Harrison County, Missouri History - Zopher Johnson (part-1)

PART 1: ORIGINS AND COLONIAL TIMES

THE FAMILY OF ZOPHER JOHNSTON/JOHNSON



By Stevie Hughes January 2003
Email: Stevie1302@aol.com


Zopher Johnson Jr. Son of:
Zopher Johnston Sr
Son of:
Zopher Johnston "The Elder"

Born:

10-15-1790 or 1791 Between 1754-~1762 Between: 1700 ~ 1715
Greene County, TN Forks of Delaware, Probably Scotland or Ireland
Northampton County, PA

Married:
Possibly Elizabeth #1: Unknown before 1750
Phebe Cooper (surname unknown) #2: Prob. Catherine Harrison
1-28-1817 About 1780 After 1780 (??)
Greene County, TN Probably VA Wife #1, Probably PA
Wife #2, Probably VA
Died:

12-06-1866 Between 1836 ~ 1839 Before 1809
Hamilton Co., IL Greene Co., TN Greene, Co., TN


Buried:

Place Unknown Kidwell Cemetery Place Unknown
Hamilton Co., IL Greene Co., TN Probably Greene Co., TN






Page 2




PREFACE

Our American roots begin with the Zopher Johnston who first appears in
Philadelphia County, PA in the year 1720. In the 1730 Tax List of that
County, are recorded Zopher Johnston and John Johnston..."settled ten
years". Who were John and Zopher? Were they brothers? Were they father and
son? Where did they come from? Why did they come to the new Colony of
Pennsylvania? Did they bring their wives? Did they bring their families?
Was the surname "Johnson" or was it "Johnston"? Was the given name actually
"Zopher" or was this an abbreviation for "Christopher"? What did they look
like? How did they pay their passage? On what ship did they arrive? What
was their occupation? When did Zopher leave Philadelphia County and go to
Northhampton County, PA? So many unanswered questions. This family history
will try to provide some of the answers.

The information I present on this family is based on years of accumulated
research by numerous family researchers. Some of what we believe to be
true, will later be proven incorrect. The research on this family will
never be complete. There will always be more unanswered questions that will
arise as more information is found. As you read this Family History of the
Zopher Johnston/Johnson family, please keep in mind that in the very early
years before the mid-1800's, many records had been destroyed by wars, fires
and simply neglect. We are fortunate to have learned so much about this
Family. Yet, there is still much to learn. Every day new documents
"surface" and new family researchers are located, each with their own
"piece" of the family puzzle.

All of my colleagues who have collaborated on this research may not
entirely agree with my assumptions and conclusions. To them, I ask their
indulgence, for our desire for accuracy is mutual.



ORIGINS

Because of when and where they arrived; Because of where they settled;
Because of who they married; Because of the naming patterns of their
children; Because of their religion, and mostly because my grandmother,
Cora Bell Johnson Hall, born 1888 in Hamilton County, IL, told me so, I
believe this Family was Scottish or Scots-Irish. I also believe that the
original spelling of the surname was JohnsTon. The spelling of the surname
as "JohnsTon" implies the family was of Scottish origins. If the surname
was "Johnson", then they were probably either of English or possibly Irish
descent.



Page 3



The records that have been located, have interchangeably used the two
alternative spellings up to the mid 1800's. Often, both spellings are used
in the same document. Of primary importance are the 1790 and 1795 Land
Grants by North Carolina to Zopher JohnsTon Sr. for his lands in Greene
County, TN. In 1832, when Zopher Sr. applied for a Revolutionary War
Pension, the name is spelled both ways. We need to keep in mind that the
Colonies were British; the "power brokers" were English; and when they
transcribed names, they used either phonetic, as in the case of the German
settlers, or customary spellings dictated by the English culture. Also, if
one could not read or write, an incorrect spelling of the surname would not
be noticed. In 1832, Zopher Sr. signed his Revolutionary War Pension
Application with an "X", indicating that he could not write his name.

Another primary source of documentation is the Greene County, TN court
records. Zopher Sr. served on juries, testified in lawsuits, participated
in road construction, and bought and sold land. Again, the surname is as
frequently spelled with the "T" as is not. Sometime between 1830 and 1840,
the "T" begins to disappear from the surname. In documents after 1840, the
surname is that of "Johnson". And, this is the name the family took with
them when they left Greene County, TN and went to Hamilton County, IL and
Sullivan County, MO.

I also believe that the original given name was that of "Zopher" and not an
abbreviation for Christopher. In 1852, Jane Brown Cooper, related by
marriage to Zopher Johnston Sr., filed an affidavit in her application for
a Revolutionary War Widow's Pension (#R2298). In this document, Jane
clearly spelled Zopher's name as "Zaffa JohnsTon". Here, we have a first
hand account of how his name was phonetically pronounced. Jane Brown
Cooper's affidavits were filed by her son, Christopher Cooper Jr.
Christopher Jr was well educated and a Justice of the Peace in Greene
County. He signs the documents in a very nice script. Both Jane and her son
definitely knew Zopher Johnston Sr very well and certainly would have known
how to spell his name correctly.

If we look at the names of the known Johnston brothers in both Virginia and
in Tennessee, they are all biblical names given to sons. When the original
Johnstons are enumerated in the 1730 Tax List in Pennsylvania, they are
Zopher and John. When the family was in Virginia in the 1782 Frederick
County Census, they are enumerated as Zopher and Moses. Later, when Zopher
Sr. moved his family to Greene County, TN, the male members of the family
are named Zopher, John, Joseph and James. Most of the males in this family
were given biblical names.





Page 4



Although I have made the assumption of "brothers", I need to say that there
has NEVER been one Will found for ANY of the Zophers. Not for Zopher "the
Elder"; Not for Zopher Sr, the Revolutionary War Soldier; Not for his son,
Zopher Junior who came to Hamilton County, IL in the 1850's. Hence, an
absolute identification of relationships cannot be assured; however,
because of where these male Johnsons lived, and because of whom they
married; and because of land transfers, store ledgers, estate sales and
occupations, I believe we are able to make probable assessments as to
relationships.

However, identifying the females in these families is problematic. We know
from census enumerations that there were daughters as well as sons.
Unfortunately, most of these daughters are to date, nameless. We can make
logical assumptions based on marriages, but unfortunately our knowledge of
the females is very limited. Some latitude is necessary in order to attempt
to identify the sisters, and even the spouses.



WERE THEY IRISH OR WERE THEY SCOTTISH?


There is one very clear and defining factor to make the determination of
original nationality, and that is religion. Both Scotland and Ireland were
under continuous assault by the British. When Henry the 8th was King of
England during the 1500's, he broke with the Catholic Church so that he
could divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon (a Spanish Catholic) who could
not give him a son. From that point on, England became "Anglican", an
offshoot of the Catholic Church. The British had traded the Catholic Pope
for the Anglican King as the head of the official state religion. The Irish
maintained their Catholicism. The England and Irish fighting in Northern
Ireland continues to this day. The Scottish people always maintained their
separate identity from England. In Scotland, although ruled by a King, the
Scottish Lords had much more power than their British counterparts.
Scotland broke with the Catholic Church very early and most Scottish people
were predominantly Protestant.

Although we have not found Presbyterian Church records for Zopher "the
Elder", we do know that Zopher Sr, the Revolutionary War soldier, is buried
in a Cemetery at the Kidwell Meeting House which was Methodist. We also
know that Zopher Sr's children married into families who were Presbyterian.
There is no record of any of Zopher Sr.'s children marrying into a Catholic
family in Greene County, TN that I have found. For this reason, I believe
that the Zopher Family was indeed of Scottish descent.




Page 5



But, why and when was this family most likely part of the great Scots-Irish
migration to Pennsylvania, as opposed to migrating directly from Scotland
in the early 1700's? Again, understanding something of early British
history is key to placing this family in Ireland at the point of migration
to the Colonies.


ENGLAND 1500-1600

Alas, poor Henry the 8th, divorced one wife, and beheaded two more; and he
still did not have a male heir to succeed him as King of England. He did
have a son, but he was sickly and died shortly after inheriting the British
throne in 1547. After the son died, only two daughters remained to carry on
the royal line of King Henry the 8th. The first was Mary, a staunch
Catholic, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and King Henry. Under her rule,
many non-Catholics were routinely tortured and burned alive. She is known
as "Bloody Mary". Mary did not have heirs, and upon her death, Queen
Elizabeth I, Mary's younger half sister took the Throne. Elizabeth's mother
was Ann Boleyn, whom King Henry beheaded when Elizabeth was a small child.
Elizabeth was not a Catholic and she restored King Henry's Anglican
religion. She was also more tolerant than her sister, Mary. Although
Catholicism was not "publicly acceptable", she did not carry out a
religious vendetta against British subjects who were Catholic.

Queen Elizabeth I took the throne as a young woman in 1558 and held it
until her death in 1603. She was known as "the Virgin Queen" because she
never married. Thus, she had no heirs. Who was next in line to inherit the
Throne was King James 6th of Scotland, and that is how the Scots people
were enticed into Ireland. King James 6th of Scotland was acceptable to the
British Parliament because he was Protestant and not Catholic.

King James the 6th of Scotland became King James 1st of England. His
birthright to the British Crown came from his mother, Mary Queen of Scots.
Mary's father was King James the 5th of Scotland and her mother was part of
the French Royalty.

Mary Queen of Scots was sent to France as a child after King James the 5th
died. She was raised in the French Royal household and she was Catholic.
When she came of age, she married the Dauphin of France, in line for the
French Crown. But, he died a teenager. The French Queen Mother wanted Mary
"out"; so Mary returned to Scotland and became Queen Mary of Scotland. This
was much to the dislike of the Protestant Scottish Lords. In short, they
ran her out of the Country; and her only child, James 6th, became King of
Scotland as a boy. So why was King James 6th of Scotland crowned King James
1st of England? Because his mother's paternal grandmother was the sister of
King Henry 8th; AND most importantly, King James was not Catholic.


Page 6


SCOTLAND AND IRELAND 1600-1700

King James 6th of Scotland, who was also King James 1st of England, was
having increasing troubles with the Irish Catholics. He called on his Scots
countrymen to migrate to Ireland to provide a buffer to the Irish
Catholics. The Scots who migrated to Ireland were from the Counties of
Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone. They were almost exclusively
"lowland Scots". The town of Perth, Scotland was the dividing line between
the "Highlanders" north of Perth and the "Lowland Scots" who were south of
Perth. These persons of Scottish descent who went to Ireland are known as
both Scots-Irish and Ulster Scots. The Protestant Scots and the Catholic
Irish hated each other. They seldom intermarried. The Scots in Ireland
prospered and all was well with their world.....until King James died in
1625. After his death, England began a turbulent period.

Between 1625 and 1720, there were ten changes to the Crown. The impact of
this continuing change in power also impacted the Scots who had gone to
Ireland. The Scots-Irish fared better under some Monarchs than others. When
the Catholic King Charles II took the Throne from 1660-1685, hard times
were ahead for non Catholics, especially the Scots-Irish. No longer could
they freely practice their Protestant religion. Their Protestant Ministers
could not marry them. For a marriage to be "legal", the Anglican priest had
to officiate. Further, the Scots-Irish were forced to tithe to the Anglican
Church. They were not allowed to hold political office. For over 100 years,
the Scots remained in Ireland, surviving the change in the Monarchy and
politics. However, what they could not survive was the drought, crop
failure and economic hardship which occurred between 1714 to 1719.

In 1717, "The Great Migration" from Ulster to America began, and the
Scots-Irish began to pour out of Ireland. And where did they go? They went
to William Penn's new colony, Pennsylvania, which touted religious
tolerance. The arrival of John and Zopher Johnston in Philadelphia County,
PA by 1720 "fits" perfectly with the mass exodus from Ireland by the
Scots-Irish beginning in 1717.

Quoting from "The Ulster Scot Heritage" at a very good website,
"Motherbedford.com":

"More than 5,000 people emigrated from Ulster in 1717-1718. These families
sent back favorable reports, which helped to pave the way for future
migrations. Between 1725 and 1729 there was another wave of emigration from
Ulster....During that migration it was estimated that over 6,000 people
left





Page 7



Ulster in 1728. The initial settlements in Pennsylvania were made in the
southeastern counties in the vicinity of the ports of Philadelphia, Chester
and New Castle. Many of the Ulster-Scots who were forced to immigrate from
Ireland because of the economic conditions in their homeland could make the
voyage only by entering into indentured servitude. The services of those
individuals and families were most often purchased by wealthy Quakers, and
therefore they settled in that region. As soon as they became freed of
their obligations they generally moved onwards."


Because of where Zopher Johnston "the Elder" settled in 1720...Philadelphia
County...I believe it is most likely that Zopher was one of the Ulster
Scots, and that he was on the very first wave of immigration. It is also
very likely that he came as an indentured servant. And, when his indenture
was paid, he moved to the frontier area at the Forks of Delaware, PA. This
is where the current town of Easton, PA is today.

To date, no one has been able to find a passenger ship list that includes
the name of Zopher Johnston. Perhaps one day, a record will be found to
answer the question of nationality once and for all. Unlike the immigrants
from Germany, there was no requirement for British subjects to register and
take the Oath of Allegiance to the British King when they arrived in the
Colonies. The Scots and the Scots-Irish were British subjects. This makes
identifying these early immigrants to Pennsylvania very difficult.

Another possibility is that a passenger list containing the name of Zopher
Johnston may never surface. Frequently, only male passengers 16 years of
age or older were listed in the passenger lists. It is more than possible
that the John and Zopher Johnston found in Philadelphia County in 1730 were
father and son; And, if Zopher was a boy of less than 16 years old at the
time of the sailing, he may not have been listed in the Ship's roster.
Searching for a John Johnston without any other identifying information is
like looking for the proverbial "needle".











Page 8


THE SCOTTISH CLANS

Whether Zopher Johnston came to Pennsylvania directly from Scotland or if
he came via Ireland as part of the Scots-Irish migration, I believe he or
his ancestors would have originally had Scottish roots. He would have been
associated with a Scottish Clan.

There are two Johnston Clans in Scotland. The Highlander Clan was in far
north Scotland near the town of Aberdeen. The Lowlander Clan was in the far
south of Scotland. There is also a "Johnstone" Clan that is on the southern
Scottish border with England. The Highland Scots tend to be taller and fair
haired. These physical
characteristics come from the gene pool added by the Viking raids along the
northeast Scottish coast. The Johnston Clan in northern Scotland is right
on the northeastern coast. The Lowland Scots tended to be shorter and not
as fair. The Lowland Clan's gene pool was impacted by both the Romans and
later the Norman conquerors. (Interestingly, William the Conqueror who was
from Normandy France was himself of Viking heritage. During the Viking
raids into France, the Vikings were so feared, the French King granted them
the northern coastline of France. This land became known as Normandy, from
the translation of "North Man's Land.")

The Highland and Lowland Scots were two very different peoples. They were
separated by rugged terrain, cultural differences and even language. By
1400, the language of the Lowland peoples was Scot; the language of the
Highlanders was Gaelic.

The surname of Johnston could have also derived from another source. The
"dividing line" between the Highlanders and the Lowlanders was the town of
Perth. It sits inland of the Firth of Tay, slightly north of Edinburgh, the
Scottish Royal seat. It is believed that the present day city of Perth was
founded about one thousand years ago. By 143 AD, the Romans had pushed
north to this area and built the Great Antonine Wall, remnants which still
exist today.

In the year 1120, Scotland's King David built St. John's Kirk (Church). In
"olden times", the present day city of Perth became known as "Saint John's
Town." When the custom of adopting a last name evolved, often people were
identified by where they lived, such as John of "Saint John's Town", which
evolved to "Johnston".

If our Zopher was indeed Scots-Irish/Ulster Scot, the Scottish origins of
this family would probably have been the Lowland Scots. His family would
have either been associated with the Johnston clan in southern Scotland, or
in ancient times, they resided at or near old "Saint John's Town" on the
Firth of Tay.




Page 9



SO HOW MANY ZOPHER'S ARE THERE???

We have found documents on "Zopher Johnston/Johnson" in PA, VA, West VA,
TN, IN, OH and IL:

1730 Zopher Johnston "the Elder" along with John is in Philadelphia County,
PA
1754-62 Zopher Johnston Sr. is born at "Forks of Delaware", Northhampton
County, PA
1781 Zopher Johnston Senior lives "near Winchester" in Frederick County, VA

1782 Both Zopher Johnston "the Elder" and his son, Zopher Sr., are in the
Tax List of Frederick County, VA
1787 There is a "Zefue" Johnston in the 1787 Tax List of Berkeley County,
WV. This County was formed from Frederick County, VA
1790 Zopher Johnston Sr. receives the first Land Grant from North Carolina
for his lands in Greene County, TN
1790/91 Zopher Johnston Jr. is born in Greene County, TN
1794-99 Joseph Johnson, brother to Zopher Sr. is in the tax list in
Fauquier County, VA. He names a son Zopher who is born 1787.
1795-1830 Zopher Sr. buys and sells land and is in the Tax List in Greene
County, TN
1796 A Zopher Johnson is found in Hanover Township, Northhampton County PA.
He was one of the first settlers there to establish the Township.
1799 Zopher Johnston "JR" and his brother, Moses are listed in an estate
inventory as owing debts to the estate of Robert Wyly, a Greene County
merchant. The store ledger in 1799 naming Zopher "JR" implies that his
father, Zopher "the Elder" is also in Greene County at this time period.
1809 Zopher Johnson Sr is in the Tax List of Greene County, TN. This is the
first Tax List in Greene County in which he appears, although he had been a
land owner since 1790. (I presume the early Tax Lists are incomplete??)
1809 A Harrison Johnson, administrator of Zopher Johnston, deceased, brings
suit
in the Greene County, TN Courts





Page 10


.
1820-30 Zopher Johnson, son of Joseph, has left Loudon County, VA and is
found in the Tax List of Licking County, OH This Zopher married Elizabeth
Romine in 1810 in Loudoun Co., VA.
1830 In the 1830 Census of Greene County, TN there are three Zopher/Zepher
Johnstons:
Zopher, age 60-70 (born between 1760-1770). This is our Zopher Senior.
Zepher Johnston, age 30-40 (born between 1790 and 1800). This is the son,
Zopher Jr., who later migrated to Hamilton County, IL.
Zepher Johnston, age 20-30 (born 1800-1810). We do not know who he is. I
believe he is a son of Zopher Sr's brother, Moses. We know that Moses was
in Greene County between 1799 and 1806. This Zopher could not be the son of
Zopher Sr's brother, Joseph, since this Zopher is in the 1830 Census at
Licking Co., OH.
1816-1852 Zopher Johnson Sr. and Jr. buy and sell land in Greene County, TN

1845 Zopher Johnson Jr's grandson, Christopher C. Johnson , names a son,
Zopher A.
1845 Zopher Johnson, a descendant of Joseph, lives and dies in IN
1851 Zopher Johnson Jr's grandson, John Henderson Johnson, names a son
Zopher H.
1852 Zopher Johnson Jr. sells his land in Greene County, TN
1853 Zopher Johnson Jr. buys land in Hamilton County, IL
1861 Zopher E. (Evans), grandson to Joseph, brother to Zopher Sr, is born
in IN


It is my opinion that all of these "Zophers" in PA, VA, WV, TN, OH, IN and
IL are related. I believe they are all descended from either Zopher "the
Elder" or his (brother??) John who we find in Philadelphia County, PA as
early as 1720. There are probably many more, we have just not "hit" on the
correct spelling of the name Zopher. When old records are transcribed, the
transcriber often makes errors. The archaic handwriting is very difficult
to read. Also, often a name is spelled phonetically. In the case of Jane
Brown Cooper, who was Zopher Johnston Jr's mother in law, she writes in her
own hand the name as "Zaffa". (More about the relationship between the
Brown/Cooper family and our Johnston family can be found in the Brown
Family History and the Cooper Family History.) I have seen the given name
of Zopher written as Zophar, Zaphar; Zaphin; Zepher; Zapher; Zephes,
Zephus, Zaffa, "Gophar", and "Topper".




Page 11

AND, there are MORE Zophers. There is a Zopher Carpenter found in the late
1700's in Botetourt County, VA where he "ran off" with the wife of Moses
Watkins. The Christopher Cooper and Jotham Brown families lived in
Botetourt County from 1783 until they went to Greene County, TN around
1800. There is a Zopher Evans born 11-12-1831 in OH, grandson of Joseph,
brother to Zopher Sr.There is a Zopher Brown found in the marriage records
of Greene County and a Zopher Foster, who is the son of Marsy Johnston
Foster, daughter of Zopher Sr, who is in Hamilton County, TN at the time of
the 1830 Census. There is ANOTHER Zopher Foster, exactly the same age, who
is in Bond County, IL at the 1830 Census.

It is my opinion that many of the people who carry the name Zopher, but do
not have the surname of Johnston/Johnson are children born to the DAUGHTERS
of either Zopher the Elder or one of his female descendants. This may be
one of the only ways we will ever be able to identify some of the females
in this family.


THE BEGINNING OF THE WESTWARD MIGRATION

After John and Zopher Johnston are found in the 1730 Tax List in
Philadelphia County, PA we do not know where they went. If they were
"squatters" on westward lands in PA, we may never find them in a Tax List.
We do know, however, that between 1754-1762, Zopher Johnston "the Elder"
had moved to the Forks of Delaware, PA in Northampton County, PA. This was
revealed in the Revolutionary War Pension application filed in 1832 by his
son, Zopher Sr.

This most important document has told us many things. We know where Zopher
Sr. was born, although he did not state the year (perhaps he didn't even
know??) We know that he had a brother named Joseph. We know that the family
lived "near Winchester" in Frederick County, VA in 1781. We know that
Joseph had been drafted to serve a four month tour of duty in the Virginia
Militia. We know that Zopher substituted for his brother, Joseph. We do not
know why. We know that Zopher served in the hospital at York Town (VA) and
after Lord Cornwallis surrendered, Zopher marched the British prisoners of
war to Hagarstown, Maryland. Unfortunately, nothing of Zopher's family was
mentioned in the Application, not even his wife's name. It is uncertain
whether Zopher Sr. was married at the time of his service in 1781.

The Revolutionary War Pension Application filed by Zopher Johnston Sr. is
the single most important factual evidence that has been uncovered on this
family. A transcription of Zopher's verbal deposition is included at this
website.


END OF PART 1
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