Charles Duncan (Johnston) Johnson (1863 - 1935)

Born 11 Oct 1863 in Norwick, Unst, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Williamina (Mouat) Johnson — married 2 Jun 1892 in Nine Mile Beach, Charleston, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

Husband of Jemima Sinclair — married 28 Nov 1905 in Charleston, Buller, West Coast, New Zealand

Died 21 Feb 1935 at age 71 in Westport, West Coast, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Peter Warwick [send private message]

Biography

Duncan (Johnston) Johnson was born in Scotland.

Duncan Johnson^[1] was born in 1863 in Norwick, Unst, Shetland. He was the oldest child of John Johnson and Ann (Anderson) Johnson. Duncan and his mother and brother still 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.^[2]

When Duncan was eleven 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.

Duncan married his second cousin Williamina (Mouat) Johnson (abt.1874-1899) in 1892. She died in 1899, and the couple did not have any children.

Duncan then married Jemima Sinclair in 1905, and they had a number of children.^[3]

Duncan passed away in 1935.

Info from North Isles Family History website:
Name Charles Duncan JOHNSTON^[1]
Born 11 Oct 1863 Norwick, Unst, SHI, SCT
Gender Male
Also Known As Duncan Johnston
Baptism 27 Dec 1863 Unst, SHI, SCT
Census 1871 Resident at Mucklepund, Unst.
Occupation Gold Miner
Died 21 Feb 1935
Person ID I48151 Shetland
Last Modified 24 Jul 2005^[4]

Anderson and Johnson families on the Howrah, London-Nelson, Jul-Nov 1876:^[5]

Duncan (Johnston) 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.^[6]

Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

Birth record (Scotland Statutory Registers):
DUNCAN JOHNSON (M) was born in 1863. RD: UNST. Ref: 011 / 67^[7]

NZ BDM Online: Marriage Registration
Reg Number: 1892/1328
Bride Name: Williamina Mouat
Groom Name: Duncan Johnson^[3]

NZ BDM Online: Marriage Registration
Reg Number: 1905/3734
Bride Name: Jemima Sinclair
Groom Name: Duncan Johnson^[3]

NZ BDM Online: Death Registration
Reg Number: 1935/14250
Duncan Johnson
Age: 71Y Est. birth year: 1864^[3]

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^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Research note: Almost all records known to me record his name as Duncan Johnson. North Isles Family History website, cited below, lists him as Charles Duncan and spells the last name Johnston. I am not totally sure of the source for these variants. His father's records in Scotland (listed on his page) use the Johnston spelling.~~~~
2. ↑ See census records below.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Records for their children (at least those born early enough for records to be available) can be found in NZ's historic Births, Deaths, and Marriages records. Searchable online at https://bdm.psopho.co.nz/ and documents can be ordered from https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search
4. ↑ Some sources available at https://www.bayanne.info/Shetland/getperson.php?personID=I48151&tree=ID1
5. ↑ Passenger list: Immigrants arriving in Nelson on the Howrah, 9 Nov 1876. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~shipstonz/genealogy/PassLists/howrah1876.html
6. ↑ Passenger list: Immigrants arriving in Wellington on the Howrah, 18 Nov 1876. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~shipstonz/genealogy/PassLists/howrahwgton1876.html
7. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Statutory registers. Accessible at ScotlandsPeople
8. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Census returns. Accessible at ScotlandsPeople

• Source: [S675974210] Ancestry Family Trees

Source: [S681095451] Familysearch.org Where Within Source: MS4C-9H7

Source: [S681095494] Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 Where Within Source: FHL Film Number: 6035516 Note: Name: Duncan Johnson Gender: Male Birth Date: 11 Oct 1863 Birth Place: Unst,Shetland,Scotland Father: John Johnson Mother: Ann Anderson FHL Film Number: 6035516

Source: [S681095450] Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 Note: Name: Duncan Johnson Gender: Male Birth Date: 11 Oct 1863 Birthplace: UNST,SHETLAND,SCOTLAND Father's Name: John Johnson Mother's Name: Ann Anderson Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C11011-1 System Origin: Scotland-ODM GS Film number: 6035516 Citing this Record "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQKD-5ZV : 10 February 2018), Ann Anderson in entry for Duncan Johnson, 11 Oct 1863; citing UNST,SHETLAND,SCOTLAND, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 6,035,516.

Source: [S676108159] 1871 Scotland Census Where Within Source: Parish: Unst; ED: 1; Page: 17; Line: 12; Roll: CSSCT1871_3 Note: Name: Duncan Johnson Age: 8 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863 Relationship: Son Mother's Name: Ann Johnson Gender: Male Where born: Unst, Shetland Registration Number: 11 Registration district: Unst Civil parish: Unst County: Shetland Address: Muckle Pond Occupation: Scholar ED: 1 Household schedule number: 77 Line: 12 Roll: CSSCT1871_3

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/247180762/duncan-johnson: accessed 11 February 2023), memorial page for Duncan Johnson (11 Oct 1863–21 Feb 1935), Find a Grave Memorial ID 247180762, citing Orowaiti Middle Cemetery, Westport, Buller District, West Coast, New Zealand; Maintained by sharonjc (contributor 47437449).

Source: [S681095607] BillionGraves Index Note: Name: Duncan Johnson Event Type: Burial Event Place: Westport, West Coast, New Zealand Cemetery: Orowaiti Middle Cemetery Latitude: -41.752969 Longitude: 171.631913 Birth Date: 11 Oct 1863 Death Date: 21 Feb 1935 Affiliate Create Date: 02 May 2015 Affiliate Image Identifier: 13779223 Citing this Record "BillionGraves Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKDK-S23P : 28 November 2017), Duncan Johnson, died 21 Feb 1935; citing BillionGraves (http://www.billiongraves.com : 2012), Burial at Orowaiti Middle Cemetery, Westport, West Coast, New Zealand.