Direct descendant is highlighted in red

FATHER

unknown

MOTHER

unknown

WIFE

Elizabeth unknown

CHILDREN

1. male Johnson
b. Bet 1810-1815 (listed in 1830 census)
This child could possibly be the Andrew "Johnston" listed in the 1840 census for Schuyler Co. IL.  He too was listed as working in manufacturing.  He is the only other Johnson or Johnston living in the county.  He was married with two daughters under 5 in 1840.

2. female Johnson
b. Bet 1810-1815 (listed in 1830 census)

3. female Johnson
b. Bet 1815-1820   (listed in 1830 census)

4. Eliza Johnson 
b. 11 Aug 1816 Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH
m. 28 Jul 1835 to Ben Shepard in Vermillion, IN
d. 7 Dec 1890 Newport, Vermillion, IN

5. Charles Johnson 
b. 1822 Vermillion Co. IN
m.31 Dec 1848 to Margaret Catherine Prunty in Rushville, Schuyler, IL
d. 25 Aug 1864 Schuyler, IL

6. Wesley Johnson 
b. 1823  Vermillion,IN

7. William Johnson
b. 1825  Vermillion, IN
m. 26 Mar 1857 to Lavinia Sabrina Osborne in Springfield, Clark, OH
d. 24 Jun 1890 Taylorville, Christian, IL

8. Verlinda Johnson 
b. March 1826 Vermillion, IN
m. 31 Oct 1850 to William H Houck in Rushville, Schuyler, IL
d. 30 Nov 1891 Springfield, Clark, OH

9. George Johnson 
b. 1828 Vermillion, IN
m. 17 Apr 1866 to Annettie Lee in Rushville, Schuyler, IL
d. Bet 1900-1910 Rushville, Schuyler, IL

10. Louisa Johnson 
b. 1829  Vermillion Co., IN
m. 25 Dec 1850 to William Ludlow in Rushville, Schuyler, IL
d. 16 Apr 1862 Rushville, Schuyler, IL

11. Maria Johnson 
b. 1832  Vermillion Co., IN

John Johnson
by Susan Brooke
Aug 2023 

John Johnson was probably  born in Manchester, England about 1776. (1) The obituary of his daughter, Eliza Johnson Shepard, says that he came from Manchester, England in 1812. (2) He may have married his wife in England.  However, his daughter, Eliza, was born in Cincinnati in 1816.  There are no definite records for this John Johnson in Cincinnati. (3) By the early 1820's he received a land grant and  moved to Vermillion Co. IN. (4) H was a farmer and a bricklayer. (5) Sometime in the 1830's they moved again to Rushville, Schuyler Co. IL. (6) They sold the land from the land grant in Vermillion IN, in 1836. (7) John Johnson served as a juror in Schuyler County in 1839.  He died of epilepsy in 1849 and his occupation was listed as bricklayer.  His widow, Elizabeth, was living with her son William in the 1850 census for Rushville, Schuler, IL.  Verlinda, aged 24, was also living in the household.  William Houck was listed as a "brickmaker" living with Verlinda's brother, Charles Johnson, in the next household. (8)
The portrait we have of his daughter, Eliza Johnson Shepard, shows her wearing a brooch with a portrait of a man. (9) This image may be of her father, John Johnson. His granddaughter, Florence Johnson Bothwell, was wearing a brooch of a woman who may have been Elizabeth, wife of John Johnson.

Sources

(1)

Mortality Schedule of Rushville, Schuyler Co "for people who died in the year ending June 1,  1850." John Johnson is aged 73, born in England and listed as occupation, "bricklayer"

(2) Obituary of daughter Eliza Johnson Shepard

"Eliza, the wife of Ben Shepard, was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, August 11, 1816.  She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Johnson, who came from Manchester, England in 1812."

(3) According to the obituary of her granddaughter, Mary Elma Shepard Wright, Eliza Johnson, born 1816, was born in Cincinnati.  This places John and Eliza Johnson in Cincinnati in 1816 however, there is no record of them there that I could find.  There was one John Johnson there that could be him.  A John Johnson, no wife listed, of Hamilton Co. OH, in 1806 mortgaged land to John R. Gaston for $154 with the last installment due John Johnson in 1808.  The 1819 City Directory for Cincinnati has a John H. Johnson, dealer in lumber and mill stones, but he is still there in 1825 and we know this John Johnson and wife Eliza were in IN in 1822 when their son Charles was born.

(4) John Johnson was farming in Vermillion Co., IN by the early 1820's. In the 1830 census for Vermillion Co., IN he is listed two names away from Benjamin Shepard who in 1835 married John's daughter, Eliza.  On Feb 1, 1831 John Johnson of Vermillion Co., IN received a certificate of full payment for 80 acres of land from The Land Act of 1820.  The United States government offered this land at $1.25 per acre.  Thus John Johnson had paid $100 for 80 acres of land in Vermillion County, IN.

In 1831 received 80 acres of land from Land Grant of 1820

(5) Combined History of Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois. W. R. Brink, 1882   While living in Vermillion County, John Johnson appears to be farming.  However, on the 1840 census for Schuyler County, IL, John "Johnston" is listed as working in manufacturing and when he died in Schuyler County, ILL in 1849 he was listed as a bricklayer.  It is interesting to note on Sep 6, 1831 in Rushville, Schuyler, IL  a John Johnson and Benjamin Chadsey were given authority to build two dams.  And in 1829 when the Schuyler County court house was built, "The brick work and enclosing were contracted for by Benjamin Chadsey who was allowed $2,300."

Note: Benjamin Chadsey married a Rachel Johnson in 1 Dec 1822 Vermillion Co, IN and moved to Schuyler Co. IL in 1825.  However, this Rachel Johnson is not related to John Johnson and she did have a brother named John Johnson.

The 1840 census, however, is this John Johnson.  In the 1840 census for Schuyler Co. IL he had 8 children living with him which corresponds with the information from the 1830 census in Vermillion Co. IN.

1830 Vermillion, IN
John Jonson   
    2 males under 5, 2 females under 5   George, William, Louisa, Verlinda  
    2 males 5-10 Welsey, Charles
    2 females 10-15 ? ?
    1 males 15-20 and 1 female 15-20 ? Eliza
1840 Schuler, IL
    0 children under 5
    1 female 5-10 Maria
    2 females 10-15 and 1 male 10-15  Verlinda, ? and George
    3 males 15-20 and 1 female 15-20 Charles, Wesley, William and ?
   

(7) We are not sure when John and Eliza Johnson moved to Schuyler County, IL.  Their daughter, Eliza, married Ben Shepard in Vermillion County, IN on July 28, 1835.  And in the first week of October, 1836 this John Johnson and wife Elizabeth sold the land they had received from the 1820 Land Grant.  Daniel A Jones paid $100 for 6 acres with appurtenances.  William P Blair paid $100 for another part of the land.  Benjamin Asberry paid $100 for 12 acres.  And David W. Clover paid $400 for 45 acres.        One of the land transactions is shown at right.  (To Benjamin Asbury)

Deed BK 5 pg 282

(8) 1850 census Rushville, Schuler Co. IL

(9) Brooch worn by Eliza Johnson Shepard

 Brooch worn by Florence Shepard Bothwell