Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every
week on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For
this prompt I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much
as I have others in my family tree. I started exploringe my Johnson line, but the
have fallen behind the last few weeks. So this week I'll try to make up lost time.
This post is on my 10x great grandfather Jonathan Johnson.
My source once again is the article William Johnson and His Descendants by G.W.
Johnson. It's from the The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume
33 published in January 1879, pp134-136:
Jonathan3 Johnson, third son and fifth child of William Johnson of Charlestown, was baptized there August 14, 1641, and doubtless was born a few days before. By occupation he was a farmer, schoolmaster and ironsmith. He probably learned his trade of his uncle, Lieut. John, of Haverhill. Before his marriage he went to reside in Marlboro', first settled iu 1654, in the southerly part of the town which in 1727 fell into Southboro'. On settling therein, he received from the town "a house lott," 30 acres "on a hill south side of the meeting-house." half of which he sold May 25, 1663, but bought it back Feb. 15, 1678—9. Besides educating him and giving him a trade, his father made him a legatee in his will. He received, about 1687, as his share of his father's and mother's estate, twenty pounds in about "an acre and a half of land in ye East ffield," which in 1707 he sold for thirty pounds to his nephew, Capt. Eleazer Johnson, of Charlestown, son of his brother Isaac, who witnessed the deed. I find of record seven conveyances of real estate to and from him.
In his twenty-third year he married, Oct. 14, 1663, Mary Newton, his sole wife, by whom he had three children. Jonathan acquired a competence, was well educated, wrote a fine hand, was selectman, and for several years in the latter part of his life he taught the town school. He wrote his will March 18, 1711-12, and died on the 21st of the following month, aged about 71 years. His wife died Dec. 28, 1728, in her 85th year.
In his life time Jonathan gave his children and grandchildren portions of his property, and disposed of the rest by his will, of which he makes his wife and only surviving child. William, executors, and the latter residuary legatee. No inventory was returned, and there is no schedule of his personal property, nor of his real except what is mentioned in his will. Therein he says: "I recomend my soul to the hands of God that gave it me, hoping, through the Death and merits of Jesus Christ, to obtain pardon of all my sins and to inherit Eternal Life, and my Body I cornit to the Earth * * * nothing doubting but at the Generall Redirection I shall receive the same againe by the mighty power of God." He gives his homestead and all his personal property to his wife *• for her comfortable subsistence during her widowhood with free leave of acts of charity," and if more is needed he gives her leave. "with the advice and consent of the Minister and Deacon, to sell of the out land for her comfort; and if she should marry," then what he has given to her is to go to his son William, who "if she should be in want to take a flilial care of her." He says he had given Jonathan while alive and his wife since his death, his portion; "but still," he says, " my ffatherly love is so to his children,"' &c, whom he names and to whom he gives small sums. To Mary's husband he gives his "Coopering Tools" (it seems he had more than one trade), and to Joseph, Jonathan's youngest son, a lot of land. "As for my daughter Mary Mathes," he says, "though she be dead yet I remember her "; he says he had completed her portion by a deed of land to her children. To his granddaughter Hannah, who was living with him, he gives twenty pounds, and to Hulda Whitney six pounds if she remain with his wife till eighteen years old. He "wills" William to take good care of his, William's, son Thomas while he lives, and appoints him trustee of a deed to Mary's children.
He then lists the children of Jonathan Johnson:
i. Mary b. Sept. 9, 1664; m. 1686, John Matthews, M.D. She d. June 22, 1710, aged 46 years, leaving issue.
ii. William, b. Dec. 15, 1665 ; m. first, about 1688, Hannah Larkin, who d. Dec. 18, 1696; he m. second, Hannah Rider. He d. June 5, 1754, in his 89th year, leaving issue by both wives.
iii. Jonathan, b. Jan. 2, 1667-8; m. 1689, Mary Kerley. She d. 1741, aged 75 years. He was slain by the Indians, Oct. 12, 1708, in his 41st year, leaving issue.
I'm descended from William Johnson and Hannah Larkin.
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