Early Life and Family Background

James Bonney was born in 1672 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, during a period when the Plymouth Colony was well-established. He was the son of Thomas Bonney (1604-1693) and Mary Hunt (1604-1693), who had married when Thomas was about 50 years old. James was one of eight children born to Thomas and Mary, including his siblings Thomas 2nd, Mary, Sarah, Hannah, John, William, Ebenezer, and Joseph.

James grew up in Duxbury, Massachusetts, where his father had settled after emigrating from England. The family was part of a thriving colonial community that had developed over several decades since the first settlers arrived. Thomas Bonney had established himself as a respected shoemaker, constable, and landowner in Duxbury, providing James with a stable foundation in the community.

Marriage and Family

On June 12, 1695, James Bonney married Abigail Bishop in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Abigail was born in 1675 and would die in 1714, predeceasing James by about a decade. The marriage connected the Bonney family with the Bishop family, another established family in the region.

James and Abigail had nine children, establishing a large family that would continue the Bonney line:

• James Bonney (1696-1728), named after his father
• Elisha Bonney (1698-1776), who lived to the age of 78
• Sarah Bonney (1700-)
• Abigail Bonney (1702-), named after her mother
• David Bonney (1704-1724), who died at the age of 20
• Ebenezer Bonney (1706-1763), who lived to the age of 57
• Job Bonney (1712-)
• Abiah Bonney (1712-), twin of Job
• Elijah Bonney (1713-)

The large family reflects the typical pattern of colonial families, where children were an important asset for labor and the continuation of the family line. The naming patterns—including naming a son after the father (James) and a daughter after the mother (Abigail)—follow common colonial naming conventions.

Life in Colonial Massachusetts

James Bonney lived during a period of significant change in colonial Massachusetts. When he was born in 1672, the Plymouth Colony was still a separate entity from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The two colonies would merge in 1691, the year before his marriage, creating the Province of Massachusetts Bay under a royal charter.

During James's lifetime, the region was transitioning from the early colonial period to a more established provincial society. The communities of Duxbury and Pembroke (where he would later die) were growing towns with established institutions, churches, and local governments. The Bonney family, having been in the region since 1634, was part of the established colonial community.

Death and Legacy

James Bonney died on January 24, 1723 or January 24, 1724, in Pembroke, Plymouth, Massachusetts. The uncertainty in the death date may reflect inconsistencies in record-keeping or the use of different calendar systems (Julian vs. Gregorian calendar). He was approximately 51-52 years old at the time of his death.

His death occurred in Pembroke, which had been established in 1712 when it was incorporated from parts of Duxbury and Marshfield. The move to Pembroke may have been part of the family's expansion or relocation within the region, as the area continued to develop and new communities were established.

James Bonney's legacy is seen in his nine children, who continued the Bonney family line in Massachusetts. His son Elisha lived to 1776, spanning the period from the early colonial era through the American Revolution. The family's continued presence in the Plymouth Colony region demonstrates the successful establishment of the Bonney family in America, building on the foundation laid by his father Thomas Bonney.

Family Connections

James Bonney represents an important link in the Bonney family genealogy. He was the son of the founding patriarch Thomas Bonney, who had emigrated from England, and the father of a large family that would continue the line for generations. His children, particularly Elisha (who lived until 1776) and Ebenezer (who lived until 1763), would see the colonies through periods of growth and change leading up to the American Revolution.

The Bonney family's continued presence in the Duxbury-Pembroke region through multiple generations demonstrates the successful establishment of the family in colonial America. James Bonney's life, spanning from 1672 to 1723/1724, represents the second generation of the Bonney family in America, building on the foundation established by his father and contributing to the family's legacy in the region.

Sources: Missouri Bonney Family Genealogy by Gregory N. Bonney; Massachusetts vital records; Plymouth County records.