Johnsons in Samuel Johnson's Sphere

©  Kathy Duncan, 2020

This could just as easily be called the curse of the common name.

In my efforts track Samuel Johnson, who married Esther Bryant, who died in Pike County, Illinois prior to 1848, and who left four orphan children, I am been trying to locate ANY other Johnson associated with him. To date, I've found three possibilities.

First up is Martha Johnson, age 74 in 1860. She was living in the household of Isaac S. and Catherine (Hay) Brown. Martha Johnson was born in New York:

This Martha Johnson is worth noting because Isaac  S. Brown's son John Deloss Brown married Samuel Johnson's daughter Nancy Johnson in Pike County three years prior to this census in 1857. In 1850 Martha Johnson was living alone in her own household in the same community. That census showed her with $100 in real estate. It's also worth noting that Isaac S. Brown's mother-in-law Amy Hay who is also in the household in 1860 was born in New York, too. So far, I don't know how Martha Johnson might connect to Samuel Johnson. Since she is a contemporary of Amy Hay, I could speculate that she was Samuel Johnson's mother. The Brown's might taken in Nancy (Johnson) Brown's grandmother. She could be an aunt of Samuel's. If Samuel was many years older than his wife Esther Bryant, then Martha might be his old maid sister or his widowed sister-in-law. However, Martha Johnson's New York birthplace might indicate a connection to Amy Hay. They could have been sisters. Since they are the same age, could they have been twin sisters? The only thing I can figure out is that Martha Johnson had $100 in real estate that I need to locate in the deed records. Knowing how she acquired it and how she disposed of it may shed some light on her connection.

Next up is John A. Johnson, who witnessed this 1834 land deed transaction for Samuel Johnson in Pike County, Illinois:

Before I get into John A. Johnson, can I just say how sweet it is to see Esther's name on this deed? Since it is dated in 1834 and eldest son Pete Johnson was born about 1834, I feel more confident that Esther was the mother of all the Johnson children. That has been a question mark in my mind since Esther was only 34 in 1850 and Pete Johnson was already 16. That means she was a very young bride and mother.

This John Johnson seems most likely to be relative of some sort. Brother or father seems like the best possibility. Although, cousin or uncle cannot be ruled out. Now that I look at this, I don't think I can be certain that the middle initial is an A. So I just stopped writing and took a moment to search for capital As among this clerk's capital letters. As luck would have it, I did not have to look far. This deed was from Samuel Johnson to R. R. Green and Austin Barber. Here's what Austin Barber's name looks like earlier in the text:

Based on this, I'd say John Johnson's middle initial is an A. I have not had much luck tracking John A. Johnson. I need to look for him in the land deeds. Then what?

I've saved the best and most puzzling for last. William Johnson of Burr Oak, Kansas came calling on his cousin Nancy (Johnson) Brown in 1894. She was living in Weldon, DeWitt Co., IL at the time. I believe the clipping is accurate in identifying this William is a cousin. Nancy did not have any brothers named William, and as far as I can tell, she did not have a nephew named William.

In 1900 there was a William Johnson in Burr Oak, Jewell County, Kansas who was divorced and living with his grown son Edward C. Johnson. I've located William's ex-wife and his other children, and I've tracked William back to the 1880 census. However, I have not definitively linked this William Johnson to his parents. Knowing who is father was might provide the key to solving my Samuel Johnson problem.