Anders Svensson Bonde

http://www.colonialswedes.org/forefathers/Boon.html

Bonde (pronounced Boon-de in Swedish) means "farmer" and was adopted as a surname by Anders Svensson, born in 1620, one of the farmers hired by Cornelius Van Vliet of Gothenburg in 1639 to work in the New Sweden colony. Promised a wage of 5 guilders per month, Bonde and others from the Gothenburg area, including Peter Gunnarsson Rambo and Peter Andersson (progenitor of the Longacre family) sailed to New Sweden on the Kalmar Nyckel, arriving at Fort Christina in April 1640.

Three years later, after the arrival of Governor Printz, Anders Bonde was promoted to the position of gunner at Fort New Gothenburg on Tinicum Island at ten guilders per month. He served in this capacity for ten years until he returned to Sweden with Governor Printz in September 1653 on a Dutch ship, which arrived in Amsterdam in March 1654. On returning to Sweden, It took many months for Bonde to collect his substantial back pay. He then decided to return to New Sweden and left again for the colony on the Mercurius in late 1655.

Anders Svensson Bonde established his residence in Kingsessing. By 1660, he had married Anna (parents unknown), who had been born in Nya Kopparberget, Örebro län, in Sweden.

A successful farmer, Bonde added additional lands to his holdings. At an early date, he acquired from the Indians an island in the Delaware east of Tinicum Island which came to be known as Boon's Island, now a part of Philadelphia International Airport. This became his permanent home. He also shared the island with Otto Ernest Cock, a Holsteiner, who had married Anna Bonde's sister. Other acquired lands included "Boon's Forrest" 200 acres, in Calcon Hook (Lower Darby).

The wilI of Andrew Swanson Boon, dated 18 April1694 and proved1 Jan.1696, provided for his wife and his ten children. His widow Anna Boon dictated her will on 8 Jan. 1713. She was buried at Gloria Dei Church on 11 Jan. 1713. Rev. Sandel reported her age to be 79, probably a substantial exaggeration. The husbands of her three surviving daughters were named administrators of her estate.