Bertie COUNTY NC Biography Johnston/Johnson and Mhoon Families File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Harry Thompson http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/bertie/bios/johnston.txt You must remember that there are a lot of Johnsons, Johnstons in Bertie over the years. John Johnson (Johnston) settled in Bertie and established a large plantation called "Saponia" which was adjacent to the Indian Reservation. He was the brother of Samuel Johnston, Governor of the colony of Carolina, and Brother to Hannah Johnston - who married James Iredel who became the first chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court during the Revolutionary War. John became a noted Bertie County Clerk of Court. He was NOT Indian, nor did he in any way descend from Indians. My sister-in-law was a Johnson. Her Uncle was Rhodes "Mhoon" Johnson for whom I was his Estate executor. This entire group of Johnsons were Mhoons, and Rhodes Grandfather changed his name from Mhoon to Johnson in order to avoid the Confederate Draft. I have been to the cave or dugout where he and others hid out to avoid conscription. The Mhoons were a very old prominant family with thousands of acres of land in Bertie. One became the Treasurer of the State of NC and later sold his land to the Rascoe Family who still own the land today, and still have the original deed from that transaction. The Mhoons were NOT Indian either. Hawkins were of old English stock, and who came here with a land grant. I have owned the Hawkins tract, maintained the cemetary where they and Marcus Johnson are buried. Marcus joined the Union Forces, survived the war, and returned home with $500.00 in Union Gold money in his pocket, bought 700 acres of land, and raised a large family on them. Neither had any Indian blood that I know of, and I spent 20 years researching them both. Indian people who remained in Bertie after the end of the Tuscarora Wars started in 1711, had a tendency to take english names of people they new and liked. A case in point. King Tom Blount took the name of his good friend and neighbor Blount - and was baptized with that english name. One Indian took the name Johnson after John Johnson who lived at Saponia. Butler was an old English name and acquired by the Indians. Both Johnson and Butler signed a deed from the Tuscarora to Settlers. Thus it has arisen that all people with these names must be Indian. Not true, for they are all good English and Scottish names. In an attempt to adopt the English customs, religions, and ways, the Indians chose new names. ==== Hi Johnson Fans and descendants: For the several people who have expressed a desire to visit the Hawkins Cemetary on the Ross (Bull Hill) Road, there may be a snag. I have not been there for many years now since I sold it to Champion Timber Company. One of the Johnson Ladies asked me for permission to move Marcus Johnson's grave marker to her private cemetary at one of the Johnson homes. I refused, quoting the NC Law on disturbing a grave site. I have been told that she hired a man to go in anyway and moved sereral Johnson Stones to her house. None of this have I verified, but her home (she is now deceased) is on Hwy #308 out of Windsor going towards Hope Plantation about 1/2 mile from the Town of Windsor on the left hand side of the road. Just before you reach Whitehead Milling Company. A new cemetary is evident almost adjacent to the highway. Neil Baker and John Cowand both promised to take a look, and so will I ASAP. MARCUS JOHNSON Son of John (Jack) Johnson & wife Abbygail Md. 1st. Mary Matthews May 4th 1852 2nd Rutha Cobb (1st husband Wm. Bird) 3rd. Roxanna Perry (1st husband Josephus Perry) Age in 1878 James Gaston Johnson 30 Marcus Andrew Johnson 27 Ulysees F. Johnson 22 John Henry Johnson 20 Rutherford Haywood Johnson 19 Lewis Littleton Johnson 16 Jesse Goode Johnson 15 Rutha Maude Johnson 18 Mable C. Johnson 12 Roxanna C. Johnson 4 Willie J. Johnson 20 John A Johnson 51 years old in 1918, Nephew to Marcus More later on the John Acquilla Family and John R. Johnson Family Another Blip on Marcus Johnson's Family.. John (Jack) Johnson Bn. 1805 Md. Abbygail Marcus Ryan Johnson Bn 1831 d. 26 Jan 1916 John R. Johnson Bn. 1 Sept 1833 d. 7 Oct. 1878 Thomas Haywood Johnson Bn. 1837 Henry Johnson Bn. 1838 Belinda Johnson Bn. 1839 Sarah Johnson Bn. 1841 Nancy Johnson Bn. 1844 James L. Johnson Bn. 1848 Aquilla Johnson Family: John Aquilla Johnson Bn. July 15 1867 D. April 20, 1937 Md. Ida Morris Bn. June 1 1873 D. April 11, 1943 Mary Johnson Bn. Jan 16, 1902 d. Jan 17, 1902 John W. Johnson Bn. July 20, 1903 d. Aug. 12 1903 Vivian Johnson (Younger) Bn. July 6, 1904 Odell Johnson (White) Bn. April 14, 1898 Livingston Johnson (Cowan) John Cabot Johnston (Thomas) Bn. Jun. 4, 1909 d. Mar. 19 1956 Ulysess Johnson (Thomas) Bn. May 19,l 1910 d. May 26, 1940 Ida Johnson ( Jones) Bn. April 30, 1911 Martha "Maggie" Johnson (Rhodes) Bn. April 30 1911 Woodroe W. Johnson Bn. Feb. 13, 1914 d. Nov 5 1959 Francis Miller Johnson Bn. may 13, 1915 d. Nov 13 1938 Thomas Bickett Johnson (Cale)Bn. Jan 11, 1917 d. Feb 18 1961 Norman Johnson (Whitaker) Thirteen Children.. Ttwo died as infants.. Woodroe never married Other bits later... Harry ====== pauljo@cstone.net Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 15:01:10 GMT Dear Harry and all Johnson descendants, I visited the cemetery just last weekend, and found Marcus and Rutha undisturbed at the center of it. However, I was perplexed by the lack of other Johnson stones, so maybe this lady in question did make away with some. Am headed to visit the Plymouth museum tomorrow morning and will stop en route at the location described on 308. Paul Johnson South Boston, VA PS-- Had never heard of a wife before Rutha and didn't know Bird wasn't her maiden name. Hope you will soon reveal which children had which mothers; Cobb and Matthews are both new names to research so I look forward to knowing which one to pursue. If John Henry was 20 in 1878, he lived to be over 100, because although I don't remember him, we did meet and I remember being told of his death around 1961. He would have to be Mary's son if the birth date is correct? ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============