John Johnson, of Rowan County

• Not the same as John Johnnson, of Ashe County
• !!! Do not confuse John Johnson (1757-1808) with John Johnson (1745-1813) who married Sarah Riley as seen at John Johnnson, of Ashe County. They are not the same person.

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My (James "Jamie" Arthur Johnson) ancestor is John Johnson (1757-1808) , father of Jimmy Johnson (1792-1858). John Johnson is also seen as John Johnson, Sr., and John Johnston. While he was married to a woman named Sarah, her maiden surname is unknown and this was NOT Sarah Riley b. 1748 who was married to a different John Johnson (b. ca. 1745). Nor was he married to Dorothy.

• ** PLEASE REMOVE SARAH RILEY (B. 1748) AND DOROTHY AS WIVES. (Done, 12/15/24)

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AND THESE WERE HIS CHILDREN: William, Randal, Harris, John, Abraham (Abram), Willie, James (Jimmy), Lewis, Mary and Nancy.

The below information is for John Johnson (1757-1808):

A Find A Grave Memorial (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145929831) and FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LTLX-XQM) once had his death date as 16 December 1828, transcribed on page 79 in Cemetery Records Vol II for the Johnson Cemetery in Denton, Davidson County, North Carolina. The ancestry of Norman Harris Johnson and Julia Pricilla Morris Johnson (http://family.beacondeacon.com/ancestry-of-norman-harris-johnson-an...) mentions the death date as 1852, but the will from Rowan Co., NC, implies 1808 is more likely. Which do we go with? The will or the cemetery record or the book? And a John Johnson Ancestry profile, while flawed, has a death date of 1807 (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/87398021/person/11...). The 1825 Probate for John Johnson (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L1D7-6ZR?cc=1911121) confirms a death date in 1808 (more on that document below). Further, what we do know is that John was born in 1757, a son of Abraham of VA according to family, that he married Sarah and that his son James "Jimmy" Johnson was born in late 1792. My Johnsons were from the Davidson Co., NC, area.

Further notes from the 1825 Probate for John Johnson: Children of John Johnson are Randal, Harris, John, Abraham, Willis, James, Lewis, Allen, Mary, William, Nancy (p. 61) and both Johnson and Johnston surnames are used (something Sam Houston Johnson, Jr., points out in his book (p. 2) in reference to a Rowan Co., NC, 1815 tax list featuring Randol and Abraham Johnston). The wife of John Johnson was Sarah (pp. 61, 63). William is the youngest son in 1807 (definitely not yet 16, p. 61). John Johnson's father is Abraham (p. 62) and the document therein is dated "7th day of November one thousand eight hundred seven ... read in Rowan County Court." The sons of John Johnson are listed as Randall, Abraham, Willis, Lewis, James, William, Allen (p. 62). Later, the sons of John Johnson are listed as Randolph, Abraham, Willis, Lewis, James, William, Allen (p. 63). Abraham, son of John (Dec'd) is among those summoned to court 3rd Monday of June 1825 (p. 65).

• "October the 19th day of 1808 then ?? of Randol
• Johnson Executor of John Johnson Dec'd five pounds twelve
• in part of my Sagest(?) Coming to me from the ???
• Estate ?? by me
• his
• X
• Benjamin Davis
• mark
• Test Lewis Lanier" (p. 67)

NOTE: It's worth noting that Lanier is a surname that pops up in the Farmer book (https://archive.org/details/farmeryesterdayt1981denn?view=theater#p...) and also in John's will. While I am not knowingly descended from any Laniers, I am descended from many families in that book and Laniers were in the area.

Further, his father was Abraham Johnson/Johnston, So, his mother was *not* Mary Oxley Johnson though it is mistakenly listed here. She was the mother of another John Johnson, not the one in this line.

-- James Arthur Johnson

D.A.R. records indicate John Johnson was a 1770s Revolutionary War soldier who came from Virginia according to family information. He lived in the Uwharrie Hills of North Carolina near Farmer. After the war, he settled in Jackson Hill (in what is now Davidson Co.), NC, with his family. John was given a land grant of 265 acres on Mores Road in Alleghany Township in 1786 (verified by Rowan County land grant records, Salisbury). John received his army discharge in 1780. A younger brother joined the army of 1812 and was never heard of again. John's will dated 7 November 1807 (Wills and Deeds, Rowan County, State of North Carolina, p. 148, probated 1888, p. 101 and 102 B.G.) shows that he and his wife Sarah had 11 children: William, Randal, Harris, John, Abraham (Abram), Willie, James (Jimmy), Lewis, Mary and Nancy. Sons Abraham and Randal were co-executors. According to Avery County North Carolina Historical Society (compiled and edited), Avery County heritage, biographies, genealogies, and Church Histories (Vol III), page 124, Puddingstone Press, 1981, John Johnson's will (John was 3rd son of Abraham and Sarah Johnson of Rowan Co., NC) mentions children: William (the youngest), Randall, Harris, John, Abraham II, William, James b 1793 d 2 Aug 1858, Lewis, Allen, Mary and Nancy. Abraham II and Randall were executors of their father's will. James m. Nancy Skeen; buried in Old Johnson Cemetery, Handy, NC.

http://family.beacondeacon.com/ahj.htm#treechart

Sam H. Johnson, Jr., provided this will of John Johnson who died in 1808 in Rowan Co., NC:

In the name of God: I John Johnson of Rowan County & State of North Carolina being in a weak and lost condition of health, through the mercies of God in a good and sound memory & understanding at this present time do make and constitute this my last will & testament & desire it to be received at all as such. Imprimis I most humbly bequeath my soul to Almighty God, beseeching His most gracious acceptance of the same. I give my body to the earth from whence it was taken, in full assurance of the resurrection from thence at the last day & as for my burial I desire it to be at the discretion of my wife. As to my worldly estate I will & positively order that all my debts to be paid & all that is owing to me be well & truly collected by my executors, hereafter named. Item I give and bequeath to my dear wife Sarah Johnson all & singular my personal estate & the plantation I now live on after all my just debts is paid, likewise two tracts of land where I now live on, until my youngest son William comes to be sixteen years of age, if she continues my widow, if she should not continue my widow, to have a child's part of my estate. Item I give to my sons Randol Johnson and Harris Johnson, John, Abraham, Willis, James, Lewis, Allen & Mary Johnson; William Johnson & Nancy Johnson, to have each of my children equal share of my estate, both real and personal, excepting fifty dollars out of Harris & John two of my sons, out of their part to be paid to my son William Johnson & daughter Nancy fifty dollars each paid by my executors hereafter named, one still & three head of horses, one tract of land lying on Mores Road, containing two hundred & seventy-five acres of land or less & my tobacco to be sold at my decease, likewise one gray horse I give to my son Abraham, the other half of the value of the horse at twelve months from Christmas next from this date. Likewise I do nominate and appoint my son Randol & Abraham Johnson my two sons my executors after my decease.

In testimony hereof I do hereunto set my hand & seal this 7th day of November 1807.

Witness Present
William Warel John Johnson SEAL Lester Lanier

"Also I leave my son Randol & James the legacy left by my father Abraham Johnson to be left equal between my sons Randol & Abraham & WIllis, Lewis, & James, WIlliam & Allen."
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This will was recorded in Rowan County on 5 February 1808 as follows: Last Will of John Johnson, Esq., declared proven by William Warel letter. Randol & Abraham Johnson.

1825 probate of John Johnson at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1D7-XY3?i=62&cc=1...

p. 58: Randolph, son of John (Dec'd) is summoned to court 3rd Monday of March 1825.

Children: Randal, Harris, John, Abraham, Willis, James, Lewis, Allen, Mary, William, Nancy (p. 61) and both Johnson and Johnston surnames are used.

Wife Sarah (pp. 61, 63)

William is youngest son in 1825 and not yet 16 (p. 61).

Mentions his father as Abraham (p. 62) and it is dated "7th day of November one thousand eight hundred seven ... read in Rowan County Court"

Sons: Randall, Abraham, Willis, Lewis, James, William, Allen (p. 62)

Sons: Randolph, Abraham, Willis, Lewis, James, William, Allen (p. 63)

p. 65: Abraham, son of John (Dec'd) is among those summoned to court 3rd Monday of June 1825.

p. 67: "October the 19th day of 1808 then ?? of Randol Johnson Executor of John Johnson Dec'd five pounds twelve in part of my Sagest(?) Coming to me from the ??? Estate ?? by me

                                   his

                                    X

                           Benjamin Davis

                                   mark Test Lewis Lanier"

On pp. 2-3 of Sam Houston, Jr.'s book "Harris Johnson: a Texas Pioneer", there are several items confirming my findings, including that this John Johnson is indeed my John Johnson while also questioning if he is the father of Sam's ancestor Harris Johnson. On p. 2 it mentions a Rowan Co., NC, tax list from 1815 featuring the interchanging Johnston/Johnson spellings of surnames for Abraham and Randle. Further, the author indicates that he cannot confirm that his ancestor Harris Johnson is descended from this John Johnson: "If this John Johnson was Harris' father..." (p. 2). The Y-DNA research (http://family.beacondeacon.com/ahj.htm#ydnaresearch) supports that my John is not the father of his Harris, though my John had a son named Harris, who was a brother to my ancestor Jimmy Johnson. Yet, Sam's research uncovered documents that I have uncovered, which confirm my findings, as well as a document confirming which John Johnson is my John Johnson. Sam's book mentions a document on pp. 2-3 which itself mentions Randle and Abraham Johnson being executors of the deceased John Johnson of Rowan Co., NC. In that document, the land is granted to James Johnson. This is Jimmy Johnson, my ancestor, since the bottom of the document lists witnesses Robert Sexton and Osborn Skeen. While the book offered information I had seen before, this was a new find directly affirming the John Johnson I had on paper was indeed my John Johnson and not one of the other John Johnsons. The names at the bottom of the document are Robert Sexton and Osborn Skeen. Not only am I a cousin to multiple Sextons originating from that area near, around and in Denton, Davidson Co. NC, more importantly, Osborn (or Osbourn) Skeen is the brother of my 4x great grandmother Nancy "Charity" (Skeen) Johnson, wife of Jimmy Johnson (my great-great-great-great grandparents). On pp. 2-3 of Sam Houston Johnson, Jr., wrote: "This area of Rowan County is now part of Davidson County, North Carolina. I found that Randol sold 2 parcels of land, one in Bk 23 and the 2nd in Bk 25, pg 77, 10 acres on Cabins Creek for $70... in 1809 ...." The land was sold after John Johnson's passing, supporting the 1808 death date. Refer to the land grant document proving my John Johnson is this John Johnson and also the one in the will.

-- James Arthur Johnson

• *** !!! NOTE !!! **** This John Johnson (1745-1813) is NOT my ancestor John Johnson (1757-1808), father of Jimmy Johnson (1792-1858).

Details:

This John Johnson (1745-1813) is NOT my ancestor John Johnson (1757-1808).

Here are differences:

John Johnson (1745-1813)
b. 1745 in NC
d. 1813 in NC
m. Sarah Riley
Son of Isaiah Johnson, Sr. and Mary Johnson
DNA Marker is I1

John Johnsson (1757-1808) also known as John Johnston
b. 1757 in VA
d. 1808 in Rowan Co., NC
m. Sarah (mnu)
Son of Abraham Johnson/Johnston and Sarah (mnu)
DNA Marker is R-M269

At least James "Jimmy" Johnson (1792-1858), who married Nancy Charity Skeen, needs to be removed as son of John Johnson (1745-1813) since James "Jimmy" Johnson (1792-1858) is son of John Johnson (1757-1808).

-- James "Jamie" Johnson,
Descendant of John Johnson/Johnston (1757-1808) through his son James "Jimmy" Johnson
http://family.beacondeacon.com/ahj.htm

• ** NOTE: If for some reason my family tree website goes offline, you can find an archive of it here: https://web.archive.org/web/20220601000000*/http://family.beacondea...
  • * NOTE: This John Johnson/Johnston, Sr., appears to be the same person as John Johnson, of Rowan County

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References

1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145929831/john-johnson
2. The act establishing Davidson County was amended in 1834 and further amended in 1836 resulting in the establishment of the Yadkin River as the dividing line between Davidson and Rowan Counties, thus ceding the elongated triangle of Rowan County on the east side of the river to Davidson County.
3. http://family.beacondeacon.com/ahj.htm#john