Ann Bonnar and James Good- New Brunswick, Canada

Ann Bonnar was the fourth child of James Bonnar and Margaret Chalmers. Ann Bonnar was born in 1838 in York, New Brunswick. Ann Bonnar married James Good. Ann and James Good were neighbors. Ann lived on lot #31 and James lived on lot #34 in Upper Durham. On the 1851 census, James Good is shown living with his wife Ann on lot #34. James is 27 years old and Ann is 23 years old. James Good was born in Ireland as were his parents Thomas and Ann Good. Thomas and Ann Good lived on lot #33. The Good Road runs along the western edge of lots #31, 33 and 34, even to present time.

Ann and James Good had six children: Isabell born in 1861, Maggie born in 1863, Annie born in 1865, Eliza born in 1866, Thomas Lankford born in 1867 and James E. born in 1870. It has been difficult finding information about all of the children of Ann Bonnar and James Good. James Good died in 1871, just shortly after his son James E. was born. Ann Bonnar Good remarried to John Clarke in 1871.

Ann and John Clarke had four children. The Clarke children were: George Clarke born in 1874, Johnnie Albert Clarke born in 1877, Charles Clarke born in 1879 and Cora May Clark born in 1882. So, all together Ann Bonnar Good Clarke had ten children.

On the 1881 census in York, New Brunswick, Ann and John Clarke are living with all ten children in the household. On the 1891 census, only Annie Clarke and her sons Albert age 15 and Charles age 12 are in the household. In 1901, Annie Clark, son Charles age 21 and Joseph Clarke are in the household in New Brunswick. Joseph Clarke was the brother of Ann's husband John. It appears that John Clarke died between 1881 and 1891. In 1910, Ann Good is living with her son James E. Good and his family in Malden, MA. In 1911, Annie Clark is living in New Brunswick with her son Charles and his wife Louise.

I didn't find information about Annie Good and Eliza Good related to marriage records or death records. They do appear on the 1881 census among the ten children of John and Ann Clarke. After sorting and searching, I believe that Isabell Good married Sewell Richardson 13 Oct 1886 in Fryburg, ME. Sewell Richardson was born 28 July 1857 and Isabell Good was born 1 May 1861. Isabell and Sewell had three children that I have been able to identify. Clarence Lewis Richardson was born 28 July 1889 in New Brunswick. Clarence married Eliza Cowperthwaite on 18 Sept 1912 in New Brunswick. Clarence died in 1977 and Eliza died in 1958. They are buried at St. Peters Anglican Cemetery in Durham, New Brunswick.
Byron Sewell Richardson was born in 1897. Byron married Thelma Delong on 6 June 1926 in York New Brunswick. The third child of Isabell and Sewell Richardson was Dorothea Isabell Richardson. Dorothea was born 6 Sept 1899 in Marysville, New Brunswick.

Thomas Lankford Good was born 7 Feb 1867. He married Charlotte May McKenzie on 19 Oct 1900. Charlotte McKenzie was born 2 March 1879. Thomas Lankford Good signed the Delayed Birth Certificate of Cora May Clarke 30 June 1945. He was attesting to her birth date and that she was his step sister and knew her correct birth date. Also on Cora May's birth certificate, her father John Clarke's occupation was noted to be a tanner. Thomas Lankford Good died 9 Jan 1949 in New Brunswick.

Margaret Jane (Maggie) Good married Henry McSorley on 10 Aug 1914. Henry was a widower. Henry died in 1930. There is no other information I could find about Margaret Jane except an unverifiable death date. There were two Margaret McSorley death records on file with the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. One indicated that Margaret died in 1921 and the other showed her death as 1924.

James E. Good was born in 1870 in New Brunswick. He married Mabel Murry on 21 June 1894 in New Brunswick. James and Mabel had three children, Leroy born in 1896, Florence L. born in 1898 and Percy born in 1904. Mabel Good died before 1910 and James E. Good married Celeste E. Atkinson. Celeste was born 20 Oct 1889 in Nova Scotia. James and Celeste had one daughter, Marion Good.


There are census records on file for the James E. Good family. In 1900, James and Mabel were living in Malden, MA with their children Leroy C. and Florence. In 1910, Mabel is not on the census. James is living in Malden MA with his children Roy C., Florence and Percy. His mother Ann Good, age 60, is living with them. James married Celeste Atkinson around 1912. On the 1920 census in Malden, MA, James does not appear. His wife Celeste Good is living with his children Florence and Percy, their daughter Marion and a sister and cousin of Celeste's.

In 1930, Celeste Good is living with Florence, her step daughter, and Marion her daughter in Malden, MA. I haven't yet tracked census records for Leroy Good and I found an interesting one for Percy Good. In 1930, Percy Good, age 26 and born in 1904 in MA, is listed as a patient at the Danvers State Hospital.


It appears that Mabel Good died before 1910 and James Good died between 1910 and 1920. Celeste Good died 2 May 1962 in Malden, MA. Florence L. Good, who never married, died in Jan. 1993 in Barnstead, NH. Florence was 95 years old. Marion Good Henderson died 27 Sept 2010. Marion was 98 years old. Marion had married Elliot Henderson who died in 1986 in NH. I have found no death records for Leroy or Percy Good.

Among the Clarke children, Cora May Clarke who was born in 1882 married Mr. Dorian. She was widowed and later married Henry Lehr on 25 June 1930. Henry was 62 and Cora May was 39. There are two versions of her marriage certificate, on one she is Cora Dorian and on the other she is Cora Clarke. On both certificates, her parents are John Clarke and Ann Bonnar.

Charles Clarke married Louise. They are seen on the 1911 New Brunswick census with his mother Annie Clarke living with them.

I found a marriage certificate for George Clark and Floella Murdock on 5 June 1905 in York, New Brunswick. I was able to track them through the 1930 census in Maine. George and Flora had 12 children. Because the birthdate for this George was different by about six years, I am still trying to determine if this was George Clarke, the son of John Clarke and Ann Bonnar. Several things make me think it is. One is that on the 1910 census in Kennebec, ME, George and his wife and three children are listed. Also listed is George's father John Clarke, age 71. This John Clarke indicates he was married, but no wife is listed. Another issue is that George Clarke named his first son Percy and his step brother James E. Good named a son Percy. For now, I will not atttribute this George Clarke family to John Clarke and Ann Bonnar. I will keep searching.

I found no records for Johnnie or Albert Clarke that seemed to match for this family. I feel like I am leaving several things a bit vague for the children of John Clarke and Ann Bonnar. Just don't know where else to look right now. I welcome all suggestions and clues.