EDWARD JOHNSON UPDATE JAN 1996 by Linda Starr There are at least two Edward Johnsons in the same area of VA at the same approximate time; we've got to determine which is the father of Penelope. The first candidate is the minor son of Mr. Edward Johnson. I believe all other references probably refer to Penelope's father--but which Edward is he? from VA Colonial Abstracts, Series 2, vol 5: York Co. Wills ... 1657-1659 by The Rev. Lindsay O. Duvall. MR. EDWARD JOHNSON -- deceased by 16 NOV 1657--apparently an Anglican minister because he baptised negro child SEP 1655 and is also mentioned in Parish Levy. His wife MARY left York Co. about this time [no indication to where]. Mr. Robert Baldrey was named guardian of EDWARD JOHNSON, minor son and heir of EDWARD dec'd. In 1655 a path to "Mr. Johnson's Quarter" is mentioned in land description lying in Hampton Parish ... upon Cheescake Path. ["Cheesecake" was a vulgar term for the church located a few miles from Williamsburg named Kiskiacke or Chiskiake after an In dian tribe on the York River--in Bruton Parish which was formed from parts of James City and Charles River Counties per Old Churches, Ministers and Families of VA, vol. 1, by Meade. Rightmyer offers this from Goodwin's The Colonial Church in VA.: The old parish was called Hampton or Chiskiack 1639/40 to 1690 when it was renamed Yorkhampton Parish, which continues as Yorktown. Charles Parish was est. down river in 1692. These are on the Rappahannock. New Kent Co. on the north bank of the James across the neck and upriver from York was est. 1654 and the parishes are Blissland and St. Peter's.] Thomas Rightmyer, working on a biographical directory of early clergy adds: This Edward was born c1621 if ordained at the usual age of 24. As yet, no one has determined WHICH, if any, of these references refer to this minister -- the one who matriculated pen- sioner Easter 1639 at Magdalene College, Cambridge; the Deacon 16 JUN 1644; or the Priest 9 APR 1645 by Bishop of Lincoln. Goodwin says he died in York Co. VA c1665, but above record proves it was earlier. We only know that the minor son of EDWARD is under 21 in 1657--he could be anywhere from an infant to an almost adult. It doesn't help that New Kent Co. VA was formed in 1654 from the James City part of York Co. from Bernard Schaaf, Biographical Sketches Capt. Christopher Clark and Penelope Johnson Clark, page 24, says the mother of PENELOPE was Elizabeth WALKER from the 1677 marriage record found in Blissland Parish, New Kent Co. Yet, from The Vestry Book of Blisland (Blissland) Parish, New Kent and James City Co. VA 1721-1786 by Chamberlayne, the only entry for Edward Johnson in the index is: 2 APR 1677 EDWARD JOHNSON was one of signers to list of grievances to King's Commissioners who had come to investigate the causes of the Rebellion of that year. Other signers of inter- est to us were Peter Masie, Thomas Moorman and Richmond Terrell. [I plan to look at the book again to see if the index failed to note those names which appear on alphabetized marriage/birth records. Is there another Blissland Parish book? LSS] per The Quit Rents of VA 1704 by Smith: JOHNSON, Edward of New Kent Co. taxed on 150 Acres. from The Vestry Book & Register of St. Peter's Parish, New Kent Co. & James City Co. 1684-1786 by Chamberlayne. Children of EDWARD JOHNSON and wife Elizabeth Thomas b. 1680 Elizabeth b. 1682 PENELOPE b. 1684 Rachell b. 1686-7 Rebecka b. 1698 Benjamin b. 1701 Edward was "ordered to possession" in 1689 with family surnames who intermarry with the CLARK, MOORMAN, and JOHNSONs. from Lorand Johnson's The Ancestors of William and John Johnson: Johnston of Caskieben, Crimond, and Cayesmill which is largely uncited material--although since much is photocopied directly from published books, it isn't as suspect as if he'd typed a new manuscript.: p. 171 Chn of Edward and Elizabeth (Walker) Anthony b. 1678 Thomas b. 1680 Elizabeth b. 1682 PENELOPE b. 1684 m. Christopher Clark Rachel b. 1686 Arthur m. Margaret Phares John (Blissland Parish) Michael m. Sarah Rebecca b. 1698 Benjamin b. 1702 m. Margery Massie William b. 1703 m. Ann Chew Johnson's explanation for the additional children is that Edward only baptized his children in the Anglican church in those years when people were fined for not doing so. Johnson book continued for "proving" the gateway Johnstons: p135 under "The Inverurie Quakers" -- JAMES JOHNSTON and his brother GEORGE, sons of Dr. Arthur Johnson (and nephews of Elizabeth the Quakeress, the second wife of Apostate George Keith ... [the rest shows similarity of surnames of Quakers in Inverurie and Quakers in Accomac Co. VA.] There is a James JOHNSTON in Nansemond Co. 1682 per Early Quaker Records in VA by Miles White Jr. Decrepancies between Johnston book and others re: George Keith: Cradle of the Republic by Tyler, page 145 says George Keith was born in Aberdeen ... was a Quaker BEFORE joining Church of England and emigrating to colonies 1689. As an evangelist for the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts", George Keith preached at the Jamestown Church 25 APR 1703 per James Blair of VA by Parke Rouse Jr. Lorand Johnson, p140: In 1676-77 (O.S.) [George] Keith sailed from Edinburgh for the yearly meeting in England accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth, her cousin Edward (son of Dr. Arthur Johnston) and Keith's daughter (who m. George Walker). After the yearly meeting ... Elizabeth's relatives were escorted to VA by William Edmundson who was returning to VA (see p. 121) [This refers us to chart showing Elizabeth as daughter Dr. William Johnston, brother of Dr. Arthur Johnston.] Shaftsbury as Penelope's father/grandfather: Per Vashti, "tradition says one of the grandfathers or great grandfathers of PENELOPE Clark, wife of Christopher, was the first Earl of Shaftsbury." [Dr. Lorand Johnson attempted to show him as a likely father of Sarah and Lucretia MASSIE who married William and John Johnston in New Kent Co. late 1600's. Lord Ashley had three marriages, but none of his wives are named. LSS] per Appendix A (Dr.Johnson book), pages 156-163 gives good his tory of Lord Ashley, who was made one of proprietors of Carolina the Spring of 1665; he persauded Quakers to go to Carolina early 1670's. About this time he became Earl of Shaftsbury although the text never says so directly. He went out of royal favor, es caped to Holland under name of Johnson. According to the World Book Ency, Anthony Ashley Cooper (1621 1683) Earl of Shaftesbury, an English statesman, secured passage of Habeas Corpus Act in 1679 ... he became prominent under Crom well ... [then] helped plan the restoration of the monarchy. King Charles II made him Baron Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury and Lord Chancellor. After 1679 he became involved in a plot against the king and escaped to Netherlands. from Immigrant Ancestors edited by Frederick Virkus. extracted from vol VII Compendium of American Genelogies 1980: [I under stand the Colo. Dames 17th Century do not consider this work as a "sole source"] Christopher Clark m. c1709 Penelope (d. post 1754), dau EDWARD JOHNSON. ******************** I have no real problem with Penelope being a JOHNSON, for I believe Schaaf builds a good "preponderance of evidence" case. However, I think we might look at various indexes (which give first names along with surnames) to see just how many other "Penelope's" are in this area of VA who could, just as well, be the dau of Edward and Elizabeth Johnson! It's Edward Johnson, her father, as son of Dr. Arthur which troubles me most. Those researchers who dismiss BOLLING as her surname because of the lack of PENELOPEs in that line, could make the same case for Dr. Arthur's line. PENELOPE, RACHEL and REBECCA are not found in this JOHNSTON line; neither is BENJAMIN. [Lorand Johnson didn't give enough WALKER family names to see if these names appear in that line.] Until something else appears, my personal view is, Edward as son of Dr. Arthur Johnston is wishful thinking by people who want Dr. Arthur on their family tree. Page 174 [Bernard Schaaf's sketch Biographical Sketch of Arthur Johnston M. D., appearing in Scottish-American Genealogist, vol. VII, No. 1-4] says it all un der Birth of son Edward: "there is no direct proof of his birth and parentage in any of the surviving records in either Aberdeen shire, Scotland, or in Oxfordshire, England." Even though reasons for this are offered in his sketch on Edward and Elizabeth (Walker), Schaaf's comments have to stand: (page 184, Ibid): "Specific references to primary sources are given when known, but unfortunately most of the information about Edward is from secondary and tertiary sources. Many years of research by Lorand V. Johnson...have failed to locate any mention of Edward Johnston/Johnston in any of the civil, Anglican, or Quaker records..." [He then comments on Dr. Johnson's two books] "both books contain a large accumulation of unattributed material." Continuing page 185: "Dr. L. V. Johnson has gone to con siderable personal expense and trouble to try to find some source document which would verify that Edward Johnson of New Kent Co. was indeed the son of Dr. Arthur Johnston ... he has conducted expensive searches in VA, Scotland and England over nearly fifty years, but without success ... including translation and transcription of every sasine (deed) for any Johnston in Aberdeen- shire, all the surviving Johnston records from New Leslie ... and all the extant wills and court records for Oxford ... [explaining the reasons "why"] ... Johnston and his son-in-law [were] both highly prominent Royalists and Anglicans, ...it is highly prob able that any pertienent records in Oxford ... were destroyed by Oliver Cromwell's victorious Puritans. Or it may be that the family itself suppressed any reords to try to prevent reprisals from the Puritans..." Did they think the Puritans would do harm to the baby? Schaaf goes on to say even if proof is found that Dr. Arthur had a son named Edward, we would still have to find the proof HE was Penelope's father. He found at least three other Edward Johnson's who had come to VA before 1676 and some 200 JOHNSON im migrants before 1666 (per Nugent), any one of whom could have fathered the Edward of Blissland and St. Peter's Parish. NEWS FLASH: Just rec'd word 19 JAN a JOHNSON genealogy by David Graham shows this Penelope Johnson married a "Capt. Page". The person who wrote this -- Dick Baldauf -- is tracing descendents of an Alexander, William and John Johnson. So far, he's bumped into this Edward Johnson only in the Graham book. He answered one of two queries in VA qtrlies I placed last summer/fall. For once I'm glad we've developed yet another glitch in an internet service! Jeffrey will be home soon to try again. LSS