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Facts and Events
Childhood
Henry Bonser was baptised on 18th December 1693 at Granby in Nottinghamshire, son of a farmer called Henry Bonser and his wife Sarah. He was the first of seven children baptised at Granby to the couple. Henry and Sarah appear to have been one of three couples called Bonser who appear in the south Nottinghamshire area around this time: Henry and Sarah in Granby, John and Mary in nearby Colston Bassett and Edward and Elizabeth in Kinoulton. Given the timing of this appearance, the fact that many of the family for whom occupations are recorded were weavers and the French style of the name (especially in some early records where it is recorded as Henri Bonsire), some authorities have suggested that the family were probably French Huguenot refugees, although absolute proof of this has yet to be found.[3]
Adulthood
On 6th January 1723, aged 30, Henry married Elizabeth Harrison. She was a cordwainer's daughter, who appears to have been brought up in Granby from an early age but was probably born elsewhere. Henry and Elizabeth had five sons baptised at Granby between 1723 and 1734, although one died young in 1733. Whilst no occupation is recorded for Henry himself, three of his sons became weavers.
Henry was buried on 30th January 1740, aged 46. He was buried at Granby, where he appears to have lived his whole life. His wife Elizabeth survived him by 38 years and married again just under two years after his death.
References
- ↑ Granby, Nottinghamshire, England. Parish Registers.
Parish Register: Henrie Bonsar son off Henrie Bonsar And Sara his wife was babtised December the 18 day [NB no year is given for any entry on this page, which follows a page of entries from 1722 and is followed by a page of 1694 records. The handwriting is more similar in style to the 1694 page. Some online databases have recorded this entry as having occurred in 1722, but this is considered to be a mistake, particularly in light of the corresponding Bishop's Transcript, albeit the exact date differs slightly.]
Bishop's Transcript: 1693 / Henrie Bonsar Son off Henrie Bonsar and Sara his Wiffe was Babtised January the 12 day [i.e. 12 Jan 1693/4]
- ↑ Nottinghamshire Family History Society. Nottinghamshire Burials Database.
bur. 30 Jan 1740 [presumed to mean 30 Jan 1739/40 as this database normally uses 'new style' dates], Granby: Henry Bonsar
This burial has been linked to the Henry Bonser who was married to Elizabeth Harrison on the basis of Elizabeth's father George Harrison's will, written in September 1744, which talks of "...my daughter Elizabeth's Children which she had by Henry Bonsall..." then later refers to his daughter "Elizabeth Brittain". An Elizabeth Bonser married a John Brittan at Kilvington, about five miles north of Granby, in October 1741. This therefore suggests that Henry must have died before 1741, and this 1740 burial in Granby appears to be the only plausible burial. Several online trees have linked the 1740 burial at Granby to the elder Henry Bonser (this Henry's father), but in light of George Harrison's will the 1740 burial must be the younger Henry. The elder Henry Bonser is probably therefore the Henry Bonser buried at neighbouring Colston Bassett on 26th September 1747.
- ↑ "The family of Bonser first appears in South Nottinghamshire in 1693, at Granby and Colston Bassett, the name being variously spelt as Bonsar, Bonsire, Bonsier, Bonsor. In 1717 the then representative was described as a weaver. The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, drove many Protestants to England, where they found safe asylum, and many of them a livelihood by weaving. It seems likely that the Bonsires or Bonsiers were amongst those who came over." (County Pedigrees, W.P.W. Phillimore, 1909, London), accessed 6 June 2014
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