James Albert Bonsack from the State of Virginia (U.S.A.) developed, on the basis of a competition from the firm ALLEN&GINTER in Richmond (for an reward of 75 000$), the first handy cigarette machine. This machine was constructed by James Albert  in the year 1880 and ready to dispatch in Lynchburg/Virginia.

The machine was demolished through a fire. With the pay of the insurance he constructed a new machine. This machine is patented on 08.03.1881. He was given the Patent-Nr. 238640. 

Picture from the patent

Only a short time later, at 04.10.1881, it comes to a new patent title with the number 247795 by the United States patent Office.

This machine manufactured 120 000 cigarettes per day. For the same success had to worked with hands 40 female cigarettes maker 12 ½ hours.

    c

Cigarettes made by hand before the introduction of machine-made cigarettes (from:  Bristol and the Tobacco Trade)

               Pedigree of James Albert Bonsack, Virginia /USA

Gen

I.         Hans (Vieth) Bonsack                oo                Barbara Katharina …

            * 15.. Cabarz(?)                                             *... 1590 ?

            † 13.09.1637 Cabarz                                     †07.08.1665 Cabarz

     _______________________________/\ _________________________

II. /      4.Hans   Bonsack                       oo                Anna Trautt                    \              

           *30.07.1619 Cabarz                                       *... 1630 Schwarzhausen

           †14.03.1681 Schwarzhausen.                      † 09.09.1702 Schwarzhausen

           Fleischer

     _______________________________/\____________________________

III./      8.Friedrich   Bonsack                 oo I               Martha Köhler                     \                          

           * 14.04.1671 Schwarzhausen   oo II              Katharina Zeiß

           † 13.03.1745 Schmerbach     07.11.1698       *14.06.1687

           Fuhrmann                                                        †14.11.1756

      _______________________________/\ ____________________________ 

IV./      3.Johann Georg  Bonsack         oo                 Katharina Gebhard               \

           * 04.05.1716 Schmerbach   17.10.1741         *04.11.1723 Schwarzhausen

           † 03.03.1781 Schmerbach                             †05.02.1801 Schmerbach

           (†17.03.1787?)

           Fuhrmann

      _______________________________/\ _____________________________

V. /      4.? Johann Jacob Bonsack        oo                 Marya Hackman                    \

           *27.03.1760 Schmerbach                               *23.03.1771 Pennsylvania

           †…1795

           Möbeltischlermeister

           emigrated 1786 about Rotterdam to Portsmouth, Virginia

      _______________________________/\ _____________________________

VI. /     3. John Bonsack                        oo                 Susannah Harshberger        \  

        *11.12.1791 Sams Creek     04.07.1816          *28.05.1799 bei Roanoke, Va

           †23.02.1859 Bonsack, Va                              †21.04.1888 Bonsack, Va

        ______________________________/\ _____________________________

VII. /    2.Jacob Bonsac                         oo                 Sarah Whitmore                    \

           *24.04.1819 Glade Creek, Va 01.02.1844      *23.01.1821

           †01.03.1889 Bonsack, Va      Mt.Meridian,Va †…1881

           Postmaster

      _______________________________/\ _____________________________

VIII. /   8.James Albert Bonsack       oo                 Anna Musser                        \

           *09.10.1859 Bonsack, Va       01.02.1893       *28.11.1860 Marietta, Pa

        †02.06.1924 Philadelphia, Va   Marietta, Pa      †27.11.1930