{"id":4610,"date":"2023-01-13T11:58:40","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T11:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cromarville.wordpress.com\/?p=4610"},"modified":"2023-05-12T17:52:19","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T21:52:19","slug":"bonars-in-the-1696-poll-book-a-deeper-understanding-of-janets-origins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/williamcromar.com\/cromarbaile\/2023\/01\/13\/bonars-in-the-1696-poll-book-a-deeper-understanding-of-janets-origins\/","title":{"rendered":"Bonars in the 1696 Poll Book: a deeper understanding of Janet’s origins?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I received an interesting message from Jessica McDonald in Canada a couple of weeks ago, detailing an analysis she and her mother Wendy Cromar Mathers had performed on the List of Pollable Persons Within the Shire of Aberdeen 1696<\/strong>, presented in Volume 1<\/a> and Volume 2<\/a>. This important record is available free of charge at Google Books as a set of downloadable PDF documents, and the second volume is also at the Internet Archive.<\/a> While the original purpose for the record \u2014 to list the population subject to an unpopular poll tax<\/a> \u2014 was as dry as day-old toast, the data collected therein is a rich tapestry of interest to historians, social scientists, and, of course, genealogical researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One Alexander Bonner (variant of Bonar or Bonnar, as the casual orthography of of the day renders this surname), listed at the very top of this page in the List of Pollable Persons Within the Shire of Aberdeen 1696, Volume Second<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rethinking Janet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’m embarrassed to admit now that I have been long aware of the record, but somehow failed to effectively utilize it as a resource of note. Given the year of its creation, you’d think I would have pounced on this primary source like a lion. To their credit and my undying admiration, my Canadian cousins have done so, and the research they shared with me was intriguing enough to reopen the case of Janet Bonar, the documented wife of Peter Cromar 1690 and my sixth great-grandmother. Readers of this journal remember the hypothesis I developed, based strictly on circumstantial evidence, that she may have had origins in Kildrummy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I share their findings, I thought it interesting to note that the etymology of the surname Bonar reveals variants such as Bonner, Bonnar, Boner, and so on. This is helpful when reading the Poll Book, because orthography was not a settled affair at the time. The spellings of names and words vary greatly, even on the same folio page in the record!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Etymology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I also thought it personally interesting that Bonar has origins as a name referencing the occupation of midwifery, as my wife is herself a midwife by profession. So, as we did with the name Cromar, and without further ado, we learn the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BONAR Scottish: variant of Bonner . Irish (Donegal): Scottish name adopted as a translation of Gaelic \u00d3 Cn\u00e1imhsighe<\/strong> \u2018descendant of Cn\u00e1imhseach<\/em>\u2019 a byname meaning \u2018midwife\u2019. This word seems to be a derivative of cn\u00e1mh<\/em> \u2018bone\u2019 (with the feminine ending -seach<\/em>) but if so the reason for this is not clear. Polish: from German Bohner<\/strong> or Boner \u2018bean grower\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BONNER English: from Middle English boner(e) bonour<\/em> \u2018gentle courteous\u2019 (Old French bonnaire<\/em> shortened from debonnaire<\/em>). This surname is also common in Ireland where it was adopted for \u00d3 Cn\u00e1imhsighe<\/strong> see Bonar<\/a> Welsh: Anglicized form of Welsh ap Ynyr<\/em> \u2018son of Ynyr<\/em>\u2019 a common medieval personal name derived from Latin Honorius<\/em> with fused patronymic marker (a)p<\/em> normally voiced before a vowel. German (also B\u00f6nner<\/strong>): from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Bonhard<\/em> formed with the element bon<\/em> \u2018request petition\u2019 (compare Latin bonus<\/em>). This surname is also found in Sweden. German: habitational name for someone from Bonn on the Rhine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BONNAR Scottish and northern Irish (Donegal): variant of Bonner .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BONER Scottish English Welsh and Irish (Donegal): variant of Bonner or Bonar<\/a> . German: occupational name for a grower of beans from Middle High German b\u014dne<\/em> \u2018bean\u2019 + the agent suffix -er<\/em>. Compare Bohner<\/a> . Swedish (Bon\u00e9r<\/strong>): ornamental name from bo<\/em> \u2018farm dwelling\u2019 + the suffix -n\u00e9r<\/em>.<\/p>\nPatrick Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition<\/a><\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Bonar and variants in the Poll Book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Armed with the orthographic variations in the etymology, Jessica and Wendy have discovered the following in both editions of the Poll Book:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poll Book Entries, Volume 1<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Page<\/td>Location<\/td>Name<\/td>Notes<\/td><\/tr>
408<\/td>Muire, Alford<\/td>Boner, Alexander<\/td>Tenant, and Jean Tough, his wife<\/td><\/tr>
439<\/td>Ley, Cushney<\/td>Bonner, Alexander<\/td>Tenant and wife<\/td><\/tr>
450<\/td>Walkmilne, Forbes<\/td>Bonner, James<\/td>Tenant<\/td><\/tr>
452<\/td>Scotsmilne, Forbes<\/td>Bonner, Adam<\/td>Cottar, no trade, and his wife, Margaret Cruikshank<\/td><\/tr>
460,
461<\/td>		Newtoune, Keige<\/td>Bonner, William<\/td>and his wife, Christian Leslie<\/td><\/tr>
476,
478<\/td>		Bulquharne, Tillinessell<\/td>Bonnar, George<\/td>Tenant, widow (assume widower?), children Alexander
and Marjorie<\/td><\/tr>
480<\/td>Fulford, Tillinessell<\/td>Bonnar, William<\/td>Grassman, and wife Jannet Patton<\/td><\/tr>
502<\/td>Mackerhaugh, Kildrumey<\/td>Bonner, Elspet<\/td>Wife of James Couper, Cottar<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Poll Book Entries, Volume 2<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Page<\/td>Location<\/td>Name<\/td>Notes<\/td><\/tr>
132<\/td>Wastertoun of
Auchleuchries, Cruden<\/td>		Bonner, Alexander<\/td>Subtenant and tailor, and his wife, Marjorie Craik<\/td><\/tr>
241<\/td>Watertown, Ellon<\/td>Bonner, James<\/td>Subtenant<\/td><\/tr>
254<\/td>Ardlethen, Ellon<\/td>Bonner, Elizabeth<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
254<\/td>Ardlethen, Ellon<\/td>Boner, Issobell<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
258<\/td>Turnerhalls, Ellon<\/td>Boner, John<\/td>Tenant<\/td><\/tr>
548<\/td>Broombray, Newmachar<\/td>Bonner, James<\/td>and his wife and daughters<\/td><\/tr>
630<\/td>Toune and Freedom
of Aberdeen<\/td>		Bonner, Jean<\/td>Servant to Alexander Strachans<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a list it’s useful, but I’m a visual person and I always think patterns reveal themselves with more clarity on a map. So with the assistance of historical maps at Genuki<\/a><\/strong> and the National Library of Scotland<\/a><\/strong>, I was able to recover place names that have been obscured by time and provide an accurate mapping of the data above:<\/p>\n\n\n\n