HENRY BONE

My cousin in Wheeling, and myself in England, have been researching the BONE family some of whom settled in Mt Pleasant in the 1840s.  I live where 2 brothers and sister went from to MT PLEASANT, and Jerry lives near where they settled!

I am attaching a shortened version of Henry whose line died out, and you will note a lot of references to Mt Pleasant and Highland cemetery.

Henry had a sister Sarah (Sally) and her husband John PYLE died in 1848 just after the family arrived from England.  She was left with a young family to bring up and other BONE/PYLE relatives are also in Highland Cemetery.

 

Submitted by chapter member Gillian M. Peskett
Hampshire, England
geempee@ntlworld.com
November 2009

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Modified Register for Benjamin Bone (USA)

Modified Register for Sally Bone (USA)

Modified Register for Henry Bone

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I had never been to America, and had no idea I had cousins there, but for a couple of years had been researching family and eventually plucked up the courage to contact Jerry in Wheeling through Ancestry.com.  Our first meeting in 2008 confirmed that our family trees matched, and that is useful as we can research on both sides of the Atlantic. We both have documentary evidence.  I have remnants of diary written by a shared forbear here and Jerry a little book “The 5 Family History” which we have checked out, and I have been able to confirm or correct information regarding some of my own family.  I was also delighted when I looked at the book to see a photograph of my grandmother’s sister, and also my great Grandfather John BONE as a young man. 

This is a quick summary of two brothers and a sister who were born in England and settled around the Ohio River.

On the 27th October 1814 Benjamin BONE was born at Hayling Island, Hampshire, England.  He was one of 9 children.  Benjamin decided as a young man to travel to America.  According to family history in America he was only 15 and probably arrived on the ship Cambria.  We know for certain that Benjamin eventually settled at Mount Pleasant, Ohio and by 1850 he is living there, along with a brother Henry, a sister Sally and her husband John Pile (PYLE).  They did not travel together and their stories are different.

Benjamin married Leonora EVANS and they had a large family – Sarah A, Hannah L, Josephine, Robert Wood, Pinkney Lewis, Benjamin Franklin, Alfred Evans, Leanora, Belle, William H, and Mary E.  Family stories say that Benjamin made shoes for Hon J T Updegraff, Congressman.  Well he could have done, the Updegraffs did live in Mount Pleasant.  After Leonora’s death in 1862, Benjamin married Margaret Jane DAVIS.  Between us, we have traced many of the descendents of this family. How useful I find the Ohio and West Virginia records as they are being scanned and freely available on IGI.  The death certificates in particular, often give me a lead or confirm the name of a mother.

Henry was an older brother of Benjamin, and whilst Benjamin and Sally have descendents that can be traced, Henry’s line dies out very quickly.  That said, what a joy it was to visit Highland Cemetery and to find a line of gravestones with nearly all of his family buried together, and whilst you may not be able to decipher one or two of the stones next to Jenny B LYLE, we certainly know who they are!  Henry married Lena Ann YOST.  Tracing his family through census records has not been easy, because the women seem to have been shown under a variety of names but we think we have the right information now.  The children of Henry and Lena were Sarah R, Mary Ann, Hanna Louella Elvira (Ella), Olvira, Elizabeth Jennie (Jennie) and John H (Johnnie).  Sarah R married Francis Marion YOST.  Family stories indicate that Johnnie died by violence as a young man.  According to his gravestone he was probably about 20.

Now the other person who settled in Mount Pleasant was Sally BONE. Her married name was PYLE, and with her was husband John, daughter Elizabeth, Fanny Charlotte, Sarah Ann (all born England) and Joseph Amos (born USA just after arrival in 1847).  John and Sally had two children die prior to leaving England Mary born 1833 died in 1835, and Henry born 1844 died 1845. 

Imagine Sally.  She travelled to America in a wooden ship.  She travelled via the canals (according to a daughter who remembered it) to settle in Mount Pleasant.  What a shock to loose her husband almost immediately after giving birth and to have to bring up 5 children on her own in a strange environment.  What an adventurer she must have been though.  Before the end of the Civil War, as soon as her children were off her hands, she set off as a companion to a sick lady.  Her destination was California where she settled for the rest of her life.  She married her second husband George BRAMALL in about 1864. 

There are so many interesting facts about these 3 siblings.  Far too many to relate here.  However, a search on Google turned up a wonderful photograph of family together with some really interesting information.  It also provided confirmation through transcripts of historical books such as the "History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890 and “History of West Virginia Old & New”.  These historic books mention three of the BONE family, who were well known in the area during that era.  How proud am I that at 3 family members have been written about in your local history books.  We have documentary evidence written by Louella BONE who lived in the PINKNEY BONE STORE at Mt Pleasant about some of Pinkney’s Civil War experiences.

I would just love to know more about Sally.  How did she travel to California?  Did she marry George Bramall because she knew him in Ohio?  Was the sick lady his mother?  We do know that her daughter Fanny had already settled in California.  We also know that Sally was a prolific letter writer.  Documentary evidence in California 1899 tells that she was still writing to England and a list of English addresses meant I was able to confirm some of the people she was writing to including ‘dear cousins in Isle of Wight and Gosport’(Hampshire) and children of her siblings living in England. 

If you are up at Highland cemetery just across from the Meeting House by a pathway is a family plot with a large headstone JENNY B LYLE, next to it Henry BONE with his wife Lena.  There is son Johnnie BONE, daughters Mary BONE, Ella LYTLE and husband J M LYTLE, Sarah and her husband Francis YOST. There are also other Bones throughout the graveyard, and though I photographed the ones we found they are quite hard to transcribe, but one of you may be able to when you are putting together names from the very old headstones.  Question, does the Meeting House and the Church still have all the old lists of names?  There are so many unanswered questions about family births marriages and deaths in the Mount Pleasant area.

Keep up the work in the Chapter and greetings from a friend in the UK who needs your research on line. How I wish I could get stuck in to the cemetery and also the records with you.

Gillian Peskett
geempee@ntlworld.com

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Taken from  "Five Family History" of the Bone, Pyle, Ashton, Bailey and Kiger Families by John Herbert Kiger.

BENJAMIN BONE b Oct 28, 1814, d Dec 1, 1877
Benjamin came from Hayling Island to Mt Pleasant, O., c, 1830, with his brother Henry.  He set up a shop as shoemaker.  One day the Hon. J. T. Updegraff, Congressman from Ohio, came to him to get a pair of fine boots made to wear to England.  Ben Bone told him about his old mother on Hayling Island and he promised to look her up.  As the Congressman approached Mrs Bone’s cottage, he heard her in her evening prayer praying for her “Benjie in America.”  When the prayer ended and he entered and told her he was from America, and her 2BEnjie” had made his boots, “the dear little old lady got down and kissed the boots.” (L.B.)

On April 7, 1835 Benjamin Bone married Leonara Evans, b. Sept 1814, d Jan 21, 1862. Later he married a widow, Mrs Davis, who had one daughter Margaret Davis.  In his advanced years he was known in Mt Pleasant as “Honest Ben.”  Benjamin and Leonora Bone had 6 daughters and 5 sons, all born in Mt Pleasant.

HENRY BONE b 1792m d 1782
(part of the description in 5 Family history)
...........As a young man he came to America and located at Mt Pleasant, Ohio. He had, earlier learned sailmaking and after migrating, became an awningmaker and part time Methodist preacher, living for some time in Martins Ferry.  Henry was much disturbed by the godlessness of a certain town (uncertain)   He secured the use of an abandoned church and announced at the corner store that he would start meetings there that night.  No one came. But he went through his meeting with singing, scripture and prayer without a congregation.  Next day he was taunted with the question, “How many were at your meeting?”  He answered “Four.”  Next night the same, followed by the same taunting question and his answer “Four were present”. The third night some young fellows, curious to see who were there, came, became interested, and that began a religious awakening resulting in organising a church. When asked later, who were the four present on the first two nights, he said “The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost,” besides himself (E.P.A.)

When Henry Bone was old he had become very deaf, but was faithful in church attendance  When he failed to hear something the minister said, he would call out in the middle of the sermon, “Brother, please sound that again.”........................

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SALLY PYLE born England 1809 lived in Mt Pleasant for years died California 1900

You may have read my similar article under B (BONE), but now I really want to find out more about Sally BONE (PYLE), and as the original article quickly turned up a ‘real’ cousin who by chance looked at the Jefferson Chapter site this is another long shot.

Some time in 1847 Sally Bone (married John PYLE in 1832 in Hampshire England) travelled to America with her three children.  I have no idea whether her husband John PYLE was already in Ohio, and to date cannot find the family on shipping lists!  What a journey in those days, with three children, Elizabeth, Fanny Charlotte and Sarah Ann and another either on the way or conceived as soon as she arrived!  Son Joseph Amos was born in 1847 just after arrival.  The family story about John Pyle is that he was a naval sailor who jumped ship in South America and then worked as a seaman between America New York, Philadelphia to London and Liverpool (always as an American).  In the winter he worked on river steam boats and often stayed in Charleston.

Just imagine Sally. She travelled to America in a wooden ship then via the canals (according to a daughter who remembered the journey) to settle in Mount Pleasant where her younger brother Benjamin and an older brother Henry already lived.  What a shock to lose her husband almost immediately after giving birth and to have to bring up 5 children on her own in a strange environment.  What an adventurer she must have been though.  Before the end of the Civil War, before the railroads linked east and west, as soon as her children were off her hands, she set off to California as a companion to a sick lady.  She married her second husband George BRAMALL in about 1864.

Already in the Mount Pleasant area was Benjamin BONE a brother and his large family.  In the same area was Henry the older brother of both Benjamin and Sally, and whilst his line died out, Benjamin and Sally’s family can still be traced today.

I long to know more about Sally.  How did she travel to California?  Did she marry George Bramall before she went?  Was the sick lady his mother?  Her daughter Fanny had already settled in California and travelled ‘across the isthmus’.  Sally was a prolific letter writer.  Documentary evidence in California 1899 tells that she was still writing to England and a list of addresses in an American family history book meant I was able to confirm some of the people she was writing to including ‘dear cousins in Isle of Wight and Gosport’(Hampshire) and children of her siblings living in England. 

There are many family members buried in Highland Cemetery and I guess it is likely that John PYLE is there, and may be someone reading this will have the answer for me.  If you are up at Highland cemetery just across from the Meeting House by a pathway is a family plot with a large headstone JENNY B LYTLE, next to it Henry BONE with his wife Lena.  There is son Johnnie BONE, daughters Mary BONE, Ella LYTLE and husband J M LYTLE, Sarah and her husband Francis YOST. Question, does the Meeting House and the Church still have all the old lists of names?  There are so many unanswered questions about family births marriages and deaths in the Mount Pleasant area.

How tough for the parents and siblings left behind in England to lose 3 children from a family, and memories of dead children and siblings – as was the story of life in those days.

Gillian Peskett
geempee@ntlworld.com