U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonnifield, Arnold (1799-1885) ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Tucker County, West Virginia From the Earliest Explorations and Settlements to the Present Time. by Hu Maxwell Kingwood, W. Va.; Preston Publishing Company, 1884. Pages 373-375 Dr. Arnold Bonnifield was born in 1799, August 23; is a son of Samuel Bonnifield, a soldier of Dunmore's war, and the war of the Revolution. As nearly as can be ascertained, his origin is French, through England. In France, the name was spelled Bonnifant, or Bonnifelt, and has reached its present spelling through the English. Dr. Bonnifield's mother was of purely English descent, belonging to the James family. He was married to Elizabeth, daughter of David, sister to Enoch and granddaughter of John Minear, the founder of St. George. Their children are, Katharine, who married David Swisher, of Hampshire, Samuel, who died of consumption when a young man, Dorcas, who married Daniel 0. Adams, of Limestone, Sarah J., who married Rufus Maxwell, Abe, the only one now unmarried, Lettie, the wife of S. H. Smith, sheriff of Grant County, David, who was drowned at Willow Point, in Cheat River, April 30, 1871, Allen H., the traveler, who married Jane, daughter of A. B. Parsons of California, and John, who died young. Dr. Bonnifield has always been a farmer; but, in addition, he has paid some attention to the practice of medicine. He was a slaveholder, but never sympathized with the institution of slavery. He was the first clerk of the Circuit and County courts of Tucker, and was Justice of the Peace for thirty years. David Bonnifield, a son of Dr. Bonnifield, was drowned in Cheat. He had married Margaret Hessler, of Germany. His children are, Mary, Anna M., Katharine F., John E., Samuel A. and Margaret. They live at Beloit, Kansas. David B. was a farmer and dealer in cattle. Being a sympathizer with the South in the War, he was much harassed by the opposing side. A large drove of cattle were carried off, which embarrassed him financially. Soon after, he was arrested and taken to Fort Delaware for incarceration. His suffering there was little less than the worst specimens of Andersonville, Libby or Rock Island. When at last he made his escape, his health was wrecked, and his property was gone. From that time until his death, he lived on Horse Shoe Bun, four miles from St. George. Allen H. Bonnifield, son of Dr. Bonnifield, was born 1845. Before he was of age, he left home and started overland for California. When he reached Iowa he learned that the Indians were hostile, and that it would be unsafe to venture out. Then he turned back to New York, took a steamer and reached San Francisco by the way of Panama. He remained four years on the Pacific Coast, and then returned home. Since then he has been a farmer on the old homestead of 700 acres — including wild lands — four miles from St. George, on Horse Shoe Run. In 1875 he married Jane, daughter of A. B. Parsons. His children are, Edna F., Bertie M., Jennie S., Anna D., and Luke G. Abe Bonnifield, son of Dr. Bonnifield, was born in 1837. He traveled extensively over the west and over British America. When the war came on he joined the Rebel army, and fought to the end of the war, never surrendering, but dodging when the troops to which he belonged were dispersed, and coming home with his sword strapped on his side. His weight is seventy pounds, and his height three feet. He was at Lynchburg when Jubal A. Early defeated Crook and Hunter; he was at McDowell when Jackson routed Milroy; he suffered defeat at New Hope, when Hunter scattered Breckenridge's troops; he was with Imboden in Hampshire, and saw him blow up the armored gondolas which the Federals sent down the railroad; was at the battle of Frederick City, Md., and witnessed the whole transaction; took part in Early's raid on Washington, and fought nearly all the time for three weeks. At Crab Bottom he was taken prisoner, but escaped in less than two hours. ------------------------------------------------------------------- (son of Arnold Bonnifield) Register of Deaths, Tucker County, WV (Page 28, Line No. 2) FULL-NAME: David Bonnifield BIRTH-PLACE: Tucker Co. AGE-AT-DEATH: 47 years DEATH-DATE: April 30, 1873 DEATH-PLACE: Tucker County CONSORT: Margaret Bonniefield OCCUPATION: Farmer PARENTS: A. & Elizabeth Bonnifield CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Drowned INFORMANT: Arnold Bonnifield, father (son of Arnold Bonnifield) Register of Deaths, Tucker County, WV (Page 65, Line No. 32) FULL-NAME: Abraham Bonnifield BIRTH-PLACE: Randolph Co., W.Va. AGE-AT-DEATH: 53y-3m-21d DEATH-DATE: July 6, 1890 DEATH-PLACE: St. George CONSORT: unmarried OCCUPATION: Clerk of Court PARENTS: Arnold & Elizabeth Bonnifield CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Unknown INFORMANT: A. H. Bonnifield, brother ------------------------------------------------------------------- There's a shared tombstone in the Bonnifield Cemetery, Saint George, Tucker County, West Virginia BONNIFIELD John C. (1840-1849) Elizabeth (1801-1888) Arnold (1799-1885) Dorcas A. (1830-1886) ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Tucker County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/tucker/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------