Benjamin Franklin Bonnell Family Bible

Recorded in this bible are births, deaths and marriages in the families of Benjamin Franklin Bonnel and wife Parthenia Petray., their ancestors as well as her descendants. The entries are obviously written by several different people.

Denise Nelson, a descendant, kindly shared it with the blog.

Since any transcription is prone to errors from misreading the original text as well as typing mistakes, pleas notify us if a mistake is found.

Page One

George Wilson Petray was born July 9th day in the year 1811 in North Carolina Cabarrus County on Kocky River–

Elizabeth Petray wife of George Wilson Petray was born March 2nd day in the year AD 1807 North Carolina Cabarrus County Kocky River

Was married same plce January 7th 1830

Willis Gay Bonnell was married to Edith Haskell in Petaluma

Dora Cornelia Bonnel was married to George Harrison in Gilroy Dec 1890

Mary Elizibeth Bonnel was married to Robert Einfast in Gilroy June 1891

Martha Ann Bonnel was married to Frank Shore in Tres Pinos.

Franklin Calvin Bonnel was married to Edna Bule Green in Hollister Nov. 23 1898.

Parthenia Einfort maried to Duncan Onsal 19-- Two children Lewis & Dan San Jose Calif.

Page Two

Ransom Alexander Petray was born July 9th 1831 in Illinois Washington County on Crooked Creek.

Mary Ann Petray was born April 1st day A.D. 1839 in Arkansas Pope County on Illinois Bio

Parthenia Petray was born October 10th in Arkansas Pope County Illinoia Bio

Anita Belle Bonnel married Joseph Bell Hammon  Nov 11, 1922

Gail Gladys Bonnel married Herbert Williamson 1932 Separated 1937

Dorothy Claire Bonnel married Joseph Erla Doan Aug 12 1925

Edna Belle Hammon Dec 31, 1925 Born in Oakland, Calif

Dorothy Marie Doan Aug 23, 1927 Hollister, California

Jerry Erle Doan July 2, 1926 born in the same room his mother was born in 343 7th St. Hollister, Calif.

Benjamin Hammon married Mary Lou Wyman Aug 1957 Sueto, Calif.

Patricia Jane Morgan born Jan 10 1954 Sacramento California

Michael Gary Morgan born June 16-1952 Sacramento, California

Page Three

Nathaniel Bonnel settled on Long Island.

original Bonnel came from Brussels Belgium France

B.F. Bonnel was born April 25th 1835 in Howard County Md

An arrow from his name points to Fsther Joseph Bonnel married Martha McGrath

B.F. Bonnel was married to Clara Kirkpatrick Jany 1st 1863 in Healdsburg Sonoma County Cal.

Willie Gray Bonnel was born Oct 1 1863 in Healsburg.

Clara Kirkpatrick wife of B.F. Bonnel died Decemer 11th 1863

B.F. Bonnel was married to Parthenia Petray April 26th 1865 In Windsor Sonoma County Calif

Mary Elizabeth Bonnel was born Aug 21 1866 in Windsor Sonoma County CalDied Nov '38

Dora Cornelia Bonnel was born March 20th 1868 in Windsor Sonoma County Cal

Martha Ann Bonnel was born Jany 9th 1871 in Santa Clara Valey San Br. County Died Feb 4 1926

Franklin Calvin Bonnel was born May 17th 1873 in San Buena Ventura County California Died Santa Cruz May 12 1944

Charlotte Harrison was born in Feb San Francisco Calif

Martha Ann Shore was born Nov 13 1899 in Hollister, Calif.

Anita Bule Bonnel was born Jan 31 1900 in Hollister, Calif.

Dorothy Elaine Bonnel was born Feb 22 1902 in Hollister, Calif

Pauline Bonnel was born Feb 29, 1902 in Petaluma, Calif. Died 1984

Parthenia Einfast was born July 24 1904 in Gilroy Calif Died San Jose Ca 1986

Evelyn Shore was born 1907 Hollister, Calif. Jan 16

Gail Gladys Bonnel was born Jan 28 1911 in Hollister Calif

George Bonnel Shore was born Hollister, Calif Aug 2nd 19 (rest is torn off)

Edna Belle Bonnel wife of Franklin Bonnel died Santa Cruz 1948 May 14th

Page 4

G.W. Petray Died Oct 26th 1867 In Windsor, Sonoma County, Calif.

Elizabeth Petray Died March 18th 1881 in her 75 year in Hollister San Benito Co, Cal.

Newspaper Clipping:

DIED

Petray–In Hollister, March 18, 1881, Mrs. Elizabeth Petray, mother of Mrs. B.F. Bonnel, aged 74 years.

Willie Gray Bonnel died 1905 Hollister, San Benito Co., Calif.

B.F. Bonnel Died Jan 31, 1910 In Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Co., Calif.

Parthenia Petray Bonnel Died Oct 1925 in Oakland Alameda Co, Calif age 90 yrs.

Martha Ann Bonnel Shore Died Feb 5 1926 in Hollister, San Benito Co, Calif. Age 55 yrs.

Frank Shore Died 1938 died Accidental death.

Franklin Calvin Bonnel died May 14 1944

Edna Bule Bonnel died May 12 1948

Dorothy Bonnel Fauburge died July 1st 1958 California

Joseph Bell Hammon Died Mar. 27, 1976 Sacramento, Calif.

Martha Shore Hill Died June 1980 Hollister Calif

Aileen Gail Frere Born Mar 4 1946 S.F. Co Mother Gail Gladys Frese Father Lloyd B. Frese

Gai Brese Feb 28 1989 Died–

Page 5 Newspaper Clipping from The Gilroy Telegram Nov. 25, 1898

Bonnel Wedding Recounted Upon 35th Anniversary

Brilliant Affair Was Highlight of Social Life.

Thirty-five years ago today F. C. Bonnel, popular young Hollister dentist, and Miss Edna Nelle Briggs were united in marriage at one of the prettiest weddings ever to take place here.

Tonight Dr and Mrs. F.C. Bonnel, will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary with a dinner for members of their family and relations at their home on Seventh street.

An interesting account of the Bonnel-Briggs wedding is given in the November 25, 1893 edition of the Evening-Press Lance.

It follows in part.

"The wedding march was played by Miss Nellie Wentworth. Miss Lillian Rea of Gilroy was bridesmaid and N.C. Briggs, Jr. was best man.

"The bride was charmingly clad in an exquisite gown of white silk orandie, lace and inseerting over white taffeta silk and carrying in her hand a bridal bouquet of white carnations and maiden-hair fern.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bonnel were the recipients of a larga number of handsome wedding presnts.

"Following is a list of invited guests: Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Bonnel, Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Shore, Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Einait, Mr. and Mrs. George Harrison, Mr. and Mrs. N. C. Briggs, Mr. and Mrs. J.R.N. Bell, Mrs. Ella Taylor, Mrs. S.F. Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Will Henry Jackson; Mr. and Mrs. Quivolo, Jackson; Mrs. Bradley, A. Barton and mother, Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Petray and family, Healdsburg; Mr. and Mrs. Petray, Livermore; Mrs. Bert Partridge and J. S. Harley and family, San Buenaventura; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schackelford.

"Misses Maude Swan, and Gertie McCloskey, Leah Cox, Amy Breen, Lottie Robers, Guadaloupe; Anna Thomas, Ada Hatch, Flossie Bassignano, Nonie and Myrtle Lathrop, Susie Moore, Miss Conover, Carrie and Addie Hamilton, Dille Clark, Minne Pearce, Rilla Sherman, Jeannette Boyns, Belle Owens, Oakland; Daisy Littlefield, Jackson; Hattie Mills, Lillie Henry, Nellie Wentworth, Nellie Swan, Bertha Shonson, Belle Mitchel, Ada Duncan and Lillian Res.

"Messers John Patterson, J.M. Button, Louis Phillips, Frank Powell, L. Green, R. Green, Los Gatos; N. C. Briggs, Jr., Armand Briggs, Dr. Pliss, San Francisco; Will Bonnel, Julie Schemmell, Gilroy; W.Townsend, W.P. Breen, E. Sherman, Frank Blessing, Claude Hendricks, Sidney Ware, Peter Breen and Richard Flint."

The Kentucky Farris-Bunnell Connection

George Farris, one of the blog's biggest supporters, sent some comments regarding his personal special interest in the Kentucky Joseph Bunnells. They are fascinating and worthy of sharing since many of us can relate to what he says about names repeating in families. In my family the name Marion has been used for generations for both men and women, including an uncle, my mother, daughter and a niece, with its origin traced back to the McClellands settling in Marion County, Illinois.

George writes: 

The name Joseph Bunnell/Bonnell has been a key to my own research regarding my Bunnell ancestry at two key points.  

First, my great-grandfather died before I was born but I knew that his name was Joseph Bunnell Farris. My grandfather was also named Joseph and I inherited Joseph as my middle name.  But no one in my family knew where the Bunnell middle name came from.  

When I became interested in genealogy I soon found that my Farris line was the hardest one to track and it took me many years to make much progress on it.  When I finally was able to zero in on the Farrises in Green County Kentucky in the early 1800s, I became aware of the Bunnells around them (Jeremiah and Peter in Barren/Hart County and William Jr. in Hardin County), but still had no indication of any connection with them.  

The second point occurred years later, when I found a document that sparked a new interest in the Bunnells.  

While I was researching Mercer County records at the Kentucky Archives, I uncovered a Circuit Court record from 1802. William Farris, my 3rd great-grandfather and John Farris, his brother, had filed assault charges against a man in Mercer County.  The interesting aspect to me was finding the witnesses listed included Joseph Bunnell, William Bunnell (Jr.), and Williams Bunnell's wife Mary.   

One of the few children of William Bunnell, Sr. for whom we have documented evidence of the relationship through the marriage bond is Anne Bunnell Farris who married John Farris in Albemarle County, VA in 1785. 

That circuit court document spiked my interest in pursuing the Kentucky Bunnells and led me to conclude that Mary Bunnell must have been my 3rd great grandmother, William Farris's wife, sister to John Farris's wife Anne.  Since then DNA matches have provided further confirmation of it. 

As we began to list the presumed children of William BunnellSr., interesting pattern emerged.  It became clear that almost all of the children of William and Mary/Polly Farris were named after her Bunnell siblings–including my great-great-grandfather Jeremiah Farris, his brother David, and a younger brother Joseph Bunnell Farris born at the time they lived in Green County, Kentucky.  

Those three, among others, later lived in Fulton County, Illinois, and were three of the Mounted Rangers from Fulton County who were involved in the Battle on Sycamore Creek in Ogle County, Illinois, on May 14, 1832, during the Black Hawk War. (Later it was branded as "Stillman's Run" or Stillman's Defeat.) Twelve of the men of that company were killed in the battle — including Joseph B. Farris.  

Ten of those killed were buried the next day in a mass grave at the battle site by a company from Sangamon County that included Abraham Lincoln. This was the first of several encounters between Jeremiah Farris and Abraham Lincoln (but that's another story). George writes more about this fight and his family's reported relationship with the future president in his columns found here.

A battle monument was erected in 1901 and there are individual monuments for the ten Rangers (photos from Wikipedia).

A few months later Jeremiah and Rosanna Farris had a son and named him Joseph Bunnell Farris after his recently deceased uncle.  He was my great grandfather–which brings us back to the beginning of this summary and my first point.