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JOHNSON (1)

 

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Johnson

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the Surname

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the Surname

Armorial Bearings

& Motto(es)

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Family history

JOHNSON (1)

 

Family History

   

     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.

 

Origins of the surname

JOHNSON (1)

Origins of the Surname

An Introduction

to the Surname

Source/Meaning

of the Surname

History of

the Surname

More About Surnames

 

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. 

 

 

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)’.

 

 

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.

 

 

More About Surname Meanings & Origins

English Surnames

Although the Domesday Book compiled by William the Conqueror required surnames, the use of them in the British Isles did not become fixed until the time period between 1250 and 1450.  The broad range of ethnic and linguistic roots for British surnames reflects the history of Britain as an oft-invaded land. These roots include, but are not limited to, Old English, Middle English, Old French, Old Norse, Irish, Gaelic, Celtic, Pictish, Welsh, Gaulish, Germanic, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.  Throughout the British Isles, there are basically five types of native surnames. Some surnames were derived from a man's occupation (Carpenter, Taylor, Brewer, Mason), a practice that was commonplace by the end of the 14th century.  Place names reflected a location of residence and were also commonly used (Hill, Brook, Forrest, Dale) as a basis for the surname, for reasons that can be easily understood.  Nicknames that stuck also became surnames.  About one-third of all surnames in the United Kingdom are patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father (or grandfather in the case of some Irish names). When the coast of England was invaded by William The Conqueror in the year 1066, the Normans brought with them a store of French personal names, which soon, more or less, entirely replaced the traditional more varied Old English personal names, at least among the upper and middle classes. A century of so later, given names of the principal saints of the Christian church began to be used. It is from these two types of given name that the majority of the English patronymic surnames are derived and used to this day.  Acquired ornamental names were simply made up, and had no specific reflection on the first who bore the name. They simply sounded nice, or were made up as a means of identification, generally much later than most surnames were adopted.  Source: http://www.obcgs.com/LASTNAMES.htm

Variations of the surname

JOHNSON (1)

Variations of
the Surname

 

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.   

 

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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Coat of arms

JOHNSON (1)

Armorial Bearings & Motto(es)

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.

 

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.” 

 

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 :

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 TorseThe 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.

Direct ancestors

JOHNSON (1)

Ancestral Lineage

Descendant Register

Generation 1

 

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.

 

Generation 2

 

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.

 

Generation 3

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

 

Generation 4

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.

 

Generation 5

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.

 

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.

 

MMPS Surname Locator

Free Genealogy Surname
 Search From Google

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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. 

Ancestral locations

JOHNSON (1)

 

Researching 
by Location

 

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.

Locations of

Direct Ancestors

Locational Distribution

of  this Surname

Where In the World

are my Ancestors?

 

Locatiof Direct Ancestors

Locations of Our Direct Ancestors

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.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED STATES

ILLINOIS

Tamaroa

MARYLAND

Washington

MISSOURI

Maries; Osage; Lewis

OHIO

Guernsey; Harrison; Tuscarawas

OKLAHOMA

Jackson

PENNSYLVANIA

Westmoreland

Use this LINK to find out more about the locations listed above.

ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

Locational distributionstors

Locational Distribution of This Surname

     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. 

 

United States of America

Key

European Country of Origin

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.

Wjere are my ancestors Ancestors

Where in the World
are My Ancestors?

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 

MAPS

GAZETTEERS

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.

Migration routes

JOHNSON (1)

Migrations of the
American Family

       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. 

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.

 

 

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. 

 

  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.

 

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

five months after the death of his father.  Around 1893 William moved his family to California.  It is most probable that Mary Vinnell (Johnson) Pinnell decided at that time to move to Oklahoma to live with her eldest son Asa Disbury Pinnell.   It appears that sometime between 1880 and 1886, Asa had moved his family from Missouri to that part of Texas that would eventually become Jackson County, Oklahoma.  Mary Vinnell probably traveled most of the approximately 600 miles between Maries County, Missouri and Altus, Oklahoma on the railroad.  She lived the remainder of her life in Altus Township until she passed away in 1906. 

Railroads in 1890 between Maries

County, MO and Jackson County, OK

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Source documents

JOHNSON (1)

Source
Documents

 

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., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

 

You are welcome to download any of the documents contained within this archive.

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Use the following LINK to view the source documents pertaining

 to this family.

 

SOURCE DOCUMENTS

Web resources

JOHNSON (1)

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JOHNSON (1)

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Contact Information

Contact Information

 

Email

Snail Mail:

Fred
889 Dante Ct.
Mantua, NJ 08051

USA

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Pony Express:

Tom
6484 Riverstone Dr

Sooke, BC V9Z 0Y7

Canada