Esther (Johnson) Massey (1828 - 1888)

Born 9 Nov 1828 in Ohio, United States

Wife of Joseph F. Massey — married 10 Oct 1847 in Porter County, Indiana, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Jan 1888 at age 59 in Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Albertus Robert Casimir Jung [send private message]

Biography

Esther Johnson, daughter of Edward Lowe Johnson, was born in November 1828 in Ohio.

She was living in Porter County, Indiana by the date of her marriage to Joseph Massey on 10 October 1847, at which Hiram Dille performed the ceremony. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

In 1850 Esther and Joseph were living in Jackson Township, Porter County, next door to the twin brothers Elijah Hedding Johnson and John Broadhead Johnson, sons of Timothey Johnson and Dimis Welch.

Esther Johnson seems to have been related to the two Johnson brothers, but their exact bond of kinship is as yet unknown. Perhaps they were Esther's uncles, brothers, or cousins. ^{[6] [7]}

In 1860 ^[8] and in 1870 ^[9] Esther and Joseph are recorded as still living in Jackson township, Porter county, Indiana.

In 1880 Esther and Joseph are recorded living with their children in Valparaiso, Porter county, Indiana. ^[10]

Esther and Joseph had at least the following children:

1. Jairtoler Massey, born 9 July 1847 in New Carlisle, St. Joseph Co., Indiana; wife Etta was 27 and son C.H. was one year old in 1880 and living in Valparaiso, Ind. Jairtoler was a barber; in the various censuses his name figures as J.T. , Jeritoler, Jairtoler;
2. Finaeus (Phinaeus, Phineus) Matheney Massey, born 11 Apr 1849 in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana;
3. Henry S. Massey, B. in 1849 acc. to 1870 census;
4. DANIEL O. MASSEY, b. 7 August 1851 in Valparaiso, Indiana, wed Etta May Lane 1 Jan 1878, died 29 Apr 1933; Children - Percival Guy, Joseph William, Dora Esther, Edward, Walter Ora, Howard, Jennie Clarissa, VERNA WAVE;
5. Melvina Massey, b. 12 Oct 1854 in Valparaiso, Indiana, was wed to Scott Knode 13 Jan 1875, died in 1916; their daughter May Knode was four years old in 1880 according to the census of the City of Valparaiso.

Esther Johnson Massey died on 21 January 1888 in Valparaiso, Porter county, Indiana, and lies buried there at Maplewood Cemetery. ^{[11] [12]}

Research Notes

In 1850 Esther and Joseph were living in Jackson Township, Porter County, next door to the twin brothers Elijah Hedding Johnson and John Broadhead Johnson, sons of Timothey Johnson and Dimis Welch. Esther is very likely a niece or cousin to these Johnson brothers.

In the 1850 census of Jackson township, Porter County, Indiana, at House number 7 are recorded John B. Johnson, 42 years old, born in New Hampshire; his wife Lucy, 39, born in NY; their children Mary E. 16 and Armina 14, both born in New York; John 13, Hiram 10 and Russell 8, born in Michigan; Matilda, 1 year old, born in Indiana. Next door at House number 8 are Joseph Massey, his wife Esther (Johnson) Massey, their children Jair T., a baby girl and Joseph's mother Catharine (Farnsworth) Massey. Living next to them at House Number 9 are Elijah H. Johnson (John B. Johnson's brother), his wife Clarinda, their children Andrew, Lovina, Phebe, George - all born in Michigan, and Melissa - born abt 1848 in Indiana. Next to this family at House number 10 is Elijah Hill and family, whose daughter Angelina was born abt 1832 in Ohio. (Nota bene: Esther Johnson's father Edward Lowe Johnson lies buried at Hill Cemetery in Washington County, Ohio.) At House number 11 are David Massey (Joseph Massey's brother), wife Elizabeth (Reed) Massey and children. The two Johnson families are very likely Esther (Johnson) Massey's close kin: they must have moved to Porter County, Indiana in the same year as Esther, about 1845, as Esther married in Porter County in 1847, and Elijah Johnson's daughter Melissa was born in 1848 in Indiana, and John Johnson's daughter Matilda was born in 1849 in Indiana. Moreover, John B. Johnson's daughter Mary E. Johnson married James H. Reid/Reed, brother of Elizabeth (Reed) Massey, Esther (Johnson) Massey's sister-in-law. During the time of the continuing west-ward expansion of european settlers from the Eastern States, people moved in large groups of families and kin. The above-mentioned Johnson and allied families moved westwards together from New Hampshire and New York to Ohio, and thence onwards to Michigan and Indiana. ^[13]

DNA Research Note

At Ancestry DNA Albertus and D. Bardin, brothers, both great-great-grandsons of this profile's Esther Johnson, have two DNA matches - Estrahan89 (son of Edward Strachan) and David Martin (son of Russel Martin) - who also match one another, and who both descend from Edward Lowe Johnson (born 1804 in New York, died 1872 in Washington County, Ohio).

Albertus shares 29 cM over 2 segments with David Martin at AncestryDNA, and 23 cM over 1 segment with Estrahan89 at AncestryDNA.

Edward Lowe Johnson is only known Most Recent Common Ancestor of all four DNA matches. This Profile's Esther Johnson was born in 1828 in Ohio. She was most likely a daughter of Edward Lowe Johnson by an unknown first wife. His only known marriage took place in 1842, when he was thirty-eight years of age. But he was certainly married once before (perhaps in or before 1828) to a woman who died between 1840 and 1842, who had borne him at least four children, whose names are known to us from the census records: Matilda Johnson, b. abt 1833; Mary M. Johnson, b. abt 1835; Ann M. Johnson, b. abt 1837; John W. Johnson, b. abt 1840.

Sources

1. ↑ Indiana Marriages, Indiana State Library. Text: "Johnson Esther & Massey Joseph F., Porter, 10-10-1847."
2. ↑ Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp., Indiana, Marriage Index, 1802-1892, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. [database on-line] Esther Johnson
3. ↑ Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, database with images, FamilySearch [on-line] Esther Johnson
4. ↑ Porter County Marriages
5. ↑ Porter County Marriages
6. ↑ 1850 Federal Census of Porter County, Indiana
7. ↑ See also this 1850 census link - scroll down towards the end for the Joseph Massey and David Massey families, and their Johnson neighbours: 1850 Porter County Census
8. ↑ 1860 Federal Census of Jackson, Porter, Indiana
9. ↑ 1870 Federal Census of Jackson, Porter, Indiana
10. ↑ 1880 Federal Census of Porter County, Indiana. Text: "Name: Esther Massey; Age: 53; Birth Year: abt 1827; Birthplace: Ohio; Home in 1880: Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana; Race: White; Gender: Female; Relation to Head of House: Wife; Marital Status: Married; Spouse's Name: J. F. Massey; Occupation: Keeping house. Living in Household at time of Census:
    1. J. F. Massey 64;
    2. Esther Massey 53;
    3. Phineas Massey 30;
    4. Daniel Massey 28;
    5. Etta Massey 19;
    6. Persy Massey 1;
    7. Elizabeth Lane 19, born in OH;
    8. Mary Barrett 23;
    9. Lucy Frees 27;
    10. Emma Crippin 17."
11. ↑ Research of Karen (McKnight) Massey of Peru, Indiana
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/234709023/esther-massey : accessed 08 December 2021), memorial page for Esther Johnson Massey (Nov 1828–21 Jan 1888), Find a Grave Memorial ID 234709023, citing Maplewood Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, USA ; Maintained by Albertus (contributor 47125769).
13. ↑ Research of Albertus

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Albertus for creating WikiTree profile Esther Johnson on 27 Jan 2015. Click to the [Changes page] for the details of edits by Albertus and others.