Historian

The plantation began in 1747 when John Mullryne petitioned for 500 acres of land at the site, three miles from Savannah on St. Augustine Creek. Josias Tattnall, Sr. married the daughter of John, Mary Mullryne, and with his father-in-law was very successful. Both families became very prominent contributors to the life of the emerging Georgia Colony. During the turbulent years of the Revolutionary War, the Mullrynes and Tattnalls left Georgia. During the Siege of Savannah, October 9, 1779, Bonaventure Plantation was used as a hospital for Count Charles Henri d'Estaing's ill French soldiers. It is believed that during this time the highest ranking foreign born officer, Count Casimir Pulaski, died and was buried at Bonaventure to later be moved and placed in a monument in his honor which is now located in Monterey Square in downtown Savannah.

Bonaventure Plantation is now known as Bonaventure Cemetery. Its beautiful 160 acres are maintained by the Savannah Department of Cemeteries. With much loving care provided by the Bonaventure Historical Society. Two of Georgia's "Sons of Liberty" are buried at Bonaventure.

Noble Wymberly Jones

1723/24-1805

Noble Wymberly Jones learned medicine from his father. In the beginning of the Revolutionary dissention, he was an outspoken leader of the Sons of Liberty. He was elected and attended the first Continental Congress; had he not returned to Savannah to confront dissention among patriots, he might have been a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Noble Wymberly helped organize and became the first President of the Georgia Medical Society in 1804. He died in 1805 and was buried in Christ Church Cemetery. When his family was moved, in 1850 to Bonaventure Cemetery his monument was placed at the end of one of Bonaventure's avenues. He is buried in Section D Lot 13.

One of the leaders of the original Liberty Boys 1765, Governor of Georgia 1786-1787; 1789-1793; first governor elected under Constitution of Georgia. He is buried in Section D Lot 19.

Edward Telfair

1745-1807

Britton Williams
1740-1781

Other lesser known Revolutionaries are also remembered at Bonaventure. In Lot 533, Section K rests a marker which simply states,

"In Memory of Britton Williams
1740-1781
Continental Line,
Revolutionary War,
Hung by Tories."

Sir Patrick Houston and his wife, Lady Houston, were originally buried in Colonial Park Cemetery, but were later moved to Bonaventure. They were the parents of John Houston, who was a Son of Liberty. He died July 1796 and is buried at an unknown location. He was a lawyer who joined the effort to organize the liberty sentiment in Georgia. In July 1774 he with Noble Wymberly Jones and two others called the first revolutionary meeting. Houston was elected to the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775, and would have had the honor of signing the Declaration of Independence but for the necessity of returning home to aid friends. In January 1778 Houston was elected governor of Georgia; he was elected a second time in 1784.

Thanks are due to the late Terry Shaw and the Bonaventure Historical Society for the use of many of Mr. Shaw's words.