Birth/Marriage for William JOHNSON

[linnet27]

Can anyone help me find a birth and marriage for William, please?   There seems to be conflicting information on the census.  On one he is listed as born in Suffolk and another it is Grantham, Leicestershire.  Grantham is in Lincolnshire - has it ever been in Leics?

I have found the following census info, which shows a Maria age 4.  I wonder if she is actually his wife, and should be age 40?

1841 Chediston Street, Halesworth

JOHNSON, William    M    40    1801       Suffolk       
JOHNSON, Maria    F    4    1837       Suffolk       
JOHNSON, Samuel    M    15    1826       Suffolk       
JOHNSON, Hezecah    M    14    1827       Suffolk        
JOHNSON, Hepseba   M    12    1829       Suffolk        
JOHNSON, William    M    9    1832       Suffolk        
JOHNSON, Sidny    M    8    1833       Suffolk        
JOHNSON, Eliza    F    7    1834       Suffolk        
JOHNSON, Harriot    F    5    1836       Suffolk

In 1851 I have Sidney age 19 with parents William & Maria.

I would really appreciate your thoughts to help me move back with this family.

Thanks!

[AMBLY]

Hi

Search Labs has these non-conformist baptisms of  children to parents William JOHNSON & Maria in Halesworth::
https://labs.familysearch.org/
Charles 1823
Samuel 1825
Maria 1826
Hezekiah 1827
Hezehiah 1828
Hephzibah 1829
William 1831
Sidney 1833
Eliza 1834 (Mar)
Ephraim 1834 (Sep)
Harriet 1836 (Feb)
George 1836 (Dec)
Alfred 1839

The 1841 Census definitely does say age 4 for Maria - and it does rather look as if she is supposed to be the wife/mother of the family. However, the daughter who was baptised as Maria in 1826 was the apparent first of the children who might be 16 by  1841 - so it could be her who was written down incorrectly as 4.  But if this were the case, then Maria the wife/mother is missing in 1841, since you do have her there in 1851!  If a death/burial or another location in 1841, could be found for Maria the daughter - then perhaps it might be supposed the Maria age 4 in 1841 is actually the wife/mother.

When you say you're after a Birth/Marriage for William - do you mean the father/husband in 1841 ?  Is that 1841 family definitely yours - or are you trying to work out if they are?

Cheers
AMBLY

[linnet27]

Hi Ambly

Thanks for your reply and the link to Search Labs which I had not come across.  I am as confident as it is possible to be that this is the correct family.   Sidney (1833) is my husband's 2x great grandfather.

I have just done a quick check and there is a Maria Johnson age 15, born 1826 on the 1841 census with a family in Southwold, which is not too far from Halesworth.  Under occupation it says F S.  Not sure what that means?

There are no burials on FreeReg between 1826 and 1846.

It is William born approx. 1800 that I really want to trace.

Lynne

[keyboard86]

Re Maria b c 1826 F S is a " Female Servant"
Keyboard86

[linnet27]

Of course!  Thanks.

[Keziah2]

Lynne

This may be of help

From the Suffolk Marriage Index 1813-37

William Johnson of Halesworth married Maria Heffer at Cookley on 11 Jun 1821

The Suffolk Burial Index notes the following Johnson burials in Halesworth Cemetery:

Philip (son of William & Maria - Chediston St) 31 May 1856  (14)
Maria (wife of William - Chediston St) 5 May 1868 (70)
William (painter - Chediston St) 21 Jun 1875 (55)
Charles (painter - Chediston St) 3 Apr 1879 (32)
Harriet (spinster - Chediston St) 12 Dec 1879 (26)
William (Chimney Sweep - Chediston St) 23 Jul 1880 (84)

Johnson burials start at around 1669 at Halesworth St Mary so your chap could have been Halesworth born & bred.

Keziah

[Keziah2]

ps.  He does seem confused as to his origins doesn't he??

1871 - Grantham, Lincolnshire
1861 - He says Huntingdon village uk, she says Huntingfield, which would tie in nicely with the marriage in Cookley.
1851 - he says Grantham but as you say in Leicestershire.  Well they both start with an 'L' & it could be as simple as that.

I wonder if someone could look up the marriage for you & see if the names of either of the witnesses might give you a clue.

Keziah

[linnet27]

That is brilliant!  Thank you so much Keziah2.  Cookley is only a couple of miles from Halesworth, so I think that has to be correct.

I have checked the 1851 census again and it clearly says Leicestershire, Grantham for William's place of birth.  

In 1861 it says Huntingdonshire, parish unknown and birth year 1796 (which fits with the death year you found).

In 1871 it says Lincolnshire, Grantham.

I don't think the poor man knew where he came from, so how am I going to find him!!

Lynne

[Keziah2]

If you have a look at a map of Suffolk you will see there is a Huntingdon just south east of Huntingfield   I still can't help wondering if he was Suffolk born & bred & whatever he said to the enumerator at the time was probably not Grantham but who knows???

I wonder if he could have said Wrentham rather than Grantham - Wrentham being North east of  Halesworth.  There a 2 William Johnson bapts on familysearch.org that might fit your man.

William JOHNSON bpt 27 Aug 1796 Covehithe, Suffolk parents Richard Johnson & Mary Barber

William JOHNSON bpt 6 Dec 1796 Frostenden, Suffolk parents Benjamin Johnson & Elizabeth Borrett.   Frostenden is just south of Wrentham.

As I said lots of Johnson burials in Halesworth & surrounding villages about that time so Lincolnshire & Leicestershire could be a red herring & there are loads of Johnson burials in Wrentham, St Nicholas too

Keziah