Bertha Cynthia (Dorsey) Johnson (1860 - 1946)

Born 10 Apr 1860 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States

Wife of Garrison Johnson — married 1889 in New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 28 Jun 1946 at age 86 in Queens, New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

Bertha (Dorsey) Johnson is a part of US Black heritage.

Bertha was the youngest child of 9 born to Basil and Cynthia Jones Dorsey. Basil was born in Maryland in 1811 and was working as a laborer according to the Massachusetts State Census, 1855. Cynthia was a homemaker. Both were described as Mulatto. According to the "United States Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865" Basil served during the Civil War with the 45th US Colored Infantry Unit.

The 1870 US Census lists all of the children as being in school, except for the eldest, Daniel who is married and living next door to the Bertha and her parents and siblings.

Basil died on February 15, 1872 of pneumonia. He was a farmer according to his death notice.

According to the 1880 US Census, Bertha was living with her sister, Julia A. and her husband, Ambrosia Suarez and their two children, Ernesteen, age 2, and Dorsey, age 2 months. Bertha's two other siblings were also in the home. They were: Anna, age 24 and Daniel, age 10. Ambrosia was a journeyman tailor, and was born in Cuba. Julia was keeping house. Bertha, and Daniel were at school and Anna was working as a tailor. There is no racial determination on this census.

Bertha married Garrison Johnson.

Bertha died in 1946 in Queens New York, but is buried with her husband and parents in the Evergreen Cemetery New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA.

Sources

* "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCSS-QMJ : 14 January 2020), Basil Dorsey in entry for Dorsey, 1864.

"United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD3Z-MQ3 : Wed Oct 04 02:07:07 UTC 2023), Entry for Basil Dorsey and Cynthia Dorsey, 1870.

"United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFCB-XP7 : Thu Oct 05 13:09:19 UTC 2023), Entry for Ambrosia Suarez and Julia A. Suarez, 1880.

"Connecticut, Births and Baptisms, 1639-1941", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7QL-LMN : Thu Oct 05 01:37:28 UTC 2023), Entry for Alice Madliner Johnson and Garrison Johnson, 1 May 1889.

"United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M974-29F : Thu Oct 05 19:29:01 UTC 2023), Entry for Garrison Johnson and Bertha Johnson, 1900.

"United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK22-GWP : Tue Oct 03 01:40:16 UTC 2023), Entry for Bertha Johnson and Alice Johnson, 1910.

"Massachusetts State Census, 1855", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQWP-CBW : Fri Oct 06 13:05:34 UTC 2023), Entry for Rasil Dorsey and Cynthia Dorsey, 1855.

Find a Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147364671/bertha_cynthia_baldwin

Research Note

Sources for Basil Dorsey's information.

"United States Civil War Service Records of Union Colored Troops, 1863-1865", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JZ67-716 : Thu Oct 05 13:16:03 UTC 2023), Entry for Basil Dorsey, 1864.

"Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7GJ-X2Y : 14 December 2022), Basil Dorsey, 1872.