At one time our Bunnell ancestors lived in Scotch Plains, NJ. My great-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandfather, Nathanial Bonnell (1640 - 1711) was born in New Haven, CT. Nathanial married Susannah Whitehead in New Haven and their first child, Samuel was born their in 1667. The following year the couple and their child relocated to Elizabethtown, New Jersey, (known today as Elizabeth, NJ) where their second child, Isaac was born in 1668. Nathanial and Sussanah's grandson, James Bonnell and his wife Sarah (Broadwell) Bonnell relocated from Elizabethtown, NJ to Scotch Plains - both of which are located in Union County. It was there that my great-g-g-g-g grandfather, Daniel was born in 1751. Daniel, a Revolutionary War soldier left New Jersey for Ohio in 1798, but was murdered by highwaymen in Ohio when returning for his family.
Daniel and Mary were married at the Scotch Plains Baptist Church on June 20, 1779. 
The church was organized in 1747. They were not the only Bunnells that attended this church for still today inthe Churchyard are severay Bonnel / Bunnell graves. Many of the early gravestones were constructed of brownstone, thus are in poor condition. Early stones are in the state of disintegration and many have been broken. Many are unreadable. Some merely lists the name of the person buried in that place with no dates to give a clue to the period of time that a person walked the earth. Some have completely disappeared from the graveyard, and knowledge of the ones buried have been erased forever. Some inscriptions were read in 1922 and again in 1952 by members of the Genealogical Society of NJ
The church was organized in 1747. They were not the only Bunnells that attended this church for still today inthe Churchyard are severay Bonnel / Bunnell graves. Many of the early gravestones were constructed of brownstone, thus are in poor condition. Early stones are in the state of disintegration and many have been broken. Many are unreadable. Some merely lists the name of the person buried in that place with no dates to give a clue to the period of time that a person walked the earth. Some have completely disappeared from the graveyard, and knowledge of the ones buried have been erased forever. Some inscriptions were read in 1922 and again in 1952 by members of the Genealogical Society of NJ
This is the stone of Jane Bonnel - wfie of Abraham; b. 1736 d. 5 July 1810. Abraham is the older brother of Daniel. Jane's maiden name is believed to be Jenkins by several researchers. Her parents were Roderick and Mary (Pack) Jenkins.
These stones mark the graves of Nathanial Sarah Bonnel. They were children of Abraham and Jane Bonnel an dboth died Nov 3, 1776. Nathamial was 10 and Sarah was 4. I am not sure of the cause of death.
This stone is Sarah (Broadwell) Bonnel - my g-g-g-g-g-g-grandmother, mother to Daniel and wife of James. She was born in 1715 and died in 1791.
The original church no longer stands, but was rebuilt in the early 1800s 
and still has services today.
2 comments:
I know this is an old post, but I just ran across it while searching for the Bonnell family. Nathanial Bonnell was also my great(etc.) grandfather. :-)
Christina
Was looking on the internet for some photos of anything related to the old Bunnell/Bonnells and found your site. Nathaniel was also my (gggggg)grandfather. My family is descended from his son Samuel (1675), then his son Benjamin (1723), son David (1762), son Henry (1796), Son Henry (1826), son Samuel Donaldson (1861), son Cecil (1889), and son of Harold (1912). Any more photos or info?
Cathy Bonnell Bauer
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