Felomena E. de LA RUA was born in Pensacola in 1813, son of John and Margarita (BONIFAY) de LA RUA. His father was a colonel in the Spanish service. He was the grandson of Don Franco Gavier and Josefa Facon de LA RUA who came to Pensacola in 1791. His mother was the dau. of Joseph Sr. and Mariana PINGRON BONIFAY. F. E. de LA RUA served as tax assessor and tax collector in 1845. He was then elected to Clerk of the Circuit Court and held office util his death on 27 Nov 1891. His son, John de LA RUA succeeded him as Clerk of the Circuit Court. F. E. married Henrietta YNIESTRA 23 May 1842 and they had four boys and three girls.
(Abstracted from the Pensacola News Journal, Biographical Sketch by T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Mar 16 1940)

Mariana Pengrow Bonifay is first recorded as having been in Pensacola in the year 1794. During that same year she purchased her first piece of property in Pensacola.
Prior to that time she reportedly lived in New Orleans for a number of years. Mariana Pengrow Bonifay now has in excess of 350 descendants. Anyone possessing knowledge of the years lived in New Orleans or of her husband Joseph Bonifay (Boniface), please let me know.

Terri: It would be interesting to know exactly how many
descendents Mariana Bonifay really has. There are a whole
lot of them related to me. I come down from Thomas Posse
DeRioboo who married Eugenia Josefa. I can count a minimum
of 86 just in our extended family (Rupert, DeRioboo, Farinas, Pittman, etc. I'll bet there are lots and lots more. I thought M.B. came to Pensacola in 1791.

Donna,
My husbands branch of the Bonifay's came from Manuel, son of Marietta. According to property deeds Marianna owned property in Pensacola in 1784 (property not in her husbands name). Prior to that she and Joseph are believed to have owned property in New Orleans as Carlos (1st son of Marianna & Joseph) went back there to live.

Eugenia Josefa is the younger sister to Manuel by no more than one year. Both births listed as being about 1783.

Some one has done a remarkable amount of work researching Marianna's decendants. We have a book that starts with her and goes all the way to my husband and his 4 children. This book also looks at some of the other branches of the family. I'm not sure I want to try to count all of the Bonifays and cousins as they are a proliferate group of people.

The book that I have was given to Ed & Boots Bonifay on their 50th anniversary. I believe Boots is going to allow West Florida Hist Society to copy the book for their records. The book contains copies of most and footnotes for all documents. If you want more info, email me @ tbonifay@gulftel.com I'll be happy to give you anything that we may have.

PS My husband Larry grew up with the story of Marianna being saved from the slave uprising in Martinigue and then coming to Pensacola.

I am another of Marianne's descendants--through her daughter
Mary Louise who married Don Manuel Gonzales. Check out the
historical marker by the paper mill in Cantonment. My info is that Marianne was born in Martinique in 1769 and arrived
in 1791 and Mary Louise was born in 1792.

i'm a descendent of mariana bonifay....from her son manuel bonifay....thx mark

My greatgrandfather was a Joseph Bonifay. My grandfather was John Bonifay and my dad is Jack Edward Bonifay. Dad was born in Bagdad, Fla. I have some information on Mariana Bonifay. I understand that Mariana, Fl. was named for her. She entertained the Gov. of Fl in her home. I have a family tree going back to the 1700' or 1800'

Does anyone have any info on the Yniestra connection to the Bonifay family? I understand that Manuel Bonifay (son of Joseph Bonifay and Mariana Pingron/Pengrow) married Genovella Teresa Yniestra, who was one of the founders of Pensacola... Any information - however small - about Genovella Teresa Yniestra (or other Yniestras that you know of) is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

HI,
I also need this info email me at teenteen1@webtv.net
Marie

My 4th Great Grandfather was Joseph(Josef) Domingo Bonifay and his wife was Marianna Pingrow Bonifay. I have a very old booklett that my Grandfather's sister gave to my Mother. Titles THE CROWN JEWEL Fabulous Families of Old Pensacola by Celia Myrover Robinson. It has many short stories of many of the famous French and Spanish families that lived in old Pensacola. I have also heard of other short stories of this time I believe they were call "We Were There".
My 3rd Great Grandfather was Joseph Domingo Bonifay, Jr and he married Maria Delores Gonzalez. Would love to hear from your side of the family too. My Father was Morris Addler Bonifay and was born in McDavid, Florida