Johnson-Hatteras
Island Group
Genealogy
Report
Information from Paul
Heinegg's site:
http://www.freeafricanamericans.com
extracted by: Jen
JOHNSON
FAMILY
1.
Anthony1 Johnson "Negro," probably born about 1600, was
free before 10 January 1647 when he purchased
a calf from James Berry by deed proved in Northampton County, Virginia [ODW
1651-54, 123]. He patented 250 acres in Northampton County at "great
Naswattock Creek" for the transportation of five persons, including his son
Richard Johnson, on 24 July 1651 [Patents 1643-51, 326]. His wife Mary and their
two daughters were excused from paying taxes by the Northampton County, Virginia
court on 28 February 1652:
... they have been
Inhabitants in Virginia above thirty years ... ordered that from the day of the
date hearof (during their natural lives) the sd Mary Johnson & two daughters
of Anthony Johnson Negro be disengaged and freed from payment of Taxes ... [ODW
1651-54, fol.161].
His "Negro
servant," John Casor, attempted to gain his freedom by claiming he had been
imported as an indentured servant. In 1653 Casor appealed to Captain Samuel
Goldsmith who tried to intervene in his behalf, but Johnson insisted that
hee had ye Negro
for his life [ODW 1651-54, 226].
Johnson's wife and
children tried to persuade him to release Casor, and his neighbor, Robert
Parker, apparently allowed Casor to stay on his property. However, Anthony
Johnson bought suit in Northampton County court against Robert Parker in 1654
for detaining his "Negro servant, John Casor," and the court upheld
Johnson's right to hold Casor as a slave [Orders 1655-58, 10].
In 1665 he and his
wife Mary, his son John and his wife Susanna, and their slave John Casor moved
to Somerset County, Maryland, with Randall Revell and Ann Toft, who claimed them
and many whites as head rights for 2,350 acres of land [Patents 8:495-6].
Anthony and his wife sold 250 acres of their own land, left 50 acres to their
son Richard, and took fourteen head of cattle, a mare, and eighteen sheep with
them [Accomack DW 1664-71, fol.10; p.12-fol.12]. On 10 September 1666 he leased
300 acres in Somerset County on the south side of Wicomico Creek in Wicomico
Hundred, called "Tonies Vinyard," for two hundred years [Land Records
O-1:32-33].
Anthony apparently
died before August 1670 when "a jury of white men" in Accomack County
decided that his land should be escheated since "he was a Negroe and by
consequence an alien" [Virginia Genealogist 2:20, 109-113]. His
lease in Somerset County, Maryland, was renegotiated by his widow Mary for
ninety-nine years with the provision that her sons John and Richard would assume
the lease after her death [Land Records O-2, 20-21]. Her slave, John Casor,
recorded his livestock brand in court with her consent on 3 September 1672, and
she recorded her mark a few weeks later on 26 September 1672 [Archives of
Maryland 54:760-1]. He was called "John Cazara Negro" when he was
a witness (signing) to a power of attorney by which she assigned her son John
authority over her property and authority to sue for some debts in Virginia, and
he was also witness on 3 September 1672 to her deed of gift to her
grandchildren. She called herself "Mary Johnson ... Negro (the relict of
Anthony Johnson ... Negro deceased)" in the deed by which she gave cattle
to her three grandchildren: Anthony, Richard, and Francis [Somerset County
Judicial Record 1671-75, 159-62]. She was called "Mary Johnson of
Wiccocomoco ... widow" in July 1676 when she purchased a mare and assigned
it to John Corsala (her slave) [Somerset County Judicial Records 1675-7, 95].
She was called executor of Anthony Johnson deceased on 17 January 1690 when
Edward Revell acted as her attorney in a suit she brought in Accomack County
court [WDO 1678-82, 154]. She was living in Sussex County, Delaware, in March
1693/4 when Mary Okey appeared in court to support her complaint that her son
John was not maintaining her as he had promised [Court Records 1680-99, 646,
655]. The children of Anthony and Mary Johnson were
2
i. John1, say 1631.
3
ii. Richard1, born about 1632.
iii.
a daughter, excused from paying tax by the February 1652 Northampton County
court, perhaps the Joan1 Johnson who in 1657 received 100 acres in
Northampton County from "Deabendanba, Kinge of nusangs," being land
next to her brother John [Whitelaw, Virginia's Eastern Shore, 671].
iv.
a daughter, excused from paying tax by the February 1652 Northampton County
court.
2.
John1 Johnson, born say 1631, received a grant for 550 acres in
Northampton County on 10 May 1652 "at great Naswattock Cr. adjacent to 200
acres granted Anthony Johnson" for the importation of eleven persons
including Mary Johnson [Patents 3:101]. He received this patent after suing a
white resident of the county, also named John Johnson, who tried to illegally
take possession of the land [DW 1657-66, 57-58, 103; DW 1651-54, fol.200]. In
1660 he was head of a household of two tithables in Northampton County, called
John Johnson Negro. He and his wife Susanna sold their land in 1664 [Whitelaw, Virginia's
Eastern Shore, 671]. In November 1654 he and Mary Gersheene, an
African American servant of his father, were punished for fornication [ODW
1654-55, fol.35, ODW 1651-54 p.226-fol.226]. On 17 January 1664/5 his wife
Susannah petitioned the Northampton County court to release him from jail where
he was held for begetting a child by Hannah Leach who was probably white [Orders
1664-74, fol.92]. In 1665 he moved to Somerset County, Maryland, with his
parents.
He was called
"John Johnson Negro" on 11 March 1667/8 when he and two white men,
Alexander King and John Richards, were charged in Somerset County court with
stealing corn from an Indian named Katackcuweiticks. They confessed their guilt
and were ordered to deliver two barrels of corn to the King of the Manoakin at
Manoakin Town. John was sued by Randall Revell in Somerset County court for a
minor debt on 13 January 1674/5 and appeared as a witness in a court case
against Revell. The justices were at first doubtful about admitting the
testimony of an African American against a white person. However, his testimony
was allowed after he assured the court that he was a Christian and "did
rightly understand the taking of an oath." He gave his age as thirty-seven
in his deposition in 1670. He testified again in 1676 and was witness to several
deeds. Edward Surman appointed him as guardian ("assistant") to his
children by his will which was proved in Somerset County court on 10 January
1676/7 [Archives of Maryland, 54:675, 707, 712; Judicial Records 1670-1,
10, 15, 6, 205; 1671-5, 41, 260, 267-8, 429, 457-8; 1675-7, 47, 78]. He moved to
Sussex County, Delaware, where he received a patent for 400 acres on Rehoboth
Bay in September 1677. He purchased 200 acres in Sussex County and sold this
land by deed which he acknowledged in court in April 1683. In August 1683 he was
accused of murdering his wife Susan. The court took depositions from John Okey
and Jeffry Summerford, and released him because they saw "no sign of
murder." He appeared in Sussex County court as a witness on seven occasions
between March 1680/81 and February 1688. He sued John Okey for debt in May 1685.
And he was a defendant on sixteen occasions, mainly for debts. The court
postponed action on one of these cases because he was in Virginia between
December 1684 and May 1685. He was identified as a "Negro" on only
three of these occasions, one a case in which he had the estate of Nathaniel
Bradford in his custody. In August 1704 he was called "John Johnson, Free
Nigroe, Aged Eighty Years and Poor and Past his Labour" when the Sussex
County court agreed to maintain him for his lifetime on public funds. He was
apparently still living in November 1707 when Walter Groombridge had a suit
against him for a debt of three pounds [Horle, Records of the Sussex County
Court, 103, 110, 144, 166, 190, 193, 204, 214, 216, 229, 235, 251, 253, 299,
315, 342, 356, 365, 384, 447, 462, 516, 540, 635, 797, 857, 919, 1201, 1314].
John1's children were
4
i. John2, born say 1650.
ii.
Anthony2, born say 1655, devised a cow and a calf by the will of his
grandmother Mary Johnson. He was sued in Sussex County, Delaware court on 7 May
1706 and was a witness in a Sussex County case in November 1709 [Horle, Records
of the Sussex County Court, 1227, 1291].
iii.
?Joan2, a "Negro," married John Puckham, a baptized Monie
tribesman, on 25 February 1682/3 in Somerset County, Maryland [Register of Liber
IKL, Somerset Courthouse by Torrence, Old Somerset, 143]. See the Puckham
history.
iv.
an unnamed son, born say 1667. William Futcher claimed in February 1689 Sussex
County court that Johnson's son had been bound to serve him for nine years. The
suit was canceled because of Futcher's death [Court Records 1680-99, 294, 322,
342].
v.
?Elizabeth, born say 1670, living in Accomack County on 2 February 1702/3 when
the court dismissed a case brought against her by William Yeo [Orders 1697-1703,
135a].
vi.
?Comfort, born say 1680, "free Nigrene," presented by the Sussex
County, Delaware court for having a bastard child in 1699. James Walker of
Rehoboth Bay agreed to pay her fine and give her a three-year-old heifer in
exchange for her serving him an additional thirteen months, and she bound her
two-year-old son to him until the age of twenty-one years [Court Records
1680-99, 768, 774, 775]. In February 1706 she confessed to having a bastard
child by Justice William Bagwell's servant, Patrick Delany, and in May 1706 she
admitted to having a child by Rice Morgan [Horle, Records of the Sussex
County Court, 1218, 1219, 1276, 1281].
3.
Richard1 Johnson, born about 1632, was one of the five persons his
father claimed head rights for in 1651. On 8 February 1653 Governor Richard
Bennett instructed Nathaniel Littleton to deliver a black cow to him. On 28
September 1652 he claimed two headrights, and on 21 November 1654 he received a
patent for 100 acres in Northampton County adjoining his father and his brother
John [ODW 1651-54, fol.103, p.133; Patents 1652-55, 296]. On 19 January 1663/4
he brought suit in Accomack County court against Richard Buckland:
The Difference
depending betweene Richard Johnson negro plt. & Richard Buckland defdt.
concerning a house to bee built by ye sd Johnson for ye sd Buckland ... [DW
1663-66, 54].
He remained in
Accomack County on 50 acres left to him by his father when his father took the
rest of the family to Maryland [Accomack DW 1664-71, p.12-fol.12]. He purchased
590 acres near Matomkin from Christopher Tompson in December 1675 and conveyed
half this land to his son Francis in 1678 [WD 1676-90, 14; Virginia's Eastern
Shore, 1088]. He was taxable in Accomack County on two tithes from 1676 to
168? (called Richard Johnson, Sen.) [Orders 1676-8, 34, 57; WDO 1678-82, 18,
100]. He was sued for debt by Christopher Thompson on 14 September 1677 in
Accomack County court [Orders 1676-8, 66, 84]. On 17 November 1681 his suit in
Accomack County court against (his son) Richard Johnson, Jr., was dismissed. On
18 October 1682 he admitted to the Accomack County court that he owed William
Parker 682 pounds of tobacco. On 3 December 1684, he admitted that he owed
Walter Harges 1,000 pounds of tobacco, and he was sued by John Cole for 5,978
pounds of tobacco. He died before 19 March 1689 when his wife Susan Johnson,
called a widow, was sued by Hendrick Johnson for some cooper's work he had
performed for her after her husband's death [WDO 1678-82, 55, 155, 268, 322].
She came into court to give account of the estate of William Silverthorne which
included several yards of linen lent to "Richard Johnson Negro Since
deceased" [W&Co 1682-97, 142, 155, 157]. She may have been white since
their son Richard was called a "Mulatto." Their children were
i.
Francis, born say 1655, received a calf by his grandmother's 3 September 1672
Somerset County deed of gift. He apprenticed himself to George Phebus in
Somerset County for three years to be a cooper in November 1673 [Judicial
Records 1671-75, 161-2, 336-7]. He moved to Sussex County, Delaware, with his
uncle John1 Johnson by 8 September 1685 when he was summoned as a
witness in a court case between William Futcher and John Crew [Court Records
1680-99, 99]. He sued Henry Stretcher in Sussex court in November 1686, and he
was called "Francis Johnson, the Negro" in June 1687 when the court
ordered William Orion to pay him 20 shillings for taking up his runaway servant,
John Martin. He testified in court for Henry Stretcher in October 1687. He was
in Accomack County about February 1689 (called "Francis Johnson Mollatto"
and "Brother" of Richard Johnson) when he agreed to complete a fence
which Richard contracted to build for Colonel John West. In 1689 he sold the
land in Accomack County which his father had conveyed to him in 1678 in order to
pay a debt of 6,000 pounds of tobacco [WD 1676-90, 507a, 508; W&Co 1682-97,
155a, 156, 187-187a]. He was living on land adjoining William Futcher in
Rehoboth Bay, Sussex County, in December 1690 and testified in Sussex County in
March 1693 in a case between John Barker and Aminadab Handsor [Horle, Records
of the Sussex County Court, 757; Court Records 1680-99, 600]. On 4 November
1707 Hill Drummond brought suit against him in Accomack County court for
uttering scandalous words [Orders 1703-9, 103-103a]. On 8 April 1713 he paid
Comfort Driggers' fine of 500 pounds of tobacco for the illegitimate
child she had in Accomack County earlier that year. Perhaps Elizabeth Johnson,
who gave evidence against Comfort, was a relation of his [Orders 1710-4, 56a,
58]. He was security in Accomack County court for Edward Winslow and his wife
Anne who failed to appear to answer Thomas Dashiell and Ephraim Heather of
Somerset County [Orders 1714-7, 19]. He may have been the Fran. Johnson who
William Driggus appointed as one of the executors of his 7 June 1720
Somerset County will [WB 17:285].
ii.
Richard2, born say 1660, received a calf by his grandmother's 3
September 1672 Somerset County deed of gift [Judicial Records 1671-75, 161-162].
He and his wife Anne Johnson were servants of John Cole of Accomack County in
1680. She was required to serve her former master, William Whittington, an
additional four years for having two illegitimate children while in his service
[Northampton Orders 1678-83, 34; Accomack WDO 1678-82, 288-9]. On 3 September
1679 he was called Richard Johnson, Jr., when John Cole and his wife sued him in
Accomack County court for kicking Mrs. Cole. On 5 August 1681 he deposed that
about Christmas of 1680 he was the servant of John Cole of Motamkin [WDO
1678-82, 108, 288]. On 3 April 1688 Adam Michael sued him for 5,000 pounds of
tobacco as a penalty for his nonperformance of a bond, and on 20 December 1688
Colonel John West sued him for failure to build a fence consisting of 400 wood
panels for his cornfield (called "Richard Johnson Mollatto"). Richard
completed only forty or fifty of the panels before turning the work over to
"his Brother Francis Johnson" in exchange for a gun and several other
items. On 16 June 1689 Captain William Custis won a suit for about one pound
against Maximillian Gore who acted as his security. He was a tithable head of an
Accomack County household in 1692. Esther Pharis identified him as the father of
her illegitimate child who was born on 4 June 1695 [W&cO 1682-97, 129a,
132a, 150a, 155a, 156, 160, 258a; Orders 1690-9, 153, 173]. He was called
"Richard Johnson, Mollattoe" in September 1699 when the Sussex County,
Delaware court presented him for stealing a mare belonging to William Faucett of
Somerset County. He was excused after explaining that he had already returned
the mare, "taking of the Mare threw mistake, being so like his mare"
[Court Records 1680-99, 780]. On 8 October 1707 he was called Richard Johnson
"Mulatta" in Accomack County court when Hill Drummond brought a suit
against him for debt [Orders 1703-9, 103-103a]. He may have been the Richard
Johnson of Carteret County, North Carolina, who purchased 130 acres on Core
Sound on the east side of North River from George Cogdell and sold this land on
2 October 1724 to (his nephew?) Jacob Johnson and (his niece's husband?)
Theophilus Norwood. The deed was proved by John Simpson and Enoch Ward, who also
proved the will of (his brother?) William1 Johnson [DB C:113-4].
iii.
?Morris, born say 1662, a "mulatto" who bound himself to work for John
Cole of Accomack County for four years in return for 3,569 pounds of tobacco as
well as food, clothes and lodging in September 1690. He registered his cattle
mark in Accomack County on 23 March 1694 [WD 1676-90, 531: W&cO 1682-97,
268].
5
iv. ?William1, born say 1668.
v.
?Abel, born say 1680, tithable head of an Accomack County household in 1692
[W&cO 1682-97, 258a]. He registered his cattle mark in Accomack County on 23
February 1694 and was called "Abel Johnson Molatto" when Ester Rose
(born about 1681) identified him as the father of her illegitimate child in
Accomack County court on 6 August 1700 [WO 1682-97, 268; Orders 1690-07, 126b;
1697-1703, 97]. On 7 September 1732 the Carteret County, North Carolina court
reported that he was (illegally) living together as man and wife with Ann
Witnell, and he produced a certificate to prove they were lawfully married
[Minutes 1723-47, fol.43b-c].
4.
John2 Johnson, born say 1650, was named as John Sr.'s son in 1670
when they recorded their livestock brand in Somerset County, Maryland [Archives
of Maryland 54:757]. On 29 August 1677 he purchased a 44 acre lot on the
east side of the Chesapeake Bay and south side of the Wicomico River called
"Angola." This land probably adjoined "Tonys Vineyard" where
his grandmother was then living [Maryland Provincial Patents, Liber 20:224-5;
Davidson, Free Blacks, 29]. The land was escheated in 1706 with the
notation, "no heirs as I understand" [Maryland Provincial Rent Roll,
Vol. no. 1, 34]. He was in Sussex County, Delaware, in December 1680 when he was
fined for singing "a scurlous disgracfull song" about Samuel Gray and
his wife and would have been whipped if William Futcher had not posted security
for him. He married Elizabeth Lowe (an English woman) in Sussex County,
Delaware, on 13 March 1680/1 [Court Records 1680-99, 2, 23]. She was probably
the Elizabeth Johnson who was twenty years old on 14 August 1683 when she
appeared as a witness in court. He apparently left the county sometime before
February 1683/4 when he was accused of killing a sow belonging to Andrew Depree
and taking the meat to John Okey's house [Horle, Records of the Sussex County
Court, 228, 260]. On 5 March 1699/1700 the Kent County, Delaware court
referred to him and his wife as "John Johnson, a free Negroe, and Elizabeth
his wife (an English woman)" when they were accused of running away and
leaving their seven-year-old daughter Susannah in the custody of Thomas Nicholls.
The court bound her to Nicholls until the age of eighteen [Court Records
1699-1703, 14]. They were the parents of
i.
?John, born say 1682, a "Malattoe" servant boy ordered by the Sussex
County, Delaware court in September 1698 to serve his master, Justice John Hill,
another seven months for running away for a month [Court Records 1680-99, 744].
ii.
Susannah, born about 1693.
5.
William1 Johnston, born say 1668 in Accomack County, Virginia, was
probably a son of Richard1 Johnson since he also lived in Matomkin.
He was a hired servant to John and Gertrude Cropper of Matomkin. He was a
taxable head of a household in Major Bowman's Precinct in 1690. He was called a
"Mullatto" on 8 November 1690 when he and two white men were accused
of stealing goods from the cabin of a Matomkin Indian named Blincks. He won a
suit against his employer, Gertrude Cropper, for 150 pounds of tobacco on 21
December 1692, and he won a suit against James Atkinson for a barrel of corn and
a pair of "French Falls" shoes. In 1698 he was fined for fiddling and
dancing on the Lord's day [Orders 1690-97, 2a-3, 86, 99a, 103, 191; 1697-1703,
p.43a]. He purchased 150 acres near the Deep Creek and Hunting Creek in Matomkin
from Christopher Tompson on 4 April 1699 [W&c 1692-1715, 368-9]. This was
probably near the land (his father?) Richard1 Johnson purchased from
Christopher Tompson in 1675. He and his wife Sarah sold this land in 1708 [Whitelaw,
Virginia's Eastern Shore, 990, 993]. He may have moved to North Carolina
soon afterwards since he was not mentioned again in the Accomack County records.
His 5 November 1726 Carteret County, North Carolina will, proved March 1727/8,
named his sons and daughter, and mentioned his son-in-law Theophilus Norwood,
and grandson William Norwood. His wife Sarah was executor and was to keep
all his land until her death [SS Wills 1722-35, 140]. The 5 March 1727/8 court
mentioned a road on the east side of the North River from Wellses to the widow
Johnston. At the June 1730 Carteret court she paid a debt of about 9 pounds to
Joseph Richards, a New England merchant [Minutes 1723-46, fol.12a, fol.14a]. She
probably died before 27 April 1739 when her sons Ezekiel and Stephen sold their
land [DB D:216-9]. William1's children mentioned in his will were
i.
Thomas, born say 1700, taxable in Craven County, North Carolina, in 1720:
Thomas
Johnson & Jacob }
Johnson
& Stephen Johnson } 3
Mulats
------------------ [SS 837].
ii.
Jacob1, born say 1701, taxable in Craven County in 1720. He and his
brother-in-law, Theophilus Norwood, purchased 130 acres in Carteret County on
Core Sound and the east side of North River from (Jacob's uncle?) Richard2
Johnson on 2 October 1724, and Theophilus sold him his half of this land on 6
June 1727 [DB C:171, 113]. Joseph Wicker, Esqr., informed the 5 March 1727/8
Carteret County court that he was living together in adultery with Ann Johnston.
The court warned them that they would be fined 50 pounds if they continued to
live together. James Shackleford sued him for a 17 pound debt in the June 1730
Carteret County court. The sheriff, Daniel Rees, had a case against him in the 7
December 1736 court, but the jury found in favor of Jacob [Minutes 1723-47,
fol.10a, fol.14a, fol.32d]. He sold 130 acres in Carteret on 16 April 1740 [DB
D:236-7].
iii.
Stephen1, born say 1703, taxable in Craven County in 1720. On 7
September 1732 the Carteret County court received information from Robert Wade
that Stephen Johnson was living together as man and wife with Jane Jones, alias
Jane Bruton, and also that (Stephen's uncle?) Abel Johnson was living together
as man and wife with Ann Witnell. Both couples produced certificates to prove
they were lawfully married [Minutes 1723-47, fol.43b-c]. He and his brother
Ezekiel sold a 320 acre tract in Carteret County on the east side of North River
for 225 pounds on 27 April 1739 [DB D:216-9]. This was land which they received
by their father's will. Stephen moved to New Hanover County with Ezekiel/
Hezekiah, the Stephen Johnston who was listed there in the Muster Roll of
Captain George Merrick's Wilmington Company on 27 November 1752 in the same list
as Stephen Johnston, Jr., who was listed next to Joshua Pavey [Clark, Colonial
Soldiers of the South, 683]. Stephen made oath on 7 July 1772 in New Hanover
County court that he was unable to work on roads [Minutes, 1771-79, 52].
iv.
Elizabeth, born say 1705, married Theophilus Norwood, the Deputy Marshall and
ferry-keeper on North River who was mentioned in her father's will. See the Norwood
Family History.
6
v. John4, born say 1710.
7
vi. Ezekiel/ Hezekiah, born say 1712.
8
vii. Solomon1, born say 1714.
6.
John4 Johnson, born say 1710, received a warrant for 200 acres in
Beaufort County, North Carolina, on 19 November 1744 [Saunders, Colonial
Records of North Carolina, IV:703]. He purchased 50 acres on the north side
of Bay River in the fork of Chapel Creek beginning at Whitehouse Creek in
Beaufort County on 31 May 1748 and made a deed of gift of this land to his son
William4 on 5 December 1765 [DB 2:531; 4:99]. He was head of a
Beaufort County household of 3 black tithables in 1755: "Johnson, Jno &
son & wife" [SS 837]. He entered 100 acres in Bladen County on the
southwest side of the Northwest Branch of Cape Fear River on 26 March 1753 and
100 acres adjoining this land on Pugh's Marsh Swamp on 27 August the same year
when he was called John Johnson, Sr. [Philbeck, Bladen County Land Entries,
nos. 701, 804]. John4 Johnson's children were
i.
John5, Jr., born say 1728, entered 100 acres in Bladen County on the
north side of Pugh's marsh whereon John Oxendine was then living on 27
August 1753, the same day (his father?) John Johnson, Sr., entered land in this
area [Philbeck, Bladen County Land Entries, no.805]. He was taxable with
his unnamed wife in Bladen County in 1763, taxable on 3 "Mulatto"
tithes in Cumberland County in 1767, and taxable with his wife in Bladen County
from 1769 to 1774 ("Molatoes") [Byrd, Bladen County Tax Lists,
I:20, 32, 66, 89, 123]. He and his wife were mentioned in the 19 September 1792
Cumberland County deed of Titus Overton who was a "black"
Bladen County tithable in 1763 and a "Mulatto" taxable in 1767 [N.C.
Genealogy XXI:3132, 3136]. According to the deed, John Johnson and his wife
purchased 100 acres on the northeast side of the Northwest River near Beaverdam
Pond on 27 April 1767, and they were buried there [DB 12:326].
9
ii. ?Abram1, born say 1730.
iii.
?Isaac, born say 1732, taxable on two black tithes in Beaufort County on himself
and his wife in 1755 [SS 837]. He purchased 150 acres on the north side of Bay
River at the mouth of a small creek in Craven County on 17 March 1770 and sold
this land two years later on 20 August 1772 [DB 4:368]. He was a taxable "Molato"
in Bladen County in 1768 [Byrd, Bladen County Tax Lists, I:7] and head of
a Robeson County household of 1 "other free" in 1790 [NC:48].
iv.
?Jesse, born say 1735, taxable on two black tithes in Beaufort County on himself
and his wife in 1755 and 1764 [SS 837].
10 v.
William4, born say 1737.
7.
Ezekiel/Hezekiah Johnson, born say 1712, received land by the February 1728/9
Carteret County will of his father William1 Johnson [SS Wills
1722-35, 140]. He was in Onslow County on 1 February 1734/5 when the Onslow
County court ordered John Arther's wife Elizabeth taken from him and returned to
her husband on Core Sound [Minutes 1734-78, vol. I, fol.2c]. He received an
Onslow County patent for 400 acres on the west side of Turkey Point Creek
adjoining (his brother) Jacob Johnson on 16 November 1738 and received a further
400 acres on the same date [Hoffman, Land Patents, I:122]. He and his
brother Stephen sold their 320 acre tract in Carteret County on the east side of
North River for 225 pounds on 27 April 1739 [DB D:216-9]. This was land they
received by their father's will. Ezekiah purchased four hundred acres in Craven
County on the north side of Neuse River at the mouth of Peter Ecles' upper gut
in August 1743 and another 25 acres in this same area on 31 May 1750 [DB 1:401,
566]. On 10 September 1747 he sold his Onslow County land "known as Ezekiel
Johnston Plantation" [DB C:1]. He was called Hezekiah Johnson when he
recorded his mark in Hyde County court in September 1744 [Haun, Hyde County
Court Minutes, I:47] and was in Craven County in June 1751 when he was fined
by the County court
Hezekiah
Johnston a Mollatto ... for Concealing his Taxable_ for the year 1750 [Haun,
Craven County Court Minutes, IV:46].
He
sold 100 acres of his land in Craven County on the north side of Neuse River on
8 October 1752 [DB 9-10:259] and was taxable on 345 acres in Craven in 1756
[Wills, Deeds, Bonds, Inventories, Accounts of Sales, 316]. As Ezekiel Johnson
he was a taxable head of a New Hanover County household of two "Negro
Males" in 1755 [T&C, box 1]. On 7 December 1759 he was allowed two
pounds and eleven shillings by the General Assembly for the use of a horse
impressed from him on an express from Wilmington to Virginia [Saunders, Colonial
Records of North Carolina, VI:101]. He was awarded 30 shillings by the
Craven County court in his issue on assault against Benjamin Price on 6 July
1763, and he was called Kiah Johnson on 9 April 1767 when he was ordered to pay
Clifford Howe 15 pounds [Minutes 1762-4, 24c; 1767-75, n.p., Thursday court]. He
purchased 100 acres in Craven County on the north side of the Neuse River
joining Thomas Little, "running a mile back," on 9 March 1771 and sold
this same land on 25 December 1774 [DB 19:180; 22:162]. His will (which has not
survived) was proved in Craven County court by Gideon Tingle on 8 March 1784
[Minutes 1779-84, 66c]. The account of sales of his estate, returned in June
court 1784, included buyers Thomas and Levy Muckelroy. There was a letter
remaining in the New Bern Post Office for Hezekiah Johnson in 1788 [Fouts, NC
Gazette of New Bern, I:5]. His wife may have been Ann Johnston, head of a
Craven County household of 2 "other free" in 1790 [NC:134]. His
children were
i.
Jacob2, born 17 November 1735, if he was the "Mulatto boy named
Jacob" (no surname mentioned) who was bound to John Todd of Onslow County
in July 1742 [Minutes 1734-49, fol.19a]. He purchased seven acres in Craven
County adjoining his house and the land of David Roach on 9 March 1768 [DB
15:14] and was called the son of Hezekiah Johnston by the Craven County court on
11 June 1771 when the court recommended that he be exempt from taxes since he
was an infirm person with no estate whatsoever [Minutes 1767-75, 178].
11
ii. ?Jeremiah, born say 1755.
iii.
?Stephen, head of an Onslow County household of 9 "free colored" in
1820 [NC:334].
iv.
?Elizabeth, head of a New Hanover County household of 3 "Molatto"
females and one "Molatto" male under 21 or over 60 in 1786 for the
state census.
v.
?Keziah, born say 1765, married George Curtis, 20 May 1783 Craven County
bond with George Ransom bondsman.
vi.
Solomon3, born 1 August 1771, ordered bound to James Carr as a house
carpenter by the 14 September 1774 Craven County court [Minutes 1779-84, 77a].
He was called "Son of Hesekiah Johnson Dcd" when he was bound to John
Allen to be a millwright by the 18 March 1785 Craven County court [Minutes
1784-86, 13c]. And on 15 June 1786 he was fifteen years old when he was ordered
bound to Thomas Wilson as an apprentice blacksmith [Minutes 1786-87, 3b].
8.
Solomon1 Johnson, born say 1714, was taxable in Bladen County, North
Carolina, with his wife and Jacob Braveboy in 1769 and taxable with his
wife in 1770 and 1771 ("Molatoes") [Byrd, Bladen County Tax Lists,
I:17, 45, 61]. He was granted land in Bladen County on Green Swamp east of
Drowning Creek adjoining William Driggers on 22 December 1768 and sold
this land on 22 July 1769. He purchased 200 acres on the south side of Raft
Swamp from Solomon Johnston, Jr., on 1 January 1770 and was living in St.
Matthew Parish, Georgia, on 3 October 1771 when he sold this land [DB 23:91,
135]. He may have been the father of
i.
Solomon2, born say 1740, called "Solomon Johnston, Junr.,"
a taxable in Bladen County with his wife from 1768 to 1770 ("Molatoes")
[Byrd, Bladen County Tax Lists, I:8,
14, 45]. He purchased 200 acres in Bladen County on the south side of Raft Swamp
from James Oberry and sold this land to Solomon Johnston, Sr., on 1 January 1770
[DB 23:135, 503].
9.
Abram1 Johnson, born say 1730, was taxable in Beaufort County in
1755:
Johnson,
Abram & wife free N. 2 black tithes [SS
837].
and
he and his wife were tithable in Beaufort in 1764 [SS 837]. In 1774 he was
living on the north side of Bay River on the head of Chapel Creek which was land
that John Johnson purchased in 1748 [Hoffman, Land Patents, I:667]. He
purchased 30 acres on the north side of Bay River and west side of Chapel Creek
on 28 November 1786 and was called Abraham Johnson, Senr., when he was granted a
further 100 acres adjoining this land on the north side of Whitehouse Creek on 9
March 1799 [DB 7:200; 1:154]. He sold 25 acres on the north side of Whitehouse
Creek to David Johnson on 22 November 1800 [DB 2-3:338]. He was head of a
Beaufort County household of 5 "other free" in 1790 [NC:125] and 8
"other free" in 1800 [NC:11]. He devised land to his children by his 4
October 1800 Beaufort County will (no probate date) [WB p.429]. His children
were
i.
John6, who received 40 acres on the south side of Whitehouse Creek by
his father's will.
12
ii. Abram2, born say 1775.
iii.
Rebecca, married ___ Linsey, perhaps the wife of Joshua Lindsey,
Sr., head of a Craven County household of 4 "other free" in 1790
[NC:134].
iv.
Patty Johnston.
10.
William4 Johnson, born about 1737, was a "black" taxable
with his wife in Beaufort County in 1764 [SS 837]. As mentioned above he
received 50 acres from his father John3 Johnson on 5 December 1765.
Perhaps he was the William Johnston who was head of a Beaufort County household
of one "other free" in 1800 [NC:11]. His children may have been
i.
Joshua, taxed on an assessment of 101 pounds and four polls in Beaufort County
in 1779 [NCGSJ XV:143], head of a Beaufort County household of 6
"other free" in 1790 [NC:126].
ii.
Cuff Levi, head of a Beaufort County household of 2 "other free" and
one white woman in 1800 [NC:11].
11.
Jeremiah1 Johnston, born say 1755, was granted 200 acres in Hyde
County on the west side of the Pungo River and the fork of the Indian Run on 28
October 1782. He sold 100 acres of this land on 21 January 1784 and the
remainder on 12 February 1798 [DB B:921; D&E:208; K:410]. He received a
second grant for 100 acres in Hyde on the west side of the Pungo River and the
Indian Run Bridge on 9 August 1786 and sold this land on 12 February 1798. And
he received a third grant for 100 acres on the west side of the Pungo River on
17 December 1794 [DB D&E:460; K:409; I:400]. He was head of a Hyde County
household of 5 "other free" in 1790 and 6 in 1810 [NC:118]. His
children were
i.
Jeremiah2, Jr., sold his household goods to his father for 20 pounds
on 27 August 1798 [DB K:498].
ii.
?Brutus, born say 1760, described by Charles Wood as a man of colour who
died at Valley Forge while serving as a soldier in the North Carolina Line of
the Continental Army [N.C. Genealogy XVI:2580]. His estate descended to
his brother David Johnson [NCGSJ IV:173].
iii.
?David, married Charity Driggers, 20 December 1796 Craven County bond
with Joshua Lindsey bondsman. He purchased 25 acres on the north side of
Whitehouse Creek from Abram Johnson on 22 November 1800 [DB 2-3:338] and was
head of a Hyde County household of 10 "other free" in 1810 [NC:117].
12.
Abraham2 Johnston, born say 1765, was head of a household of 4
"other free" in New Hanover County in 1790 [NC:194]. By the 4 October
1800 Beaufort County will of his father Abraham1 Johnson, he received
his father's plantation and "all the land that's belonging to all the rest
of my removable estate." He bought land in Duplin County on 17 January 1809
and sold it soon after on 18 May 1810 [DB 4A:191]. He was head of a Craven
County household of 7 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:67]. His 11 October
1843 Craven County will, proved November 1844, left 150 acres to his children
Jeremiah Johnston and Martha Dove, and mentioned his grandchild Betsy Dove
[WB D, folio 106]. Two of his children were
i.
Jeremiah3, married Mary George, 8 January 1828 Craven County
bond, William Martin bondsman.
ii.
Martha Dove, wife of Arnett Dove and mother of Betsy Dove.
She received 100 acres by her father's will. Arnett Dove, born about
1806, was about twelve years old on 10 March 1818 when he was listed as one of
"Sundry Free Born Colored persons ... as needy of proper persons" (to
be bound to) [CR 028.101.1]. He married Patsy Johnston, 4 March 1824 Craven
County bond, John A. Smith bondsman.
Endnotes:
1.
Patrick Delaney's age was adjudged as thirteen years by the Accomack County,
Virginia court on 7 February 1700 [Orders 1697-1703, 84].
2.
Francis Johnson was identified by race in only one of the seven times he was
named in court [Horle, Records of the Sussex County Court, 356, 425, 468,
481, 720, 757, 863].
3.
Edward Winslow provided security for William Driggers in Somerset County
court when he was convicted of having an illegitimate child by Mary Winslow
[Somerset County Judicial Records 1707-11, 95-6].
4.
There was also an Abel Johnson in colonial New Hanover County, presented by the
11 March 1740 court for "working Constantly on the Lord's Day [Minutes
1738-69, 115].
5.
He was called Ezekiel in Onslow and New Hanover Counties and Ezekiah/ Hezekiah
in Craven County.
Another Johnson
family
1.
Jane Johnson, born say 1735, was the servant of John Ford of Fairfax County on
17 August 1756 when the court ordered that she serve him an additional year for
having a "base born child a Mulatto." She was apparently the mother of
i.
Joseph, born in June 1755, a seven-year-old "Mulatto" child bound by
the Fairfax County court to John Ford on 19 October 1762 [Orders 1756-63, 790,
14 (at end of microfilm reel)].
End of File
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