The Hatfield Bible: Family of Aaron Bonnell and Anne Brotherton

The Hatfield Bible is commonly cited as proof for the children of Aaron Bonnell and Anne Brotherton. When Margaret Watson Cooke and Lola Bonnell were doing their research it was in the possession of Mrs. Ruth Amer, Medford, Oregon. It came to her from her mother, Susan Hatfield England, daughter of John Sherid and Joanna M. Bonnell Hatfield.

I have only seen transcriptions, though one was certified by a notary when submitted to the DAR. The copy posted here came from Claude Bonnell and is also on his database as source E867 (thanks to Charlie Bonnell for maintaining Claude's site for us.) 

The birth dates of Joanna Bonnell Hatfield’s siblings were written on a sheet of paper that was part of an old letter signed by S. Bonnell. It was tucked into the bible. 

Births etc of Aaron Bonnell & Ann Brotherton & children were written in the Bible. Dates for Aaron & Anne Brotherton Bonnell & their children are written in the Quaker way, where the months are numbered rather than using months’ names based on heathen gods. 

The transcription has been typed here on the blog so the names will come up in an internet search.

If anyone has copies of the original letter and bible pages, please let us know. We'd love to post images of them.

Recorded in the Bible
Aaron,son of Benjamin & Eleanor Bonnell, was born 3 mo 30th 1749
Anne, wife of Aaron Bonnell & daughter of Henry & Mercy Brotherton, b. 9th mo 7th, 1753

Elizabeth, daughter of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 1st M. 21, 1773
Moses son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell, born 4th M. 3rd, 1774
Henry son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 7th M 29th, 1776
Mary daughter of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 6th M 23rd, 1778
Sarah daughter of Aaron & Anne Bonnell 1st M. 31, 1780
Anne daughter of Aaron & Anne Bonnell 11th M. 22, 1781
Mercy daughter of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 2nd M 25, 1784
Benjamin son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 4th M 12th, 1786
James son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 9th M. 13th, 1788
John son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 4th M 29th, 1791
Eleanor daughter of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 4th M. 29th 1793
David son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 6th M. 17th 1795
William son of Aaron & Anne Bonnell born 7th M. 28th 1797

Rachel wife of Benjamin and daughter of Christian & Ann Mongsmith born 11 M. 22nd, 1803
Aaron son of Benjamin & Rachel Bonnell born 10th M. 13, 1820
Christian son of Benjamin & Rachel Bonnell born 6th M. 29, 1822
Elizabeth daughter of Benjamin & Rachel Bonnell born 9th M. 10th, 1824
Isaac son of Benjamin Bonnell born 9th M. 26th 1826

Recorded on the Sheet of Paper
Mehetable Bonnell born 16 Mar 1812
Anne Bonnell born 4 Oct 1814
Harriet Bonnell born 7 July 1816
Elizabeth Bonnell born 30 Nov 1817
Aaron Bonnell born 2 Dec 1819
Henry Bonnell born 9 July 1821 *
Simeon Bonnell born 6 Apr 1823
Joanna Bonnell born 16 May 1825
David Bonnell born 18 May 1827
John A. Bonnell born 31 Oct 1828
Eunice Bonnell born 21 Jan 1831
William S. Bonnell born 21 July 1833

* On the transcription the 9 in Henry Bonnell's birth date is circled and a handwritten note says, "7/6 in the Brotherton Gen." This probably refers to “Genealogy of Brotherton, Bonnell Families of Morris County, New Jersey and Hamilton and Claremont Counties, Ohio,” compiled by Margaret Watson Cooke in the 1960s. It reports the descendants of Aaron Bonnell and Anne Brotherton based on information provided by many correspondents, including Mrs. Lee Amer (Ruth Amer).

I inherited many of Margaret's early versions of this work and they all show Henry's birth date as 7-6-1821. Between early drafts and her final version she dropped everyone who didn't live to adulthood. I prepared a revised version that includes all these lost children, if anyone wants a copy.