The Dunfee Family :: Mary Bonnett Lovett

This is the third installment in the series started in December 2011 on the presumed children of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee. Additional information on the Dunfee family can be found in Dunfee Family :: Index to Posts.

A biography of Mary's son Franklin E. Lovett, published in 1889 in the “Commemorative Biographical Record of Wayne and Holmes Counties, Ohio" (pages 641-642) states that Mary (Dunnfee) Lovett came to Ohio with her parents. “James Dunnfee was born in North Carolina in 1786, and died at the age of seventy-six years; his parents came from Ireland. Sophia (Hazelett) Dunnfee was born in Pennsylvania, her parents having been driven from Scotland during the religious persecutions.” Census records for James Dunfee indicate that he was actually born in Pennsylvania.

Mary Dunfee was born March 19, 1816 in Adams County, Pennsylvania. She was first married to Isaac Bonnet on March 25, 1836 in Wayne County, Ohio. He died on February 2, 1846. Two years after Isaac's death, on March 28, 1850, she was married to James Hanson Lovett in Holmes County, Ohio.

Census records from 1850 through 1880 show Mary Lovett residing in Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio. In 1850 (page 287) she is listed with her second husband, James Lovett, and her five children from her first marriage. They are listed on the same page as her parents, James and Sophia, as well as the household of a brother, Jonathan.

From the above mentioned biography of Franklin E. Lovett we learn that James Hanson Lovett “was born September 7, 1823, and when seventeen years of age began teaching, an occupation he followed several years during the winter months, being engaged in the summers in farming.”

The “History of North Central Ohio : Embracing Richland, Ashland, Wayne, Medina, Lorain, Huron and Knox Counties” (v3 pg 1173-1174) published in 1931, contains a biography of Charles M. Lovett, son of James and Mary. It states that James Hanson Lovett was a native of Ohio, that he died at the age of 44, and is buried at Millersburg, Ohio.

Page 216 of the 1860 census for Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio (post office Nashill) shows what could be considered a somewhat confusing family dynamic.

Twenty year old George Bonett is listed as the head of household in dwelling 1482, family 1504. With him are 15 year old Henry Bonett, 10 year old Charles Lovett, 8 year old Eva R. Lovett, and 5 year old Franklin Lovett. All were born in Ohio. George and Henry are farm hands.

In the next dwelling (1483, family 1505) we find Mary Lovett as head of household. She is a 42 year old widow with real estate valued at $4,000 and a personal estate valued at $700. Mary was listed as born in Pennsylvania. Listed with her were 24 year old Rebecca, a seamstress; 22 year old Isaac, a farmer and three children with the Ship surname: Susan M, age 13; John H., age 11, and William H., age 9. All except Mary were born in Ohio.

It is possible that there may have been two dwellings on the Lovett farm and perhaps the Ship children were visiting at the time. They were neighbors of Mary Lovett. In 1850 (page 288) The David Shipp family included a one year old male named John and a three year old female named Malcom in the along with seven other individuals. In 1860 the David Ship family is on page 215 (dwelling 1481, family 1503). In 1877, Mary's daughter Alveretta Jo Lovett would be married to William H. Shipp.

Mary Dunfee Bonnett Lovett died on March 25, 1900 at the age of 84. Census records through 1880 show her residing in Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio. Mary is buried next to her first husband, Isaac Bonnett, in the Pioneer/Old Sixteen Cemetery in Lake Township, Ashland County, Ohio. Mary was the mother of eight children, five with Isaac Bonnett and three with James Lovett.

To be continued... see The Dunfee Family :: Children of Mary Bonnett Lovett

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Becky Wiseman, "The Dunfee Family :: Mary Bonnett Lovett," Kinexxions, posted March 30, 2012 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2012/03/dunfee-family-mary-bonnett-lovett.html : accessed [access date])