Bonsall tricentennial is held in Pennsylvania
Printed in The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., July 14, 1983
Dear Editor:
Many persons who did not have a chance to attend the Bonsall Tricentennial [or tercentenary or 300 years] in Pennsylvania have been asking about it. I attended, and have written a 12-page account of the family gathering which I hope you might run in the Cameron Pilot in its entirety.
I want no payment for this, just the pride of seeing my name in print as the author, and the satisfaction that the event will be recorded for future generations to study.
I am including a copy if of the Coat of Arms used for the Bonsall Tricentennial which you might use for an illustration with the article. (copy not included)
It gave me a great deal of pride to attend this family reunion and to realize that the Bonsall families have been an important part of life wherever they lived: in the Philadelphia area, Perry County, Pennsylvania area, or in Louisiana. To learn about the family was like taking a crash course in American history.
Sincerely,
James Belton Bonsall
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This first portion of Mr. Bonsall’s account of this historic reunion follows:)
A large delegation of Louisiana cousins of the Bonsall family attended the Bonsall Tricentennial in Pennsylvania, celebrated June 25-26, 1983 in Rose Tree Park, Media, Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Aside from the 2-day celebration shared by all the American Bonsalls, there were special events given for the Louisiana relatives who had traveled a long distance to be in Pennsylvania where their family first settled in America in 1683.
The Bonsall Tricantennial marked the 300th anniversary of the Bonsall family in America. Richard Bonsall (1641-1699) with his wife Mary Wood (? -1698) and 5 daughters born in England and Mary Wood’s widowed sister, Elizabeth and her son Obadiah Bonsall, arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683, coming from Mouldridge Grange, Derbyshire, England, some of the earliest English colonists in William Penn’s Pennsylvania.
Richard and Mary had 4 more children born in America: a daughter, and three sons: Jacob, Benjamin, and Enoch. It is estimated that 15,000 people are descended from this English couple today in America.
The Louisiana branch of the Bonsall family is descended from Richard’s son Benjamin (1687-1752). Of approximately 900 people who attended the family reunion from 16 states, approximately 100 were from Louisiana. It is estimated there are 1,100 Bonsall descendants in the Louisiana branch. A letter was sent by Louisiana’s Governor David Treen in recognition of the event, as well as a letter from President Ronald Reagan, and letters from the Governors of other states.
Martha Mhire Miller, a native of Grand Chenier and now resident of Pennsylvania was the daughter of Horace Mhire, Cameron Parish’s former Police Juror, and a great-greaddaughter of Thomas Bonsall, was on the Bonsall Tricentennial Commission, planning the gigantic family reunion. It was largely through her efforts that the Louisiana branch of the family was included and attended.
Her uncle, Edison Mhire, who as historian has researched and published two books on the Bonsall Family, was also on the committee, heading the sale of Commemorative Bonsall souvenirs.
Martha Mhire Miller entertained the Louisiana delegation at her home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania on June 24 with a dinner featuring Louisiana Bonsall recipes prepared by Bonsall ladies. Lester Richard, Police Juror of Cameron Parish was in attendance as were many Louisiana Bonsall’s and relatives.
Martha Miller headed the Tricentennial’s staging of “Bonsall’s Yesterdays” a series of costumed skits about the lives of various Bonsalls in history. Mrs. Miller also organized a special bus tour for the Louisiana Bonsall family members to Perry County in Central Pennsyslvania to see where Isaac Bonsall (1824-1864), founder if the Louisiana family branch, had lived as a child and young man, as well as his father Jacob (1803-1848) and his grandfather Benjamin (1756-1845). Isaac’s grandfather, Benjamin Bonsall (a 3rd generation Bonsall) as a Revolutionary War Soldier who served with General George Washington.
The Bonsall Family became established at Grand Chenier in Cameron Parish when Isaac Bonsall, a native of Perry County, Pennsylvania was shipwrecked in the Gulf of Mexico off the Grand Chenier coast. He was on of four survivors.
Isaac remained at Grnad Chenier and married Mary Elizabeth Sweeney, a native of Virginai, daughter of John William Sweeney and Sarah Hickock in 1846. They had 6 children: Emelia Ann, born 1847, John Thomas Born 1850, Isaac born in 1852, Henry born in 1856, Jacob in 1858 and Mary Jane born in 1863.
Isaac served in the Confederate Army in the Civil War and was killed at the Battle Mansfield, Louisiana April 8, 1864. His widow remarried to Lloyd Augustus Vaughn and had two more sons.
Ira Bonsall of Perry County, Pennsylvania who narrated and conducted the tour of Perry County is a descendant of John Bonsall, Isaac’s brother. This tour included visiting the sites of several farms on which Benjamin Bonsall lived in Juanita and Greenwood Townships, and a visit to Benjamin’s tomb in the Old Millerstown Cemetery, as well as sites of Bonsall farms, schools, churches, cemeteries, property and the Town of Newport, all associated with the Bonsall family.
Isaac’s mother died when he was only 10 years old, and his father, Jacob was murdered when he was only 14 years old. He was reared by his aunt, Jane Bonsall, daughter of Benjamin Bonsall by his second wife. Isaac was the oldest of 5 children.
Jane Bonsall married John Wright, and they established the Perry Valley Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. The tour included a visit to the church with the John and Jan Wright Monument at the entrance to the cemetery, and seeing the tombs of many Bonsalls, including John Bonsall, Isaac’s brother who was a Mexican War Veteran, and ancestor of Ira Bonsall conducting the tour.
A number of Bonsall families still live in Perry County, which is a farming area. A Bonsall family owns and operates a farm implement business there. The Perry County tour ended with a visit to the Perry County Historians, housed in an old former one-room school house.
TO BE CONTINUED….7/11/2012
Many persons who did not have a chance to attend the Bonsall Tricentennial [or tercentenary or 300 years] in Pennsylvania have been asking about it. I attended, and have written a 12-page account of the family gathering which I hope you might run in the Cameron Pilot in its entirety.
I want no payment for this, just the pride of seeing my name in print as the author, and the satisfaction that the event will be recorded for future generations to study.
I am including a copy if of the Coat of Arms used for the Bonsall Tricentennial which you might use for an illustration with the article. (copy not included)
It gave me a great deal of pride to attend this family reunion and to realize that the Bonsall families have been an important part of life wherever they lived: in the Philadelphia area, Perry County, Pennsylvania area, or in Louisiana. To learn about the family was like taking a crash course in American history.
Sincerely,
James Belton Bonsall
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This first portion of Mr. Bonsall’s account of this historic reunion follows:)
A large delegation of Louisiana cousins of the Bonsall family attended the Bonsall Tricentennial in Pennsylvania, celebrated June 25-26, 1983 in Rose Tree Park, Media, Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Aside from the 2-day celebration shared by all the American Bonsalls, there were special events given for the Louisiana relatives who had traveled a long distance to be in Pennsylvania where their family first settled in America in 1683.
The Bonsall Tricantennial marked the 300th anniversary of the Bonsall family in America. Richard Bonsall (1641-1699) with his wife Mary Wood (? -1698) and 5 daughters born in England and Mary Wood’s widowed sister, Elizabeth and her son Obadiah Bonsall, arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683, coming from Mouldridge Grange, Derbyshire, England, some of the earliest English colonists in William Penn’s Pennsylvania.
Richard and Mary had 4 more children born in America: a daughter, and three sons: Jacob, Benjamin, and Enoch. It is estimated that 15,000 people are descended from this English couple today in America.
The Louisiana branch of the Bonsall family is descended from Richard’s son Benjamin (1687-1752). Of approximately 900 people who attended the family reunion from 16 states, approximately 100 were from Louisiana. It is estimated there are 1,100 Bonsall descendants in the Louisiana branch. A letter was sent by Louisiana’s Governor David Treen in recognition of the event, as well as a letter from President Ronald Reagan, and letters from the Governors of other states.
Martha Mhire Miller, a native of Grand Chenier and now resident of Pennsylvania was the daughter of Horace Mhire, Cameron Parish’s former Police Juror, and a great-greaddaughter of Thomas Bonsall, was on the Bonsall Tricentennial Commission, planning the gigantic family reunion. It was largely through her efforts that the Louisiana branch of the family was included and attended.
Her uncle, Edison Mhire, who as historian has researched and published two books on the Bonsall Family, was also on the committee, heading the sale of Commemorative Bonsall souvenirs.
Martha Mhire Miller entertained the Louisiana delegation at her home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania on June 24 with a dinner featuring Louisiana Bonsall recipes prepared by Bonsall ladies. Lester Richard, Police Juror of Cameron Parish was in attendance as were many Louisiana Bonsall’s and relatives.
Martha Miller headed the Tricentennial’s staging of “Bonsall’s Yesterdays” a series of costumed skits about the lives of various Bonsalls in history. Mrs. Miller also organized a special bus tour for the Louisiana Bonsall family members to Perry County in Central Pennsyslvania to see where Isaac Bonsall (1824-1864), founder if the Louisiana family branch, had lived as a child and young man, as well as his father Jacob (1803-1848) and his grandfather Benjamin (1756-1845). Isaac’s grandfather, Benjamin Bonsall (a 3rd generation Bonsall) as a Revolutionary War Soldier who served with General George Washington.
The Bonsall Family became established at Grand Chenier in Cameron Parish when Isaac Bonsall, a native of Perry County, Pennsylvania was shipwrecked in the Gulf of Mexico off the Grand Chenier coast. He was on of four survivors.
Isaac remained at Grnad Chenier and married Mary Elizabeth Sweeney, a native of Virginai, daughter of John William Sweeney and Sarah Hickock in 1846. They had 6 children: Emelia Ann, born 1847, John Thomas Born 1850, Isaac born in 1852, Henry born in 1856, Jacob in 1858 and Mary Jane born in 1863.
Isaac served in the Confederate Army in the Civil War and was killed at the Battle Mansfield, Louisiana April 8, 1864. His widow remarried to Lloyd Augustus Vaughn and had two more sons.
Ira Bonsall of Perry County, Pennsylvania who narrated and conducted the tour of Perry County is a descendant of John Bonsall, Isaac’s brother. This tour included visiting the sites of several farms on which Benjamin Bonsall lived in Juanita and Greenwood Townships, and a visit to Benjamin’s tomb in the Old Millerstown Cemetery, as well as sites of Bonsall farms, schools, churches, cemeteries, property and the Town of Newport, all associated with the Bonsall family.
Isaac’s mother died when he was only 10 years old, and his father, Jacob was murdered when he was only 14 years old. He was reared by his aunt, Jane Bonsall, daughter of Benjamin Bonsall by his second wife. Isaac was the oldest of 5 children.
Jane Bonsall married John Wright, and they established the Perry Valley Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. The tour included a visit to the church with the John and Jan Wright Monument at the entrance to the cemetery, and seeing the tombs of many Bonsalls, including John Bonsall, Isaac’s brother who was a Mexican War Veteran, and ancestor of Ira Bonsall conducting the tour.
A number of Bonsall families still live in Perry County, which is a farming area. A Bonsall family owns and operates a farm implement business there. The Perry County tour ended with a visit to the Perry County Historians, housed in an old former one-room school house.
TO BE CONTINUED….7/11/2012