The James Family Tree — Ancestors & Descendents

Page 2

The documentation and records I have show our Bonebrake family was first found in Wispillen, near Saanen, Bern Canton, Switzerland, about the year, 1510. Our grand patriarch, Hans Beinbrech Sr (1510-1565) was in the first records I have. Daniel Beinbrech (1721-1789) was the first Beinbrech from our tree to reach the new English Colonies. His son, I have no record indicating when Dewalt Beinbrech/Bonebrake, changed the name to Bonebrake, but it happened prior to his first son’s birth in 1783. Adam Bonebrake, son of Dewalt Beinbrech/Bonebrake, was the first Bonebrake in our family tree.

Another son of Daniel Beinbrech, Daniel Beinbrech/Bonbright, also changed the name Beinbrech to Bonbright. Bonebrake is the English translation for Beinbrech. I have no documentation as to why Daniel Bonbright, changed the name to Bonbright. You will also notice the confusion in names. There’s Daniel Beinbrech, the father and Daniel Beinbrech, the son.

This Bonebrake-Beinbrech lineage of our ancestors is well documented by other sources including newfound cousins and books. Once this new line was opened, my genealogical data was expanded exponentially.

I have had quite a bit of luck tracing our Bonebrake-Beinbrech ancestors back to 1500 Europe. I didn’t have the same luck with our family ancestors on the Mason side. So far, I can only track our Mason’s back to 1810, Preble County, Ohio. I have a Philip (or maybe a David) Mason and a Ruth Clayton as a possible ggggrandfather and ggggrandmother, but I don’t have much factual proof that this is true. The only documents I do have on Philip/David and Ruth are e-mails from people responding to my inquiries on the various genealogical message boards. I do know that Joshua R. Mason was our gggrandfather on our mother’s side. I not only have the census records of Joshua Mason and family, but also numerous land and bill of sale documents that I have received from other members of the Mason-Bonebrake line. Unfortunately, their data on the Masons is as skimpy as mine and also stops around 1810 (does this reinforce the parachute theory?). Our Bonebrake-Beinbrech-Mason ancestors seemed to have traveled in groups. You found them in Preble County, OH; in Harlan County, NE; in Marion County, IA and in Pennsylvania.

There were also several letters and personal documents, but no other information on Josephus’s family. I now have land grants, pension documents, census documents and letters written to Ann Bonebrake Mason from Cynthia Ann Trim, all pointing to our great great grandfather, Joshua Mason, husband to Elizabeth Bonebrake. Josephus Mason, his son and our great grandfather, was husband to Cynthia Ann Trim. I have no idea where Elizabeth Ann Bonebrake came from unless it is a combination of Elizabeth Bonebrake and Cynthia Ann Trim.

You may notice that I’ll list, for example, five siblings from Generation 1, but only one of those siblings is listed in Generation 2. That is because I have information on only one sibling. If you are interested in viewing the full family tree visit my tree (cjames_2011-12-27) on Ancestry.com.

Also you’ll find some names with a single "*" (those born in Europe) and some with a double "**" (those born in the United States). These (*) indicate a direct line to my family tree. Have fun!!!