The Children of THOMAS and EVE BONNELL

subtitled

The Cobbler’s Children

Copyright by Beth Simmons, 2000

Thomas Bonnell was the oldest son of John and Nancy Bonnell who moved to Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1800 or 1801.(1) John and Nancy originally located in LeBoeuf, near the fort, but then purchased land from Thomas Rees on the edge of a steep glacial moraine that later was called Gospel Hill (8). Thomas Bonnell followed his folks to Erie County, in 1802 and married Eve Coover, daughter of an early Waterford family.(8) Setting one of Erie County’s greatest brothers/sisters marriage records, four Coover’s married four Bonnell’s. Margaret Bonnell married Andrew Coover, Nancy Bonnell married George Coover, Sarah Bonnell married John Coover, and Thomas Bonnell married Eve Coover (4) (See Coover history.)

Thomas Bonnell, originally a shoemaker, and his young wife, Eve Coover Bonnell, located established a home about a mile east of his father’s farm on the edge of a secluded valley along the southern border of "Rees’ Plantation". The family lived in at least two log houses for the first twenty years where they raised a large family of nine children. The brick house they built in 1831 still stands in the year 2000.(6) Descendants of this large family live throughout Harbor Creek and Erie County , Pennsylvania. The history of this large family involves almost every piece of property in southwestern Harbor Creek Township and the neighborhood history of the entire Tuttle School and Gospel Hill School settlement.

In 1831, Thomas Bonnell was made one of the original trustees of the Gospel Hill Cemetery as designated in the original deed from Ann Rees to the cemetery and the school house.(7)

Thomas Bonnell was born January 15, 1776 and died October 6, 1871, at 95 years old (8,4). He married on his 26th birthday, January 15, 1802 (8) to Eve(a) Coover, born February 25, 1789 and died May 18, 1886, at 87 years old (8,4). Thomas and Eva Bonnell are buried in Gospel Hill in Row 6. (7) At the time of Thomas' death in 1871 he had 130 descendants (8)

Children and Grandchildren of Thomas and Eve Bonnell

A. Thomas and Eve Bonnell

A1. Elizabeth Bonnell. Born Oct. 28, 1802; died. Mar. 8, 1880* (6) Married first. David J. Mead, Sept. 14, 1826 (6) son of Darius, Jr. and Anna Hufman Mead (6) b. Dec. 28, 1803; d. Mar. 19, 1833 (6) CHILDREN:

• A1a. Mary Jane, b. July 25, 1827. D. May 24, 1913* (6) Married Charles J. Bliley (6)
• A1b. Willis, b. Dec. 31, 1828* (8) Married Lodema Smith, Feb. 24, 1857 (11)
• A1c. Jehu D. b. Oct. 12, 1832 *, d.?? Listed as John by Cheney (8,11,6) Married Elizabeth Kuhl, 1854 (8) Daughter of Peter and Susanna Fry Kuhl (11)

Married second, William Edson (6)

• A1d. Isabella, b. 1839* (6) Married George Washington Bonnell, uncle
• A1e. Unnamed son* Abner B. ? (5) A1e1, Had daughter in 1860 named Mattie*(8,4)

A2. George W. Bonnell, b. Nov. 3, 1804, d. Jan 29, 1882 GH Row 5* (7) Married first Philindia (Malinda) Lee, Apr. 13, 1826 (7) Sister of Perry and Thomas Lee (8) b. Sept. 18, 1807, d. Sept. 24, 1853 GH Row 5 (7) Children:

• A2a. James F. b. 1827, d. Nov. 1847 Gospel Hill Row 5 (7) Died age 21?, fell through the deck of a pier next to his ship in an Erie-area harbor.
• A2b. Polly, b. 1828 died early (11)
• A2c. Harry, b. ?? died early (4, 8)
• A2d. Cordelia, b. 1830(31), d. Nov. 7, 1901* Oil City (4) Married Wesley Chambers Sept. 20, 1860 (8) Son of David and Mabel Nash Chambers (8) b. Sept. 13, 1829. D. Mar. 18, 1894 (4)
• A2e. Marshall, b. 1833, d.? Lowville Cemetery*(8) Civil War, Company G., 98^th PA. Infantry (8) Married first Mary Jane Busk (8 ) b. June 4, 1837, d. Aug. 18, 1879, 42 years, 2 mos., 14 days (8) Married second Rebecca Frits, Sept. 8, 1880 (8)
• A2f. George Washington,b. 1834 (8) (or Dec. 1836)*, d.? GH, Row 6 (7) Married his niece Isabella Edson (see A1d) (8)
• A2g. Benjamin, b. 1836, d. Sept. 16, 1905* West Mill Creek (8) Married Mary Jane Chambers (8) Daughter of David and Mabel (Nash) Chambers (8) B. Aug. 7, 1837; d. Sept. 16, 1905 (8)
• A2h. Harrison, b. 1838, d. June 26, 1864, GH, Row 5 (7)
• A2i. Elliott, b. May 17, 1846, d. 1917, Corry* (4) Married 2^nd cousin, Josephine Bliley, (A1a4) Dec. 9, 1873 (6) Daughter of Charles and Mary Mead Bliley (6) b. Jan. 12, 1852. D. May 23, 1918 (6)

Married second Irene Deamer (8) Daughter of Joseph Deamer (8) Child

• A2j. Marcellus Augustus (8,4) b. May 1871, d. Apr. 6, 1959, Paoli, PA*(4) Married Anna ?, , b. 1876 (4)

A3. Nancy Bonnell, b. Ap. 13, 1806. D. July 15, 1881* (8) Married Thomas Dillon, Nov. 4, 1824 (8) B. Oct. 8, 1797, d. after 1895 (8, 11) Children

• A3a. Alvira (11)
• A3b. Ellen (Eliza) Jane (11)
• A3c. Samantha (11)
• A3d. Sarah A.F., b. 1830, (11, 8)
• A3e. Elizabeth (11)
• A3f. Martha M., 1833, (11, 8)
• A3g. Amos, b. 1836 (11, 8)
• A3h. Kinard (11)
• A3i. Catharine A. b. 1843 (11, 8)
• A3j. Mary Martha, b. 1843/44 (11, 8)

A4. Sarah Bonnell, b. Mar. 12, 1807, d. 1866 (8) Married Sylvester Foster (8) He died 1866, also (8) Moved to Michigan, then further west (8) Children: (8)

• A4a. William Foster
• A4b. Nancy Foster
• A4c. George Foster

A5. Susanna Bonnell, b. June 20, 1809 (8) Married John Dillon, (8) B. 1803 (8) Children: (8)

• A5a. Thomas, b. 1836
• A5b. George, b. 1844
• A5c. Franklin, b. 1850

A6. John Bonnell, b. Apr. 16, 1811, D. Feb. 6, 1881. GH Row 4 (7) Married Cynthi[e]a Wadsworth, m. Feb. 183(7) (14) Daughter of Hezekiah and Mary Noble Wadsworth (8) b. 1815, d. July 2, 1872 GH Row 4 (7) Children (8)

• A6a. John Bonnell (8)
• A6b. Mary Ann, b. 1835, d. July 18, 1847 GH Row 4 (7)
• A6c. Ann Eliza, b. 1838, d. Jan. 2, 1886* (8)
• A6d. Richard Miller, b. 1839, d. 1892, Wesleyville, #12* (8) Married Sarah Jane Henry (8) Nov. 3, 1864 (8) Daughter of Robert and Susan Hess Henry (8) b. 1844, d. 1919 Wesleyville, #13 (8)
• A6e. Sarah, b. 1845* (8) Married Z. Wilson (8)
• A6f. Caroline, b. 1849 (8) Married Doren Thompson (8)
• A6g. Alfred King, b. 1855, d. 1929 in California (8) Married Stella Thompson
• A6h. Adeline

A7. Benjamin Bonnell, b. Jan. 5, 1813, d.? "in the west" (8)

A8. Catherine Ann Bonnell, b. Feb. 20, 1814 (8) Married Peter Luce (Naus?) (8,4) who was born 1820, Baden, Germany (4)

A9. Polly (or Mary) Bonnell, born July 25, 1816 and died July 24, 1873 (8) Unmarried (8)

[to be continued]