Friday, August 7, 2009
Mary Fox and Malakiah Bonham
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Malakiah Bonham was my ggggg grandfather through Absalom/Rebecca Cox. I have copies of the adultery papers signed by King George II.
ReplyDeleteIn Hannah Bonham's will, she calls herself "widow" of Malakiah Bonham. I think Malakiah first married Deborah Harker, daughter of Samuel and Deborah. Absalom married (1) a Jemima Harker, supposedly a cousin.
Absalom's Rev. "survivors" in MD were Deborah, Rachel, Jemimah, and Malakiah (oldest son of Absalom)
Brownie MacKie
mbmackie1231@aol.com
Quoting from a statement above, "About 1699, he [Hezakiah Bonham] moved to Maidenhead (now Lawrenceville) in what was then Hunterdon County."
ReplyDeleteToday's Lawrenceville was founded as Maidenhead in 1697, part of Burlington Co. In 1714, the village became a part of newly established Hunterdon County, which existed until 1838 when it became part of the new Mercer Co.
Marfy, I have several comments:
ReplyDelete1) It is not known who Hezekiah Bonham´s 2nd wife was. Her first name was likely Mary, as a tombstone of a Mary Bonham, with dates that would correspond to Hezekiah´s 2nd wife, has been found in the foundation of the Stoney Brook Friends School Master´s house. There are no other known Mary Bonhams who would match. The Stoney Brook Friends Meeting is close to where Hezekiah lived. Wonder how many people named "Mary", in the area, Hezekiah could have chosen from to marry as 2nd wife?
2) Think that this quite speculative as to why Hezekiah moved.
3) According to Milledge Luke Bonham´s bio, Malachiah Bonham´s 1st wife was JEMIMA Harker. Absalom Bonham is said to have md. a DEBORAH Harker. Am contradicting Brownie on this point but sure she´ll be okay with that. And to be honest, we have not been able to prove either of these marriages so, far beyond personal accounts, such as M.L. Bonham´s bio and circumstantial evidence.
4) If Malachia Bonham´s 1st wife had d. ca. 1740, he would likely have md. again before 1751, when he md. Hannah Buckingham Heath, as he had 4 young children, age 5 to infancy, to take care of.
5) Malakiah Bonham md. Hannah Buckingham Heath 19 Jul 1751 (PA marriage licenses). Elizabeth Heath was b. 1722, so unlikely she went with Mother to NJ. Hannah Buckingham Heath Bonham went to the Welsh Tract Baptist Meeting in New Castle DE. In her Will, written 1776, Hannah called herself "Widow" Bonham, though Malachiah Bonham was still alive.
6) A Malachiah Bonham md. Mary Williamson 1789 in Frederick Co. MD. In the 1800 Frederick Co. MD census, Malachiah Bonham was listed as age 26-44 (so b. 1756 to 1768). So he could have been Malachiah Bonham and Mary Fox´s child or not. Some think the child´s last name was Fox. I am not sure there even was a child as Malachiah was convicted of Adultery but not of begetting a bastard child.
I would like to acknowledge cousins, Brownie Mackie and Catherine Williams Cooper, for their research.
Also, have some praise and some admonishment for you Marfy. Your writing is alive and entertaining and very fun to read. You bring history to life. However, think we all need to acknowledge that the "written word" tends to become "fact", whether fact or fiction, so one needs to be careful as to one´s statements, whatever the context; ie. people may take some of your writing too literally. Also would like you to do more as to citing your sources, both from records and as to work others have done.
Yours,
Linda Peacock, "proven" gggggg grandaughter of Absalom Bonham and beyond Absalom, nothing proven, as to his direct line
To Gary: Yes Lawrenceville was founded in 1697, but at that time it was called Maidenhead, in what was then Burlington County. It was named after a village near London. In 1816, the name was changed to Lawrenceville, after Capt. James Lawrence, a hero of the War of 1812.
ReplyDelete