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On September 20, 1819, John Bonser married Mary Bunton in Whitwick (England). John and Mary Bonser had six children. On the 4th of July 1844,their eldest son, 22 years old James Bonser was convicted by a Court in Leicester for
stealing a silk handkerchief and he was sentenced to 15 years transportation. He had a
previous conviction for stealing a pennycake for which he received 1 month's imprisonment. In November 1844 James arrived at Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) on the convict ship William Jardine. James was allocated to a work party at Westbury, near Devonport. In April 1852 he was given a Ticket of Leave but his convict record states that this was revoked a month later when he assaulted a "Fellow Constable". He got a second Ticket of Leave in May 1853 and on the 4th July 1853 James married an Irish convict girl, Mary Ann Taylor in a Catholic Church in Launceston. Their first child was born in 1850. Reliable information about life in Tasmania in those days is scarce and we are fortunate that A.W.Loone wrote a series of books about life in colonial Tasmania for which we give thanks. In the 1850's, while still a convict, James Bonser was appointed a Special Constable at George Town. When the postal service was introduced into Scottsdale, James was contracted to cart the mail to Launceston when he would ride his grey mare 'Cis'. The mail service was a vital link for the settlers at Scottsdale, providing them with a line of communication to Launceston and to family members in other parts of Tasmania and also back to the Mother Country. In 1858 James took the opportunity to purchase 50 acres of land in the newly opened settlement of 'Scotts New Country'. After the first six month contract for William McBean to carry mail between Ellesmere and Bridport had expired, James Bonser took over the service and he began carrying the mail over the Sidling, (a main road) twice a week. One of the few employment opportunities for the settlers in those days was road construction and James Bonser won the contract to build a road between William Edwards 'Vine Grove' and 'Tuckers Corner. The first horse race meeting was held at Bridport on a Boxing Day, about 1870.Several horses competed in the race, the favourite mares were Thomas Beswick's little bay mare Topsy, and James Bonser's grey mare Cis. The latter, which was of Arab breed was very fleet of foot, but the story goes that a few days before the race, just to equalize things a bit, someone drew a few pints of blood from Cis. This meant that when the race came off Cis could only secure second place. This story may not be true. At any rate, Beswick's bay mare won the race in really good style. When tin mining took off in the area, James Bonser followed the stream of tin miners to Derby. It is likely that James had familiarised himself with the workings of the Chinese in the district when he began tin mining in the area of the Wynford River, now Pioneer. After a productive life living in Tasmania's North East as a Postman, Special Constable and Tin Miner, James Bonser died on the 21st April 1888 in the tin mining district of the Wynford River. His wife, Mary Bonser died at Moorina on June 16, 1887. EDWARD BONSER The eldest son,Edward was born in 1850 and in 1877 he married Sarah Burton, who died in 1885 and after Sarah died, Edward married Alice Wright in 1886.With Sarah Burton,Edward had five children and with Alice Wright he had four more children. Edward died in Wonthaggi (Vic) in 1922. ELIZABETH (ELIZA) BONSER (born 1853) Eliza married John Blood and they had 2 children. John Blood and Florence Emily Blood. They bought land in the fast developing Ringwood suburb of Melbourne where Elizabeth became so popular that on her death in 1927, the local paper printed a eulogy to her memory. JAMES BONSER (born 1855) (James was my Grandfather ) In 1883 my Grandfather James married 19 year old Louisa Auton. They had eight children. CATHERINE BONSER (born 1857) In 1880 Catherine married Thomas Wilcox. They had four children. MARGARET ELLEN BONSER (Born 1859) married Richard Robinson who died on May 3 1885. She married Arthur Gresley who also died in 1885. they had one child. She later married De Orska. (No other details of this marriage have been found.) EMILY JANE (ANN) BONSER (born 1862) In 1882 Emily Jane (Ann) married William John Kerr and on his death she married David James Sainty in Ringarooma, Tasmania on 5/8/1896 Emily (Ann) had 6 children by W.J.Kerr and four more by David Sainty. The family of James Bonser and Louisa Auton ALBERT ARTHUR BONSER was born on the 23rd April 1884. No record of marriage found.He died in 1918, a victim of the First World War. He was 34 years of age. JAMES REUBEN BONSER was born on November 8, 1887 He married Ruby Irene (Emma) Bonser in 1919 He died in 1943. (This Jim Bonser was my father.) DARCY BONSER was born in 1890 He married Martha Haywood in 1912 CLARENCE JAMES BONSER was born on October 2, 1891 He died on December 12, 1891 MARGARET BONSER was born on February 7, 1894 No record of marriage found. She died on 6 June 1967 LOLA BONSER was born on January 20, 1897. Married Mr.White. First name unknown. DOLL BONSER was born in 1889. No other record found
Date created: June 14, 2002. Last Modified:January 27, 2009. Author Albert Bonser Email: Alby Bonser |
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