John Johnson Sr (abt. 1590 - abt. 1636)

Descendants

Died about 1636 at about age 46 in James City County, Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: US Southern Colonies Project WikiTree [send private message]

John Johnson Sr resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

John Johnson Sr is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

This profile is part of the Johnson Name Study.

John Johnson born about in about 1590.

Appears on the list of "Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of London for the First Colony in Virginia" in Letters Patent granted by King James I "whether they migrate in their own person to be planters there in the plantation aforesaid or do not migrate but adventure their money, goods, or chattels."^{[citation needed]}

John Johnson^[1] is considered an "Ancient Planter" by virtue of his owning land in Virginia before 1616.^[2] He lived on 15 acres on James Island, and raised tobacco and other crops on 85 acres in Jockeys Neck.^[3]

On November 18, 1618, the Virginia Company provided that "the ancient adventurers and Planters which were transported thither with Intent to Inhabit at their own costs and charges before the coming away of Sir Thomas Dale Knight, and have so continued during the space of three years, shall have upon a first Division to be by us augmented one hundred acres of land for their personal adventure." It also provided that those who came at the Company's expense would be allotted 100 acres after they had served the Company for seven years, subject to an annual rent of one shilling per fifty acres. In 1624 John Johnson received a patent from captain general and governor of the colony Sir Francis Wyatt for 100 acres (probably the same land he had been granted by the previous Governor, Sir George Yeardley, whose grants were disallowed as beyond his authority). Wyatt's grant was for the above mentioned land on James Island and in Jockeys Neck.

"John Johnson, Yeoman and ancient planter of James city, on January 12, 1624/25, patented as his first personal divident a tract of 100 acres in James City County, 15 acres being in the northeastern part of Jamestown Island toward Ensign William Spence, deceased, east of a marsh, and south of Backe River; and 85 acres being north to a small branch of Archer's Hope Creek, parting the same from the main devt. of Ensign William Spencer, south of another branch of the Creek, west of Archer's Hope Creek and east of a swamp on the back of the land; Fee Rent: one shilling yearly.

"Johnson escaped the Indian massacre of 22 March 1622, when five people in the Archer's Hope area were killed; he was probably living on his James Island property at the time. The 'Muster of the Inhabitants of James Citie' (16 February 1623/24) listed John Johnson, his wife, and two children. The Muster of 24 January 1624/25 lists John Johnson, wife wife Ann, daughter Ann, aged four years, and son John, aged one year, living on James Island.^[4]

"1623 John Johnson appears on the list as a member of the Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of London for the First Colony in Virginia in Letters Patent granted by King James I "whether they migrate in their own person to be planters there in the plantation aforesaid or do not migrate but adventure their money, goods, or chattels."^[5]

He died about 1636 in James City County, Virginia and is supposedly buried at Travis Cemetery, near the east end of Jamestown Island.^{[citation needed]}

Children included (there may have been more?):

1. John born in 1623.
2. Ann married Edward Travis (Travers). She inherited most of her father's land and the cemetery where her father is buried.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

Some, without source, have claimed that he was born in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. However, as reflected in this G2G discussion, WikiTree researchers have been unable to find a reliable source that supports Scottish origins.

Disputed Descendant

Col. William Barrett Travis who died at the Alamo is supposed to be a descendent of this same line.^{[citation needed]}. However the Travis Park Cemetery is located in Saluda, Saluda County, South Carolina.^[6]

Disputed Spouse

Further research needs to be done to confirm the identity of John's wife, Ann. It is not proven that she was the daughter of Jeffries Gooch and Ruth Hammond. Evidence found on the profile of Jeffries Gooch and in the Comments on this profile appear to show she was not their daughter. (Strutton-11 17:12, 25 September 2021 (UTC))

Sources

1. ↑ Johnson, John - A4306; living in 1629, Jamestowne Island: 1624 (Landowner); (Ancient Planter). accessed 25 September 2021
2. ↑ Jester, Annie. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1625' (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1956) Pages 217-218
3. ↑ Nugent, Nell Marion, Abstracted and Indexed by. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1800. In Five Volumes. Richmond, VA.: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1935. Pages xxxiv, 4, 30

   John Johnson, Yeoman, and ancient planter of James City, 100 acres, Jan. 12, 1624, p. 15. His first personal divident, whereof 15 acs. is situated on E. side of the island towards Ensigne Wm. Spencer, ... Fee rent: 1 Shill. for every 50 acs.

4. ↑ Hotten, John Camden, Editor. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants' Religious Exiles; … and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700. John Camden Hotten: London, 1874. Reprinted Empire State Book Co., New York. Pages 178, 228
5. ↑ Martha M. McCartney, "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635, A Biographical Dictionary," Reprinted by Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, MD Date 2007 Page 425 Internet Archive
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27453911/john-johnson : accessed 06 March 2022), memorial page for John Johnson (1590–1636), Find a Grave Memorial ID 27453911, citing Travis Graveyard, Jamestown, James City County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by James Bianco (contributor 47745493).Find A Grave: Memorial #27453911

See also:

• Peter Wilson Coldham, Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660, 1987, p ??
• FamilySearch John Johnson and Ann Goche, 16 July 2013, based on Johnson Family Of the Northern Neck of Virginia Northumberland, King George, Prince William and Fauquier, Volume II Chapter 13
• Betty Pond Snyder, Pioneer Pond people plus Robinson and allied families, 1992.
• A.R. Maddison, ed., Lincolnshire Pedigrees, V 55 ;Page 1270. Available at Ohio State University Library; link
• Nugent, Nell. Cavaliers And Pioneers (Dietz Printing Co., Richmond, VA, 1929-1934) : Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants. Vol. 3: 1695-1732. Richmond [VA]: Virginia State Library, 1979. 578p. Indexed.