Bones

The James Bones family arrived in the United States from County Antrim, Ireland (today Northern Ireland) in 1810. James’s mother, sister and brothers immigrated to Fairfield County, South Carolina, earlier and James’s family joined them after their arrival. John Bones was the eldest son of James and Mary (Adams) Bones’ nine children. He went to Augusta to apprentice with his uncle William Bones, a successful merchant.

James was a member of the Society of United Irishmen during the 1790s. The organization was inspired by the American and French revolutions, and sought a unified Ireland, free from British rule, with rights for all male citizens. He participated in the failed United Irishmen’s rebellion of 1798. Those same ideals brought James to America and were instilled in his children, which reflects in John’s life.