2nd Generation - John BONFIELD, Ironfounder of Crawley Foundry (c.1787-1867)
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John, the eldest child of John & Dinah BONFIELD, was born in Wambrook and baptised, 8 April 1787, in the adjoining parish of Whitestaunton.
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On the 16 April 1812, when aged about 25, he married Grace SPARKE, at Yarcombe church. Grace was the 6th daughter & 8th child of James & Anne SPARKE, and had been baptised 21 years earlier, in the same church, on 25 April 1791. The SPARKE'S were of an old Yarcombe family and were, at this time, stalwart Baptists, the services even being held in James & Anne's home, Hill house Farm. The services continued to be held there until the chapel was built, at Four Elms, in 1829. Anne was widowed six months after Grace's marriage and at some point moved to Chapel Cottage, Four Elms, where she was living in 1841, aged 84, with some of her other daughters. According to the Minute Book of the Baptist chapel Anne and her daughters had been allowed to live there for 30 years.
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It is not known where John & Grace lived directly after their marriage, although all of the children were baptised at Yarcombe, but according to the birth places later recorded for their children, it would seem that in the early 1820's the family were living somewhere in Membury (although consideration needs to be given as to actual location, for reasons previously mentioned concerning village layout). In March 1827 John bought the property Forge Farm (known mainly as Foundry Farm), in Crawley, then in the parish of Chardstock. The farm remained in family hands for the following 98 years, until it was sold after the death of his son, James, in 1925.
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Their family was, as follows:
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1. Mary, bapt. 20 June 1813, Yarcombe.
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2. John, bapt. 8 October 1815, Yarcombe.
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3. John, bapt. 23 June 1818, Yarcombe.
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4. Samuel, bapt. 31 March 1819, Yarcombe.
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5. William, bapt. 20 February 1822, Yarcombe.
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6. George, bapt. 24 October 1824, Yarcombe.
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7. Lucy, bapt. 21 May 1826, Yarcombe.
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8. James, bapt. 21 June 1829, Yarcombe.
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9. Robert, bapt. 25 December 1831, Yarcombe.
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10. Sarah, bapt. 28 March 1834, Yarcombe.
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11. Joan, bapt. 3 April 1836, Yarcombe.
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In 1831, when John would have been about 48 years old, he put himself forward for parliamentary election but, he was deemed not to be a freeholder and turned down. This decision is perplexing as, as said, only four years earlier he had bought Foundry Farm. Also, the following year, 1832, he was eligible to pay tithes on the property, "John Bonfield of Crawley Pit & Others" of £7 3s. 5d.
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The business that John operated at the foundry appears to have thrived and was involved in a variety of ventures. In the 1830's & 40's he was contracted, by the Chard Turnpike Trust, to build or repair a number of toll houses and bridges at various places including Tytherleigh, Snowdon and Burstock Cross. He also, for the Trust, put up milestones along the road west of Chard to the Devonshire Inn, a distance of some 8 miles, this was, at the time, part of the main route from Exeter to London.
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1838 March 12, Minutes
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Ordered that milestones be put up by John BONFIELD under the direction of the ?mileman between Chard ... and Devonshire Inn. The distance to be measured from ye western boundary of ye boro'.
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Ordered that Mr Jno BONFIELD be requested to prepare a plan and estimate for altering the Toll House at Snowdon by the next meeting.
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1838 February 27, Meeting
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Accounts due - J. BONFIELD'S bill £70.13.3d. account during year £18.6.3d.
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1838 July 17, Meeting
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Ordered that Mr. BONDFIELD'S bill for the directing posts ordered at a previous meeting 7 amounting to £13.0.6d be paid.
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1838 November 1, Meeting
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"bills exhibited" J. BONFIELD £18.16.3, £2.16.1 & 12/- (Total £22.4.4) Ordered to be paid 12 November 1838.
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1840 September 3, Meeting
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Resolved that a contract be entered into with John BONFIELD for the erection of such bridge and in building a toll house over the entrance from the turnpike road at Tytherleigh for £250 according to the estimates and specifications as produced.
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1841 May 31, Meeting
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Ordered that the clerk do contract with Mr John BONFIELD for erecting a new toll house at Tytherleigh for ye sum of £51.10.0d including a new gate, posts and bars according to the plan and specifications now produced.
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1842 August 3, Meeting
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Ordered that Mr John BONFIELD be paid £10 for work at Broad Mead near Tytherleigh Bridge as agreed on at a previous meeting. Ordered that Mr John BONFIELD be paid the sum of £50 the balance due on his contract in building the bridge over the river Axe and rough pitching the arches in ? ?
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1843 March 21, Meeting
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Ordered that Mr John BONFIELD be paid the sum of £51.10.6d, the amount of his contract for building the toll house and gate at Tytherleigh. Ordered that Mr BONFIELD be paid his bill for ye ? toll house at ? Perry Street bar.
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1845 March 12, Meeting
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Resolved that a toll house be erected at Burstock Cross pursuant to an agreement at the last meeting and that our clerk be empowered to contract with Mr John BONFIELD for building the same including a privy according to a plan and specification to be produced at en expense not exceeding £50.
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