Wilhelm "William" Bonnett^{[1, 2]}

Abt 1734 - Abt 1800  (66 years)

• Name	Wilhelm "William" Bonnett
  Born	Abt 1734	Palentinate, Germany
  Gender	Male
  Died	Abt 1800	Orangeburg District, SC
  Person ID	I83	Jacob Bonnett Tree
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2021

  
  

  Family	unknown unknown wife of Wilhelm Bonnett
  Notes	https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/L6G8-5XV
  Children	+ 1. Jacob Bonnett,   b. 1783, SC ,   d. 11 Mar 1851, Lowndes County, AL  (Age 68 years) + 2. unknown Bonnett + 3. unknown Bonnett
  Histories		Bonnett Family History Descendants of Jacob Bonnett (b. 1783 - d. 1851) Covers Six Generation over the years 1783 to 1997 Compiled By William Bruce Bonnett
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2021
  Family ID	F27	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Documents

  United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783,22 Nov 1784; citing Military Service, South Carolina, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 103140762. Document citing Military Service, South Carolina, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 103140762.

  
  

  Census Records

  United States Census, 1790 Image of Orangeburgh County, AL 1790 Census. Page 420 William Bonnett shown as head of household 1 white mail over age 16 including head of household 4 white males under age 16 10 white females including head of household

  
  

• Notes

  WILHELM BONNETT William BONNETT(4) (5)(6) (7) was born about 1734/35 in probably Western Germany or Palatinate. He died about 1800 in probably Orangeburg District, South Carolina. William Bonnett first shows up in documents discovered pertaining to Loyalists in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. He is listed as private along with John Balizer in John Fisher's Regiment of Orangeburg Militia Henry Giesendanner's Company. This regisment was quite large, especially all being from Orangeburg. This would indicate that this district was predominately Loyal to the Crown of England during the Revolution. It is especially interesting that many of the men in this regiment were still in Orangeburg in the census of 1790, which would indicate that their properties were not seized nor were they exiled as were many other Loyalists. One of the other puzzlers discovered was the disparity between the Orangeburg militia which served in the Loyalist forces in 1781 and the Orangeburg militia under the command of David Giesendanner which was cited as part of the forces fighting the Tories in 1784. Some of the same persons are listed in both rosters. The latter is on the last page of the excerpts from the History of Orangeburg which I enclosed. Of course, it could have been that the Orangeburg militia under the command of John Fisher and Henry Giesendanner decided after the Battle of Ninety Six to join the rebels, thereby avoiding retribution. William Bonnett next shows up in documents in the 1790 census of Orangeburg District, South Carolina as the head of a family with four males under the age of 16 and ten females, including adults. No slaves. At least two of the males are probably Jacob and David. this would make it appear that he married after arriving in South Carolina in 1764, if in fact the following William Bonnett is the same person as in the census. Prior to 1880 records in Charleston reflect a Council there considered the fate of a number of "Dutch" immigrants ("Dutch" being what the Germans were called as they called themselves "Deutsch"). They were granted various amounts of land in South Carolina in what apparently was unsettled country, as a reference is made to having a hut constructed for them in which they could spend the winter. This entry in the Journal was in Journal No. 30, page 388 and lists "William Boneth" as being granted 100 acres. As the copy of the Journal was printed, it was probably copied from a handwritten entry, and the original could have been written "William Bonnett" In Journal No. 32, page 412, reference is made to the "poor German Protestants" recently arrived on the ship "Dragon", Captain Hammett". In the list of the persons in this group was a "Wm Bonnett", age 30. It may be of some significance to note that William Bonnett used an English abbreviation for his first name rather than the German spelling Wilhelm or the French spelling, Guillaume. All other persons on the both of these lists who were obviously of German origin, used the German spellings for their names. Of course it is possible that William Bonnett came through England or when on board an English ship adopted the English spelling for his name.

  
  

• Sources

  [S13] 1790 Census, Orangeburg, South Carolina. "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-NT9 : accessed 30 December 2021), William Bonnett, Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 420, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 11; FHL microfilm 568,151. [S14] United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783, "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7X9F-BT2M : 1 March 2021), William Bonnett, 22 Nov 1784; citing Military Service, South Carolina, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 103140762., 22 Nov 1784. No. 374 Book I Issued 22d Nov(r). 1784 to Mr. William Bonnett for Twenty seven pounds 11/10 sterling for 2150 lb Beef for the State Troops use acco(t) audited Principal 27..11..10 Interest ... 1..19..5