GGWC Joseph Bonham

Biography:

Joseph Bonham was born to Jacob Bonham and Mary Warford in 1751 in Hunterdon County New Jersey. Jacob was in the militia in Chester County. Pennsylvania and Joseph was the 5th generation of George Bonham, who emigrated from England in 1635.Naomi Parke was born to William Parke and Sarah Jewell on 30 May 1751 also in Hunterdon County New Jersey. Naomi's father died when she was 13 years old in 2 Mar 1764 leaving her mother to support 7 children, 4 were already married. New Jersey at that time recognized legal age at 16, so when Joseph and Naomi were 16 years old they got married in 1767 and moved to Loudoun County Virginia. They had children in Loudoun County Virginia, William born in 1768, Rachel born 5 Sep 1770, Catherine born in 1771, Zilpha born in 1772, and Hezekiah born in 1775. The Revolutionary War broke out he joined the 3rd New Jersey Regiment as a private during January of 1776 and in the autumn of 1776 he helped build Fort Dayton at German Flatts, New York; rebuilt Fort Stanwix at Rome, New York; then wintered at Fort Ticonderoga. On the 13 Jan 1777 he was appointed Sergeant in Thomas Patterson's Company of the 3rd New Jersey regiment Man of Foot along with his brother-in-law Zebulon Parke as appointed Corporal on the 4 Feb 1777. He fought in the Battle of the Short Hills at Scotch Plains, New Jersey on Jun 26, 1777; the Battle at Brandywine on Sep. 11, 1777; the Battle at Germantown on Oct. 4, 1777; than entered Valley Forge for the winter of 1777-78. The Battle of Monmouth at Freehold Jun 28, 1778, the Battle at Newtown Aug 29, 1779, which was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition. He could have been in the action at the Battle of Valcour Island. The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1781, at Pompton, New Jersey where he chose to go home to his family and his daughter Elizabeth was born on 20 Aug 1781. He paid taxes in Loudoun County in 1782 and 1783 in support of the War and again paid taxes in Loudoun County in 1785. Two more children were born while in Loudoun County: Ephraim born in 1782 and Alsa born in 1785. They moved from Loudoun County to Wythe County Virginia in 1792 where his last child Mary was born in 1792. He obtained 70 acres of land, most likely, in southern Wythe County near Grayson County. The acreage is out of Joseph's Will of 1803. The Will was written on 22 Jun 1803 and presented to the court in February of 1804. Joseph's wife Naomi was the executrix of the Will and seems to be on the Wythe County 1810 census as Oney with two daughters (16-25), Alsa and Mary or her two granddaughters Nancy and Sarah Ball. Both Joseph and Naomi were probably buried someplace on the 70 acres.

Traveling in family groups Joseph and Naomi Bonham traveled with Joseph and Catherine Williams to Wythe County and both obtained land.