The Early Johnsons
Not much is known about my Johnson ancestors a generation before the Revolutionary War. However, after my father William Herman Johnson passed away, I was given the Johnson Coat of Arms as pictured below:
Dad had always said the Johnsons were Scottish. I researched across many sites about the coat of arms and its motto Nunquam Non Paratus which means "Never unprepared." The "X" on the crest suggests a Scottish heritage.
Billy C. Johnson wrote an article, Johnson / Johnston / Johnstone, which not only provides a wealth of information, but encompasses what I found elsewhere. In the article, he suggests that Johnson / Johnston / Johnstone "are classified into DNA Haplogroups, Races, predominately R1b Celts (70%) and I Vikings (20%). Each divided into Family Groups, many Family Groups contain all 3 of the Johnson / Johnston / Johnstone Surname spelling." After a discussion of cultural and language shifts in the British isles as well as how the varying cultures dealt with surnames and patronymics, he writes the following regarding Johnson / Johnston / Johnstone:
The different spelling is due to Literacy of Speller and /or Individual and Pronunciation due to Nationally of Individual, Johnstone/Johnston/Johnson is pronounced by Scots as Jawnson. Frequently in Ulster the "e" was dropped, "e" was pronounced aye, and Johnstons were known as the “aye less Johnstones”. Spelling is not a factor, as many variations exist of all Surnames, such as: Donald; Donaldson and MacDonald all reconignized by Clan Donald as the same Surname, also Forester; Forest and Foster and MacIntyre; MacAntuer; MacKantare. In America, as late as 1915, only 13% of Americans had a High School Diploma, with Surnames "Originating" as early as the 12th Century, some one other than your Ancestor determined the Spelling on Immigration and other Documents, and in some cases your Surname.
Ts deleted, Johnston to Johnson, often on the Scottish Border and in Ulster. Beginning in the 1700s – 1800, Immigration Records list Johnsons as Irish, beginning in the 1800s the T remained most of the time in Irish Johnston immigrants and almost always in Canada. In the 1800s, Scottish Immigrants often retained the t and e, more Literate and Family Name conscious? Ts are often Removed and Reappear on different Documents, of the same Individual, written by different Individuals as late as the 1860s in America.
In Britain the Majority of Johnson, Johnston & Johnstones, reside in the 2 Northern Border Counties of Lancashshire and Yorkshire, occupied by Celts since 800BC, a large Colony of Vikings (900AD) and Saxons after 1066. It probably "Originated" by Celts in the same manner as their near Neighbors in Scotland as Johns Tun (Farm) "Evolving" to Johnston/Johnson and Johnstone. The Vikings may have began as a Johansson, "Evolving" to Johnson, "Adopted" by Saxons and many J/J/J Scotts "Relocating" across the Border. All 3 Spellings occur in all 4 Races.
Other Johnston/es and Johnsons : Kasibeian Johnstons "Originated" on the Scottish Border and also have Johnsons, most notable Dr. Lorand V. Johnson, FSA Scott, many Immigrating to the New World / Clan Gunn of Northern Scotland: less than 5% of Johnsons and Johnstons are of this Heritage, a few Claim Border Heritage, the Name did not appear until after 1478 / Clan Donald states that "less than 2% of Johnsons claim their Heritage". / Perths original name was St. Johns, named after a Monk, "Originating"as St Johnstoun (Johns Land / Farm), " Evolving" to St Johnstone and A few adopting the Surname and not uncommon for the T to be dropped to include Johnson.
The Surname Johnson, Johnston & Johnstone "Originated" on the Scottish Border and was exported to Ulster beginning in 1606 as James 1st brought Law & Order to the Borders and revived the Colonizing of Ulster. For all practical purposes all of the Johnston/es and Johnsons of Dumfries were deported / immigrated. With Death Warrants issued, they willingly immigrated as “Ulster Planters” or escaped to England or Europe. The "Planters" were exclusively Scottish, as no English were to be found of prior settlements. The majority (85%) of all American Johnson, Johnston, and Johnstones today are the descendants of the Ulster Planters that began leaving Northern Ireland in 1707 - 1800, more than 250,000 Scot-Irish, leaving for the New World of Australia, Canada and America.
SOURCE: Johnson / Johnston / Johnstone by Billy C. Johnson
| Abraham Johnson was from Virginia | Abraham Johnson |
? | ||||
| b. ? d. ? |
m. ? | b. ? d. ? |
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| | ↓ |
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| Sarah | John Johnson | John Johnson was a 1770s Revolutionary War hero who lived in the Uwharrie Hills of North Carolina near Farmer. After the war, he settled in Jackson Hill, NC, with his family. Jackson Hill is in what is now Davidson County, NC. He received his army discharge in 1780. | ||||
| b. ? d. ? |
m. ? | b. 1757 d. 1852 |
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| | ↓ |
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| James "Jimmie" or "Jimmy" Johnson lived and died on his father's farm. He died from overheating while threshing wheat. | James "Jimmie" Johnson |
Nancy Charity Skeen | ||||
| b. 1793 d. 2 August 1858 |
m. ? | b. 26 October 1792 d. 26 May 1860 |
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| | ↓ |
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| ↑ Elizabeth "Betsy" Kearns |
Allen Harris Johnson ("Harris") |
Click HERE to see pictures, one that includes Allen Harris Johnson Elizabeth Kearns Johnson at the 1897 Johnson Family Reunion. | ||||
| b. 2 March 1821 d. 21 July 1899 |
m. 1836. Married young. He was 18. She was 15. | b. 21 March 1817 d. 30 September 1905 |
Allen and Elizabeth lived in a cabin on the Johnson farm before moving to the Farmer Community in Randolph County, North Carolina. They farmed. Allen, or "Harris" as he was called, ran a grist mill. | |||
| | ↓ descendants |
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Abraham Johnson (from Virginia)
|
|
Sarah + John Johnson (1757-1852)
| 1770s Revolutionary War hero who lived in the Uwharrie
| Hills of North Carolina near Farmer. After the war,
| he settled in Jackson Hill, NC, with his family.
| Jackson Hill is in what is now Davidson County, NC.
| He received his army discharge in 1780.
|
|
James Nancy
"Jimmie" + Charity
Johnson | Skeen
+--------+-------+
|b. 1793 |b. 26 |
| |October| James "Jimmie" or "Jimmy" Johnson lived
| |1792 | and died on his father's farm. He died
|d. 2 |d. 26 | from overheating while threshing wheat.
|August |May |
|1858 |1860 |
+--------+-------+
|
+-----+
|
| Elizabeth
Allen "Betsy"
Harris + Kearns
Johnson |
("Harris") | Click HERE to see pictures, one that includes
| Allen Harris Johnson Elizabeth Kearns Johnson at the 1897 Johnson Family Reunion.
+-----+---+---+------+
|b. 21|m. 1836|b. 2 | Allen and Elizabeth lived in a cabin on the
|March|Married| March| Johnson farm before moving to the Farmer
|1817 |young: | 1821 | Community in Randolph County, North Carolina.
|d. 30|He was | d. 21| They farmed. Allen, or "Harris" as he was
|Sept.|18. She| July | called, ran a grist mill.
|1905 |was 15.| 1899 |
+-----+---+---+------+