Year: 2009

PETER³ PURVIS BONNINGTON (William², Robert¹) was born ca 1844 in Galashiels, Selkirk, Scotland, son of William and Margaret (PURVES/FAIRBORN) BONNINGTON.[1] Peter died in Mayburn, Loanhead, Lasswade Parish, Edinburgh, Scotland, on 16 Sep 1891; he was 47.[2] He was enumerated with his family on the 1851 census for Galashiels, Selkirk, Scotland, at age 8; the 1861 census for Junipergreen, Colinton, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, at age 18; the 1871 census for Bathgate, Linlithgow, Scotland, at age 28; the census for Bathgate, Linlithgow, Scotland in 1881; the census for Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland, in 1891. Peter’s occupation was listed variously as carpenter or joiner (journeyman).

On 17 Jun 1864 when Peter Purvis was 20, he married ELIZABETH BUCHANAN, daughter of James BUCHANAN (ca 1812/22—17 Apr 1888) and Sarah CRAIG (ca 1809—bet 1851-1861), in Bloomyhall, Junipergreen, Colinton, Midlothian, Scotland.[3,4,] Elizabeth was born ca 1845/1847. Lanarkshire, Scotland is the most often given location for her birth place, but other places include Ireland, Shotts Parish in Lanarkshire, Neilston in Renfrewshire, Chapelhall in Lanarkshire, and Monkland in Lanarkshire. Elizabeth died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Crown Terrace, Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland on 13 May 1928; she was 83.[5]

Elizabeth was enumerated with her family in the 1851 census for Cambusnethan, Lanark, Scotland, at age 6; as a single woman working as a dairymaid in the 1861 census for High Church, Edinburgh, Scotland, age 16; with her husband in the 1871 census for Bathgate, Linlithgow, Scotland, age 26; with her husband in the 1881 census for Bathgate, Linlithgow, Scotland; with her husband the 1891 census for Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland; with her family the 1901 census for Midlothian, Scotland, at age 56.

Peter and Elizabeth had the following children:

1. ELIZA⁴ CRAIG BONNINGTON (1866-1946) married WILLIAM SMITH, son of James Smith and Isabella Aitken, on 12 Dec 1882 in The Manse, Uphall Parish, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, and married second Robert O. COCHRANE ca 1909 in Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania.[6]
2. MARGARET BONNINGTON (1868-1943) married DAVID SIMPSON, son of William Simpson and Margaret Russell, on 31 Jan 1890 in Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland.[7] They had at least one child: William Bonnington Simpson.
3. WILLIAM JAMES BONNINGTON (1871-1945) married ROBINA WAIT, daughter of John Scott Waite and Agnes Dickie, on 12 Aug 1898 in Sproutston, Greenhead, Edinburgh, Scotland.[8] They had at least three children: Agnes, Douglas, and Robert.
4. PETER BONNINGTON (1873->1939) married CHRISTINA LAW, daughter of David Law and Isabella Garvies, on 2 Dec 1914 in Morningside, Edinburgh, Scotland. They had at least one child: R.G. Bonnington.
5. ALEXANDER BONNINGTON (1875-1964) married twice, first to CHRISTINA PEACE on 27 Jan 1899 in Loanhead, Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland, and second to MARTHA (___) about 1924 in West Virginia.[9]
6. ROBERT BONNINGTON (1878-1879)
7. ROBERT BONNINGTON (1881-1939) married JESSIE HUNTER CRAWFORD ALEXANDER, daughter of James Alexander and Jessie Blackwood, on 8 Jun 1910 at the Carlton Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland.
8. CRAIG BONNINGTON (1885-ca 1959) married ISABELLA MASON KINGHORN, daughter of John Kinghorn and Annie Sharp?, on 11 Mar 1909 in Portobello, Midlothian, Scotland.

Footnotes:

1. Peter Bonnington, death certificate no. 158 (1891), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland; extracted 12 Aug 2002, extract no. 75198; William Bonnington, death certificate (1885); There is some debate about the surname of William’s first wife. Peter reported it as Fairborn on his father’s death certificate. However, it is listed as Purvis on Peter’s marriage record in 1864.
2. Peter Bonnington, death certificate.
3. Eliza Craig Bonnington, birth certificate no. 81 (1866), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland; extracted 28 Aug 2001, extract no. 236828. 17 Jun 1864 in Colinton.
4. Peter Bonnington and Elizabeth Buchanan, marriage record no. 14 (1864), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland; extraction no. 59479, extracted 6 Sep 2001.
5. Eliza Craig Bonnington, birth certificate no. 81 (1866), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland; extracted 28 Aug 2001, extract no. 236828.
6. Eliza Craig Bonnington, birth certificate no. 81 (1866), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland; extracted 28 Aug 2001, extract no. 236828. born 2 Oct 1866 at 2:45 a.m. in Colinton.
7. David Simpson and Margaret Bonnington, marriage record (1890), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland, extract number 70399, extracted 12 Aug 2002.
8. William James Bonnington and Robina Wait, marriage record (1898), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland, extract number 70401, extracted 12 Aug 2002).
9. Alexander Bonnington and Christina Peace, marriage record (1899), General Records Office, New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland, extract number 70400, extracted 12 Aug 2002; Alexander Bonnington household, 1920 US census, South Charlestown, Kanawha county, West Virginia, Enumeration district [ED] 123, Page 190, Sheet 17B, Line 94; National Archives micropublication T625, roll 1958.

Christian L. Hoover was born sometime between 1820 and 1826 in Pennsylvania.¹ His son, Simon’s death certificate is more specific.² It states the Christian was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.³ It is possible that Christian was the son of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover of Plumcreek township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. Christian died in Covington township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania on 1 Oct 1887; he was 67. ⁴ According to family sources he was probably buried in probably Oak Hill or Old Oak Hill (also known as Bridgen’s) cemetery, Karthaus township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania.

Sometime around 1852-1854 Christian first married Caroline Kinnard, daughter of Thomas Kinnard (ca 1798 — bef 4 May 1857) and Maria Fisher (ca 1808 — bef 14 Sep 1865), probably in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. Caroline was born in 1830-1831 in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.⁵ She died in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania on 11 Jul 1883; she was 53. ⁶ Family information provides multiple burial locations for Caroline. According to one source, she was buried on the Hoover farm, Covington township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania because the weather was so bad at the time of her death that the family could not get her to the cemetery. Another family source states the Caroline was buried with Christian in either the Oak Hill or Old Oak Hill cemetery.

Christian and Caroline had the following children:

1. Reuben Hart Hoover (1853-1900)
2. Samuel Thomas Hoover (1857-1930)
3. Simon Edward Hoover (1864-1933)
4. George I./J. Hoover (1865-1930)

I have had some difficulty in documenting this couple. Census information on this couple is limited. According to the census for Jefferson county, Pennsylvania in 1860, Caroline, Reuben and Samuel were living with a “Catherine” Hoover in Henderson county.⁷ To date, this is the only census information I’ve been able to find on either Christian or Caroline after their marriage.

It is, however, consistent with other research that places the family in Jefferson county in the late 1850s and 1860s. Both Simon (born 1864)⁸ and George (born 1865⁹, the younger sons of Christian and Caroline, indicate in official records that they were born in Jefferson county. Legal documents from the Kinnard family also place the family in Jefferson county. According to a “Petition of Benjamin F. Kinnard for Partition of the Estate of Thomas Kinnard deceased,” Thomas and Mary had seven children who were still living at the time of his death in 1858, including “Caroline, married to Christopher Hoover (in Jefferson county).” This document connects our Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover to the daughter of Thomas and Maria (Fisher) Kinnard of Armstrong county.

Additional information seems to place the couple in Jefferson even earlier. A Christian Hoover was drafted in Dec 1864 from Gaskill township in Jefferson county.¹⁰ Gaskill township is the next township over from Henderson township. Additionally a Christian Hoover was elected as a school director in Henderson township in 1857.¹¹ And according to tax records a Christ Hoover was included in the 1858 taxables list also for Henderson township.¹² If this proves to be our Christian Hoover, then it is likely that Samuel and possibly Reuben were also born in Jefferson county.

So, when and why did the family leave Jefferson county? What made them come to Clearfield county? When did they come to Jefferson county?

After Caroline’s death in 1883, Christian married for a second time in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. His second wife was Mary A. Conaway. She was born in Mar 1863 in Pennsylvania.¹³ Mary died sometime after the 1940 census.

Christian and Mary had one child:

5. Eva Edith Hoover (1887-1967)

After Christian’s death in 1887, Mary sold her rights to the family farm to her step-son, Samuel Hoover. She apparently moved to Jefferson county and remarried as she was listed on the census for Falls Creek Borough, Washington township, Jefferson county, Pennsylvania in 1900 with her new family. According to the 1900 census, Mary had 8 children with Daniel Fry, her new husband, by 1900—though only three of those children—Johny, Lottie, and Lizzie—were still living by that year. ¹⁴ By 1920, Mary’s second husband, Daniel, was dead. Mary had a business on Main street—a general store—which she shared with her partner, Albert B. Tudor.¹⁵