John Honeyman

John Honeyman
Born	1729 Armagh
Died	August 18, 1822 (aged 93) Lamington, New Jersey
Buried	Lamington Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Nationality	Northern Ireland
Spouse	Mary Henry (1764-1801), Mrs. Elizabeth Estel-Burrows (1804-?)

John Honeyman (1729 – August 18, 1822) was supposedly an American spy and British informant for George Washington, primarily responsible for spreading disinformation and gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton.

The historical accuracy of Honeyman's role as spy for General Washington has been questioned due to a deficiency of primary sources (see more below).

Born in Ireland, purportedly in Armagh, Honeyman was of Scottish descent. The son of a poor farmer, he received little formal education but was nevertheless literate and learned several trades, including weaving. He worked as a farmer until the age of 29 and then entered the British Army to fight in the French and Indian War in 1758.

He sailed to Canada aboard the frigate Boyne on which Colonel James Wolfe was also embarked. One day during the Atlantic Ocean crossing, Honeyman was on watch on the deck when Wolfe, who was about to descend a stairway, tripped and would have surely fallen if he had not been caught by Honeyman. Wolfe showed his gratitude by taking down Honeyman's name and promising to look out for the young private.

Upon landing off the Saint Lawrence River, Honeyman's unit was almost immediately put into action against the French during the Siege of Louisbourg which ended after 48 days on July 26, 1758. Wolfe, who served under General Jeffrey Amherst, was shortly promoted to General. He remembered the young private who saved him aboard the Boyne and made him his bodyguard, with orders to remain with him at all times.

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