Look here for:
1 - Monthly updates of what changes have been made to the database.
2 - Requests for help to find certain information.
2 Dec 2002:
In April 2002 I subscribed to ANCESTRY.COM and downloaded all the BIRTH, MARRIAGE, DEATH records of BONNELL, BUNNELL, BURNELL and the various phonetic spellings of the names. There were over 2300 BUNNELL records and 1700 BONNELL records. To date, all the BUNNELL records have been added to the database and about half of the BONNELL records.
I have had a number of responses from visitors to the web site and am thankful for their comments, corrections and additions. I want to encourage visitors to send in their corrections and additions.
22 Dec 2002:
We have a major breakthrough. We have to thank William Austin for determining the connection of 290008 Benjamin to 280017 Samuel Bonnell. As a result of the connection, 1405 descendents in the database were assigned new generation numbers.
Subsequently it has been learned that the DNA of a descendent ot 290008 Benjamin does not match that of 280017 Samuel. Accordingly 290008 Benjamin has been disconnected from 280017 Samuel.
February 2013:
We had a descendant of David , one of Benjamin’s, 290008, sons, participate in the DNA program and it showed that he is a descendant of William. We now believe that Benjamin, 290008, is the son of Samuel, 280017, but that Benjamin the Loyalist (300054) is likely not the son of Benjamin 290008. This re-connects the sons of Benjamin, 290008 to the immigrant William. Our source for their relationship is known as Richard Brotherton's letter. He knew the family and had written a letter about the sons of Benjamin, 290008. It provided enough information on the other brothers, Jacob, Aaron, Nathaniel, Simeon and David, for Mr. Austin to be fairly sure of their identity. But Brotherton knew nothing about son Benjamin beyond the fact that he had existed, and he assumed a probable early death. William Austin had matched him up with the various references to the Loyalist Benjamin. This now seems incorrect, unless, of course, the disconnect occurs in a later generation of the Loyalist Benjamin line. That is not apparent in the genealogical record as we know it.
I have separated Benjamin the Loyalist from Benjamin 290008, but there has been so much written about him, using the 300054 number that his entry is retaining that number. Benjamin, son of 290008, is now 300200
I want to encourage everyone to help connect those records that do not have a parent listed. We still have over 20,000 records that are not connected to the main tree. The proven descendents of 260001 William now number 11,847.