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Facts and Events
Henry Bonser's origins have yet to be established. In a witness statement he gave in 1701 he claimed to be in his 38th year, suggesting he was born around 1663. His first confirmed sighting is on 18th December 1693 at Granby in Nottinghamshire, when he was already married to a woman called Sarah and they had their son Henry baptised. 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]
Henry and Sarah appear to have had seven children baptised at Granby between 1694 and 1706, although their sixth child, Richard, died as a baby in 1705.
In 1701 Henry gave a witness statement in support of the curate of Granby, who had been accused of being drunk and neglecting his duty by some of the parishioners. Henry maintained that the curate had always behaved properly. Henry described himself as a farmer in this statement. He also said he had lived in Granby "these eight years last past and upwards", suggesting that he had lived somewhere else previously and was therefore probably relatively new to the parish when he son Henry was baptised in 1693.
Some time between 1706 and 1726 Henry and Sarah moved from Granby to the nearby parish of Colston Bassett. Sarah worked as a midwife, and was involved in a case regarding her work in 1726. It is not clear when Sarah died - there are plausible Sarah Bonser burials at Colston Bassett in 1727 and 1738, either or neither of which may be her.
Henry was buried on 26th September 1747 at Colston Bassett, aged about 84.
References
- ↑ Nottinghamshire Family History Society. Nottinghamshire Burials Database.
bur. 26 Sep 1747, Colston Bassett: Hennery Bonsor
Although he had his children all baptised at Granby, the only Henry Bonser burial there (in 1740) can be shown to be the son of this Henry, not him. This 1747 burial is the most likely burial, but it is not certain as there was a Henry Bonser baptised in Colston Bassett in 1696 which could also be the man buried in 1747.
- ↑ Cause Papers in the Diocesan Courts of the Archbishopric of York, 1300-1858, accessed 27 Jul 2019.
Reference: CP.I.133
Repository: Borthwick Institute GB 193
Court: Consistory
Case: Benefice cases (neglect of duty/drunkenness)
Date: 1698-1702
Page: 41
{Sections in curly brackets approximately translated from Latin}
10mo Januarii 1700 [i.e. 10 Jan 1700/1]
Tho: Hooke
Henricus Bonser de Granby in Com[itatus] Nott[ingham] aetat[is] suae 38 annor[um] aut eo circiter Agr[icola] Testis ut supra p[ro]ductuo &c. dicit et deponit prout sequitur
{Henry Bonser of Granby in the county of Nottingham in his 38th year or thereabouts Farmer Witness as above to produce etcetera says and deposes as follows}
Sup Primo Auso Extus Dicit {Regarding the first point says} That he this Dep[onen]t has lived in Granby ante {aforesaid} for these eight yeares last past and upwards and Sayes that it is a small p[ar]ish and all or most of the Inhabitants and p[ar]ishion[er]s thereof are Farmers and Labourers and those Few that are Freeholders doe manage their owne Farmes and all of the S[ai]d p[ar]ishioners are constantly imployed in husbandry and those necessary worldly affaires all the week long Sundays onely excepted Et al[ite]r nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup. Secundo Auso Extus dicit {Regarding the second point says} That he this Dep[onen]t did know both the ante {aforesaid} Mr. Griffin and Mr. Brown and says that neither of them read prayers at Granby ante {aforesaid} on Wednesday or Fryday or on Holy days except Great Festivalls as Christmas day Good Fryday or the like and were never complained ag[ains]t for neglect of their office and sayes that he verily beleives [sic] that if either of them or the ante {aforesaid} Mr. Greathead should read prayers on those days very few or not any of the p[ar]ishioners could or would attend Et al[ite]r nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup. Tetio et quatro Artis Extus dicit {Regarding the third and fourth points says} That he this Dep[onen]t is a Constant Frequenter of his p[ar]ish church of Granby ante {aforesaid} and sayes that the ante {aforesaid} Mr. Greathead is very seldome from his Cure on Sundays and Great Festivalls and when absent procures Cure to be supplyed and has not been absent from his Cure on Sundays these Fifteen months last past and was and is For any thing this Dep[onen]t knows to the Contrary very willing and ready to serve his p[ar]ishioners upon all occasions & to p[er]forme his cl[er]icall duty and offices to them and this Dep[onen]t has often had occasion for him to Christen his Children and church his wife and alwayes found him ready and willing to p[er]forme his duty and he further saieth that he this Dep[onen]t never knew the ante {aforesaid} Mr. Greathead quarrell with any of his p[ar]ishoners nor com[m]ence any suite ag[ains]t any of them save ag[ains]t the ante {aforesaid} W[illia]m Kirkham for tythes and has carryed himself very peaceably & quietly amongst them and is very moderate in his dues and tythes & not soe very strickt with his p[ar]ishion[er]s as former Curates have been and by his Civill behaviour has gained much respect amongst the better & greater part of his p[ar]ishion[er]s Et al[ite]r nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup sexto Arso Extus Dicit {Regarding the sixth point says} th[a]t some time before the Com[m]encem[en]t of this suite he this Dep[onen]t was desired several times by the ante {aforesaid} W[illia]m Orston & one Rob[er]t Willimott to signe the Petic[i]on ante {aforesaid} who told him that all or most of the p[ar]ishion[er]s would signe the same and wondered why he would not concurr with them but this Dep[onen]t refused to signe the same by reason he knew nothing that was evill ag[ains]t the s[ai]d Mr. Greathead Et al[it]er nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup Octavo Arso Extus Dicit {Regarding the eighth point says} That he knows the ante {aforesaid} Elizabeth Blundy and Alice Gibson and sayes they very poor indigent people and receive Almes from the p[ar]ish and are of reasse? repute & Credit amongst their neighbours Et al[ite]r nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup nono Arto Extus Dicit {Regarding the ninth point says} That he has heard and beleives [sic] that the ante {aforesaid} Rob[er]t Willimott did sign the Petic[i]on ante {aforesaid} and does contribute to the carrying on this suite ag[ains]t the ante {aforesaid} Mr. Greathead as he has owned & confessed to this Dep[onen]t Et al[ite]r nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup Decimo et undecimo Artis Extus Dicit {Regarding the tenth and eleventh points says} That the ante {aforesaid} Mr. Greathead is a man of good life and conversac[i]on conformable to the doctrine of the Church of England and he never knew him keepe base or scandalous Company since he came to be Curate of Granby aforesaid nor to have any conversac[i]on with lewd and lacivious women and that he never knew him guilty of prophane curseing and sweareing in Company but on the contrary has demeaned himselfe with that Courtesy and Civillity that he has made his Company acceptable to the Gentry and Clergy in the Country where he lives Et al[ite]r nescit deponere {And otherwise he cannot depose}
Sup reliqirs non Extr et
Sig[ned]
Hen[ry] [mark] Bonser
- ↑ "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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