The biography and genealogy of Captain John Johnson from Roxbury, Massachusetts : an uncommon man in the Commonwealth of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630 to 1659

268 Pages·2000·10.9 MB·English

by  Johnson, Gerald Garth, 1937-

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The
Biography and Genealogy of
from Roxbury^ Massachusetts
An Uncommon Man in the Commonwealth of
The Massachusetts Bay Colony
1630-1659
Gerald OarthJohnson
HERITAGE BOOKS, INC.
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BOSTON
PUBLIC
LIBRARV
THE BIOGRAPHY AND GENEALOGY
OF
CAPTAIN JOHN JOHNSON
FROM
ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS
An Uncommon Man in the Commonwealth of
The Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630 to 1659
by Gerald Garth Johnson
HERITAGE BOOKS, INC.
Copyright 2000
Gerald Garth Johnson
(23 7/
.71
Published 2000 by
HERITAGE BOOKS, INC.
1540E Pointer Ridge Place, Bowie, Maryland 20716
1-800-398-7709
www.heritagebooks.com
ISBN 0-7884-1678-2
A Complete Catalog Listing Hundreds ofTitles
On History, Genealogy, and Americana
Available Free Upon Request
CONTENTS
Page
Preface Vll
Illustrations andMaps XI
Introduction XXXI
ChapterOne The Puritans and Their Society
ChapterTwo Adventurers and The Formation of
Companies In Establishing
New England 19
ChapterThree John Johnson's Motivation to Migrate
to America 25
ChapterFour The Winthrop Fleet 31
Chapter Five Towns and Villages Where John
Johnson Lived 39
Chapter Six The Marriages ofJohnJohnson 47
ni
CONTENTS
Page
Chapter Seven The Churches ofJohnJohnson 53
ChapterEight TheAncestryofJohnJohnson 61
ChapterNine The GenealogyofJohnJohnson 99
ChapterTen The Education ofJohn Johnson
and His Children inEngland 107
ChapterEleven The Civil Responsibilities of
JohnJohnson 115
Chapter Twelve TheMilitaryHistoryofCaptain
John Johnson In England and
NewEngland 119
ChapterThirteen Records, Documents, and Letters
Relating To John Johnson and His
Civil, Legal and Religious Life 129
ChapterFourteen Description ofReal Property Owned
By John Johnson andtheGreatFire
ofJohn Johnson's Home in 1645 175
IV
CONTENTS
Page
ChapterFifteen The Complete Will ofJohnJohnson 179
Chapter Sixteen The Legacies ofJohn Johnson's
Puritan Society 189
Chapter Seventeen Some Conclusions aboutJohnJohnson 201
Notes 205
Index 219
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011
http://www.archive.org/details/biographygenealoOOjohn
PREFACE
Captain Edward Johnson of Wobum, Massachusetts is quoted as
saying, "to write the History ofJohn Johnson would fill a volume,
and his worth as one of the founders of the government of the
colonies ofMassachusetts is too well-known to be recorded here."
[in the History of Essex County, Massachusetts with Biographical
Sketches Volume H, published in 1888 by D. Hamilton Hurd.]
,
Edward Johnson goes on to describe the subject of this book,
Captain John Johnson, as "the Survayor Generall ofthe Armes of
the Country as an Undanted Spirit. And, one who was very well
qualified for the work [of Surveyor General ofthe Arms] ready at
all times to put the General Court in mind of keeping their store
renewed by fresh supply" [ofpowder and other military supplies.]
From a more contemporary person, Thomas Kozachek, Editor,
NewburyStreetPress, wrote to the author in aprivate letter on May
12, 1999 that "setting this figure (John Johnson) into an historical
narrative is aworthwhile project."
It is my hope that this book is an effort toward the volume that
Captain Edward Johnson suggested, and setting this figure [John
Johnson] in a historical narrative is as worthwhile as Thomas
Kozacheck oftheNewburyStreetPress wrote.
Between the years of 1629 and 1640, slightly less than 15,000
emigrants came from England bound for America....the New
England. The authorpresents Captain JohnJohnson as atypical,yet
perhaps not so typical but at least representative, ofthe people who
were motivated to leave their homeland and venture into the
unknown and uncharted land of America. Family, as well as
historians, will be pleased with the newly found information about
John Johnson, where he lived, where his children were bom and
baptized, who his wives were, his religious beliefs, his work, his
relationships with other relatives and friends, as well as get a
glimpse of his leadership in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, and the Plymouth
Colony. Further, examination of the villages and towns of Ware
and Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England provides insight into the
vu
type of life John Johnson and his first wife, Mary Heath Johnson
led. In addition to learning about the times ofthe 1600's, readers
can achieve a sense of the character of John Johnson as he dealt
with family, civic, military, and religious issues.
In order to provide the environment of the times, the author has
included information about the religion between 1590 and 1630,
Puritanism, the Church ofEngland, as well as the political upheaval
in Englandbetween 1550 and 1630, King Charles II, andtaxation.
Further insight and knowledge is gained from the inclusion offacts
about the trip across the Atlantic Ocean, the formation ofRoxbury,
Massachusetts, andthe day-to-day responsibilities and events in the
life ofJohn Johnson andhis family.
The author, who has visitedthe towns and villages ofCaptain John
Johnson in England, and who has researched all of the usual,
unusual, and new sources ofinformation both here in America and
abroad in England, has discovered information about John Johnson
neverbeforeprinted.
An enormous debt is owed to family members, other individuals,
and institutions for their helpfiibiess and their tolerance while the
author was in the throes ofresearch, writing, and re-writing. With
the greatest gratitude, I thank the following: Karlene Johnson
Messer for her constant support and technical assistance, Nancy
Ticknor Johnson who gave up her dining room again and who
allowed me the freedom to search, research, and travel, Cesar
Augusto Johnston for inspiring meto additional research. Dr. Roger
Thompson ofEast Anglia University forhis helpful comments, Mr.
John McCauley of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery of
Massachusetts, and, Mrs. Beryl Crawley, AGRA, of Welwyn
Garden City, Hertfordshire, England who was probably
overwhelmed bythe scores and scores ofletters requesting research
assistance. I am especially indebted to LeAnne M. Johnson Shaw
who spent many days proof-reading the various drafts ofthis book.
Without the accuracy ofher help, the past ofJohn Johnson and the
Colonial Period could not have been assembledproperly.
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