William Gilbert Johnson (1866 - 1950)

Born 7 Sep 1866 in Norwick, Unst, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Ellen Catherine (Anderson) Johnson — married 16 Jan 1890 in Reefton, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 26 Aug 1950 at age 83 in Marton, Whanganui, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Caleb Day [send private message] and Shae Johnson [send private message]

Biography

William Johnson was born in Scotland.

William was born in 1866 in Norwick, Unst, Shetland. He was the second child of John Johnson and Ann (Anderson) Johnson. William and his mother and brother lived in Unst at the time of the 1871 census with other family, while his father and several other men in the family were seeking their fortunes in Australasian goldfields.^[1]

When William was nine years old, the family moved to Charleston on New Zealand's West Coast, along with many other members of his parents' families, as outlined below. The family may have been previously living in Leith, Midlothian, Scotland, as his youngest sibling Charlotte was born there.

William married Ellen "Kitty" Anderson of Edinburgh in 1890 in Reefton. They had ten children, born in Reefton, Taranaki, and Wellington.^[2]

Info from North Isles Family History website:
Name William Gilbert JOHNSON
Born 7 Sep 1866 Norwick, Unst, SHI, SCT
Gender Male
Baptism 15 Feb 1867 Unst, SHI, SCT
Census 1871 Resident at Mucklepund, Unst.
Occupation Miner
Died 26 Aug 1950 Marton, NZL
Person ID I48152 Shetland
Last Modified 22 Nov 2009^[2]

Anderson and Johnson families on the Howrah, London-Nelson, Jul-Nov 1876:^[3]

William Johnson migrated from Shetland/Midlothian, Scotland to Buller, West Coast, New Zealand.

Members of several interconnected Shetland families moved to New Zealand (especially Buller, West Coast) in the 1860s-70s. At least some had been living in Leith, Midlothian, Scotland before moving to NZ. On board this sailing of the Howrah were several children (and grandchildren) of William Anderson and Charlotte (Russell) Anderson, joining sister Margaret (Anderson) Harper who was already in New Zealand. Also on board were several children (and grandchildren) of Ann Duncan/Johnson and John Johnson, including Ann herself. The Johnson and Anderson siblings were connected by two different marriages, which had involved two Anns swapping surnames: John Johnson had married Ann (Anderson) Johnson, and Gilbert Anderson had married Ann (Johnson) Anderson.

Ann and her Johnson children are marked with asterisks (*) below. Anderson siblings are marked with obelisks (†) below.

† ANDERSON Gilbert, 30, Adult, male, Shetland, Wood Cutter
* Ann, 34, Adult, female
Ann J, 8, Child, female
Charlotte, 3, Child, female
Joan, 9m, Infant, female

* JOHNSON John, 37, Adult, male, Shetland, Wood Cutter
† Ann, 33, Adult, female
Duncan, 11, Child, male
Wm. G, 9, Child, male
Charlotte, 2, Child, female
DUNCAN Ann *, 70, Adult, female, Shetland

MOWAT Magnus, 31, Adult, male, Shetland, Wood Cutter
* Cecilia, 30, Adult, female
Wm., 4m, Infant, male

† ANDERSON John, 18, Adult, male, Shetland, Labourer

Possibly (but name and age are slightly different):
* JOHNSTONE Mary, 32, Adult, female, Shetland, Servant

Other Shetlanders, all Johnstones, stayed on the ship until Wellington.^[4]

Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

NZ BDM Online: Marriage Registration
Reg Number: 1890/652
Bride Name: Ellen Catherine Anderson
Groom Name: William Gilbert Johnson ^[5]

NZ BDM Online: Death Registration
Reg Number: 1950/27359
William Gilbert Johnson
Age: 84Y Est. birth year: 1866^[5]

Census records

Johnsons on page 011/1/17 of the 1871 Scotland Census:
ANN JOHNSON (F), age 28, RD: UNST. Ref: 011/ 1/ 17
URSULA JOHNSON (F), age 25, RD: UNST. Ref: 011/ 1/ 17
WILLIAM G JOHNSON (M), age 4, RD: UNST. Ref: 011/ 1/ 17
MARY JOHNSON (F), age 35, RD: UNST. Ref: 011/ 1/ 17
DUNCAN JOHNSON (M), age 8, RD: UNST. Ref: 011/ 1/ 17
ANN JOHNSON (F), age 68, RD: UNST. Ref: 011/ 1/ 17^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ See census records below.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Some sources available at https://www.bayanne.info/Shetland/getperson.php?personID=I158122&tree=ID1
3. ↑ Passenger list: Immigrants arriving in Nelson on the Howrah, 9 Nov 1876. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~shipstonz/genealogy/PassLists/howrah1876.html
4. ↑ Passenger list: Immigrants arriving in Wellington on the Howrah, 18 Nov 1876. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~shipstonz/genealogy/PassLists/howrahwgton1876.html
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Searchable online at https://bdm.psopho.co.nz/ and documents can be ordered from https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search
6. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Census returns. Accessible at ScotlandsPeople