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Family history
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It is
believed that this Johnson family is of English descent
and was among those who dared the terrors of an ocean voyage and made their
landing at Jamestown
in the Virginia Colony
during the first half of the 17th century. The
earliest known ancestor of this lineage is our 6th great-grandfather William
Johnson was born about 1705 probably in the colony of Virginia. It is not known to whom William was
married nor when, but he did produce at least three male off-spring named
James, Griffin and Thomas. From the
positive evidence of Griffin's connection with Essex County,
Virginia,
it seems quite reasonable to believe that his father came from that County,
which was organized in 1692. From it
was formed Spotsylvania County
in 1720 and from it Orange County
was organized in 1734. William Johnson
probably moved from Virginia, around 1740, up into Western Maryland
where the opportunities for himself and sons were more favorable. His name and
the details of his life are still obscured in the records. The only hint of a
name is the fact that a piece of land known as "Betty's Fancy"
owned by Griffin Johnson in Allegany County,
Maryland,
had been "patented to William Johnson." Family names such as Griffin, Disberry (Disbury), and Morrison have been used
as given names among these Johnson’s as the family can be traced; hence it is
claimed that the wife of the William Johnson bore one of these names. William was about 80 years old when he
died in Washington
County, Maryland around the year 1785. At this time Washington County
encompassed all of the current western Maryland counties of Washington,
Allegany, and Garrett. As such it is believed that William
Johnson lived in that part of Washington County now in Allegany County,
Maryland. James Johnson, son of William, was
born during 1740 in either Virginia or Maryland. If he was born prior to his family moving
to western Maryland the most probable place would be Essex County,
Virginia. If born after the
aforementioned move then he was born in the western part of Frederick
County, Maryland that would eventually become Allegany County. It is
said that during the French and Indian
War he served as a military engineer under General
Braddock. If this is fact
James would have been only 15 years old and as such may have been employed to
construct roads through the wilderness during Braddock's ill-fated 1755
expedition. The likelihood of his
service is heightened due to the fact that at this time he was living in
Maryland at a location through which the Braddock built his Road from Cumberland,
Maryland to Fort Pitt,
now Pittsburgh
in Pennsylvania. James
is known to have been married four times during his life. Apparently his first marriage was around
1758 to a woman named Ann McMillian.
This event probably occurred in Maryland. It is said that four children were
produced of this union. The names of three off-spring all sons are
known. Ann died around 1764. James
Johnson’s second marriage was to Catherine Demos, a native of Berkeley
County (now in West
Virginia), occurred sometime between 1765 and 1769. James and Catherine had eleven children
born between c.1769 and 1784. It is
most probable that soon after his marriage to Catherine James migrated up
into southwestern Pennsylvania. Here he settled on the edge of what was
then the frontier of the English colonies in what would become Westmoreland
County in 1773. During
the American
Revolutionary War James served the cause as a Ranger with a unit from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is probable
that his service was most likely involved in defending the western frontier
against Indian attacks. During the war
British authorities in Detroit encouraged the
Native-Americans in Ohio to cross into Pennsylvania to strike at isolated
cabins. The best method of defending
the scattered settlements was to organize companies of rangers,
to patrol the course of the Allegheny and Ohio, and to pursue the
bands of marauders. James Johnson’s
patriotic service during the war has been verified in Daughters
of the American Revolution (DAR) records. After
the war it is believed that James and his family were living about 15 to 20
miles east of the Ohio River in what
was then Ohio County,
Virginia (now West Virginia) and would become Washington
County, Pennsylvania in 1781.* James was
no stranger to Indian encounters as illustrated by the following
incidents. Sometime prior migrating to
Ohio
and, while "in camp" on McIntyre's Creek in company with two
neighbors, McIntyre and Layport, the three were attacked by Indians. McIntyre
and Layport were both killed and James was taken captive. The Indians took him with them to Sandusky
as a prisoner, but afterwards released him and James returned home. By 1788
James had moved his family across the Ohio River into what was then known as
Washington County which had been formed that same year as an original county
of the Northwest Territory. In 1797 this area
would become part of the newly formed Jefferson County, Ohio. Here James bought some improvements on what
was called Beach Bottom Flats, located two and a half miles from the river,
and three or four miles above the mouth of Short creek, with the expectation
of holding by improvement right under the Virginia claim. Soon after he reached there, the Indians
became troublesome; they stole horses, and killed a number of persons in our
neighborhood. In October, 1788 his 11
year old son Henry and his 13 year old son John were captured by two
Indians. During the night the boys
gained their freedom by shooting one Indian and clubbing the other with a
tomahawk. The entire adventure was written out a detailed statement by Henry
John son in 1851. James
and Catherine along with their children and grandchildren may have moved
further west about 15 miles up the Short Creek into that area of Jefferson County that
would be incorporated into Harrison
County, Ohio in 1813. According to the history of son Andrew
William Johnson this event occurred in 1804.
Catherine passed away in 1815.
Even though he was 75 years old James married for a third time on
August 22, 1816 to Jemima Griffin.
This event took place in Harrison County. James’s fourth marriage to Eleanor Mowder
in 1820 is a true testament to his vitality as he was about 80 years old at
the time! James was a farmer and
belonged to the Methodist Church. At least one newspaper account has James
living to be 111 years old and includes the claim that when he was 110, he
was still plowing his own corn. If
the records are correct James lived to be at least 109 years old. He is
probably buried near the town of Freeport, Ohio. Our 4th great-grandfather Griffin Johnson, youngest son of James and
Catherine, was born in 1778. He
married Sarah Mary Wright when he was 20 years old. It is believed that at least eleven other
children were born to Griffin and Sarah between 1799 and 1823 while the
family was living at in Jefferson and
Harrison County, Ohio. Around
1841 Griffin moved west to Illinois
along with some of his children and grandchildren. He along with his daughter Sarah and
son-in-law Lemuel Watt settled in Perry
County, Illinois. Griffin lived here for about 20 years and died
there approximately six months after his wife Sarah. He was 82 years old at that time. It is
believed that he is buried in Curlee
Cemetery, Tamaroa,
Perry Co., Illinois. Our Johnson lineage continues through Disbury Johnson, eldest son of Griffin and
Sarah Johnson. Disbury(Disberry) born in Jefferson
County, Ohio in 1799. Disbury first
married a Mary Cooper at Harrison County in 1817. There are no known children of this
union. In 1823 Disbury married for a
second time to Miss Nancy Lucynthia Gardner.
As early as 1827 Disbury purchased land in the town of Gnadenhutten,
Tuscarawas
County, Ohio. On four other occasions between 1830 and
1835 he purchased a total of 325.8 acres of land in Tuscarawas County. During this time Disbury and Nancy had 9 of
their 10 children one of whom was our 2nd-great grandmother Mary
Vinnel Johnson. Around 1841 Disbury
moved his family west. This journey
probably included his parents as well as his aforementioned sister
Sarah. Disbury may have stayed a
short time in Perry County, Illinois before moving across the Mississippi
River, in 1842, to an area in the southeastern corner of Osage
County, that would become Maries
County in 1855. Sometime
between 1852 and 1857 he again moved to Lewis
County, Missouri. Disbury
died in 1883 at the age of 84, and is buried in Union
Township, Lewis County, Missouri. Mary Vinnel Johnson was born during 1827 probably at Gnadenhutten,
Tuscarawas
County, Ohio. She was the third
of ten children born to Disbury and Nancy Johnson. Mary married William Lewis Pinnell,
January 1845, in Missouri. Mary had
five children during her life one of which was our great-grandmother Mary
Etta Pinnell, born in 1863. In 1900 Mary Pinnell is shown in the
census as living with her son Asa in Jackson
County, Oklahoma, along with his daughter and two grandchildren. Mary was 72 years old at the time. Mary passed away on 15 Jul 1906, at
Baucum, Jackson, Oklahoma. She is buried at the Altus Cemetery, Jackson
County, Oklahoma. * The
jurisdiction of this area was originally disputed between Virginia and
Pennsylvania. When Ohio County was formed in 1776, its area was much
larger totaling 1,432 sq mi and included portions of what is now
Washington and Greene Counties in Pennsylvania. The formation of the Mason-Dixon Line and resolution of border disputes
between Pennsylvania and Virginia began the first in a long series of
reductions in the county's size. |
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Origins of the
surname
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An Introduction to the
Surname
The
practice of inherited family surnames began in England and France during the late part of the 11th century. With the passing of generations and
the movement of families from place to place many of the original identifying
names were altered into some of the versions that we are familiar with
today. Over the centuries, most of our
European ancestors accepted their surname as an
unchangeable part of their lives. Thus
people rarely changed their surname.
Variations of most surnames were usually the result of an involuntary
act such as when a government official wrote a name phonetically or made an error in transcription. Research
into the record of this Johnson family
line indicates that the variations, meanings and history of this surname is
most likely linked to that area of Europe where English linguistic traditions are
commonly found. |
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Source(s)
& Meaning(s)
of the Surname
Most
modern family names are a means conveying lineage. For the most part, Anglo-Saxon surnames were developed from the following major
sources: (1) patronym or matronym, names based on the name of one's father,
mother or ancestor, (Johnson, Wilson); (2) occupation (i.e., Carpenter, Cooper, Brewer, Mason); (3) habitational or locational (Middleton, Sidney, or Ireland); (4) topographical (i.e. Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale); (5) nicknames (i.e., Moody Freeholder, Wise, Armstrong); (6) status
(i.e. Freeman, Bond, Knight); and (7) acquired
ornamental names that were simply made up.
Johnson is an English and Scottish patronymic
surname from the personal name John.
As an American family name, Johnson has absorbed patronymics and many
other derivatives of this name in continental European languages. English, Welsh, German name John ultimately originates
from the Hebrew personal name yo?hanan ‘Jehovah has favored (me with a
son)’ or ‘may Jehovah favor (this child)’. |
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History
of the Surname
Surnames as we know them today were first assumed in Europe from the 11th to the 15th century. They were not in use in England or Scotland, before the Norman Conquest of 1066, and were first found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The employment in the use of a second name was a custom that was first introduced from the Normans who had adopted the custom just prior to this time. Soon thereafter it became a mark of a generally higher socio-economic status and thus seen as disgraceful for a well-bred man to have only one name. It was not until the middle of the 14th century that surnames became general practice among all people in the British Isles. The
use of Johnson as a surname in
England is first found in Lincolnshire, where the Johnson family had been
granted lands by Duke William on his conquest of England in 1066. Amongst the very
earliest of all surname recordings are those of Wautier Jonessone, in the
charters known as the "Calendar of Documents", which relate to the
government of Scotland in 1296, whilst William Johnson and Robert Johanson
were recorded in the 1379 Poll Tax rolls of Yorkshire. The first recorded
spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Jonessone, which was
dated 1287, in the register known as the "Descriptive Catalogue of
Ancient Deeds", for the county of Surrey. The personal name of John was adopted into Latin (via Greek) as Johannes,
and has enjoyed enormous popularity in Europe throughout the Christian era,
being given in honor of St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, and of St.
John the Evangelist, author of the fourth gospel, as well as others of the
nearly one thousand other Christian saints of the name. Some of the principal
forms of the personal name in other European languages are Welsh Ieuan,
Evan, Siôn, and Ioan; Scottish Ia(i)n; Irish Séan;
German Johann, Johannes, Hans; Dutch Jan; French Jean;
Italian Giovanni, Gianni, Ianni; Spanish Juan;
Portuguese João; Greek Ioannes (vernacular Yannis);
Czech Jan; Russian Ivan. Polish has surnames both from the
western Slavic form Jan and from the eastern Slavic form Iwan.
There were a number of different forms of the name in Middle English,
including Jan(e), a male name.
There were also various Middle English feminine versions of this name
(e.g. Joan, Jehan), and some of these were indistinguishable
from masculine forms. The distinction on grounds of gender between John
and Joan was not firmly established in English until the 17th century.
It was even later that Jean and Jane were specialized as
specifically feminine names in English; bearers of these surnames and their
derivatives are more likely to derive them from a male ancestor than a
female. As a surname in the British Isles, John is particularly frequent in
Wales, where it is a late formation representing Welsh Siôn rather
than the older form Ieuan (which gave rise to the surname Evan). As an
American family name this form has absorbed various cognates from continental
European languages. Wright is the 34th
most popular surname in the
United States and the 14th
most common surname in England. Today
about 7,016 persons per million in the United States have the Johnson surname. The heaviest concentration of the name is
found in the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Mississippi.. In the United Kingdom almost about 3,274
persons per million have the Johnson surname. The most significant clustering of the
name is found in most areas of England. |
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Variations of the surname
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Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have
continued to unfold and expand often leading to an overwhelming number of
variants.
As such one can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames
because in early times, spelling in general and thus the spelling of names
was not yet standardized. Later on
spellings would change with the branching and movement of families. Spelling
variations of this family name include:
Johnson, Joneson, Jonson, Joynson,
Joinson and many
others. |
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The complexity of researching records is compounded by the fact that in many cases an ancestors surname may
also have been misspelled. This is
especially true when searching census documents. The Soundex Indexing System was developed in an
effort to assist with identifying spelling variations for a given
surname. Soundex is a method of
indexing names in the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Census, and can aid genealogists in
their research. The Soundex Code for Johnson
is J525. Other surnames sharing this Soundex
Code: JAMESON
| JAMIESON
| JAMISON
| JANSEN
| JANSON
| JANSSEN
| JANSSON
| JANZEN
| JEMISON
| JENKIN
| JENKINS
| JENKINSON
| JENSEN
| JOHANNSEN
| JOHANSEN
| JOHANSON
| JOHANSSON
| JONSON
| JONSSON
| . |
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Searching
for more Information about this and other surnames? |
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Then
take a look at our: |
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Coat of arms
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In the Middle Ages heraldry came
into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to
distinguish the armored warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed
on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in
the middle of the 12th
century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries
of Western
Europe. In the British Isles the College of Arms, (founded in 1483), is the Royal corporation of heralds who record proved pedigrees and grant armorial bearings. |
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ARMORIAL BEARINGS Although there are many coat of arms designs for the Johnson family the most prominent is comprised of a blue
shield with a gold cross between four gold or black pheons. The crest
figure is commonly a winged spur. Another Coat of Arms features a silver shield with a black saltire and three gold cushions
on a red chief. MOTTO(ES) There are many family mottos for this surname and its variants such
as: “Deo regique debeo,” which is translated
as, “I owe duty to God and the king;” as well as “Nunquam
non paratus” translated as “Never unprepared.” |
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A Coat of Arms is
defined as a group of emblems and figures (heraldic
bearings) usually arranged on and around a shield and serving as the special
insignia of some person, family, or institution. Except for a few cases, there is really no
such thing as a standard "coat of arms" for a surname. A coat of arms, more
properly called an armorial
achievement, armorial bearings
or often just arms for short,
is a design usually granted only to a single person
not to an entire family or to a particular surname. Coats of arms are inheritable property, and
they generally descend to male lineal descendents of the original arms
grantee. The rules and traditions
regarding Coats of Arms vary from country to country. Therefore a Coat of
Arms for an English family would differ from that of a German family even
when the surname is the same. The art of designing, displaying, describing, and
recording arms is called heraldry. The use of coats of arms by countries,
states, provinces, towns and villages is called civic heraldry. Some of the more prominent elements incorporated into a coat of arms are : |
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Crest - The word crest
is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms. The crest was a later development arising from the love of
pageantry. Initially the crest
consisted of charges painted onto a ridge on top of the helmet. Wreath or Torse – The torse is a
twist of cloth or wreath underneath and part of a crest. Always shown as six
twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second
the tincture of the metal, and so on. Mantling – The mantling is a drapery tied to the helmet above
the shield. It forms a backdrop for the shield. Helm or Helmet - The helmet or helm is situated above the shield
and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according
to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with
the development of actual military helmets. Shield or Arms - The basis of all coats of arms. At their simplest, arms consist of a shield with a plain field on which appears a geometrical shape or object. The items appearing on the shield are known as charges. Motto - The motto was originally a war cry,
but later mottoes often expressed some worthy sentiment.
It may appear at the top or bottom of a family coat of arms. |
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Direct ancestors
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Descendant Register Generation 1 |
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William
Johnson-1 was born on Abt. 1705 in Virginia?. He died on
1785 in Washington County, Maryland. 2.
i.
Thomas Johnson, B: Abt. 1720.
Griffith Johnson, B: 1734 in Essex County,
Virginia, D: 12 Feb 1805 in Allegany County, Maryland. 3.
iii.
James Johnson, B: 1740 in Virginia ?, D: 1849 in Freeport, Harrison
Co., Ohio, M: Aft. 1764 in Virginia. |
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Generation 2 |
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James Johnson-2(William
Johnson-1) was born on 1740 in Virginia?. He died on 1849 in Freeport,
Harrison Co., Ohio. He married Catherine Demoss on Aft. 1764 in Virginia. She
was born on 17 Jun 1743 in Frederick County, Virginia. She died on 1815 in
Harrison County, Ohio. He married Ann
McMillian on Abt. 1758 in Pennsylvania.
She was born on Abt. 1740. She died Abt. 1764 in Virginia. He married Jemina Griffin on 22 Aug 1816 in
Harrison Co. Ohio. He married Eleanor
Mowder on 29 Mar 1820 in Harrison Co. Ohio. Children
of James Johnson and Catherine Demoss are: i.
Rachel Johnson, B: Abt. 1769 in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, M: Abt. 1800. ii.
Deborah Johnson, B: Abt. 1771 in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania. iii.
James Johnson, B: Abt. 1773 in Westmoreland County,
Pennsylvania, M: 31 May 1804 in Jefferson County, Ohio. iv.
Disberry Johnson, B: Abt. 1773 in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, M: Abt. 1800. v.
John Johnson, B: Sep 1775 in Westmoreland County,
Pennsylvania, D: Bef. 1851 in Monroe County, Ohio. 5.
vi.
Andrew William Johnson, B: 26 May 1776 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: 07 Jan 1855 in Short Creek
Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, M: Abt. 1800
in Pennsylvania. 6.
vii. Henry
Johnson, B: 04 Feb 1777 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D: Aft. 1852 in Antioch, Monroe Co., Ohio. 7.
viii.
Griffin Johnson, B: 11 Aug 1778 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania,
D: 19 Jul 1861 in Tamaroa, Perry Co.,
Illinois, M: 20 Oct 1798 in Pennsylvania ?. 8.
ix.
Sarah Ann Johnson, B: 1780 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, D:
Abt. 1856 in Cincinnati, Hamilton Co.,
Ohio, M: 03 Jul 1798 in Jefferson County, Ohio. x.
Mary Johnson, B: Abt. 1782 in Washington County,
Pennsylvania. xi. Nancy Johnson, B: Abt. 1784 in Washington,
County, Pennsylvania. Children of James Johnson and Ann
McMillian are: i.
James Johnson. ii.
Jacob Johnson. iii.
William Johnson. |
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Generation 3 |
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Griffin
Johnson-3(James Johnson-2, William Johnson-1) was born on 11
Aug 1778 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He died on 19 Jul 1861 in
Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois. He married Sarah Mary Wright on 20 Oct 1798 in
Pennsylvania?, daughter of James Wright and
Mary Wright (Mdn. Nm. Unk.). She was born on 17 Feb 1781 in Pennsylvania.
She died on 13 Jan 1861 in Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois. Children of Griffin Johnson and Sarah
Mary Wright are: 10.
i.
Disbury Johnson, B: 01 Nov 1799 in Harrison County, Ohio, D: 25 Feb
1883 in Union Twp., Lewis Co., Missouri, M: 29 Jan 1823 in Guernsey County,
Ohio. ii.
Catherine Johnson, B: 18 Dec 1800 in Wheeling, Ohio
Co., West Virginia, D: 19 Jul 1882 in Saint Charles, Missouri, M: 27 Dec 1822
in Harrison County, Ohio. iii.
Mary Johnson, B: Abt. 1803, M: 21 Nov 1821 in
Harrison County, Ohio. iv.
Eleanor Johnson, B: 05 Sep 1804 in Wheeling, Ohio
Co., West Virginia, D: 03 Aug 1901, M: 19 Nov 1831 in <Jefferson
County>, Ohio. 11.
v. John
J. Johnson, B: 08 May 1807 in Cadiz, Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 16 Sep 1869
in Tamaroa, Perry Co., Illinois, M: 24
Dec 1833 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. vi.
Jacob Johnson, B: 05 May 1808 in Washington Twp.,
Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 16 Aug 1908 in Union County, Ohio, M: 16 Feb 1832 in
Harrison County, Ohio. 12.
vii.
Jemima Johnson, B: 25 Mar 1810 in Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio,
D: 03 Sep 1888, M: 09 May 1833 in
Harrison County, Ohio. viii.
Sarah Johnson, B: 13 Feb 1811 in Washington Twp.,
Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 13 Jan 1881 in Perry County, Illinois, M: 04 Mar 1831
in Harrison County, Ohio ?. ix.
Mariah Johnson, B: Abt. 1815 in Washington Twp.,
Harrison Co., Ohio, M: 21 Feb 1834 in Harrison County, Ohio. x.
Griffin Johnson, B: Abt. 1818 in Washington Twp.,
Harrison Co., Ohio, D: Aft. 1918 in
Riverside, California. xi.
Nancy Johnson, B: 25 Jan 1822 in Washington Twp.,
Harrison Co., Ohio, D: 28 Jan 1911 in
Washington Twp., Harrison Co., Ohio, M: 28 Jan 1841 in Harrison County,
Ohio?. xii.
James Johnson, B:Abt. 1823 in Washington Twp.,
Harrison Co., Ohio |
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Generation 4 |
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Disbury
Johnson-4(Griffin Johnson-3, James Johnson-2, William
Johnson-1) was born on 01 Nov 1799 in Harrison County, Ohio. He died on 25
Feb 1883 in Union Twp., Lewis Co., Missouri. He married Nancy Lucynthia
Gardner on 29 Jan 1823 in Guernsey County, Ohio, daughter of Isaac Gardner
Sr. and Mary Gardner (nee?). She was born on 05 Jun 1802 in Frederick County,
Maryland. She died on 09 Jan 1883 in Union Twp., Lewis Co., Missouri. He
married Mary Cooper on 29 Jun 1817 in Harrison Co. Ohio. Children of Disbury Johnson and Nancy
Lucynthia Gardner are: i.
Isaac Johnson, B: 10 Jan 1824 in Tuscarawas Co.,
Ohio, M: 16 Apr 1843 in Crawford Co., Missouri. ii.
Sarah Johnson, B: 10 Dec 1826 in Tuscarawas Co.,
Ohio, M: 04 Feb 1844 in Osage Co.
Missouri. 13.
iii. Mary
Vinnell Johnson, B: 17 Nov 1827 in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, D: 15 Jul 1907 in Greer County, Oklahoma ?, M: 22 Jan
1845 in Osage Co., Missouri. 14.
iv.
Emiline Johnson, B: 17 Jul 1830 in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, M: 27 Jul
1851 in Maries Co. Missouri. v.
Anna Elizabeth Johnson, B: 09 Jul 1832 in
Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, D: 20 Jan 1852 in Maries Co., Missouri, M: 22 Feb 1849
in Maries Co., Missouri. vi.
Joseph Johnson, B: 24 Nov 1834 in Tuscarawas Co.,
Ohio. vii.
Ellen Johnson, B: 27 Feb 1837 in Tuscarawas Co.,
Ohio, D: 01 Oct 1894 in Burlington, Iowa, M: 10 Nov 1857 in Lewis Co.
Missouri. viii.
Griffin Johnson, B: 15 Jun 1839 in Tuscarawas Co.,
Ohio, D: 21 Jan 1852. ix.
Abner Browning Johnson, B: 05 Aug 1841 in
Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, D: 24 May 1919. x.
Nancy Lucynthia Johnson, B: 21 Mar 1844 in Maries
Co., Missouri, D: 27 Dec 1919 in Weber
Co., Utah, M: 04 Jan 1866 in Lewis Co. Missouri. |
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Generation 5 |
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Mary
Vinnell Johnson-5(Disbury Johnson-4, Griffin Johnson-3, James
Johnson-2, William Johnson-1) was born on 17 Nov 1827 in Tuscarawas County,
Ohio. She died on 15 Jul 1907 in Greer County, Oklahoma?. She married William
Lewis Pinnell on 22 Jan 1845 in Osage Co., Missouri, son of Asa Pinnell and
Elizabeth Clemens. He was born on 27 Jan 1824 in Missouri. He died on 17 Jul
1887 in Maries County, Missouri. She married William Lewis Pinnell on 13 Aug
1844 in Osage County, Missouri. , son
of Asa Pinnell and Elizabeth Clemens. He was born on 27 Jan 1824 in Missouri.
He died on 17 Jul 1887 in Maries County, Missouri. Children of Mary Vinnell Johnson and
William Lewis Pinnell are: i.
Asa Disbury Pinnell, B: 20 Jul 1845 in Lanes
Prairie, Jefferson Twp., Osage Co.,
MO, D: 30 Mar 1931 in Glenrio, Quay Co., New Mexico, M: 11 Nov 1867. ii.
Lunsford Lane Pinnell, B: 03 Feb 1848 in Lanes
Prairie, Jefferson Twp., Osage Co., MO, D: 29 Jan 1931 in Kansas City,
Missouri, M: 01 Feb 1866. iii.
Ida Leora May Pinnell, B: 19 May 1861 in Jefferson
Twp., Maries Co., Missouri, M: 03 Jun 1884. iv.
Mary Etta Pinnell, B: 26 Apr 1863 in Jefferson
Twp., Maries Co., Missouri, D: 16 Mar 1929 in Tulare County, California, M:
31 Jan 1883 in Lanes Prairie, (Maries Co.), Missouri. v. William Bowles McClellan Pinnell, B:
29 Jan 1866 in Jefferson Twp., Maries Co., Missouri, D: 30 Apr 1941 in
Porterville, Tulare Co., California, M: 24 Dec 1887 in Vichy Springs, Maries Co., Missouri. |
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Additional information about our DIRECT
ANCESTORS as well as a complete listing of
individuals with this surname may be reviewed by clicking on the
following LINK. |
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Use this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series of different
searches using tips or "tricks" |
that will likely improve your results. The different searches
will give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find
ancestry information about this or any other Surname. |
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Ancestral
locations
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Researching the locations
where our ancestors lived has provided us with valuable evidence needed to
fill-in the gaps in our family trees.
It has also led us to many interesting facts that enhance the overall
picture of each family group. |
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Locatiof Direct Ancestors
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The names of states and
counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the
Direct Ancestors in the “Ancestral Lineage” (see above) were born, married,
and / or died. |
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COUNTRY |
STATE |
COUNTY / SUBDIVISION |
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UNITED STATES |
ILLINOIS |
Tamaroa |
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MARYLAND |
Washington |
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MISSOURI |
Maries; Osage; Lewis |
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OHIO |
Guernsey; Harrison; Tuscarawas |
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OKLAHOMA |
Jackson |
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PENNSYLVANIA |
Westmoreland |
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Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above. |
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Locational distributionstors
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Knowing the geographical areas where the
surname you are researching is clustered and distributed is an indispensable
tool in deciding where to focus your research. We believe that the “Public Profiler”
website will open up to you a wide range of solutions which implement current
research in spatial analysis. This
site provides an array of local spatial information tools useful to the
genealogist.
The information presented below shows where the Johnson surname is distributed within the United
States as well as in the United Kingdom,
the country of origin of this family. The United States is found to be the country in the world where this surname
is the most highly clustered having over 7,016 persons per million of population. |
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United States of America |
Key |
European Country of Origin |
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Click
on the LINK to the right to see more information about the
World distribution of a surname. You
can |
get
greater detail for any of the following maps by clicking on the area, i.e
state, county that you are interested in. |
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Wjere are my ancestors Ancestors
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Resources which enhance our
knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as
their names. The
LINK
to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers, and
other helpful resources
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that will assist in discovering Ancestral
Locations. These web sites comprise
only a small portion of what is available for
researchers interested in learning more about where their ancestors lived. |
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Migration
routes
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During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries hundreds of thousands
of Europeans made the
perilous ocean voyage to America. For many it was an escape from economic
hardship and religious persecution.
For most it was an opportunity to start over, own their own land, and
make a better future for their descendents.
Immigration records show a number of people bearing the name of Johnson, or one of its variants, as arriving in North America between the 17th and
20th centuries. Some of
these immigrants were: Alice Johnson, who
settled in Virginia in 1635; as did Abraham Johnson in 1648; Thomas Johnson,
who sailed to St. John's, Newfoundland in 1666. Tracing our own family’s paths of migration can
prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring
out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where
they eventually settled. Knowing the network of trails American
pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking. The trail map(s) provided below may assist
you in understanding the routes that our direct ancestors of this family may
have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now
encompassed by the United States. Use
the following links to find more early
immigrants with this surname: $ Search Ancestry.com Immigration
Records; or Free Ship’s Passenger lists at OliveTreeGenealogy.com The following is a chronicle of
the long east to west migration of our Johnson ancestors during the 17th,
18th, and 19th centuries. The trek took 275 years and covered at
least 1,800 miles. Along the way these
hardy pioneers witnessed and contributed to the many events associated with
the growth of our country since its very early beginnings. |
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Virginia
c. 1735 – Pennsylvania c. 1788 It is
believed that the progenitor of this Johnson family is of English
descent, and arrived at Jamestown
in the Virginia Colony
during the first half of the 17th century. The
earliest known ancestor of this lineage is our 6th great-grandfather William
Johnson was born about 1705 probably in the colony of Virginia and most
likely lived in Essex County,
Virginia.
William Johnson probably moved, from Essex County around 1740 up into Western
Maryland, probably following the Potomac
Rive north west. The only hint of a name at that location is
the fact that a piece of land known as "Betty's Fancy" owned by
Griffin Johnson in Allegany County,
Maryland,
had been "patented to William Johnson." William was about 80 years old when he died
in Washington
County, Maryland around the year 1785. At this time Washington County
encompassed all of the current western Maryland counties of Washington,
Allegany, and Garrett. As such it is believed that William
Johnson lived in that part of Washington County now in Allegany County,
Maryland. James Johnson, son of William, was
born during 1740 in either Virginia or Maryland. If he was born prior to his family moving
to western Maryland the most probable place would be Essex County,
Virginia. If born after the
aforementioned move then he was born in the western part of Frederick
County, Maryland that would eventually become Allegany
County. James Johnson’s second
marriage was to Catherine Demos, a native of Berkeley
County (now in West
Virginia), occurred sometime between 1765 and 1769. James and Catherine had eleven children
born between c.1769 and 1784. It is
most probable that soon after his marriage to Catherine James migrated up
into southwestern Pennsylvania. Here he settled on the edge of what was
then the frontier of the English colonies in what would become Westmoreland
County in 1773. After the war it is
believed that James and his family were living about 15 to 20 miles east of
the Ohio
River in what was then Ohio County,
Virginia (now West Virginia) and would become Washington
County, Pennsylvania in 1781. |
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Ohio c. 1788 –
Illinois c. 1841 By the last decade of the 18th
century James had moved his family across the Ohio River into what was then
known as Washington County which had been formed that same year as an
original county of the Northwest Territory. This event could have occurred as early as
1788 but before 1795. Here James
bought some improvements on what was called Beach Bottom Flats, located two
and a half miles from the river, and three or four miles above the mouth of
Short creek, with the expectation of holding by improvement right under the
Virginia claim. As this is estimated as being a distance of
only about 45 miles he may have taken any of the many trails that lead to the
Ohio
River. Estimating at 12
miles a day it would have taken about 4 days to move his family out of
Pennsylvania and into the new Ohio Territory. He may have settled near the mouth
of Short
Creek in what was
then known as Washington County. In 1797 this area would become part of the
newly formed Jefferson
County, Ohio. During this time James’ son would marry
Griffin Johnson, Sarah Mary Wright in 1798 and produce their first child the
next year. These two events probably
occurred in Jefferson County. Around 1804 the Wright and Johnson families
which included moved further west, about 15 miles, up the Short Creek
into that area of Jefferson County that would be incorporated into Harrison
County, Ohio in 1813. Harrison county records of 1814 show both
James Wright and Griffin Johnson living in Freeport
Township, Harrison County, Ohio. Around 1841 Sarah and
Griffin migrated west to Illinois
along with some of his children and grandchildren. The most likely migration routes west
from Harrison County Ohio would be the National
Road and the Ohio River. We
cannot be sure as to which of two likely routes they took as both have
distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Obviously two major concerns of the migrants would have been economic,
i.e. how much are we able to spend on this journey, and what is the least
difficult method of travel available from Harrison County, Ohio to Perry County,
Illinois. We don’t have much proof as
to their financial situation but it is clear that the Johnson family was
among the earliest settlers in western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio. As such they would have been in a position
to obtain some of the best land in the localities they pioneered and at
prices much lower than what they would be several decades later. Thus it follows that they would most likely
get a good price for their property prior to launching their migratory
effort. It would seem that the Ohio
River Route would be the most expensive as they would have to either pay for
passage or purchase a boat for the down-river voyage. Then they would also have to consider the
distance that needed to be traveled as well as the total travel time. This would be important as they would
probably start in the spring months and hopefully arrive in the summer so
that late crops could be planted and shelter for the winter erected. As far as time and distance are
concerned the National
Road, a major thoroughfare west, was located, at its closest point, about
15 miles south of Freeport,
Ohio. The total land distance from there to Perry County, Illinois is
about 515 miles. At a rate of 15 miles
a day they would need at least 5 weeks to make the journey via this land
route. Also travel by this route was
probably be considered safer than by water especially since the topography
along the way is essentially without mountains or large swamps and bodies of
water. If they decided on a journey on
the Ohio River they would have had to travel east about 30 miles to reach the
River. The total water distance on the
river would be at least 970 miles. If
the downriver current traveled about 7 miles per hour they could cover at
least 70 miles per day. Thus they
could make the entire trip in as little time as two weeks. The water trip could be considered more
dangerous especially if a “family of farmers” are attempting to navigate the
river’s currents and natural obstructions.
We’ll probably never know which mode of travel was chosen but we do
known that Sarah and Griffin along with their daughter Sarah and son-in-law
Lemuel Watt did settle in Tamaroa, Perry
County, Illinois.
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Illinois c. 1841 –
Missouri 1842 Around 1841 Disbury(Disberry) Johnson, eldest son of Griffin and Sarah Johnson
joined the family group that went west from Ohio into Illinois. This group included their children one of
whom was our 2nd great-grandmother Mary Vinnell Johnson as well as
Disbury’s aforementioned parents and sister Sarah. Disbury probably stayed a short time in
Perry County, Illinois before moving across the Mississippi River,
in 1842, to an area in the southeastern corner of Osage
County, that would become Maries
County in 1855. Sometime
between 1852 and 1857 he again moved to Lewis
County, Missouri. Disbury
died in 1883 at the age of 84, and is buried in Union
Township, Lewis County, Missouri. |
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Missouri c. 1893 – Oklahoma, 1906 Mary Vinnell Johnson came to Osage County, Missouri
in 1842 with her family. She married
William Lewis Pinnell, a native of
that county, in January 1845. From
that time until about 1893 she most likely continued to live in the township
of Jefferson that became a part of Maries County in 1855. After her husband passed in 1887 she live
with her youngest son William B.M. Pinnell who married in 1887 about
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increase or decrease the zoom value in 10% increments. To zoom ,
press and the
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Source documents
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The documents
contained within the “Source Documents Archives” have been located during my
research of this family, and used as evidence to prove many of the facts contained within the
database of this family’s record. Most of these documents can be considered as
primary or secondary evidence. Primary evidence
is usually defined as the best available to prove the fact in question,
usually in an original document or record.
Secondary evidence
is in essence all that evidence which is inferior in its origin to primary
evidence. That does not mean secondary evidence is always in error, but there
is a greater chance of error. Examples
of this type of evidence would be a copy of an original record, or oral
testimony of a record’s contents.
Published genealogies and family histories are also secondary
evidence. Classifying evidence as either primary or
secondary does not tell anything about its accuracy or ultimate value. This is especially true of secondary
evidence. Thus it is always a good
idea to ask the following questions: (1) How far removed from the original is
it, (when it is a copy)?; (2) What was the reason for the creation of the
source which contains this evidence?; and (3) Who was responsible for
creating this secondary evidence and what interest did they have in its accuracy?
SOURCE: Greenwood, Val D., The Researcher’s Guide
to American Genealogy, 2nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., You are welcome to
download any of the documents contained within this archive. Should you encounter a problem obtaining a
copy you may get in touch with us via the contact information
found at the end of this page. |
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Use the following LINK to view the source documents pertaining to this family. |
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Web resources
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This search
engine may provide you
with additional |
information to
assist with your research
about this topic. |
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Our SURNAME
LOCATOR AND RESOURCES web page
contains the following: (1) links that will take you to an updated listing of
all surnames as posted in our three databases at the Rootsweb WorldConnect
Project; (2) the Surname List Finder a tool that finds
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Your genealogy research of this surname can be facilitated by use of SURNAME WEB. This website links to the majority of the surname data on
the web, as well as to individual family trees, origin and surname meaning if
known, and many other related genealogy resources. |
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SURNAME
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Linkpendium Surnames - Web sites, obituaries, biographies,
and other material specific to a surname. Cyndi's List - Surnames, Family Associations & Family Newsletters
Index - Sites or resources dedicated to specific, individual
family surnames. FamilySearch.org
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Magazine”, will give you the power to bust through research brick walls and
find answers about your ancestors—all from your home computer. SurnameDB
Free database of surname meanings - This site
SurnameDB.Com contains a large FREE to access database (almost 50,000
surnames) on the history and meaning of family last names. Public Profiler /
World Names - Search for a Surname to view its Map and
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following Link
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During our research we have collected
images and photographs that are of general interest to a particular
family. Some of them are presented on
this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with
additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors
past lives. If you have any photographs or other images
relating to this ancestral family we
would greatly appreciate hearing from you. |
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Use the following LINKS to ascertain whether we have any images that pertain to this family. |
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Contact Information
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Snail Mail: Fred USA |
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Pony Express: Tom Sooke, BC V9Z 0Y7 Canada |
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