We know from reading local history that Rochester’s militia were called up in response to alarms in a variety of places. We also know from Abraham Holmes’ memoirs that he was part of a militia that engaged with the British as close to Rochester as Fairhaven. However, we rarely think about British soldiers actually being here in Rochester.
Reading through the “PAL” books (created during an architectural survey of some of our oldest houses), I came across an interesting property, a residence known as “Bonney Doone.” This house was once located at 86 Dexter Lane. It was named after George Bonney, Jr., an ancestor of the George Bonney who lived at 7 Marion Rd.
History doesn’t tell us the name of the first person who lived in the house (possibly Joseph Doty), but it does tell us that there were British troops in town. It was said that the house and outbuildings were used as a “refuge” for British soldiers during the war. According to local legend, a small group of said soldiers asked for one night of shelter in one of the outbuildings. They were gone when the sun came up but left “a brooch as a gift to the lady of the house for her hospitality.”
It would seem that Rochester was fortunate to be a town the troops passed through rather than one in which they created an encampment. However, I want to know more. Why did they have a “brooch” and what happened to it. Did the lady of the house have Tory leanings and was that why the soldiers were so polite. Chances are those questions won’t get answered, but it’s interesting to think about.
Bonney Doone didn’t make it to a map until 1865, but the maps do show that it belonged to the Bonney family through 1879. By 1916, it was owned by E. LeBaron Bowen, a plumber, until 1941. It remained in the Bowen family until 1969.
As Susan La Fleur wrote as part of the house’s narrative in the survey, the house “stood empty for some time and was in a state of disrepair”. It was finally sold and the new owner dismantled it and took it to Mattapoisett, leaving an empty lot behind.
By Connie Eshbach
