander V. Bonnell & Catharine Mattison
| | | (4.1) Joseph Bonnell Esq. (1793 – 1823)
| | | (4.2) Charles Bonnell (1795 – 1830) & Margaret Anderson (1797 – 1870)
| | | (4.3) Elizabeth Eliza Bonnell (~1796 – 1851) & John M. Mann
| | | (4.4) John R. Bonnell (~1800 – 1802)
| | | (4.5) Mary Bonnell (1805 – 1892) & Hon. Alexander Wurts Esq. (1799 – 1881)
| | | (4.6) William D. Bonnell (~1808 – 1813)
| | | (4.7) Hon. Alexander V. Bonnell (1809 – 1872) & Catherine Richmond (1811 – 1871)
| | (3.6) Sarah Newell Bonnell & Joseph Godley
| | | (4.1) Mahlon Godley & Mary
| | (3.8) Charles Foster Bonnell & Deborah Leigh
| | | (4.1) Eliza A. Bonnell (c.1819 – 1880)
| | | | | m. 1) Joseph Stiger c.~1818 – 1852)
| | | | | m. 2) Aaron Dunham (1799 – 1883)
| | | (4.2) Sarah Leigh Bonnell (1820-1896) & Benj. Chew Bird (1823-1884)
| | | (4.3) Amy Leigh Bonnell (1821-1894) & Mansfield Hummer (1820-1883)
| | | (4.4) Samuel Leigh Bonnell (1822 – 1888) & Helen Mar Carhart (1831 – 1893)
| | | (4.5) Alexander Bonnell (1825 – 1886), left H.C.
| | | | | m. 1) Emily Vansyckle (1832 – 1864)
| | | | | m. 2) Sarah R. Dumont (1836-1876)
| | | | | m. 3) Sarah Jane Douglas (1846-1924)
| | | (4.6) Ichabod L. Bonnell (1826 – 1851) & Unknown
Fifth Generation:
(1) Abraham Bonnell & Mary Shinn
| (2.1) Col. Abraham Bonnell & Elizabeth Foster
| | (3.4) Clement DuMont Bonnell & Rachel Stockton Wolverton
| | | (4.2) Elizabeth Bonnell & Daniel Carhart
| | | | (5.1) William Carhart
| | | (4.3) Abraham Bonnell & Unknown
| | | | (5.1) William Bonnell
| | | (4.4) Charles Wolverton Bonnell & Abigail VanDoren
| | | | (5.1) Joseph Bonnell (1826 – 1890) & Sarah L. Beavers (1828 – 1913)
| | | (4.5) William Bonnell & Margaret Hinchman
| | | | (5.1) Clement Hinchman Bonnell (1839 – 1874) & Emily Adeline Bird (1843 – 1914)
| | (3.5) Alexander V. Bonnell & Catharine Mattison
| | | (4.2) Charles Bonnell & Margaret Anderson
| | | | (5.1) Mary Bonnell (1822 – 1904) & George Anderson Allen (1822 – 1878)
| | | | (5.2) Joseph A. Bonnell (1823 – 1836) & Margaret (c.1825 – 1870)
| | | | (5.3) Cornelia A. Bonnell (c.1827 – )
| | | | (5.4) Elizabeth Bonnell (1830 – 1912) & Abraham VanDoren VanFleet (1831 – 1894)
| | | | (5.5) Alexander Bonnell ( – 1905)
| | | (4.7) Hon. Alexander Victor Bonnell & Catherine Richmond
| | | | (5.1) Alexander Bonnell (c.1831-1832) died an infant
| | | | (5.2) Joanna Bonnell (c.1833- bef. 1860) & John W. Clawson (c.1830 – bef. 1860)
| | | | (5.3) Mary Wurts (c.1835 & Edmond R. Fowler (c.1835 – )
| | | | (5.4) Henry R. Bonnell (c.1849 – )
| | (3.8) Charles Foster Bonnell & Deborah Leigh
| | | (4.1) Eliza A. Bonnell (c.1819 – 1880)
| | | | | m. 1) Joseph Stiger c.~1818 – 1852)
| | | | | m. 2) Aaron Dunham (1799 – 1883)
| | | (4.2) Sarah Leigh Bonnell (1820-1896) & Benj. Chew Bird (1823-1884)
| | | (4.3) Amy Leigh Bonnell (1821-1894) & Mansfield Hummer (1820-1883)
| | | (4.4) Samuel Leigh Bonnell (1822 – 1888) & Helen Mary Carhart (1831 – 1893)
| | | | (5.1) Charles Bonnell (1859 – 1929) & Mary L. Reeves (1860 – 1915)
Sixth Generation:
(1) Abraham Bonnell & Mary Shinn
| (2.1) Col. Abraham Bonnell & Elizabeth Foster
| | (3.4) Clement DuMont Bonnell & Rachel Stockton Wolverton
| | | (4.4) Charles Wolverton Bonnell & Abigail VanDoren
| | | | (5.1) Joseph Bonnell & Sarah L. Beavers
| | | | | (6.1) Mary E. Bonnell (1849 – 1940) & Alvah Gray (1849 – 1918)
| | | | | (6.2) Anna S. Bonnell (1851 – 1890) & John Gray (1847 – 1922)
| | | | | (6.3) Charles W. Bonnell (1860 – 1861)
| | | | | (6.4) Addie Bonnell (1863 – 1863)
| | | (4.5) William Bonnell & Margaret Hinchman
| | | | (5.1) Clement Hinchman Bonnell & Emily Adeline Bird
| | | | | (6.1) Helena C. Bonnell (1871 – 1945) & John Young Bellis (1872 – 1945)
| | (3.5) Alexander V. Bonnell & Catharine Mattison
| | | (4.2) Charles Bonnell & Margaret Anderson
| | | | (5.1) Mary Bonnell & George Anderson Allen Esq.
| | | | | (6.1) William D. Allen (~1853 – )
| | | | | (6.2) Charles Warren Allen (1854 – 1906) & Grace Boardman (1866 – 1900)
| | | | | (6.3) Alexander Bonnell Allen (1857 – 1917)
| | | | | (6.4) Maj. Edward B. Allen (~1862 – 1947) & Ella Ramsey (1862 – 1957)
| | | (4.7) Alexander V. Bonnell & Catherine Richmond
| | | | (5.2) Joanna R. Bonnell & John W. Clawson
| | | | | (6.1) Frank W. Clawson (1856-1857)
| | | | | (6.2) Victor B. Clawson (1857 – 1896) & Louisa Horvath (1864 – 1946)
| | (3.7) Charles Foster Bonnell & Deborah Leigh
| | | (4.4) Samuel Leigh Bonnell & Helen Mar Carhart
| | | | (5.1) Charles Bonnell (1859 – 1929) & Mary L. Reeves (1860 – 1915)
| | | | | (6.1) Romeyn Reeves Bonnell (1890 – 1969) & Dorothy Fritts (1900 – 1970)
Correction from Joanne Whitney, 3/13/2021 for Victor Bonnell who was the grandson of Abraham V. (#4.7) & Catherine Richmond, not the son.
Cheryl Rounsaville
May 2, 2021 @ 10:44 am
Hi Marfy! Thanks again for another really helpful family tree. I always get excited when I see your newsletter in my email and the chance of another useful family tree.
The Bonnells and Rounsavilles are related through my great-grandparents Lillian Bonnell Bird and George Fisher Rounsaville – the first generation Abraham Bonnell you list above is my 6th great-grandfather (see more below my signature).
In your research have you found any evidence that the Bonnells may have been Quakers?
The birth year of Col. Abraham Bonnell in many sources is given as 1732 but his tombstone (photo on Findagrave) says he died in 1797 at 83 years and 3 months which would make his birth year 1714. Have you come across this discrepancy before or am I just confusing my facts?
Any plans to do a Leigh or Bird family tree in future? I think they were prominent families in Hunterdon County but I could be wrong.
All the best,
Cheryl Rounsaville
Line of Abraham Bonnell to me:
Abraham Bonnell Sr. & Mary Stacy Shinn (6th g-grandparents)
to
Abraham Bonnell Jr & Elizabeth Foster (5th g-grandparents)
to
Charles Foster Bonnell & Deborah Leigh (4th g-grandparents)
to
Sarah Leigh Bonnell & Benjamin Chew Bird (3rd g-grandparents)
to
Alexander Bonnell Bird & Mary Hannah Stires (2nd g-grandparents)
to
Lillian Bonnell Bird & George Fisher Rounsaville (g-grandparents)
to
Theodore Linden Rounsaville & Georgina Edna Queen (grandparents)
to
George Allan Rounsaville & Virginia Lee Garrett Schultz (parents)
to
Cheryl Ann Rounsaville (me!)
Marfy Goodspeed
May 7, 2021 @ 6:55 pm
No, I have not seen any suggestion of the Bonnells being Quakers. There was a fairly strong Quaker community in Hunterdon, and the HCHS has their records.
As for Bonnell’s birth year, if he was born in 1714, it would be many years before his sibilngs were born, so I rather doubt it. I looked at the photos on Find-a-Grave; one looks like 63 years the other 83. Makes me wonder if someone messed with the stone.
Finally, yes—the Leigh and Bird families were prominent in Hunterdon. One of these days—I can promise no more.
Many thanks for sending me your tree; I did not have all of the names.