Johnson Family History

This information is from an email received from Kay Dawes Knee.

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From: "Kay Lynn"
To: Conan Massey Jr
Subject: Johnsons
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 10:43:28 -0500

This is about 1/5 of the Johnson portion of my booklet. I have children , notes ,etc for quite a few of these people. In addition I am including Quinn, Goodwin, and Kuhn/Coon info for Belle's side. I have ActiveX on my program so it may not copy to you exactly as I have it formatted. I will be happy to share what ever you want. Do you have any other info or pictures including Ada's amd her family that you are willing to share? Hope this doesn't overwhelm you. If so just ignore me. LOL

Kay Dawes Knee

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The Descendants of William Johnson

* Color Key for the Johnson Branch as follows - 2nd Generation = Violet, 3rd Generation = Green, 4th Generation = Indigo,

5th Generation = Brown, 6th Generation = Blue, 7th Generation = Teal, Continuity Notes for Arline = Red

The Johnson’s came into Texas between late 1834 and 1837. He received a land grant in Montgomery County. It was Headright Certificate, Second Class # 96, issued by the Republic of Texas, in the amount of 1280 acres. It was dated 19 July 1838. There also was another meeting with The Montgomery County Board of Land Commissioners on 13 August 1838. He sold ½ of the land (640) to the man who, earlier, had done the survey, Mr. Jonathan S. Collard on 1 July 1844. The sale price was $100 for the entire 640 acres.

The supposition is that William died in 1838 after the August meeting with The Board of Land Commissioners, since Mary (Shye) Johnson married for a second time on 15 February 1839, to a man named Phillip Martin. They subsequently had a son Sam Houston Martin.

(1st) Father: William JOHNSON Birth: About 1788 GA Marriage: 26 JAN 1813 in Clarke Co. Georgia. William apparently passed away in 1838 shortly after the Land Grant was issued by the Board of Land Commissioners in 1837. It is the general consensus that in the 1844 land transaction that the son William Wilburn must have acted on his father’s behalf, since his name was the same as his father’s and it is almost certain that the father passed away at the end of 1838.

Arline’s Paternal Great Great Grandfather

Mother: Mary SHY, (SHI, SHAY or SHYE) Birth: About 1792-1795 GA

Note: According to Barbara Hamilton, Johnson descendant through William and Mary’s son Jesse Johnson, she believes that on the Georgia marriage record it was spelled SHY. I have found it spelled several ways while doing this research. Arline’s Paternal Great Great Grandmother

Mary Shy married a second time to a Philip Martin. Mary Johnson was given conditional head right No. 23 of 640 acres agreeable to the conditions of the act passed Jan 4, 1839 extending donations of land to late emigrants. It was a second class certificate given by the Republic of Texas on the 25th day of March 1839 to”formerly Mary Johnson”. The certificate was issued in Montgomery County but the land ended up in Walker County after the county lines were redrawn. Philip sold some land to two of Mary's sons. They were William Wilburn Johnson and Jesse Johnson. Both are in the 1850 census in Montgomery County, Texas. W.W. Johnson is 23 years old (birth 1827) born in Georgia. Jesse is 34 years old (birth 1816) born in Georgia.
Mary had an odd real estate transaction in the late 1850's. She sold 320 acres of land to John McCrary (a Lawyer) for $1 and on the same day, John McCrary sold 151 acres to Philip Martin for $1 and 169 acres to Sam Houston Martin for $1. This means she had 320 acres left and it is assumed that she kept that for the children from her first marriage. However, nothing was found in the Walker County deed index indicating she conveyed that remaining land.

Children: Arline’s paternal great great aunts and uncles

(2nd)1. Serena Johnson Birth: About 1814 Tuscaloosa Co, AL or GA Death: 18 NOV 1877 Montgomery Co. TX Marriage: 26 JUL 1829 Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa Co., Alabama. They bought their marriage license 3 JUL 1829. Spouse: Timothy W. CUDE Birth: 1804 Grainger Co., Tennessee Death: 25 JUL 1861 Plantersville, Grimes Co, TX Timothy’s Father, William Arthur CUDE, Sr. Birth: ABT. 1770 Randolph Co., NC – Mother Dorcas JONES Birth: ABT. 1772 in Randolph Co., NC

(2nd)2. Jesse JOHNSON Birth: About 1816 in GA Marriage: 27 Apr 1840 Montgomery Co. TX spouse: Malinda PARKER Birth: About 1825 MS.*Note: Malinda was Lurana’s sister.

*Note for Malinda: The 1850 census shows her name as Matilda Thomas but the 1840 Republic of Texas marriage license (copy of marriage license in the possession of Kay Dawes Knee) lists her name as Malinda. All other sources also give her name as Malinda. She was 25 and born in Mississippi on the 1850 census. On the 1860 she is 33 years old.

* Notes Jesse and Malinda applied for their marriage license on 26 APR 1840. Peter Cartwright J P performed the ceremony.

* Jesse listed on the Schedule of notes (people owed money) on the 30 OCT 1849 action on the will of Thomas Betts

*Jesse was on the Annual Report of the administrator of the William W Ford estate on 26 AUG 1850. No mention of why. He wasn’t an heir.

*On the 1850 Montgomery Co census Jesse and his family thru Lucinda are listed with a family with the last name of Thomas. He was a 34 year old farmer, born in GA On the 1860 Montgomery Co census, he is listed as J Johnson

*Jesse and Malinda have not been found on the 1870 census. This possibly can be explained by the fact that about this time they moved their family to the East side of the county and may have lived deep in the wood and not located by the census taker.

* There are no records to indicate that Jesse was ever paid for participation in “Archer’s War” against the Kickapoo and Cherokee Indians in June 1840. Jesse and Malinda married in April 1840 and the records appear as if he sent a proxy to serve this time in the militia

* Jesse was a 2nd Sergeant in Captain Richard Williams’ Company of the Montgomery Co Militia in what is known as the Somervell Expedition. After the capture of San Antonio de Bexar by General Rafael Vasquez and General Adrian Woll in March and September of 1842, President Sam Houston ordered Alexander Somervell to organize the militia and volunteers to invade Mexico. After the Texas Army captured Laredo, Tamaulipas and Guerrero, Somervell ordered on 19 DEC to return to Gonzales and disband.

* On the 1 JUL 1854 School census for Montgomery Co Jesse Johnson had 2 children between the ages of 6 & 16.

*Jesse Johnson was named the administrator for the W B D Smith estate 26 MAR 1849. The perishable property was sold for $764.49 on that date. Buyers were listed as L Bennit, G McKeina, J M Goodrich, Johnson, Joseph Parker, G W James, S Bennit, J W Smith, J M Kirby and John Warnot

*31 DEC 1849 Jesse posted an additional bond as principal and Richard Smith as security.

* 1 MAR 1850- Upon petition of A Hemphill, Guardian ad Litem of the minor heirs of the decedent, court orders administrator to return an additional inventory listing the balance of the property belonging to the estate; also to bring to court all title papers to the land of the estate in his possession. Court appoints as appraisers E G Collier, C W Lewen, Calvin McCormick and M O Dimon

*.25 MAR 1850-In annual report, names mentioned are: E G Collier, M C Dixon, E J Arnold, R W Willis, and Brother, J H Price, Williford Cartwright and Thos. Betts. Documents shown to the court: Deed to decedent’s ¼ league; patent for bounty land 320 acres; bond from R Smith 500 acres on the Navidad; deed to decedent in Cincinnati; deed to John Smith’s bond of Hugh Davlin for 200 acres; Lewis H Ford’s bond for 140 acres; D Gilland’s cow contracts; decedent’s ¾ League Headright and John Smith’s 1/3 League Headright and John Smith’s 1/3 League Headright willed to decedent “lie in Liberty land distant” but no titles have ever been issued.

*21 SEP 1850-Petition of Richard Smith, one of the sureties of Jesse Johnson, administrator de bones non on the estate of Wiley B D Smith , to be released as surety. Court orders; that the administrator appear and answer the petition on the 24 SEP 1850 and show cause why he should not be required to give a new bond..

*24 SEP 1850- Application of Richard Smith, one of the sureties, asking that the administrator be required to give new bond and that he be released from all liabilities for future acts of the administrator, Court orders that Jesse Johnson, be discharged from the administration of the estate, and that execution issue against him. J M Kirbee and R Smith, his sureties, for all costs incurred by him in said administration. This ordered because administrator failed to appear and give new bond.

*3 OCT 1850 –Former administrator, Jesse Johnson – Court orders that a citation be issued to the Sheriff, commanding him to demand and receive from Jesse Johnson all papers, documents, money, and property in his possession belonging to the estate of W B D Smith, and return the same to the Court.

*4 JAN 1851 – Administrator, E G Collier, petitions that Jesse Johnson, late administrator of estate, be sited to appear at the next term of the Court and account for all his acts as administrator of the estate. Petition states that “matters of the said estate which he pretended to manage and conduct, are in so loose and confused a state that it is impossible for your petitioner to settle up the Estate.” Court orders that citations be issued accordingly.

*29 APR 1851 Report in writing by the late administrator de bonis non, Jesse Johnson, of Wiley B D Smith, deceased. Administrator has sworn and subscribed that report was filed 1 APR 1851. Court orders that the sum of $20.00 be allowed to N H Davis as attorney fees during administration. Court orders that E G Collier, present administrator, pay into the court for N H Davis during course of administration. Jesse Johnson is found in default for the sum of $2.52 and Court orders execution issue against him for same. Names mentioned in report of Jesse Johnson; J M Goodrich, G McKinny, Geo. James, Eli Shaw, Lewis and James Kirbee, James Smith, E G Collier, John Womack, P J Willis& Bro., Dr. J H Price.

*Jesse Johnson asks to be allowed the following: February 1848 – MAY 1849 – caring of the horses, hogs, and cattle, $30.00; June & September 1849 – going from home in Montgomery County to St. Gabriel in Milam County to see about cattle of decedent in the hands of Daniel Gilliland - $20.00; necessary expenses of said visits - $16.50; per cent for collecting and paying out - $23.50. Jesse Johnson further shows that he placed in the hands of R B Martin J P for suit, Norman’s note of $54.00, James W Smith’s note of $38.00; Joseph Parker’s note of $23.37, Wm. A Johnson’s note of $67.25 – upon all of which, judgments were recovered, but no money during his administration.

End of Probate minutes – Book E

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(2nd) 3 William Wilburn JOHNSON Birth: 10 JAN 1829 GA Death: 6 JUN 1910 Burial: Petteway Cemetery, Robertson Co, TX Marriage: 13 Jun 1848 to Lurana PARKER called “Luranie”. Birth: 29 JUN 1827 MS. Note: Lurana's sister Malinda married William Wilburn’s brother Jesse. Arline’s Paternal Great Grandfather Children:

(3rd) 1. William Isaiah JOHNSON Birth: 14 APR 1849 TX Death: 31 MAR 1879 Burial: Petteway Cemetery Robertson, Co, TX Marriage: 18 JAN 1869 Mary Jane Brantner Birth: 1853 Brazos Co TX (Birthplace given in error, as IN on the Montgomery Co 1870 Census) Death: 1944 Burial: Weinert Cemetery Haskell Co, TX

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Thomas Peter JOHNSON Arline’s Paternal Grandfather Birth: 16 OCT 1850 Pinehurst, TX Death: 16 FEB 1944 in Conroe, TX Marriage: 2 JAN 1870 to Mary Ann WINSLOW Birth: 8 MAY 1851 FL Death: 4 DEC 1891 (her Father: William Winslow Birth: 1824 Bibb Co. GA her Mother: Elizabeth Jane Parrish Birth: 1823 Death: 1907) *Note Arline said she remembers her grand father very well. He was a very small built man, probably 5’4” or thereabout. He weighted between 120 and 130 at most. She has vivid memories of him being a hard worker. When he would stop to rest, he sat under a tree in the yard, whittling as he rested. Arline’s Paternal Great Grandparents

Tom Peter Johnson’s Obituary
Feb. 16, 1944 from The Houston Chronicle
Rites Set Today for Man Leaving 132 Descendants

“Uncle Tom" Johnson, 93, Farmed All His Life in Egypt Community.
(He was actually know as Mr. Pete or Uncle Pete by those who knew him and his family)

Funeral services for Tom Peter (Uncle Tom) Johnson, 93 who had farmed all his life in the Egypt Community, between Conroe and Magnolia, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Klein Funeral Home Chapel in Tomball. Burial will be at 4:00 p.m. at the Tillis Prairie Cemetery. The pallbearers were selected from his many grandsons. Mr. Johnson died in a Conroe Hospital Saturday morning, leaving 132 descendants.

Mr. Johnson is survived by one son Johnnie Johnson of Oklahoma Community; two daughters, Mrs. Fannie McDonald of Egypt Community and Mrs. Lizzie Ivey of Houston; 34 grandchildren; 83 great grand children and 12 great grandchildren; a brother J.H. Johnson, and a sister Angie Grey, both of Buffalo.

Mr. Johnson was born at Mound Creek, south of Keenan and about six miles from his last home.(on October 16, 1850 not given in obit))

When he was a boy there was nothing but woods where Conroe is now, and he saw the first saloon and lumber mill of the town. Among his recollections was a picture of Houston when the town was nothing more than a mudhole.

Mr. Johnson was married when he was 20 (to Mary Ann Winslow born 1851 in Florida, died in 1891 with the birth of their last child, this information not given in obit) and was the father of nine children, six of whom are dead.(the 10 child was not listed assumingly since it was not ever named)

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The following is a recollection of Tom Peter by his cousin. Harold Winslow, in a letter to Donald Johnson (youngest son of John Wesley Johnson and Belle Quinn Johnson. This was dated November 2, 1990


Donald,

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this to you, but seems I just take a long time to do nothing any more. I would appreciate any corrections or additions some of the family could make to what I have written here. Most is from Daddy’s memory and what little I can remember from my talks with Aunt Emma.

As you can see the obituary has some errors- I don’t know who wrote it, but they were sure wrong in calling him “Uncle Tom.” I sure wish there had been more details given about him.

You can figure it out for your self, but your Daddy (John Wesley Johnson) and my Daddy (Rucks Winslow) were first cousins, so I guess that makes us second cousins? Well, how ever it works. I know Daddy and Uncle Perry sure thought a lot of Uncle Pete- they always spoke kindly of him. I remember one birthday party we had for Uncle Pete after Charlie moved to Egypt Community- it may have been the last birthday he celebrated. Also I remember Uncle Pete being at Uncle Wallace’s 80th birthday party. – He enjoyed being there to honor Uncle Wallace.

Hope you enjoy the info – share with others who may be interested. They may be able to add to it. I hope these old people who “laid the bottom rail” will not be forgotten as time passes on.


Your cousin, Harold (Winslow)


P.S. (handwritten) Uncle Pete and Grandpa Mack were brothers - in – law. Aunt Mary (Winslow Johnson) must have been some older than Mack – I think Mack may have been the youngest. The other brothers of Mack, Mary & Martha, were George & Sam Winslow.

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T. P. “Uncle Pete” Johnson

Uncle Pete married Mary Winslow, daughter of William and Elizabeth Jane Parrish Winslow, January 2, 1870. Mary was living with her parents on the old Winslow place just off Bear Branch, near Egypt Community. They (Pete and Mary may have become acquainted as a result of William’s having a job at the tan-yard located on Mound Creek. William worked there during the civil War and may have met the Johnsons at that time. There were people living in the area around the old Rabon field, and there may have any number of them working at the old tanyard. .As the obituary notes, Uncle Pete was born somewhere in that area where the old Honea Road crosses Mound Creek.

The younger brother mentioned in the obituary may be the one referred to in a story passed down over the generations. As the older people remembered, at any large gathering, when meal time came, people were fed in “relays” seated at the dining room table; as many as possible were seated and after they ate, a second group was seated, then a third, and so on until they were all fed. The “buffet” style of today was never considered. The first table was made up of the older people and the guest of honor (preacher, etc.) then in descending order down to the children, who were fed last. The country song “Take an Ole Cold ‘Tater and wait”, sung by Little Jimmy Dickens on the Grand Ole Opry many years ago describes the situation children of that time faced quite accurately.

At one such gathering, Uncle Pete was seated at the first table and was thoroughly enjoying his meal, especially the dewberry cobbler; a delicious and rare treat back then. Perhaps Uncle Pete was giving himself a generous first helping, or may have been having a second one, but in any case, his younger brother who was having to wait, anxiously watched as that luscious cobbler disappeared before his eyes. As Uncle Pete was ‘digging into’ the cobbler, his brother could stand it no longer, so he leaned over Uncle Pete’s shoulder and said in a low pleading voice, “Peter don’t eat all them ‘burries’ – I want some. ”The remark was meant for Uncle Pete’s ears only, but those at the table could not help overhearing and of course got a good laugh out of it. They fully understood the anxiety he felt and were not unsympathetic. It was certainly a fact that some of those eating at the successive tables missed out on the choicest dishes and it took a lot of self-control to watch and not react in some way.

The only property I know of that Uncle Pete owned was 116 acres at the edge of Lake Creek bottom, not far upstream from the old Baker field and the old Mandy field. The field was named for the old black lady that once owned the property. None of us ever knew her last name, so we called it the “Mandy field.” Charlie Damuth eventually bought the property and lived on it a while before moving to Magnolia and opening a barber shop. Tom, Uncle Pete’s son, had 56 acres a short distance away. They farmed some and probably raised a few cows and hogs. Tom once farmed the old Mandy field. They lived a simple, perhaps hard life. Tom and his family got their water for household use from a spring about 150 or 200 yards from the house, It was about three miles from the Johnson property to Tillis Prairie, where William and his family lived after getting some property there in 1873. They lived in the old stagecoach inn which used to stand just south of the Tillis Prairie Cemetery.

Uncle Pete and Aunt Mary had 10 children. The tenth, a little girl who was never named, survived Aunt Mary by just a few days. Aunt Mary died giving birth to this tenth child. Aunt Martha (Mary’s sister who married Bob Damuth) tried to save the baby, but was unsuccessful. My Aunt Emma (oldest of Mack’s children) told me one of her earliest memories was seeing her daddy holding John and Della in his lap as he sat crying, Aunt Emma finally understood that his sister Mary had died in childbirth. This was about 1891 or 1892. Other children of Pete’s and Mary’s were: William (d/ 3 yrs old), Ellen, Jim (d/ 2 yrs. old), Elmer, John, Tom, Martha, Lizzie, and Fannie. Uncle Pete never remarried though he was still a relatively a young man.

Uncle Pete’s last days were spent with his daughter Fannie and her son Charlie Mc Donald and his family. Parts of these last years were spent near the old Winslow fields and the Winslow ponds just west of Bear Branch. Just a few years before Uncle Pete’s death, Charlie moved his family to Egypt Community and built a house on property just across the road from the Ben Hicks place. The old camp house the Coe’s used when they were working their cattle in the area around Bear Branch was moved to Egypt and Uncle Pete and Fannie lived in it. It sat just behind and slightly to the west of Charlie’s new house. The old bunk house was one big room with a door on each end. There was no porch, so Uncle Pete often carried his chair outside and sat in the shade of the house or a nearby tree during warm weather.

It was just before this move to Egypt that Uncle Pete caused quite a stir in the community. One evening he decided he wanted to see the old Winslow ponds again before he got too feeble to walk and since it was not a great distance to the ponds, he just knew he could get there and back before dark. He was very familiar with the area, having been all this country since he was just a boy, but something happened that got him disoriented and when dark came, Uncle Pete had not returned home. Word spread that Uncle Pete was lost and people form all over, especially Egypt Community turned out to hunt him. I don’t remember who came to our house, but it was kind of late, and most of us were n bed. My Uncle Ben Dulany, was staying with us, and had already gone to sleep. My daddy went in and called him saying, “Wake up, Ben Uncle Pete tried to walk to the Winslow ponds and got lost!” Uncle Ben, not quite awake, replied, “Well what did he do that for?”

I don’t know how long it took to find Uncle Pete, but he was as calm and unexcited as a man could be. He followed the old rule that when lost, you stop where you are and let the searchers find you. He was not worried because he knew there would be folks out looking for him. The weather was kind of cool, but he had built himself a fire and was sitting on a log beside it, warming himself. I think it was getting on toward the fall of the year when this happened.

Uncle Pete’s daughter, Lizzie, married Will Ivey, and they lived just south of my Grandpa Mack’s place in Tillis Prairie. Grandpa always enjoyed visiting Will and Lizzie. Once in a while, after supper, he would light his old kerosene lantern and walk the mile from his house over to the Ivey’s. He would visit until bedtime and then walk the mile back home. One of the last horses Grandpa owned, Ole Skipper, was broke and trained by him. In spite of Will’s expertise in handling animals, one day a horse that he was feeding kicked and killed him. He and Lizzie had 13 children; the youngest was barely six at the time of his death.

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The family tree removed from this letter because most of the people listed are still alive.