William Peter Johnson (1767 - 1837)

Born 1767 in Governor's Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas

Ancestors

Husband of Lavinia (Longley) Johnson — married 2 Feb 1803 in Nassau, Bahamas

Descendants

Died 1837 at about age 70 in Bahama Islands

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William Johnson is part of a Bahamian family.

Biography

William P Johnson was born in 1767, the son of Samuel Johnson and Ann Ingraham or Ingram. Samuel Johnson's will - written in 1790 - establishes his family:

" I give unto my Affectionate and Loving Wife Ann Johnson my Dwelling House and Furniture and Plantations during her Life and One Third part of all my Personal Estate, and at her Death to fall into the Hands of my Dutifull and Loving Children to be Equally divided. The other Two Thirds to be divided after all my Just Debts are paid & satisfied as follows Thomas Johnson, Samuel Johnson, William Johnson, Ann Sears, Elizabeth Johnson, and Sarah Johnson fore ever, and I do hereby Constitute and appoint my Loving Sons, Thomas Johnson, and William Johnson Executors to this my Last Will and Testament as Witness my Hand & Seal the twenty fourth day of December One Thousand seven hundred and ninety...."

William was married twice: first, to Mary Petty, daughter of Captain John Petty, Sr. and his wife Mary Unknown; and second, to Lavinia Longley, in Nassau, 2 February 1803. The sons of William and Lavinia Longley Johnson did not survive to adulthood.

He was a Justice of the Peace in Eleuthera and performed the marriage of his sister Mrs. Elizabeth Micklethwaite to Robert Everard Hutcheson in 1803.

William Johnson was a very wealthy merchant, owned many slaves, two schooners "Atlanta" and "Jane". He had a large plantation on Eleuthera on which there was an uprising in 1833 and the West Indies Regiment had to be called in.

William P Johnson died in 1837: "Died: On Sunday night, the 22nd inst. in the seventy first year of his age, after a short but severe illness, William JOHNSON Esq., a native of these islands, and for many years a respectable Planter on Eleuthera.."

William's will - written 1826:

"....I William Johnson of the Island of Eleuthera, Planter.... First I give and devise to my son William John Petty Johnson a silver Tankard, and also I give and devise to my son Joseph Sears Johnson another silver Tankard. I give devise and bequeath to my beloved Wife Lavinia the House and Lot, situate on the Island of Eleuthera in which I now live together with all the silver plate and furniture for and during her natural life, and in case she die without lawful issue to go and belong to my two sons above named and to their Heirs for ever to be divided equally among them.."

Royal Gazette - 25 Jan 1837 "Died: On Sunday night, the 22nd inst. in the seventy first year of his age, after a short but severe illness, William JOHNSON Esq., a native of these islands, and for many years a respectable Planter on Eleuthera.."

Sources

Bahamas National Archives, Nassau, Bahamas, Wills Johnson, Book I: pages 468 and 469.

Christ Church Records.

Christ Church Marriage Records.

Royal Gazette, Nassau, Bahamas, 25 January 1837.

Bahamas DNA Project, Direct Paternal Line Descendant Charts https://genealogy.hopetownmuseum.com/bahamasdnaproject/bahydna.htm

DNA

Paternal 4th Great Grandfather of Y-DNA kit 89696