Framework Knitters Union Nottingham and Leicester

[JudithS]

Willsy..................I cant believe the information you found.   

How did you do that? I have been searching for 7 yrs, but also in Oz, so can only do it online, although have written often to the UK. FindMyPast, Ancestry.com etc as well.

All descendants in Western Aust and Tasmania thank you!!! We/ I am meant to do an update of an old Bonser book put together 40 yrs ago, you are being very helpful. Dont underestimate what it means for our family history in Aust. So many of us hanging out to know about those that came before.

Cant believe you found where John Snr and Mary are  buried. With them are the grandchildren, of daughter Mary Ann Bonser  born 1821 Notts. She had two daughters, Mary Ann and Elizabeth, both Hammersley Bonsers. (The Taylors) ( The Ingrams)

Entry no 350 Apr 29,1840 PENNY, has us mystified, I could almost swear that is Mary Ann, d.o. John Bonser, but in 1851, 1861 she is 20 and 30 respectively. Never mind, food for thought. Dont believe she married Hammersley, he died soon after the birth of the two girls. Still Bonser in 1861.

We haven't found sister Elizabeth, bapt probably non conformist Notts 1828, give or take 5/10  years, no sign of her anywhere. Just know John jnr had a sister Elizabeth. Primitive Methodist. Maybe she died.

The Elisabeth Bonser/ Dallison marriage...she was d.o. a William and Ellen Dennis, not ours.

With your wizard skills, is there anything on William bapt Whitwick Dec 1821 ( who may be in 1841 FWK Bedford S, not Benford,  with friends...or Elizabeth Bonser, no date recorded for birth ( non conformist records). I dont wish to delay you further, ( well, that is an outright lie...lol!...but you have helped so much, dare I ask?)

This has been the hardest family to find in all of my experience with family research. Maybe I am too 'close.' So appreciate anything you can do to unlock past.

Kind regards Jud

[larkspur]

You say you John was on a Prison hulk, is it your John Bonser on the prison ship Fortitude, no 6281 aged 18, Convicted 27th Feb 1840 for 10 years for stealing a cloak? He is the only John Bons*r on the Prison hulk registers.
In that case who is the John Bonser who was convicted 1849  and sailed on the Minden in 1851? I am confused here. Would he have been on a prison ship for 11 years, was this usual? Incidently his record says he was to be transported for 7 years.

[willsy]

I was a bit confused with census returns, is Emma with the Holts 1851?

[willsy]

Hi Jud

So pleased you recognised the names, went straight to Welford Road and then tried sorting the census returns, think John jnr was also convicted at age 19 1846...stealing a coat, know where Lakrspur is coming from and am assuming because of the first sentence there are 2 of them???

In this report...your John
Leicestershire Mercury
Publication date:Saturday 06 January 1849
John Bonsor 21 guilty of stealing lead....sentence transportation 7 yrs

Baptisms

22-Apr   1851   Bonser Emma   1837   John   Mary   mother's maiden name Burton         Whitwick   LEI      Whitwick, Holy Cross   Roman Catholic

26-Jul   1826   Bonser   John      John   Mary Ann   Old Radford   NTT      
Whitwick   Primitive Methodist

I don't have non-conformist for Notts but there is a Mary Ann Bonsor Nottm St Mary Baptised 29 Jun 1828 to a John FWK and Mary Bonsor Cypress Street

[willsy]

Just giving you some references, marriages for a William B...for these I can't name the father for you

1846    BONSER   William   Leicester   Register Office         

1863 08-Dec    St George
BONSER    William   
BOTTRILL    Mary

1859   13-Feb All Saints    
BONSHOR   William            
MATTOCK    Hannah

[willsy]

While I am not sure of anything for William, did find this just to add to the mix unless you know anymore about William

Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923
Name:    William Bonsar
Arrival Date:    12 Oct 1852
Arrival Port:    Melbourne, Australia
Departure Port:    Liverpool
Ship:    Mobile
Nationality:    English

1851 Mary jnr is with Thomas Hammersley and the 2 girls
1851 Census
HAMMERSLEY, Mary
LEICESTER, Leicestershire
HO107 piece 2088 folio 615 page 1

Welford Road Burial

M   628   C   
HAMMERSLEY   THOMAS   1854   JUN   7   32   DENMAN STREET   SAINT MARGARET   2330   CORONER'S WARRANT...can't find anything in the papers so far

Girls births
BONSOR    Mary Ann    Leicester    Leicestershire    1848    Jul-Aug-Sep
BONSER    Elizabeth Hammersley    Leicester    Leicestershire    1851    Jan-Feb-Mar

[JudithS]

The John Bonser convicted on 27 Feb 1840 Leicester was 18 at the time, and received 10 years transportation, had prior convictions. He was transported on the ‘Asia’ to Tasmania which sailed on 25 April 1840. He would have been on the Fortitude at Chatham until his transportation. He is an unrelated John Bonser.

‘Our’ John Bonser was convicted 1849 and sailed to Western Australia on the Minden 1851.  We believe he was on the Prison Hulk Justitia at Woolwich. He was transported for 7 years for stealing a piece of lead from a cricket ground roof in Whitwick, with another friend William Ward. The boys took it to a dealer and it was melted down. We have the newspaper clipping for that.

Emma is with the Holts in the 1851 census. Sarah Burton is a half sister who married Francis Holt of Whitwick; registered/baptised 1815 Whitwick from a prior relationship of mother Mary Burton before she and John Bonser Snr married 1819. Emma was baptised Whitwick Holy Cross 1851, the same day as William Holt, child of Sarah and Francis Holt. We think Emma died 1856. Sarah and Francis died 1851 and 1861 respectively.

It is good to have the baptism of Mary Ann Notts St Mary 29 Jun 1828 and the information that goes with that. We didn’t have that before. Thank you so much!  Yes it is John Jnr bapt. Old Radford 26 Jul 1826.

Beginning to think there was no sister Elizabeth.

Mary Ann jnr, yes, all correct with Thomas Hammersley and the two daughters, Hamersley Bonser. Interesting about the Coroner’s Warrant.  Will look into that, thank you.

William. Only know he was bapt Whitwick, 2 Dec 1821. Possibly FWK 1841 census Bedford St, St Margaret’s with Bishop Fee, Leicester;  with a William Foster and family. It is very likely he received 12 months 15 Oct 1860 for larceny, had a previous conviction and the name is William Burton alias Bonser ( ahh, what a family!) In 1861, he is in Southwell Prison, it must be him, born Whitwick. Says he is married. Nothing after that.

1852 William Bonsar arriving in Melbourne is unlikely him, with situation desperate on the home front and no money.
 
Thank you two, so much for your help. I cant thank you enough. 

Judi

[larkspur]

Ok, got that straight in my head now. My problem being, the only John Bons*r on a prison hulk, was the Fortitude. There is  not one to be found listed on the Justitia, did he use another name?

[willsy]

I saw the Foster one, checked on a marriage and look who the witnesses are

Entry No.291,  DEC 26, 1841, after Banns
WM. BONSOR, full age, bach. FWK, of GROSVENOR St, s. of RICHARD BONSOR, FWK
SARAH BISHOP, full age, sp. FWK, of BEDFORD St, d. of JAMES BISHOP, FWK
Wits: WILLIAM FOSTER, ANN FOSTER

The newspaper 1860 conviction has him stealing a scythe, Sneinton, Nottingham