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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

New Jersey State Archives Increment 17: Will of Francis Haines

Teammates,

Here is a document that I do not think pertains to the Windsor Township Bonnells, but we can't rule it out since Burlington County is adjacent to Middlesex County.  Either way, it would be very helpful to positively ascertain who this family was, as much of the task we are dealing with is sorting the wheat from the chaff.  Although a secondary source, this document provides so much information, outlining three generations of Bonell or connected families that I would have to think that we could connect this to known genealogies somehow.

The will is for Francis Haines.  It appears that she was previously Francis (maiden name?) Bonell and remarried William Haines after the death of her first Bonell husband.  The document lists her children as  Thomas Bonell (eldest son), John Bonell, Hannah Haines (wife of Jeremiah Haines) with their son and daughter Robert and Frances Haines, and Samuel Bonell (executor).  This is the second reference to a Samuel Bonnell in Northampton, Burlington County, although the other one is from decades later (1783).

I already included this reference in version 3 of the chronology spreadsheet. 

John Bunnell

Charlie adds:

Francis/Frances Chanders Goodwin is the 2nd wife of Robert Bonnell (002881). Evidently he was a Quaker and his first wife, Esther Wardell, bore him no children. This is from the database. We don’t have Robert’s lineage. His son Samuel appears to have spent his whole life in Philadelphia.

John's response to Charlie's information:

This is tremendously helpful.  It tells us the Burlington County Bonells = the Gloucester County Bonells = the Philadelphia Bonells.  Also, the documentation on this family seems so complete that it effectively rules out the possibility that they were the same as the Middlesex County family.  


Now we can focus directly on Middlesex County (potentially leading to Sommerset and Essex Counties) in the search for more information concerning our Samuels.  Too bad Samuel has turned out to be such a common name (including at least two sets of Seniors and Juniors at this time in NJ).



Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Version 3 of the Samuel Bonnel/Bonnell Chronology

John Bunnell provided version 3 of the Samuel Bonnel/Bonnell chronology. It includes all his research through increment 16 as well as the suggestions and revisions submitted by his fellow researchers.





New Jersey State Archives Increment 16: New Jersey Superior Court Case #31593 (1754-1755): Rogers, Samuel v. Bunnell, Samuel

Teammates,

Here is a short one, a writ from 12 November 1754 for a debt case against Samuel Bunnill.  At first look, I thought this one had little value.  On closer inspection, however, I see that the Sheriff's note states that the defendant is a Constable in Windsor Township.  The text following this statement is illegible on this copy, so getting an improved copy from the original document will be an essential task during the next visit to the archives.

Based on this clue, I make the assumption that the individual that was appointed constable in 1762 was the same as the defendant in this case (either the senior or junior Samuel Bonnell).  This appointment explains why Samuel was acting as an agent of the court four months later (March 1755) in the letter to William Walker from Cupid Field (increment 15).  The fact that this Samuel was a Township official for a prolonged period (eight years, at least, if the service was continuous) gives hope that a search through the Middlesex County and Windsor Township records will bear fruit.

John Bunnell

George Farris adds:

Samuel Rogers, Sr. was a shopkeeper in Upper Freehold and Allentown, adjacent to East Windsor and in the same area as the Robbins family. His son Samuel, Jr. inherited much of the property and was in the mercantile business in Allentown. The plaintiff in this suit was probably Samuel Rogers, Sr. - who died in 1756. There are many such suits by Samuel Rogers (both Sr. & Jr.) showing up in the index of Superior Court cases. Interestingly, an earlier one was a debt suit against John Deare who was the Middlesex Co. Sheriff who signed this document in the debt suit against Samuel Bunnill.  

John Bunnell responds:

Interesting.  We’ve seen several of these debt connections.  The Loudoun County debt case of William Carr Lane against Jacob Wright was followed immediately by a case by someone else against William Carr Lane.  I guess many were running on a shoestring, so debt was probably not particularly uncommon.




__________________________________________________________________________________

Transcription of New Jersey Superior Court Case #31593 (1754-1755): Rogers, Samuel v. Bunnell, Samuel 
Sup. Court
Samuel Rogers } _____ 
v } _____
Samuel Bunnell }

Cept Corpus
In Custodia Mill’r 6/4
John Deard Sherriff

Def’t a Constable in Windsor 
Township  _______________________


New Jersey fs.  George the second by the grace of God of great Britain and France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c  To Our Sheriffe of Our County of Middlesex Greeting we Command You That You Take Samuel Bunnill / late of the County Aforesaid / if the May be found within Your Bailywick and him Safely Keep so that you may have his Body before us at Our City of Perth Amboy On The Third Tuesday in March Next To Answer Samuel Rogers Of Aplea of Trespass and also to the bill of him the Said Samuel Rogers Against him the said Samuel Bunnill for Fifty Pounds Proclamation money Upon his Promise and Assumption According to the Customs of Our Court before and then and there to be Exhibited An have you Then and there this Writt  Witness Robert Hunter Morris Esq’r Chief Justice at our City of Burlington the Twelfth day of November In the Twenty Eighth Year of our Reign

W. Pidgeon Att’y Read



Friday, March 25, 2016

Yet Another Samuel Bonnell! This one's in the Estate of John Balm.

George Farris sent this:

In light of the records of the Samuel Bonnells that John has found in Middlesex and the earlier records from Woodbridge I think we should take another look at the attached abstract from the estate of John Balm who died in 1739 in Elizabethtown.  

Marjorie mentioned this some time ago as a reference to a Samuel Bonnell that perplexed William Austin since it didn't seem to fit any known Samuels.   

Obviously this Samuel was living at that time since the administrator's record indicates that a payment was made to him from the estate.  John Balm owned property in both Elizabeth and Rahway (between Elizabeth and Woodbridge).  

At this point we don't know for sure when the Samuel Bonnells of Windsor Township in Middlesex left Woodbridge.  Apparently the 1732 debt suit just identifies Samuel as a resident of Somerset County - which could have been in Woodbridge or elsewhere in the county.  I suspect that this may be another record for the Samuel Bonnell, Sr. that we have been pursuing.


Samuel Bonnell–Witness to Will of John Bishop

George Farris points out there was one more Woodbridge reference - Samuel Bonnell as witness to the will of John Bishop dated June 20, 1720, as shown in the this page from New Jersey Calendar of Wills.

John Bishop was a prominent citizen of Woodbridge, being one of the original land owners and founders and moderator of the freeholders group.



New Jersey State Archives 15: New Jersey Superior Court Case #35125 (1755)

Teammates,

Here is a strange one, involving one of the Windsor Township Samuel Bonnells in a 1755 case from the New Jersey Superior Court .  In the index, the State Archives lists Samuel Bonnell as the sheriff for this incident.  Reading the document, I can't see evidence of that appointment, although there are probably some intricacies to those positions that I don't understand.

Regardless, Samuel Bonnell, at the least, was deposed by the court to deliver the attached letter to Cupid Field (in custody) to William Walker. The eviction case referenced seems pretty extreme, with the parties resorting to "swords, staves, and knives" before the court got involved.  This is another document from microfilm, so I know it is very hard to read.  I think I deciphered most of it in the attached transcription, but will gladly accept help on the words I couldn't make out.

I think the deposition is signed by Samuel Bonnell.  The handwriting and spelling of the name are clearly different then the text of the document, presumably written by a clerk.  Additionally, the signature is very similar to the juror signature in the 1764 case.  

Again, frustratingly, this signature contains elements of both the Samuel Bonnell, Sr. and Samuel Bonnell, Jr. signatures on the obligatory note to the Stouts, which was signed three months after this document.  The "Sam'el" construction is similar to the older Bonnell, but the style of the "S" and the overall Bonnill signature seem more similar to the junior Bonnell.  Again, I welcome others to weigh in on this.

John Bunnell


____________________________________________________________________________

Transcription of New Jersey Superior Court Case #35125 (1755)
Middlesex to Witt
Samuel Bonnel being duely deposed on the Holy Evangils Saith the Eighth Day of this instant March – He Served a Copy of the Within Declaration of Tresspass and Ejectment upon William Walker Tenant in Possession of the Premises within mentioned or some part thereof with a copy of the within letter, which copy both of the Declaration and Letter this Deponant then read unto him and declared unto him, and told him that it was a Declaration in Ejectment, And that if he Did not Defend his Title he would be turned our of Possession of to that Effect and further this Desponant Saith not

Sworn the 22d Day of Sam’el Bonnill 
March before me
Samuel Novill

___________________________________________________________________________

Supreme Court of the Term of November in the Twenty Eighth year of the Reign of Our new Sovereign Lord King George the Second and so forth 
to witt
Thomas Kendal Sapp Complains of Cupid Field in Custody of the Sheriff ect Further to witt That Whereas Mosses Robins the Second Day of October in the Year Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Four at New Windsor in the County aforesaid had Denited leased Sett and to Term led unto the Said Thomas Kendall Sapp and his assignes and Messinage One Tenement One Barn One Garden One Orchard Once Hundred and Fifty Acres of Arable Land Once Hundred Fifty Acres of Plow Land Once Hundred Fifty Acres of Planded Land One Hundred and Fifty Acres of Rythean Land and One Hundred and Fifty Acres of Wood Land with the Appurtenances Scibeato lying and Being in New Windsor aforesaid in the County Aforesaid &c’a him said to hold unto the Said Thomas Kendall Sapp and his Assignes from the Third Day of September then last past Nor Ensuing and Untill the Full End and Term of Seven Years Then next Following and fully to be Complete and Ended by virtue of Which the Said Deniesse the Said Thomas Kendal Sapp into the Tenement aforsd with the appurtenances did Enter and was thereof Possesst Until the Same Cupid Field Did Afterwards to witt the Same Second Day of October in the same year of our Lord aforesaid with force and arsses (That is to Say) with Swords Staves and Knives into the Tenement aforesaid with the appurtenances in and Upon the Possession of the Same Thomas Kendal Sapp From his Farm aforsaid his Term aforsaid therein not Being Ended and the Said Thomas So Being Ejected Turned Out and Removed the Said Cupid Filed Hitherto hath withhold and as yet Doth Withhold the Possession Thereof and other Jayjaries Then and there Brought upon him against the Peace of our Said Lord the King that now is and to the Damage of the Said Kendall Sapp Fifty Pounds and thereof he Brings this Suit and so forth
Robt Lawrence Att’y Pledges deprocess Jus Doe
Richard Thos

To Mr William Walker
Sir I am Informed that you are in Possession or Claim a Tytle to the Premises Mentioned in this Declaraion of Ejection and or to Some part thereof and Being Sued in the Action as a Casual Ejector and haveing no Claim or Tytle to the Same Do Advise you to Appear on the Third Tuesday in March next in his Majestys Supreme Court of Judicture in the City Hall in the City of Perth Amboy by Some Attorney of that Court and then and there by a Rule to be made of the Same Court to Cause Your Self to be made Defendant in my Stead otherwise I Shall Suffer a Judgement to be Entered Against me, and you will be turned out of Possession.
Your Looeing Friend

Cupid Field  


George Farris adds:

I agree that it is difficult to determine which of the Samuel Bonnills signed this document.  

This case seems to be related to several similar ones that show up in the index of court cases in the NJ archives involving William Walker who lived in Maidenhead Township (now Lawrence Township).  He apparently felt that Moses Robbins' title to that property (about 500 acres total) wasn't legitimate and had his agent (Cupid Field) take forcible possession of it from the leaser, Thomas Randal (rather than Kendall) Sapp.   There were apparently other cases of disputed ownership in that area because some people bought land from the native Americans who lived there and others had land grants from the proprietors that overlapped.   Moses Robbins/Robins and his family owned a lot of land along the southeast part of Windsor and the adjoining part of Burlington County.  Much of that area is now Robbinsville Township of Mercer County.  There is a historic Robbins House that still exists there that is on property identified as E. Robbins on the 1849 map just to the right of the "W" of East Windsor.   Most of Moses Robbins' family later seemed to live just south of there around Allentown and Freehold in Burlington County. 

I suspect that the property involved in this suit was somewhere in the SE part of Windsor Township.  Apparently one of the Samuel Bonnills was acting as an agent of the Court or the Sheriff in serving this order on William Walker. (Samuel Nevill, who signed Samuel Bonnill's deposition, was 2nd Justice of the Supreme/Superior Court in Perth Amboy.)  Walker may have lived just a few miles from where the Bonnells apparently lived since Maidenhead/Lawrence Township adjoined Windsor just southwest of Penns Neck.  

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

New Jersey State Documents Increment 14: Who Are the Naval Bonnells?

Teammates,

This next set of documents partially answers one of the questions I posed after my visit to the State Library of Virginia:  what was the identity of the naval Bonnells (Captain Bonnell in Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and the William Bonnell, ship's master, paid for Revolutionary service in Virginia.  

The two excerpts from New Jersey newspaper entries clearly correspond with the story in Franklin's biography (timeframe and type of ship).  These excerpts identify the individual as John Dod Bonnell, Captain of the ship Harriot.  John Dod Bonnell appears to have been captain of this vessel between 1756 and 1762.  

I've searched exhaustively and can't find any other information about this individual.  Does anyone have any other leads?  Was John Dod Bonnell based in America or England?

This discovery actually surprised me, as I expected that Franklin's Bonnell was going to be the same as the Virginia Bonnell, and it wasn't.  

This still leaves open the question of who was the William Bonnell, ship's master, who served Virginia in the Revolutionary War.  We have no other indication that our Virginia/Kentucky William Bonnell had any maritime connection.  Nonetheless, this is still an intriguing disconnected piece to the Bonnell/Bunnell puzzle.

John Bunnell

John attached an 80-page listing of British Packet sailings between Falmouth and North America 1755-1826compiled by John S. Olenkiewicz. It shows the following trips by the ship Harriot captained by John Dod Bonnell:


      1756 2 sailings
      1757 2 sailings
      1758 1 sailing
      1759 2 sailings
      1760 1 sailing (probably 2, since one reported The Harriot captained by John Braily)
      1761 2 sailings 
      1762 2 sailings (0ne captained by “Robinson : Bonnell”)
      From 1763 on the Harriot was captained by Thomas Robinson)




George Farris reports:

From some English newspaper excerpts, John Dod Bonnell died January 15, 1776 at Bury, Suffolk.

"January 15 at Bury died at his home near this town John Dod Bonnell, esq., captain of one of his Majesty's packet boats at Falmouth."

*********************************
The Ipswich Journal Suffolk, England
13 Jan 1776

AUCTION, By JOHN ROPER, On Tuesday, Jan, 23, and Three following Days, ALL the Genuine HOUSHOLD FURNITURE, a large quantity of fine old useful and ornamental china, and glass curiously cut and gilt, valuable pictures, and other effects, of JOHN DOD BONNELL
**********************************
Bury is about 20 miles inland from Ipswich on the east coast of England.

More on Preserve Brown

This information came from George Farris:

From Preserve Brown's will and the 1849 map it's possible to pinpoint the location of Brown's property in Nottingham Township (Mercer County). It was just south across the bridge over Doctor's Creek from Yardville.

So his shop was at Yardville in the southern part of Nottingham/Hamilton Township. That's about 3 miles south of Mercerville/Hamilton Place and about 10 miles south of Penn's Neck. 

You can see where Yardville was located on the 1849 map.

 There is a current residential area called Yardville, but it is about a mile northeast of the location of the original town.


George refers to the abstract of Preserve Brown's will in the New Jersey Calendar of Wills. He says, "It includes specific details regarding that one property in Nottingham. He owned quite a bit of other property also, including houses in Philadelphia. The estate inventory summary just lists the totals for his debts and amounts owed to him, no details. The complete inventory in the probate record probably provides more detail, but that is on microfilm at the NJ Archives. All of the volumes of abstracts published as The New Jersey Calendar of Wills are available online at Archive.org."

Here's the page with Preserve Brown's will.

New Jersey State Documents Increment 13


Teammates,

Here is the next increment, consisting of two documents.


The first is an excerpt from the New Jersey Calendar of Wills book. This page shows that Samuel Bonnell submitted an inventory of the estate of Owen Sullivan on 8 January 1759. I suspect that the same Samuel Bonnell (either senior or junior) was the one who took this inventory, was named constable of Windsor in 1762, and was the Juror on the court case in 1764. I say this because all of these activities seem to require being known and of good standing to the court. During my next trip to New Jersey, it would probably be worthwhile to get a copy of this inventory in hopes of comparing signatures.


The first is an excerpt from the New Jersey Calendar of Wills book. This page shows that Samuel Bonnell submitted an inventory of the estate of Owen Sullivan on 8 January 1759. I suspect that the same Samuel Bonnell (either senior or junior) was the one who took this inventory, was named constable of Windsor in 1762, and was the Juror on the court case in 1764. I say this because all of these activities seem to require being known and of good standing to the court. During my next trip to New Jersey, it would probably be worthwhile to get a copy of this inventory in hopes of comparing signatures.


The second document is a microfilm excerpt for a court case between Peter Rossell and Charles Rossell. This is the document that opened the trail to everything else we have found. This court case was lengthy, but the microfilm image was poor, so I only made a copy of these two pages. Unfortunately, this writ, while readable, did not turn out to be the most important document in the file for our purposes. It is on other pages that mention was made of Peter Rossell being from New Windsor. The dates on this file are confusing. The first page lists the year as 1753. The "year of our reign" in the writ, however, calculates to 1756. Finally, the case is cataloged in the indexes as 1758-1759. During my next trip, I'll have to pull the original copy from the stacks so that we can have better images and the complete document to work with. Note that this debt case is for a much more considerable sum (200 pounds) than anything we have seen from Jacob Wright or the Bonnells. All indications are that the Rossells were the more affluent of the households.


I know all of this can be hard to follow, so I've entered all the documents we have into a spreadsheet, color coded by individual but grouped by location. I'll continue to add to it as we go along, and please let me know if I've missed anything.


John Bunnell

__________________________________________________________________________________
Transcription of New Jersey Superior Court Case #32913 (1753-1759): Rossell, Peter v. Rossell, Charles 

Mid’x Common Pleas
Peter Rossell } _____ 
v } _____
Chalres Rossell } £200

November Term 1753 

Plea debt

Cepi Corpus  
Ben Biles Sh.


New Jersey fs.  George the second by the grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c  to our Sheriff of our County of Hunterdon Greeting We Command you As before We Commanded you that you take Charles Rossell if he may be found within Your Bailiwick & him safely keep so that you may have his Body before us at our City of Burlington on the first Tuesday in November next to answer Peter Rossell of a Plea of Tresspass and also to the Bill of him the said Peter against the said Charles for Two hundred Pounds Proclamation money upon his Assumption According to the Custom of our Court before us then & there to be Exhibited and have you then & there this Writt Witness Robert Hursten Morris Esq’r Chief Justice of our City of Perth Amboy the Nineteenth day of August in the Twenty ninth Year of our Reign

Read Att’y Read






Saturday, March 12, 2016

New Jersey Superior Court Case #5654 (1762): Brown, Richard; Brown, William; Jones, John (Executor of Preserve Brown) v. Wright, Jacob

Teammates,

My apologies, but I've now discovered that my pile is not exactly in chronological order, so this next document takes us forward again to 1762.  This is another in the continuing case between Jacob Wright and the executors of the Presence Brown estate.  Rather than a Middlesex Inferior Court Case, however, this is a case before the New Jersey Superior Court.  I don't understand what it may have required for the case to go from the county inferior court to the province superior one, but this case appears to have met whatever bar there was.  There are a couple of interesting points about this document, although I don't know that any of it is particularly helpful.  

First, it lists Jacob as living in New Winsor, but in the county of Monmouth.  This is in spite of the fact that he is in the custody of the Sherriff of Middlesex.  We know that Windsor Township was near the border of several counties, but this is the first time we have seen any of our families associated with this county.  

Second, this document gives us more information about the executors of the Brown estate than we've had in the past, stating that Richard and William Brown were shop keepers in Nottingham, Burlington County, while John Jones was a merchant from Philadelphia.  

Third, Jacob's physical presence outlined in this document (in the custody of the Sherriff of Middlesex and the sheriff's notes address bail) narrows, slightly, the window in which he may have left New Jersey for Virginia.  Here, now, is the updated chronology on our key players:

Jacob Wright -     June 1761 (v. Brown Estate) - Cepi Corpus
        May 1762 (v. Brown Executors) - In Custody of Sherriff of Middlesex
        July 1766 (v. Richard Brown) - Non Est

Samuel Bonnell, Sr. -     January 1760 (v. Stout) Cepi Corpus in Cust'y
            April 1760 (v. Brown ) Cepi Corpus in Cust'y
            April 1761 (v. Watson) Cepi Corpus
            April 1762 (v. Brown estate) Cepi Corpus in Cust'y 
            October 1762 (v. Brown estate) Cepi Corpus in Cust'y

Samuel Bonnell, Jr. - 1761 (v. Watson) Non Est

Samuel Bonnell (undefined) -     January 1749 (v. Kearny) Non Est Inventus
                October 1764 (v. Reed & Pettit) - Cepi Corpus in Custodia     

John Bunnell


__________________________________________________________________________________
George Farris responded:

The Provincial governments of New Jersey were not known for their competence.  I think this 1762 document is an example.  The Court was appointed by the Crown, both judges and clerks.  In this case whoever prepared these documents does not appear to have been very competent.  It might have been the attorney, Pidgeon, rather than the clerk who introduced the errors. There was no such thing as the Province of East New Jersey after 1702 when the two Proprietary Provinces were combined into the Province of New Jersey.  New Windsor Township became just Windsor Township in 1750 - and no part of it was ever in Monmouth County.  So all references to Monmouth in these documents should be interpreted as Middlesex.  The Superior Court that was formed when the two provinces were combined alternated sessions between Burlington and Perth Amboy which had been the seats of government of the former West New Jersey and East New Jersey respectively.

The Nottingham Township of Burlington County included the area around Bordentown.  That township was later abolished and  the area became part of Mercer County in 1838.  It is now South Trenton and Hamilton Township.  Preserve Brown and his family were Quakers and members of the Monthly Meeting that met at Bordentown.  His and his successors shops may have been in Bordentown.   However, the original settlement in Nottingham Township was at the unincorporated community of Nottingham in current Hamilton Township and the shop may have been there. Both Jacob Wright and the two Samuel Bonnells were obviously in debt to Preserve Brown and his estate and were unable to pay up.

I also wonder about the notation that this writ was filed de bene esse.  In this usage I think that meant that it was provisional. Perhaps that just meant that if Jacob paid the debt before the court session he wouldn't be required to show up in Burlington.  In any case, from the later documents it's clear that he couldn't pay and left the jurisdiction before 1766.  Some people in trouble in NJ in those days just moved across the river into Bucks Co. PA.  Jacob Wright may have done that before joining the Bonnells in moving to Loudoun Co. VA in 1768.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Transcription of New Jersey Superior Court Case #5654 (1762):  Brown, Richard; Brown, William; Jones, John (Executor of Preserve Brown) v. Wright, Jacob
New Jersey fs. George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith &c  To our Sheriff of our County Middlesex – Greeting we Command You That You Take Jacob Wright otherwise called Jacob Wright of the Township of New winsor in the County Monmouth & Province of East New Jersey Farmer if within your Bailiwick he may be found and him safely keep so that you May have his Body before us at our city of Burlington on The Second Tuesday in May Next To answer Richard Brown William Brown and John Jones of a Plea of Trespass And Also to the Bill of them the said Richard Brown William Brown and John Jones Against him the said Jacob for Twenty Nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings and Six Pence current Lawful Money of New Jersey __ ___ According To the motion of our Court before us then and there To be Exhibited and have you then and there this writt  Witness Robert Hunter Morris Esq’r ___ of Justice at our City of Perth Amboy the Twentieth Day of March in the Second Year of our Reign
Pidgeon Att’y of Plffs Readr



____________________________________________________________________________________

N. Jersey Sup Court
Richard Brown }
William Brown } Narr in
& John Jones } Debt
v }
Jacob Wright }

of May Term 1762

filed / de bene Esse / hle
good Special Bail be put
in ---

5654

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Know all men by these Presents That I Jacob Wright of the Township of Newwinsor in the County of Monmouth & Province of East New Jersey Farmer Am held & Firmly Bound unto Richard Brown & William Brown of the Township of Nottingham in the County of Burlington in West Jersey Shop keeper & John Jones of Philad’a Merch’t in the Just and Full Sum of Twenty Nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings & Six Pence Current Lawful Money of N. Jersey to be p’d to the s’d Rich’d Brown William Brown & John Jones or Either of them or their Heirs Ex’rs adm’trs or assigns for which Payment well & Truly To be made I Bind my self my heirs Ex’rs & adm’trs firmly by these Presents Sealed with my Seal Dated this Twenty Sixth Day of June in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred & Sixty one 1761

The Condition of this obligation is Such that he Above Named Jacob Wright or his heirs Ex’rs or Adm’tr Do well & Truly Pay or Cause To be Paid Unto the above named Richard Brown William Brown & John Jones the Just and full Sum of Fourteen Pounds Eighteen Shillings & Nine Pence Like Lawfull money as aboves’d with Interest for the same at or before the first Day of December Next Insuing the Date Hen of without Fraud or Farther Delay there this Present obligation To be Void & of None Effect or Else To Stand & Remain in full Force And Virtue

   Jacob Wright [Sealed]
Signed Sealed & Delivered }

In the Presence of us }


_________________________________________________________________________________


New Jersey Sup. Court of May Term in the Year of our Lord one
Thousand Seven Hundred & Sixty Two 

Middlesex fs. Richard Brown William Brown & John Jones Complains of Jacob Wright otherwise Called Jacob Wright of the Township of New winsor In the County of Monmouth & Province of East New Jersey Farmer in Custody &c of the High Sherriff of the County of Middlesex of a Plea That he Render unto then the Sum of Twenty Nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings & Six Pence Current Lawful money of New Jersey which To them he owes & from then unjustly Detains &c’a For that /towit/ That whereas the said Jacob the Twenty Sixth Day of June in the Year of Our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred & Sixty one at Perth Amboy In the County of Middlesex Afores’d by his Certain Writing obligatory with the Seal of him the Said Jacob Sealed and To the Court of our Lord The King Now here Shawn the Date whereof is the Same Day Year Last Afores’d Acknowledged himself To be Held & Firmly Bound unto the Said Richard Brown William Brown & John Jones in the Afores’d Twenty Nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings & Six Pence nomey Afores’d To be paid To the Same Richard William and John when the s’d Jacob Should be Thereunto Afterward Required Nevertheless the said Jacob Altho often Required &c the Afores’d Sum of Twenty Nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings and Six Pence To the Afores’d Richard William & John Hath Not as Yet Paid But the same to the the s’d Richard William & john To Pay To Pay He the s’d John Hether to Altogether Hath Refused and Still Doth Refuse & Unjustly Detain &c’a To the Damage of them the s’d Richard William and John Twenty Pounds money Afores’d and then of they Brings Suit &c
Pidgeon Qicor’t } Pligw
Defend    } &c

Middlesex fs. Richard Brown William Brown & john Jones Puts in Their Place William Pidgeon their Attorney Against Jacob Wright otherwise Called Jacob Wright of the Township of New Winsor in the County of Monmouth & Province of East New Jersey Farmer In a Plea of Debt &c’a


Thursday, March 10, 2016

Middlesex Court Case #47 (1756): Stout, Zacharia v. Bonnill, Samuel, Sen’r

Here's John's latest report. I am reminded of the confusion my own family will probably cause our descendants as my father and my brother have the same name, Dad being II and brother being III. Occasionally one would sign documents for the other. Their signatures looked amazingly alike.

Teammates,

Here is the next document off the stack.  I think this is the most important one we have seen so far and probably the most significant one I obtained in New Jersey.  I say this because it appears to me that the obligatory bill is an original document, signed by both Samuel Bonnell, Sr. and Samuel Bonnell, Jr.  Although I have sent other obligatory bills related to these individuals, the other ones appear to be transcriptions by the scribe, since the bill is written on the same piece of paper as a later court order and the handwriting is unchanged throughout the document.  This document, in contrast, is on its own sheet of paper.  Additionally, the two signatures appear to be distinct from one another and are both followed by a unique "seal" figure.  

I had hoped that distinguishing between the signatures would help distinguish which Bonnell was the juror in the 1764 case. Unfortunately, I can't tell.  The signature on the 1764 document has attributes of both signatures on this document. 

I continue to be intrigued and somewhat baffled by the details on court
documents.  In this case, both Bonnells signed the 1755 obligatory bill, but
the 1756 collection case is only against the senior Samuel Bonnell.  As
before, it seems like the penalty for not paying your debts was severe.  In
this case, the original debt was for twelve pounds, but the cost of not
paying on time was to incur a twenty-four pound penal debt.  This would put
modern loan sharks to shame...         

John Bunnel

__________________________________________________________________________________
Transcription of Middlesex Court Case #47 (1756):  Stout, Zacharia v. Bonnill, Samuel, Sen’r 
Middlesex Inferior Court
of Common Pleas ~

Zacharia Stout } Narr 
V } in
Samuel Bonnill Sen’r } Debt

Of July Term 1756 

Filed December . 8 . 1756
Deare D  Clk


Middlesex Inferior Court of Common Pleas
July Term, in the year of our Lord One
Thousand Seven Hundred & Fifty Six
Middlesex fs, Samuel Bonnell Otherwise Called Samuel Bonnill Sener of The Township of Windsor and County of middlesex and province of New Jersey was Summoned To Answer Zacharia Stout of Aplea That he Render unto him The Sum of Twenty Four Pounds ~ Proclamation money Which To him he Owes and from him Unjustly Detains &ca and whereupon The said Zacharia by William Pidgeon his Attorney saith, That whereas the said Samuel The Twenty Ninth Day of June, In The year of our Lord One Thousand and Seven Hundred and Fifty Five , at Perth Amboy in the County of Middlesex, and Within the Jurisdiction of This Court by his Certain Bill Obligatory Did Acknowledge himself To be Justly Indebted Unto the said Zacharia in the Sum of Twelve Pounds Money Af’d To be paid To the said Zacharia at or before The first day of November Then Next Ensuing The Date Thereof, And For the true Payment Thereof the said Samuel Bound himself in The Penal Sum of Twenty Four pounds, Money Afores’d And The said Zacharia in fact Saith, That he the said Samuel Did not Pay Unto him the said Zacharia The said Sum of Twelve Pounds, at or before The said first day of November Which to him at or before That Same day he Ought to have Paid, According To the Form and Effect of the Bill Obligatory Afores’d Whereby an Action hath Accrued unto him The said Zacharia To Require and have of him The said Samuel The Said Sum of Twenty Four Pounds, Nevertheless The Aforesaid Samuel Altho Often Required &c’a The Afores’d Twelve Pounds unto him The said Zacharia hath not as yet Paid, but The Same To him as yet To Pay he the said Samuel hath altogether Refused and Still doth refuse and Unjustly Detain &c’a To the Damage of him the said Zacharia Stout Ten Pounds and Thereof he bring This Suit &c’a And brings hereunto Court The Bill Obligatory Aforesaid Which The Debt Aforesaid in Form Aforesaid  Wittnesseth the Date Whereof is the Same day and year Aforesaid &c’a
W. Pidgeon Quer’t } Plegy &c’a
Def’te

Middlesex fs, Zacharia Stout Puts in his Place William Pidgeon his Attorney Against Samuel Bonnel Otherwise Called &c’a In Aplea of Debt &c’a.

Sam’l Bonnill Sen’r }
Sam’l Bonnell Jun’or } Oyer
To } Bill
Zacharia Stout }


Know all men by these Presents That we Samuel Bonnell Juner and Samuel Bonnell Sener both of the Township of Windsor and County of Middlesex and province of New jarsay do Stand Justly Indebted unto Zacharia Stout of Hopewill in the County of Hunterdon and Province abovesaid In the Just & full Sum of Twelve Pounds Proclamation To the Which Payment well and Truly to be made & Done we bind our Selves our heirs Ex’rs & adm’rs and Every of Them in the Penal Sum of Twenty Four Pounds Money aboves’d and That at or before The First day of November Next Ensuing The date hereof as Wittness our hand and Seals This 29th day of June Iny’e year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Five

Wittness Presents Sam. Bonnill Ju’r

Sam’el Bonnill