Family history

All that we know about this branch of our Johnson ancestors comes from our 2^nd great-grandmother Mary E. (Johnson) McVicker. According to Mary’s responses in the 1900 census, her father was born in Kentucky.

The Information regarding the date and location of Mary Ella Johnson's birth are conflicting. In 1929 Mary stated in a "Declaration For Widow's Pension" that she was born October 31, 1853 in Carter County, Kentucky. According to information obtained from the Federal Census Ella Johnson was born October 1856 in Ohio. In any event Mary and her family moved west from either Ohio or Kentucky to Kansas sometime between her birth and 1877. She married John R. McVicker 1877 in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Between 1878 and 1902 nine children were born to this marriage. We are descended through Mary’s eldest child Minnie V. McVicker.

Mary Ella Johnson passed away in Porterville, California on April 28, 1940. She was 83 years of age at the time. Mary was laid to rest next to her husband on April 30, 1940 at Vandalia Cemetery.

Origins of the surname

Research into the history of this Johnson family line indicates that the meaning and history of this surname is most likely linked to that area of Europe where the English* language is commonly spoken.

Meaning of the Name

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)’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 Family Facts (Ancestry.com)

History of the Name

This personal name 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.

The use of this 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, during the reign of King Edward 1st, 1272 - 1307.

Early Immigrants to North America

During the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th 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 for 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 17^th and 20^th 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.

Source: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=40

*English Surname Meanings & Origins

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 US surnames in the United States are Patronymic in origin, and identified the first bearer of the name by his father (or grandfather in the case of some Irish names). 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

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.

Source: Surname Resources at ROOTSWEB

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Direct ancestors

Descendant Register

Generation 1

Mary Ella Johnson-1 was born on 31 Oct 1853 in Carter County, Kentucky. She died on 28 Apr 1940 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California. She married John Robert McVicker on 01 Apr 1877 in Wichita, Sedgwick Co., Kansas, son of James McVicker and Elizabeth Ross. He was born on 29 May 1844 in Washington Twp., Hocking Co., Ohio. He died on 01 Feb 1929 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California.

Children of Mary Ella Johnson and John Robert McVicker are:

i. Minnie V. McVicker, B: 21 Apr 1878 in Union Twp., Sedgwick Co., Kansas, D: 03 Feb 1920 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California, M: 22 Sep 1897 in Tulare County, California.

ii. Clyde E. McVicker, B: Abt. Feb 1880 in Union Twp., Sedgwick Co., Kansas, D: 10 Nov 1882 in Union Twp., Sedgwick Co., Kansas.

iii. Sarah Elizabeth McVicker, B: 18 Feb 1882 in Kansas, D: 20 Apr 1982 in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Co., California, M: 25 Jan 1905 in Tulare County, California.

iv. John Harvey McVicker, B: 08 Feb 1884 in Wichita, Sedgwick Co., Kansas, D: 24 Jun 1970 in Porterville, Tulare Co., California, M: 17 Sep 1914.

4. Wiley Smith McVicker, B: 22 Mar 1886 in Kansas, D: 16 Jun 1964 in Orange County, California.

5. William Earl McVicker, B: 06 Mar 1889 in Kansas, D: 26 May 1952 in Kern County, California.

6. Bessie P. McVicker, B: 14 May 1892 in Tulare County, California, D: 01 Feb 1978 in Orange County, California.

7. Nevada I. McVicker, B: 14 Jul 1897 in Plano, Tulare Co., California, D: 01 Jan 1990 in San Bernardo County, California.

ix. F. Ross McVicker, B: 1902 in Poplar, Tulare Co., California, D: Mar 1954 in Tulare County, California.

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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Ancestral locations

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. The names of states and counties on the following list were derived from the known places where the persons in the “Direct Ancestors” list (see above) were born, married, and/or died.

COUNTRY

STATE

COUNTY / SUBDIVISION

UNITED STATES

OF AMERICA

California

Tulare

Kansas

Sedgwick

Kentucky

Carter

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ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS

Source documents

The documents contained herein have been located during our 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. 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, 2^nd edition, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 21202, 1990, pgs. 62-63

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