On A Quest

[NOIRTRASH]

In her 1869 autobiography my ancestor Susannah Brooks-Johnson revealed our Johnson Line is from Lichfield, Staffordshire, and linked to Samuel Johnson LLD in some way, she wasn't sure how. So I been looking for the connection. Samuel's chief claim to fame is the dictionary he created, and the standardization of English spelling. He was no PILOT, but he did okay.

Fat books were written about Samuel's antecedents, but most of the information pertains to his mother's people. The information about Samuel's father, Michael Johnson, is slim. Michael was a book-seller and printer. he had two brothers, Andrew Johnson and Benjamin Johnson, who served apprenticeships to London booksellers, and quietly vanished after their mother died around the end of the 1600s. One day theyre in the various records, then gone forever.

My 5th great grandfather was a man named Benjamin Johnson, born 1702 in Virginia to unknown parents of God knows where. His birth fits well with the dates for the Benjamin Johnson who vanished from Lichfield close to 1700.

 

[quietlylooking]

In her 1869 autobiography my ancestor Susannah Brooks-Johnson revealed our Johnson Line is from Lichfield, Staffordshire, and linked to Samuel Johnson LLD in some way, she wasn't sure how. So I been looking for the connection. Samuel's chief claim to fame is the dictionary he created, and the standardization of English spelling. He was no PILOT, but he did okay.

Fat books were written about Samuel's antecedents, but most of the information pertains to his mother's people. The information about Samuel's father, Michael Johnson, is slim. Michael was a book-seller and printer. he had two brothers, Andrew Johnson and Benjamin Johnson, who served apprenticeships to London booksellers, and quietly vanished after their mother died around the end of the 1600s. One day theyre in the various records, then gone forever.

My 5th great grandfather was a man named Benjamin Johnson, born 1702 in Virginia to unknown parents of God knows where. His birth fits well with the dates for the Benjamin Johnson who vanished from Lichfield close to 1700.

Some of my ancestors hailed from just down the road from yours, in Walsall. Far less illustrious than yours, from what I have learned. And while I have ancestors who came to the Carolinas in the 1600s, they were a different branch on the tree that is me.

 

[ishtat]

In her 1869 autobiography my ancestor Susannah Brooks-Johnson revealed our Johnson Line is from Lichfield, Staffordshire, and linked to Samuel Johnson LLD in some way, she wasn't sure how. So I been looking for the connection. Samuel's chief claim to fame is the dictionary he created, and the standardization of English spelling. He was no PILOT, but he did okay.

Fat books were written about Samuel's antecedents, but most of the information pertains to his mother's people. The information about Samuel's father, Michael Johnson, is slim. Michael was a book-seller and printer. he had two brothers, Andrew Johnson and Benjamin Johnson, who served apprenticeships to London booksellers, and quietly vanished after their mother died around the end of the 1600s. One day theyre in the various records, then gone forever.

My 5th great grandfather was a man named Benjamin Johnson, born 1702 in Virginia to unknown parents of God knows where. His birth fits well with the dates for the Benjamin Johnson who vanished from Lichfield close to 1700.

If you cannot find a Benjamin Johnson emigrating from the UK at the right time it might be worth checking to see whether he emigrated via the West Indies. Quite a lot of Englishmen went there first mainly because the sugar trade was more important economically to the Brits than the American colonies were right up to the 1770's.

My wife's family ancestors were mixed Portuguese/Brits based in Bristol UK. They were in shipping and after about 1722 bought men who had been sentenced for various crimes and sold them as indentured servants/slaves in the US for the term of their sentence. Prior to 1722 I don't think prisoners were sent out from UK but skilled men like Benjamin did sometimes contract indentures to pay for their transport and re-settlement. The family never got enough capital to take part in the Atlantic slave trade but they regularly shipped surplus slaves from the West Indies to the South coast of the US. These were mainly young girls with a baby. Girls weren't much use on sugar plantations but proven breeders apparently sold quite well in trade to the American colonies.

Staffordshire County records office might help with church records and manorial rolls. Stafford County Records Office's documents are accessible by internet but the indexing isn't too flash

 

[NOIRTRASH]

If you cannot find a Benjamin Johnson emigrating from the UK at the right time it might be worth checking to see whether he emigrated via the West Indies. Quite a lot of Englishmen went there first mainly because the sugar trade was more important economically to the Brits than the American colonies were right up to the 1770's.

My wife's family ancestors were mixed Portuguese/Brits based in Bristol UK. They were in shipping and after about 1722 bought men who had been sentenced for various crimes and sold them as indentured servants/slaves in the US for the term of their sentence. Prior to 1722 I don't think prisoners were sent out from UK but skilled men like Benjamin did sometimes contract indentures to pay for their transport and re-settlement. The family never got enough capital to take part in the Atlantic slave trade but they regularly shipped surplus slaves from the West Indies to the South coast of the US. These were mainly young girls with a baby. Girls weren't much use on sugar plantations but proven breeders apparently sold quite well in trade to the American colonies.

Staffordshire County records office might help with church records and manorial rolls. Stafford County Records Office's documents are accessible by internet but the indexing isn't too flash

Scholars already done it long ago. They were curious to learn what became of Benjamin and Andrew, Samuels uncles.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Come on Jimmy, wake up. You're talking England here - 'perfidious Albion.'

They killed a King around then didn't they, and then they tried to do away with his son, also king, as well!

What do YOU think happened to his supporters - especially any that 'may have' ended up within a bull's roar of any of the following places: New YORK, Virginia, Arlington, Ashley, Lauderdale, Clifford, Morganstown...?

Or Albany. Or Charleston. Or Jameston. Or any of the other aristocracy and heavier-duty merchant class who supported the Stuarts - but who seemed to have towns and cities named after them in 'the New World.' Which then had a War of Independence against those clowns back in London - who I see recently are selling out to the Islamic Caliphate. Typical. Anything for a few bucks.

They (Johnsons and so on) are not 'recorded' because none of the aristocracy since around then (which ARE recorded, of course) ARE REAL! Well, not many, anyway.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Come on Jimmy, wake up. You're talking England here - 'perfidious Albion.'

They killed a King around then didn't they, and then they tried to do away with his son, also king, as well!

What do YOU think happened to his supporters - especially any that 'may have' ended up within a bull's roar of any of the following places: New YORK, Virginia, Arlington, Ashley, Lauderdale, Clifford, Morganstown...?

Or Albany. Or Charleston. Or Jameston. Or any of the other aristocracy and heavier-duty merchant class who supported the Stuarts - but who seemed to have towns and cities named after them in 'the New World.' Which then had a War of Independence against those clowns back in London - who I see recently are selling out to the Islamic Caliphate. Typical. Anything for a few bucks.

They (Johnsons and so on) are not 'recorded' because none of the aristocracy since around then (which ARE recorded, of course) ARE REAL! Well, not many, anyway.

From what I read Lichfield was high on Cromwell's shit list during the civil war. So I wont be surprised if the Johnson brothers fled town for Virginia.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Looks like Andrew Johnson moved to Birmingham, got married, and had 3 kids. The kids are listed in Samuel Johnsons will. But Benjamin Johnson vanished entirely just after the mother, Catherine Johnson died. Catherine lived with Benjamin.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Okay, looks like I solved the mystery.

Benjamin Johnson migrated to Albemarle County Virginia where he had a son named Benjamin (my ancestor).

Benjamin II married Mary Matlock at Hanover County 1733, Virginia, and had 5 sons: John Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Andrew Johnson, William Johnson, and Benjamin Johnson. John Johnson is my ancestor.

The dates and names are consistent.

 

[ishtat]

From what I read Lichfield was high on Cromwell's shit list during the civil war. So I wont be surprised if the Johnson brothers fled town for Virginia.

Lichfield was both Royalist and Puritan and changed hands a couple of times during the English civil war. The Church and Bishop supported the King, the townsfolk supported Parliament and Cromwell. However it appears that the civil war was well over(about 1650) before your ancestors emigrated.

Possibly however two other events may have pushed and pulled your ancestors to America. Firstly the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688/9 got rid of the last Catholic King, James II, and he was replaced by William and Mary. There were a number of other restrictions on Catholics and Stuart sympathisers pronounced in the (misnamed) Bill of Rights of 1689.

I'm not sure of the dates but around 1690 or 91 the London Virginia Company and Colonial administration decided to restrict Headright (the 50 acre grants of land) to Englishmen. More specifically importing black slaves was no longer a sufficient qualification for land grant. Thus it was more economically attractive to import Brits to get land.

There is a certain piquancy in the possibility that one of the primary reasons for the Johnsons migration may have been that they were officially considered superior to black migrants.

It's also interesting that the Johnsons settled in Albemarle county. Seeing that the population was estimated at only 12,000 in 1790 it must have been pretty much on the frontier when your lot arrived. Interesting stuff, it would be even more so if the reasons for their migration could be discovered.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Lichfield was both Royalist and Puritan and changed hands a couple of times during the English civil war. The Church and Bishop supported the King, the townsfolk supported Parliament and Cromwell. However it appears that the civil war was well over(about 1650) before your ancestors emigrated.

Possibly however two other events may have pushed and pulled your ancestors to America. Firstly the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688/9 got rid of the last Catholic King, James II, and he was replaced by William and Mary. There were a number of other restrictions on Catholics and Stuart sympathisers pronounced in the (misnamed) Bill of Rights of 1689.

I'm not sure of the dates but around 1690 or 91 the London Virginia Company and Colonial administration decided to restrict Headright (the 50 acre grants of land) to Englishmen. More specifically importing black slaves was no longer a sufficient qualification for land grant. Thus it was more economically attractive to import Brits to get land.

There is a certain piquancy in the possibility that one of the primary reasons for the Johnsons migration may have been that they were officially considered superior to black migrants.

It's also interesting that the Johnsons settled in Albemarle county. Seeing that the population was estimated at only 12,000 in 1790 it must have been pretty much on the frontier when your lot arrived. Interesting stuff, it would be even more so if the reasons for their migration could be discovered.

The region around Albemarle County was full of Johnsons, few of them related to me. But Albemarle is adjacent to counties where my Johnsons settled, Hanover and Louisa Counties. So Albemarle is no gross stretch of plausibility. My Johnsons moved about the area around Staffordshire, mostly Derbyshire and Birmingham. I assume my Benjamin Johnson inherited some modest material solace from his mother's death of 1697, and went to Virginia at Jamestown.

 

[SenorFuego]

Tell me when this quest comes to the bull-shit dead-end.