Generation No. 1

JAMES JOHNSON, SR. was born 20 December 1759 in Louisa County, Virginia, and died Bef. 6 August 1834 in Washington County, Missouri. He married "ANNY" (JOHNSON).

Children of JAMES JOHNSON and ANNY (JOHNSON) are:

1. ___________ JOHNSON, b. 1778-1782, Virginia ?; d. 1805-1815, Wayne County, Kentucky (probably)

2. NANCY JOHNSON, b. Abt. 1784, Virginia; m. PETER FRY, 1804, Wayne County, Kentucky.

3. SUSANNA JOHNSON, b. Abt. 1791, S.C. or Sullivan County, Tennessee; d. 1817, Wayne County, Kentucky.

4. PLEASANT SMITH JOHNSON, b. 1795, Sullivan County, Tennessee; d. 1826, Wayne County, Kentucky.

Generation No. 2

.......1. _________ JOHNSON was born 1778-1782 in Virginia ?, and died 18?? likely in Wayne County, Kentucky. He married Unknown. Children of  (?) JOHNSON and MRS. (JOHNSON) are:

.............i. JAMES J. JOHNSON, b.  1800, Kentucky; lived in Washington County, MO 1830-1844.  d. 1854, ; m. LYDIA Derrom, 1818, Pulaski County, Kentucky.

.............ii. PERMELIA ANNE JOHNSON, b. 1802, Virginia; d.  1841, /near Farmington, St. Francois Co., Missouri; m. HARVEY YOUNG, 1821, Wayne County, Kentucky. 

...........iii. JOHN MORMAN JOHNSON, b. 5 January 1804, Wayne County, Kentucky; lived most of his life in Pike Co, MO.  d. 1866, Pike County, Missouri; m. SALLY KELLY,  1822,  Kentucky.

......3. SUSANNA JOHNSON was born Abt. 1791 in S.C. or Sullivan County, Tennessee, and died 1817 in Wayne County, Kentucky. She married MICHAEL FRY  1809 in Wayne County, Kentucky. Children of SUSANNA JOHNSON and MICHAEL FRY are:

............i. DAVID  FRY, b. 1810, Wayne County, Kentucky; m. MARY __________, 1831.

.............ii. CATHERINE FRY, b. 1812; m. PARKER WEST, 1830. iii. MALINDA [MATILDA] FRY, b. 1814; m. HEZEKIAH FARTHING, 1833.

............iv. MARY FRY, b. 1816; m. THOMAS B. WHITE, 1836.

......4. NANCY JOHNSON was born Abt. 1779 in S.C. or Sullivan County, Tennessee, and died ? . She married PETER FRY 1804 in Wayne County, Kentucky, son of JOHANNES FRY and CHRISTINA WALLER. Children of NANCY JOHNSON and PETER FRY are:

...........i.  Unknown

......5. PLEASANT SMITH JOHNSON was born 1795 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, and died 1826 in Wayne County, Kentucky. He married MARY "POLLY" HINDS 1816 in Wayne Co., Kentucky, daughter of JOSEPH HINDS and ELIZABETH SHARP. Children of PLEASANT JOHNSON and MARY HINDS are:

............i. JOSEPH MILLER JOHNSON, b. Abt. 1818, Wayne County, Kentucky.

............ii. ELIZABETH ANN JOHNSON, b. 1821, Wayne County, Kentucky; m. (1) UNKNOWN SPOUSE (JOHNSON), Abt. 1839; m. (2) ESOM BOLEN,  1850, Wayne County, Kentucky; m. (3) HENRY GIBSON,  1851, Wayne County, Kentucky.

............iii. MARY "POLLY" MARIAH JOHNSON, b.  1825, Wayne County, Kentucky; d. Savannah, Missouri; m. ZACHARIAH B. FORD,  1845, Wayne County, Kentucky.

 James Johnson, Sr. was born in Louisa Co, VA in the year of 1759. He relocated to Campbell Co, VA as a child. He left Virginia sometime after the Revolutionary War and moved to South Carolina.  James lived there for two years prior to relocating to Sullivan County, Tennessee. He lived in Sullivan County for six years and then relocated to Wayne County, Kentucky about 1798/9. He settled on the south bank of the Cumberland River, obtaining 400 acres of land on Certificate No. 12 of a South of the Green River Land Grant. He lived there for 33 years, selling the land to John Lynch in 1830. He then removed to Washington County, MO where he died in 1834.

     It is not clear who all of his family members are and it is very reasonable that they include more persons than those indicated below. One of his sons has never been identified. He speaks of his grandsons, John M. and James J. in his will. Apparently their father is dead by this time. One of our primary goals is to identify this person.

John M. (Morman) Johnson is living in Rawls County, MO in 1834 at the death of his grandfather.  James J. Johnson is living in Washington County and is a Justice of the Peace.

In 1820 the Wayne Co., KY residence of James Johnson, Sr., is part of a Johnson family cluster.  In his household is a young man, aged 16-18, undoubtedly his grandson, John M. Johnson. Also living with him is a female aged 16-26, likely Permelia Ann Johnson, his probable granddaughter. His wife and an unknown female in the age 45+ area are also living with him. Next door lives his newly married grandson, James J. Johnson. Next to him lives his son, Pleasant Smith Johnson. An unknown male, age 16-26 is living with Pleasant Smith Johnson. The second door away from Pleasant Smith Johnson is Mrs. Rebecca Johnson. Rebecca is age 26-44 and has two daughters, ages under 10 and 10-15. She is likely a widow of a Johnson family member.  There is no record of her remarriage, nor is she ever located again.

It is probable that there are two widows in this group.  One is the lady living with James Johnson, Sr,  aged 45+ who may be the wife of his yet to be identifed son and the mother of James J. and John M. Johnson.  The younger lady living by herself is named Rebecca, likely is the widow of a Johnson. Any information on these two ladies would be greatly appreciated.

James Johnson's

(abridged)

Revolutionary War Vet. Pension Application

On this fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three personally appeared before........ the Justices of the County Court of Washington County, Missouri aged seventy three years ......That he was born in 1759 in Louisa County State of Virginia but was brought up for the most part in Bedford County Va but in dividing the County he fell into the part called Campbell that after the Revolutionary War he lived two years in South Carolina he afterwards lived six years in Sullivan Co. Tennessee and then thirty three years in Wayne County, Kentucky that afterwards he removed to Washington County Missouri where he now resides.

He stated that he was living with his brother in Amherst County Va when he first enterd the service---that he volunteered in the summer of 1776 under Col Joseph Cabel with Capt Nicholas Pamplin---that he marched to defend WilliamsBurg from an expected attack from the British whose fleet then lay in Hampton roads. He continued in service till the end of November or December of the same year and then left the service inconsequence of sickness his term of actual service having been four or five months.

Late in the spring of 1780 he volunteered under Col Preston with Capt John Hays and Thomas English to go against the Tories in Washington Co Va whom they dispersed taking some prisoners forcing some to take the state oath and give security for their behavior and having others enrol themselves with the troops. They were then discharged with the thanks of their officers. But the same day ...... . he and most of his companions in arms volunteered .......and went by the way of Chisels old Mines, Harboards ferry and Flower Gap into the hollows of the Dan River in North Carolina against the Tories whom they dispersed or took prisoners. He was discharged about the 10th of September and reached home on the 28th having been in the service four or five months. During this time he furnished his own horse and arms and scarcely tasted salt or bread owing to the extreme scarcity occasioned by the hard winter that had proceeded.

In the summer of 1781 he volunteered under Col James Galloway and marched against Col Tarlton, but before they met him he turned and marched back. This time he was out about two weeks, besides the times above stated he was out in several short tours against the Tories guarding prisoners and other services.

If you are of this family line, please write.  I have additional information and sources for all material.  Hopefully, you may have something I need, and I can add to what I have presented here.  Please write if you have (or think you have) a connection!

Updated 10 February 2005