1 and
Julia Ellis HILLS
1 Ezekiel was born 12 January 1773 in Uxbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts and married 12 January 1801 in , Worcester, Massachusetts, Julia Ellis HILLS the daughter of Joseph HILLS and Esther ELLIS. She was born 26 September 1783 in Upton, Worcester, Massachusetts, and died 30 May 1853 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa. Ezekiel died 12 January 1848 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
While most of us know much about Benjamin Franklin Johnson and gratefully acknowledge the examples and inspiration of our heritage from him, we feel that we should also pay tribute to his parents and learn more about the important influence they had not only on Benjamin, but on all of their sixteen faithful and talented children. As parents they contributed much to the basic values and character of their own children, and consequently, to us. Since their passing, much has been written about these two interesting ancestors. This is an attempt to compile all available information into one account of the life story of Ezekiel and Julia Hills Johnson.
Bethiah Garnsey was living in the home of her mother and step-father in Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts in 1772. At that time, Massachusetts was a colony of the British Crown and the colonists were very much agitated about the way the British government seemed more interested in collecting taxes that were sent back to England, than in servicing the needs of the people living in the American Colonies. British Troops were billeted in most major towns to "protect" the citizens and enforce the "King's Laws". This was a very unpopular practice with the American Colonists.
Bethiah was the daughter of Seth Garnsey and Bethiah Lee. After Seth died while Bethiah was still a young girl, her mother, Bethiah Lee Garnsey married Ebenezer Smith. Bethiah and Ebenezer Smith had four children; Sarah, Patience, Lewis and Abel. Bethiah grew up in the Ebenezer Smith home with her step-sisters and step-brothers. While living at home as an unmarried young woman, she gave birth to a little boy. Ezekiel Johnson was born in Uxbridge, Massachusetts January 12, 1773.2 We don't know who his father was as his mother paid a fine rather than name the father of her child.3 After Ezekiel was born, Bethiah continued to live in the home of her mother and step-father. When Ezekiel was almost three years old, Ebenezer and his family moved from Uxbridge to Douglas which was about seven miles away. Bethiah and her son, Ezekiel moved with the family.4 Two months after this move, Bethiah and Jonathan King filed intentions to be married in Douglas. Ezekiel was raised by his mother and stepfather.5 Although Jonathan King was apparently a successful businessman6, Ezekiel did not cherish his experiences growing up in the Jonathan King home.
As an adult, Ezekiel expressed the idea that his father died while serving in the American Revolutionary War. At least, that is the story he told his own children. This may have been so, or possibly, it is the story his mother told him, to ease the social stigma of being labeled a "Bastard" child. Some descendants have earnestly searched for a natural father to attach Ezekiel to but it doesn't appear possible to do so since Bethiah and Ezekiel never revealed the name, indeed, if they ever knew it.7.
However Bethiah went about choosing the name for her baby boy after his birth, she and her child lived with her mother and step-father, Bethiah and Ebenezer Smith and their other children. Bethiah married Jonathan King in 1776 in Worcester County, Mass. Ezekiel would have been about three years old at this time. The Revolutionary War began at Lexington, Massachusetts when a group of farmers fired on British troops April 19, 1775. Lexington is about 50 miles northeast of Grafton. There must have been a lot of turmoil and excitement in the general area during the time Bethiah and Jonathan King were planning their nuptials. We can only wonder what effect the war had on the Smith and King households until it ended in October of 1781. Ezekiel would have been ten years old when the war finally came to an end and Great Britain agreed to grant the American Colonies their Independence. One of the results of the war was the opening of a lot of new frontiers for settlers. This included Vermont, Maine and lands west of the Allegheny Mountains. Britain had curtailed the opening of new territory, but the end of the war also ended this English policy.
When Bethiah's paternal grandmother died, Jonathan King sold some property that Bethiah inherited from her father, Seth Gansey.8 Also in 1776, Johnathan and Bethiah King purchased property in Ashford, Connecticut. which is about 30 miles from Grafton and apparently, the King family settled in there. This is probably where Ezekiel20 was living when he left home, probably between his thirteenth and fourteenth year.9
We do know that when Ezekiel married Julia Hills, he had in his possession a pocketbook made of rawhide. Stamped in gold leaf on one side was the name, "James King" and stamped on the other side was the date, "April 1742." Ezekiel said the purse had belonged to his step father. Because of the date, it makes one wonder if perhaps it had belonged to the father of Jonathan King before him. Ezekiel's children remember that the old purse was stuffed with papers that suggested lots of mysteries for them. His mother's signature, Bethiah Garnsey, was on one of the documents. Two of the documents are promissory notes dated March 1 and March 2 of 1797 at Albany, New York in which a John Billing promises to pay Ezekiel Johnson thirty pounds, five shillings on December 1st next. Another is a note from Peter Jasbrough promising to pay Ezekiel Johnson twenty five pounds, five shillings and six pence within three months. On the 11th of November, 1797, three notes were made up and signed by Caleb Noble of Floyd. (The state was not mentioned but in all of the thirteen American Colonies, I could only find one small town named Floyd. It was located in Virginia, about 30 miles north of the North Carolina state line at Mt Airy. There is a Floyd in Oneida, New York just a few miles form where Ezekiel lived RF) One note is for fifteen dollars to be paid in cash or grain by March 1st next and the other is a bill for twenty four cowbells purchased by Mr. Noble. The note states that the bells were sold for twelve shillings each and the note was due March 1st next. This would seem to infer that at least for awhile, Ezekiel was in the business of selling cow bells and his business possibly took him a considerable distance from the area he knew as a child. Maybe these "business" trips sparked his curiosity towards new places and "wild" lands waiting to be tamed.
From the notes in the old pocket book, we might draw the conclusion that Ezekiel was a rather thrifty young man and had a nice tidy sum coming to him in his 21st year. None of the notes indicate they were ever paid to Ezekiel, so it does make us wonder at the circumstances that left them unpaid. Were the signees unable to come up with the payments owed? Did Ezekiel find himself too far away to conveniently return to collect on the debts? Was he distracted by other, more profitable business? Was he a good salesman and a poor debt collector?.
Ezekiel's children remembered well the often told story of their father and how he came to have the old leather purse in his possession. As Ezekiel told the story, his chance to escape came when he was in his thirteenth year. His step father had given him the purse and sent him on an errand to collect a debt owed to him by a neighbor. He had been instructed to carefully place the payment into the leather pouch, hand over the debt agreement and return home as quickly as possible with the money. Ezekiel collected the payment and placed it into the pouch as instructed, but when he started for home, it occurred to him that he had within his grasp, the financial means to provide for his needs for awhile and to be able to live on his own. He pondered the situation and his future and made the decision to take the money and run away. As far as any of the family know, Ezekiel never saw his mother or step-father again.10.
It appears from records, that Jonathan and Bethiah King moved to New London, Conn.11 She died about 40 years after Jonathan and although it is not known where he is buried, she was buried in the "Ancient" Cemetery of New London. Her headstone indicates that she died May 7, 1842 but the date probably should have read 1841.12 New London is about 40 miles south of Ashford, Connecticut.
Miss Julia Hills as a young woman, was tall, very energetic, had very good posture and had black hair and eyes. She could read and write very well, as could her mother. She was a daughter of Esther Ellis and Joseph Hills of Grafton, Massachusetts. She was born September 26, 1783 in Upton, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Joseph Hills died when Julia was four years of age and Esther was left to raise Julia, a son Joel, and another daughter named Nancy. Esther then married Enoch Forbush on January 27, 1793. Enoch had been previously married to Mary Batcheller and had two sons by his wife, Mary. By the time Julia and Ezekiel were married, three children had been born to Esther and Enoch Forbush. They were, Enoch, Joseph, Seneca and Diadamia Forbush. Apparently, Julia had a very happy childhood and dearly loved and admired her own brother and sister, her half brothers and sisters, and her step brothers. Several of her own children were named for some of them.
She came from a religious family. She grew to womanhood in one of the most imaginative and creative periods of our nation's history. It was after the Revolutionary War, and when our present Constitution and form of government were being established. Julia was six years old when George Washington took the oath of office to become the nation's first president. This was a time of advancement and change, not only as a nation, but culturally and religiously. For the first time, people could worship as they pleased. Public schools were becoming more available and education was encouraged to a greater extent. However, only one in every 1,000 Anglo-Americans were able to attend a university. Julia and her brothers and sisters were given the opportunity of an education. One of her father's prized possessions was his small, well-used dictionary, which infers that he was an educated man. The family seemed to be very close and Julia expressed much love and respect for her mother and sisters in her letters. This was just the opposite with Ezekiel, who also was raised by a step-father.
Uxbridge is only a short distance from Grafton. It may be that Ezekiel and Julia had known each other for several years. Julia's mother may have known the story concerning Ezekiel's birth and the sentence imposed on his mother by the Grand Jury when she admitted her "guilt". Evidently, Esther Forbush had no objections to her daughter Julia marrying Ezekiel as she maintained close family ties during the years of their marriage, even when they were separated by many miles. Of all her children, she had Julia and Ezekiel assist her in selling property on several occasions.
On January 12, 1801, at the age of seventeen, Julia became the bride of Ezekiel Johnson, who was ten years older than she. Ezekiel was a handsome, stalwart individual, proud and high-spirited. He was about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and of a solid build. His eyes were a steel blue, his features well molded and his hair was fine textured and light brown. He had fair skin. Julia was attractive, tall and had excellent posture.
Although Ezekiel was a fine man of great fortitude, patience and strength, he seemed to have taken little or no interest in religious matters. Julia always had a strong religious conviction, and was a very devout Presbyterian. She made sure that her children attended the Presbyterian Church with her, where they learned to read the Bible. The Presbyterians held a strong belief that what we do in this life will affect us in eternity and this belief strongly influenced Julia in her decisions and actions throughout her life. From their mother, the Johnson children got their religious training and convictions and learned to read. From Ezekiel, their father, they learned the habit of hard work and acquired skills in carpentry, husbandry and agriculture. They learned to clear virgin land, plow and plant crops and to harvest and preserve them for food and seed. They learned to survive meager times and means and to enjoy the "fruits of their honest labors".
Was it a romantic touch on the part of the young bride to hold their wedding on the birthday of her groom? Ezekiel was celebrating his 27th birthday on the day they married. The wedding was attended by friends of the bride and groom and the loving members of Julia's extended family. As far as we know, there were no guests from Ezekiel's own family.
Julia's grandparents on her mother's side were Isaac Fisher and Esther Mann, both of Wrentham, Massachusetts. Her paternal grandparents were Jabez Hills Jr. and Margaret Fisher, also of Wrentham.
Although we don't know exactly where Ezekiel spent his time between leaving the King home and marrying Julia in 1801, nor do we know exactly what he was doing during this same time period, we do know that at the time of their marriage, he was working as a "realtor" in and near Grafton. He acquired tracts of land, cleared them and built cabins which he then sold to new settlers who were swarming into new western lands. His interest in Julia may have caused him to cease roving and settle down in Grafton.
Three months after their wedding, on 20 April, 1801, Ezekiel and Julia sold six and one half acres in the town of Grafton, Worcester Co., Massachusetts to Amos Ellis, for $94.50. On the bill of sale, Ezekiel stated that he was living in Uxbridge and a Yeoman by trade. (Yeoman may have meant farmer.) Julia's mother, Esther Forbush, was a witness. This was probably land Julia inherited from her father's estate.
Julia and Ezekiel remained in Grafton. for the first year following their marriage. Here, in Grafton, their first child and son, Joel Hills was born 23 March, 1802. He was named after Julia's brother.
A month after Joel was born, Ezekiel bought another large piece of land in Uxbridge for $50, and traded it the day after for 50 pairs of leather shoes and $120 cash. For a short time at least, Ezekiel must have been a shoe salesman besides pursuing the carpenter trade. Two weeks after this transaction, Ezekiel sold a tract of land larger than 16 acres in Grafton. This was apparently part of the land inherited by Julia and her sister, Nancy, from their father's estate. Ezekiel was very actively pursuing the real estate business, possibly in connection with his home building enterprises.13
A little over a year after Joel's birth on August 1, 1803, Nancy Mariah was born to them shortly after they had moved to Northborough, located between Uxbridge and Grafton. All three villages are only about two miles from each other. Nancy was named after Julia's only full sister, Nancy, the wife of George Washington Taft.14
From Northborough, where they lived for only a short time, Ezekiel moved his wife and two children to Royalston, Massachusetts. Ezekiel, listing himself as a housewright of Northborough, bought a 20 acre farm in Royalston from Ashael Stockwell (of Royalton) for $250 on the 7th of February, 1805. They lived in Royalston only long enough for the birth of a second son, Seth Guernsey. Young Seth was born February 14th on St. Valentine's day of 1805. He was given the name of Ezekiel's maternal grandfather.15 Seth was the only child named for someone on Ezekiel's side of the family. This particular grandfather had died long before Ezekiel was born. From what Ezekiel considered an unhappy childhood, perhaps he didn't have any other names in his own family that he cared to share with his own children. He never even shared his own given name with any of his sons. It would be interesting to know the private talks Ezekiel and Julia must have held as they discussed and chose the names to be given to each new baby as it joined their family circle.
Just a few weeks after Seth's birth, Ezekiel bought and sold two more pieces of property in the Royalston, Massachusetts area. One of the farm properties purchased was from Julia's brother, Joel Hills. Their stay in Royalston was short as the family had moved to Vermont within a year.16
Julia's Aunt and Uncle, Meletiah Ellis and Amos Partridge had moved their family of six children to Westford, Chittenden Co., Vermont and had written to Ezekiel and Julia to encourage them to also move to Vermont where there was lots of virgin land to be had at very economical prices and Ezekiel could pursue his trade of building cabins for new settlers. By the time Ezekiel's fourth child, Delcena Diadamia was born November 19, 1806, the Johnson family was living in Westford, Chittenden Co., Vermont. Their nearby neighbors were Aunt Meletiah and Uncle Amos and Amos Partridge Jr. and his family, who lived only a short distance from Ezekiel and Julia.17
Ezekiel and Julia lived in Westford, Vermont for at least the next seven years. Besides harvesting products from the Vermont fields and woods, Ezekiel and Julia also reaped a harvest of three more children after Delcina Diadamia who was named for Julia's half sister, Diadama Forbush. A daughter, Julia Ann was named for her mother and was born November 9, 1808. The third son and sixth child was David. He was born September 10, 1910. Almera Woodward, another daughter was born in October of 1812. She was named for Julia's cousin and playmate, a daughter of Lois Woodward.18
The Johnsons must have enjoyed their association with the family of this beloved aunt and uncle because in 1824, when their last child was born, he was named Amos Partridge Johnson.
It would be interesting to be able to peek into the lives of Ezekiel and Julia during their Vermont years to observe life in their home and to follow them through their daily routines. The country there is hilly and heavily wooded and beautiful. It makes one wonder how they could have quit this place. Many years later, when life placed them at the edge of the American frontier and they crossed the Mississippi River headed for the western desert, do you suppose they ever thought of the beautiful green Vermont countryside they had once called home?.
In the early years of his marriage, many places seemed to call Ezekiel and challenge him to conquer and subdue. Grappling with difficulties and taming the wilderness must have satisfied some needs in his life. The boundaries of the young American nation were constantly changing. Ezekiel seemed drawn to new places. Perhaps he was challenged to use his own strength and skills to carve a home and farmlands. He was a good tradesman and skilled at finding products ever needed by his fellow citizens. He was resourceful and always seemed to leave a place with more assets than when he had arrived there.
Ezekiel mastered the skills of a carpenter, owned a brick yard and even did a little inventing. Fireplace cooking was the general method used to prepare food in those days. Ezekiel designed an oven for his wife which allowed her to bake pies, turnovers, cakes and puddings. Still, as a home was built and comfortably fitted, he seemed to be looking about for new lands, perhaps a better or more profitable location or perhaps a chance to turn a new dollar. If he was born to express the pioneer spirit, he built the same strong spirit into his own children who likewise found satisfaction and yearning in the same endeavors. For at least three generations beginning with Ezekiel, the Johnsons were to play a very large role in the settling of the American wilderness all the way to the Pacific Coast of California, Oregon and Washington. Many modern day cities owe their existence to a Johnson family who were numbered among its first inhabitants and early town fathers.
During the War of 1812, the last year Ezekiel and his family spent in Vermont, they were visited by Julia's brother, Joel Hills. Joel was on his way to make his home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Young Joel, the oldest son of Julia and Ezekiel was allowed to accompany his namesake uncle. Because of the glowing reports given by Joel, of the bounties to be had from settling in the Ohio wilderness, Ezekiel soon followed to investigate the opportunities in the Ohio country. If reports proved true and property could be located, Ezekiel planned to return for his family. Not satisfied with the results of their Ohio preview trip, Ezekiel and twelve year old Joel retraced the distance by foot through 500 miles of heavily forested and wilderness land. They had to pass near isolated cabins where the occupants had only recently been killed by Indians. For protection, Ezekiel carried only a small shot gun with two barrels. This gun was often humorously alluded to by Ezekiel as "Old Bess". This old gun with silver trimming, still remains a cherished heirloom among the Johnson clan. This experience of surviving by their wits, shared by father and son, served to draw them close together and they formed a strong bond that lasted a lifetime.
On their return to Westford, it was decided that the family should move to New York. In a letter written by Julia, she says that they left Westford June 27, 1813 and came to Canadaway (now Fredonia), New York where they hired a house. This would indicate that they may not have purchased land or a home, but rented a house instead. Julia and the children stayed here while Ezekiel and their son Joel investigated land opportunities near Cincinnati, Ohio where Julia's brother, Joel had homesteaded.
Julia wrote a letter to her mother dated October 13, 1814 and she described their move from Vermont and her thoughts along the way:
"My Dear Mother, After my love to you, I would inform you of our welfare, and hope these few lines will find you in health and prosperity. Through our journey we have been blessed with health and we are now all well and hearty. We started from Westford, Vermont on the 27th of June and came on over some one hundred miles and one of our horses became lame and we laid by for a week. We then came awhile but was obliged to stop again for three or four days, and then came on as far as Hamburg, this side of Buffalo where we stopped about seven weeks. I was very discontented there, yet the people urged us to stay. They gave Mr. Johnson one dollar a day with house rent, garden vegetables, milk etc. He thought it was best to stay until our horses got recruited up and we got rested, as he had the money for his work. But I could not be contented to stay any longer for there was no neighbors short of about two miles, and all Sabbath breakers and I could not feel at home there.
"We started from there on the 24th of September, and was four days coming to this place on account of bad roads. This is a beautiful country and we have concluded to stay here until spring if not longer. Mr. Johnson intends to go on himself and see the country before he moves his family any further for fear he would not like it so well as he does here. There is many moving to the west, some days ten or twelve wagons in company and some have come back to this place. This country is very healthy indeed and good for grain which is plenty and cheap, markets at present are distant. Such corn I never saw before as I have seen here. It is only seven years since the first settlements were made here. There begins to be fruit of almost every kind; I never saw such sights of peaches before. Thousands of bushels rot on the ground. They make sauce of them, and brandy. The trees bear in three years from the stone, and apples in six. We have hired a little house about two miles and a half from the village of Canadaway which contains three societies, Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists. There is also mills and school near at hand with neighbors who appear very friendly and kind. If Mr. Johnson does not like it better at Cincinnati he intends to settle here before any other country he ever saw. It is a good place for his trade which demands one dollar and fifty cents per day, but the Lord knows what is best and I hope that I shall be reconciled to His will. The Lord only knows whether we shall ever see each other again on this earth. I hope we shall put our trust in Him and be reconciled to His will, for he knows what is best for us. All things shall work together for the good of those who love Him. If we are afflicted it is for our good, for He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. Therefore, let us put our trust in Him, for He hath said, "They that put their trust in Him shall be a Mount Zion which shall not be removed.
"My children send their love to you all. Remember my love to all inquiring friends. Tell Almera I wish they would write to me. Do write as soon as possible. I shall write as soon as Mr. Johnson gets back, if not before. From your affectionate children, E. and J. Johnson."
The family settled in a small town called Pomfret, Chautaugua County, New York. Here, contrary to all expectations, the Johnson family settled into a home on lot 21 and stayed for the next seventeen years.
The house Ezekiel finally settled his family into stood on a rise of land that gave it a pretty view of the surrounding countryside. The lot contained one square mile of land. It lay between Fredonia on the north, and Lake Cassadaga on the south. Lake Erie was located ten miles away to the west. Forty miles north following the Lake Erie shoreline lay Buffalo. One hundred twenty miles northeast, and closer to Lake Ontario, was a small New York town called Palmyra. Events that would transpire there in the late 1820's, would greatly influence all of their lives. Joel, the oldest son and child of Julia and Ezekiel, purchased a home one mile to the east of Pomfret after he matured and married. Three miles distant was the local school and its bell could be heard clearly from the Johnson dooryard. In their early years in Pomfret, wolves and bears freely roamed the nearby woods and occasionally were seen in the local fields.
The census records show Ezekiel Johnson and his married son, Joel Hills Johnson living in Pomfret, but there are no deeds of either of them owning land there. Several years after their arrival, gas was discovered in nearby Canadaway Creek and the residents of Fredonia, three miles distant, were the first in the nation to make use of gas lights.
In Pomfret, Ezekiel found employment as a miller in the Elijah Risley, Sr. grist mill. On their farm, now divided by the Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley Railroad that slashed through it's center, the rest of their children were born. Susan Ellen was born December 16, 1814.
On February 27, 1815, Julia wrote another letter from Pomphret, New York.
"My Dear Parents: After my love to you, I will inform you that through the blessing of God, we are all in good health and hope this will find you so. I have not heard a word from you for more than a year. I have written to you four letters since I have received any. Mr. Johnson has gone to Cincinnati, Ohio. He started on the last day of January. I have not heard a word from Joel {her brother, living in Ohio} for a year or more. I am very anxious to hear from my friends. I wrote the particulars of our journey thus far in my last letter. If Mr. Johnson likes that country, we calculate to move on in the spring, if we live and are well. Many families are passing here almost every day for that place. We like this country first rate upon many accounts. It is not as cold as Vermont and is excellent for grain, grass, and all kinds of produce. With good inhabitants and good schools. My children go to school and learn very fast. Seth and Nancy want to write to their grandmother, but it will cost too much to pay for their letters. I had a daughter born on the 16th of December, who is smart and well. I want you to write how you enjoy religion. Whether you are cold and stupid like myself, or are you engaged in the good cause of Christ? I hope you are like Mary and have chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away. I hope we shall live as we shall wish we had lived when we are called from time to Eternity. I hope we shall be prepared to meet in Heaven to dwell with the righteous forever. I hope we shall see each other again in a few years, but life is uncertain. I want you to give my love to Aunt Woodward's family, tell the girls to write to me. I remain your affectionate child, Julia Johnson."
Joseph Ellis was born two years later, on April 28, 1817. Julia's mother, Esther, passed away near this time and Julia was heartsick that she had not had the opportunity to visit her mother once more.
When baby Benjamin Franklin was born July 28, 1818, his birth must have softened somewhat, the loss of his maternal grandmother.
Again, from Pomphret, on November 11, 1818, Julia writes to her half sister, Diadamie Forbush:
"Dear Sister, I have another chance of writing to you, which I improve. I have written several times but received no answer. I have heard of the death of our mother which was very heavy news to me. We have lost a very kind, affectionate parent of which no doubt you are sensible but we have no right to murmur, God will do all things right. We must be submissive and prepare to follow our dear deceased mother. I wish you would write the particulars concerning her death and write me a long letter. I have been anxious to hear from you for a long time. Almera Woodward {Julia's cousin} wrote to me that you was keeping house for your father and made out very well, which I was glad to hear. I send this letter by Mr. Johnson; he will tell you the particulars of our affairs. I want your father to send me that Great Dictionary; that was my father's, and if Joel {Hills, Julia's brother} has a chance to get if from here he shall have it, for that was my mother's desire as she expressed it when she was up in Vermont. And I wish you would send me some straw braid for a bonnet and Mr. Johnson will pay you for it. Such things are very scarce here. Remember my love to your father and family and take a good share yourself. Julia Johnson"
On December 21, 1818, Ezekiel acted as agent to sell some property belonging to his mother-in-law, Esther Hills, to Esther's son, Enoch Forbush Jr. Esther is listed as the widow of Joseph Hills, late of Grafton, Mass. The selling price was $100. Enoch was also the half brother of Julia, Ezekiel's wife. Ezekiel listed himself as being "of Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York" and states that he is a laborer.
In Pomfret, the family continued to grow. Baby Mary Ellen followed her brothers and sisters into the world February 7, 1820. Elmer Wood was born May 26, 1822 but survived only four months and his became the first death in the Ezekiel Johnson family circle.
George Washington was named for Julia's brother-in-law and was born February 19, 1823. William Derby was born into the Johnson clan in the autumn of 1824, arriving on October 27th. Esther Meleta put in her appearance on her father's birthday and her parent's wedding anniversary, January 12, 1827. She must have been named for her aunt in Vermont. Amos Partridge, the last of the sixteen Johnson children made his arrival January 15, 1829, and as was stated earlier, he was named for his Vermont uncle.
Julia always expressed her opinion that each child was the dearest addition and made a permanent place for itself in her heart. Although understanding and sympathetic to each child, nevertheless, she was a strict mother and required each to fulfill his farm and household chores with dependability and promptness. In their world of planting and harvesting, manufacturing of clothes and shoes, bed-linen, toweling, etc. from the raw flax and wool, candle making, knitting of gloves and hosiery, soap created from animal fats and wood ashes, fruits to be dried and stored for winter, hominy to prepare, pickles and kraut to be made and syrup processed from the nearby maple forests, there were plenty of opportunities for each child to learn valuable skills and complete equally important survival chores. There were plenty of jobs for all and their property hummed with industry. Like their parents, the children loved the soil and through their own adulthood, planted orchards, vineyards and gardens wherever they tarried long enough to do so. Generations enjoyed the bounteous harvests that followed their agricultural efforts and toil.
They only lost one child in infancy; Elmer Wood, who died at the age of three or four months. Their second major misfortune was when Nancy accidentally fell from a horse and broke her hip socket. Nothing medically could be done for her in those times and Nancy was left crippled and could walk only with the aid of crutches. Most of the time, she was in considerable pain.
Julia had a deep sense of religion and was a devout member of the Presbyterian Church which she and her children attended regularly. The Bible occupied a central table in their home and was regularly read and studied by the family members. Julia's oldest son, Joel Hills recorded that "I was so carefully instructed by a pious mother that I dared not do anything that would displease the Lord or my parents. As soon as I could read, she gave me a small New Testament which I carried in my pocket." Reflecting upon his youth, Benjamin Franklin said: "In childhood my advantages for parental instruction and discipline were not great, owing to my mother's large family and my father's intemperate habits, but no influence was so potent as the love of my parents and my home, to restrain me to obedience and to the love of truth."
Ezekiel appears to have been a hard worker and though they did not seem to accumulate vast wealth, generally, the family fared well in that they seem to have had adequate shelter and food. Julia, in letters to her sister, refers to the fact that they are "rather low in respects to the good things of the world, but we have a comfortable living". Their home in Pomphret, N.Y. seems to stand out in the minds of most of the children as having provided 19 years of joyous memories. {from 1814 to June 1833.} Their life here served as the foundation in providing the happiest and character formation period for most of the children. Ezekiel also worked as a miller and carpenter while they were there. Their home changed during this time from a frontier setting to a well developed farm, supplying all they had in the way of food, clothing and other necessities. The orchard supplied fruits which were dried for winter. The meadow filled the barn with hay. The maple groves and honey bee gave them syrup and honey. They milked cows and kept horses to work the farm. Katy, a favorite old horse, was ridden by the boys when they furrowed the corn. At this point, their family seemed to be strong and healthy and very solidly organized with Ezekiel as head and Julia as helpmate and the children comfortable and happy in their farm home. George W., one of the younger boys, in later life, composed poems which expressed the joys of their home life. George described their home in Pomfret as follows:
"Oh, don't you remember the dear old brown cottage, The kitchen, the square room, the bedroom and hall. The well at the door and the orchard near by it. The garden, the barn and the corn house and all? Oh, don't you remember the old dingy schoolhouse, With benches and desks, all defaced with the knife, Where we learned the first lessons in reading and spelling That did mark out the way that has followed through life? Oh, don't you remember the old kitchen fireplace, Where oft we have met when our day's work was done, With brothers and sisters and friends we loved dearly, To pass off the evening with all sorts of fun? How well I remember each tree in the orchard, Each shrub and each flower in the garden that grew, The well and the spring and the brick yard near by it. To scatter the hay, I would go to the meadow. Or ride on old Katy to plough out the corn Or pile up the brush in the clearing and burn it, Till I'd hear the sweet sound of the old dinner horn. Fond memories will come of the scenes of my childhood; How well I remember the dear old brown cot Surrounded by orchard, by fields and by wildwoods. I cannot forget them, that dear hallowed spot. How well I remember the old cellar kitchen, Where mother presided at night, noon and morn And always had puddings and pies and turnovers And the best thing of all was a pot of hulled corn. Sometimes she would make us meal-mush for our supper With milk from the dairy or fresh from the cow Or a pudding, well sweetened with maple molasses; It was made of corn meal but I cannot tell how; Or a pot of baked beans, smoking hot from the oven With a chunk of fat pork with rind sliced and torn Or a loaf of brown bread with sweet yellow butter But nothing compared with the pot of hulled corn."
Thanks to George, we have a wonderful peek into the Ezekiel Johnson home in Pomfret and gather a realistic picture of what their lives were like during this period of time. Several of the family, including Julia, developed, used and shared their talents of writing poetry, songs and stories. Joel Hills and George Washington Johnson became especially prolific and skilled in writing poems and music. Joel wrote the well known LDS hymn, "High On A Mountain Top". The following poem, like many others he wrote, is typical of the memories and feelings shared by all the children about this time period spent in Pomfret, N.Y.
My Boyhood Home The home of my boyhood, the place of my birth It is dearer to me than all others on earth Its charms are still with me wherever I roam I'll never forget my own boyhood home. My dear loving mother; she watched o'er my youth And taught me the lessons of honor and truth. Her voice, in my fancy, in accents so low Is whispering to me wherever I go. The voice of my father still sounds in my ear; The laugh of my brothers and sisters so dear. The cow bell's jingle; the old dinner horn, The crow of the cock to awake us each morn. The hoot of the owl, the lone whip-poor-will At evening we heard from the woodland and hill, They still ring in my ears tho long years have past Since I saw the dear home of my infancy last. Altho many a mile have I wandered away, My body grown feeble, my hair turning gray; Yet the happy scenes linger; I dream of them yet; The home of my boyhood I'll never forget.
Benjamin, another son, often spoke of a gold chain his mother always wore about her neck throughout his childhood.
Through their travels, the Johnson's had encountered mammoth orchards which bore peaches whose fruit wasted on the ground. In an effort to find a use for this excess fruit, the peaches were processed into brandy which became a popular drink of the time. It also fostered inebriation among its purchasers. Readily available and apparently quite abundant, Ezekiel somehow became caught up in the hold of this intoxicating beverage and was unable throughout his life, to extricate himself from its use and effects. Although he always voiced his love for his family, peach brandy became the tool that wrecked the peace and joy of the ones he loved most in all the world and created a lasting gulf between himself and the wife he so dearly loved. As the years rolled on, the good times were interrupted often by sorrow and grief which came literally from Ezekiel's overindulgence of the "fruits" of their labors.
On November 2, 1826, Joel Hills, the oldest child, married Anna Pixley {Pizly}.
While living in Pomfret, or on its outskirts, the Johnson family received their mail from Fredonia. All the Pomfret records were also kept in Fredonia. When mail would come into the Fredonia Post Office, a list would be printed in the Fredonia Newspaper which was called "The Censor". Residents were instructed in the paper to pick up their waiting mail at the Fredonia Post Office and you could only get your mail by mentioning that you saw your name in the Newspaper listings. Ezekiel Johnson's name appeared several times. The arrival of a letter must have been an exciting occurrence in their lives. News from loved ones who lived far away would have been very welcome indeed. There are also listings of mail for the names of Joel H. Johnson, Hulberl, Garnsey, Sherman and Pixley. Sherman and Pixley were the names of the families that two of the Johnson daughters married into. We can only wonder if the Garnsey was a relative of some sort of Bethiah, mother of Ezekiel. Did Ezekiel move to Pomfret because relatives that lived in the area convinced him it was the land of "Milk and Honey"?
On June 1, 1830, Ezekiel advertised in the "Censor" that three cows had broken into his enclosure. One of the cows had given birth to a calf and the owner could claim his livestock by identifying the animals and paying for their damages. In January of 1832, Ezekiel placed an ad trying to find his missing steer. We are left to wonder if he ever recovered his own steer or what happened with the three cows that wandered into his enclosure.
Joel H. Johnson, Ezekiel's oldest son, invented a shingle cutter and he took out a patent on his invention. In an ad placed in the "Censor" in January, 1830, he says his machine will cut 40 to 50 shingles a day from blocks of wood and it sells for under $10. He will demonstrate his machine in Pomfret.
In the family, we also have copies of the following letter written by Julia to her sister Diadamia Forbush from Pomphret on July 21, 1831. It reads:
"My dear Sister: How long a time it is since I received a line from you, and how much longer since I saw you? I have waited long for a letter, but getting none, I improve this opportunity of informing you that myself and family (those about home) are as well as has been usual for us to be for some time and I do really hope that this may find you enjoying the best of earthly blessings, health...Mr. Johnson is now gone to Ohio. Joel and family have removed to that state, in Loraine County, Amhurst Township. David is with them. It's about two months since I heard from them. Mr. Johnson and Seth went last fall to Cincinnati and Newport and spent the winter at or near those places. Seth taught school. They found sisters, Nancy and Rhoda with their families well and left them so. I think I wrote to you that my family consists of fifteen children, two married, Joel and Delcena, both have two children and each have lost one, the rest as I said, generally live at home. Nancy had the misfortune last August to be thrown from a horse which dislocated or broke her hip. She will probably have to use crutches as long as she lives. For the most of the time, she is able to sew, paint, etc. We are in rather low circumstances as it respects the good things of this world, but through the good providence of God, we have a comfortable living, and knowing that we need but little here below nor want that little long as we endeavor to be content with such things as we have and give thanks to the giver and seek that durable riches and righteousness which shall never fail. Dear sister, how oft have I wished that you and I were so situated that we might often see each other and speak to each other of the things most interesting and dear to us, and of our trials and cares and mutually share in each other's joys and sorrows, etc. But since we are separated let us be thankful for the mercies that we do enjoy and ever bear in mind that this earth is not our abiding place, and let us seek earnestly for one to come, one whose builder and maker is God. That we may soon meet again where parting and separation shall be known no more forever--this is my prayer.
"Oh, my sister, do not put off writing as you have done, but write soon and inform me of your present circumstances and situation, and of your future prospects and hopes. I very much want to know how you get along with your family and whatever else would be interesting to us respecting your situation and prospects, etc. And also what are your views of futurity and how you get along in your mind, etc. I want you should write what information you have respecting Aunt Woodward and the family; where is Almera and family? and tell me about Mr. Roberts, and my cousins and friends in that country. Give my love and best wishes to them all and accept the same yourself as well as the love and respect of all my children who are at home. Remember Enoch, Polly and Chloe {Diadamia's brother and sisters} and inform me of them and their families. Now my dear sister, I must draw to a close by requesting an interest in your prayers and by subscribing myself as ever your affectionate sister-in-haste. Julia Johnson."
Around 1830, Julia began to hear about a strange story that was to make a dynamic change in her life and the lives of her family. It was to give her something vital to live and work for and to ease the pain and disappointment that wove its way through her life. It would give purpose to her life. Her son, Benjamin Franklin Johnson, in his own writings, says, "In the year 1829, in our village newspaper, we read an account of some young man professing to have seen an angel who had delivered some gold plates to him from which he had translated a new Bible. Sometime during the year before, on one particular night, we had observed a large ball of light, like fire, in the heavens which passed from the East to the western horizon. My older brothers, who were out coon hunting, saw it, and came home to tell us of the wonder they had seen. I asked my mother what it meant and she said perhaps it was a sign of the nearness of the second coming of Christ. In later years however, I learned it was a sign given the night following the day on which the golden plates were taken from the earth and given to the Prophet Joseph Smith."
The only mention found in the "Censor" newspaper of the "Mormons" was an ad for a pamphlet, "Mormonism Unveiled" which was selling for 75 cents. The ad went on to say that the historical part of this said bible was written by Solomon Spaulding, who at 24 years of age, had intended to publish it as a romance. There was also an article written that said a preacher delivered a discourse in Ontario last Thursday to about 200 - 300 people. The preacher had voiced his firm belief that the Book of Mormon was a revelation from God. There were no other newspaper items either for or against the Mormons, but there were a lot of articles very much against the Masons. Perhaps the Johnson family read about Joseph Smith and his new Bible, in the Fredonia newspaper or a newspaper from Buffalo or some other part of New York state.
Son, Benjamin Franklin also wrote that his older brother Joel, sold his farm in Pomfret in 1830 and moved to Amherst, Ohio. "My brother, David, went to assist Joel in clearing his new farm and getting settled. My mother had heard of religious fanatics who were teaching all manner of odd religious doctrines in Ohio and wrote to particularly warn my brothers to beware of a man named Sidney Rigdon who was the chief leader and preacher of a group which called themselves Campbellites. Julia wrote September 3, 1831,
"Oh, my Dear Children, I want to address you but know not how far as it is impossible to describe my feelings. I was very glad to hear from you and when I heard that you were well soul and body, my soul rejoiced, for I long to see all my children enjoy pure and undefiled religion, but when I understood you had embraced a new doctrine I fear lest you are deceived, but hope you will strive for the truth. Your Affectionate Mother, Julia Johnson."
Joel Hills Johnson and his wife Anna had settled in Amhurst, Ohio. While living there in 1831, Joel came in contact with Latter-day Saint missionaries. At first, Joel was not interested, but after they had attended several meetings to find out more about their teachings, he began to understand more fully, the principles of the new Gospel. He, as all the family, had a great love and understanding of the Bible, and what the missionaries taught made a lot of sense to him. Joel and David, who was living with them at that time were both baptized members of the Church on June 1, 1831 by Sylvester Smith. Joel wanted to share all he had with his family so he wrote a letter to his brother, Seth, at home in Pomfret, and sent along a copy of the Book of Mormon.
Benjamin wrote in his journal, "We soon received a letter telling us that both my brothers had been baptized into the Mormon group who believed in the Prophet Joseph Smith and the new Gold Bible. We were horrified and disgraced by this news! A few weeks later, they sent us a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked us to read it."
Seth, the oldest son still living at home, wrote Joel a return letter in which he stated:
"Strange things indeed I have found in your letter. Alas, how unexpected, how unthought of. Is it true? That I know not, but the Lord has raised up a Prophet. But I have fears, lest this is one of those false prophets, or lo, here spoken of and warned against by the Savior and His Apostles, 1st Epistle of John 11,12, etc. and that the right way of the Lord has been perverted by him through the influence of the devil, who has transformed himself into an angel of light...The manner of your becoming convinced of the doctrine, and book I am not prepared to condemn, but since Satan will, if possible, deceive the very elect, I fear that you may have been deceived…I view it of infinite importance that we try the spirits by which we are moved in such cases, which I earnestly hope you have done. O how careful should we be to embrace nothing but the truth, as it is in Jesus; for says the Apostles though we hear an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than that ye have received let him be accursed."
Julia gathered the older children together and they met secretly with some very close neighbors to try to find the faults of this new religion and to point out the delusions to her misled older sons. Benjamin was allowed to study with this group of family and friends. They soon began to marvel at the book's simplicity and the purity of what they read.
When David and Joel returned home from Ohio, they testified that they believed this new religion to be true. Although they bore a strong testimony, neither they nor Almon W. Babbitt, who came with them, were capable of explaining the new teachings. When two Mormon missionaries, Elders James Brackenbury and Jabez Durfee called on them, the Johnson family warmly welcomed them. They taught with such convictions, Julia and Lyman R. Sherman, her son-in-law, were soon baptized. Ezekiel however, was not interested in accepting membership in the Church and would not consent to baptism for any of the younger children, Benjamin included.
Where the Johnson family had once been regarded as being among the most respected in their religious society, they were now opposed and ridiculed by the ministers and members of other faiths. As a family, they had a sampling of the trials and afflictions that lay ahead of them for choosing this new way of life. Their faith was soon to be tested.
Shortly after Elder Brackinbury had taught and converted people in this community, he became violently ill. After only a few days, he died of bilious colic. This sudden tragedy was a shock to the new converts. Besides dealing with the grief of this man's death, they found it hard to understand why God would permit such a good and faithful man doing the Lord's labors, to die so suddenly and so far from his home and family.
After the funeral and burial, several members gathered in the Johnson home to talk and mourn together. David Johnson suddenly had a premonition that someone was disturbing the grave of the deceased Elder. The Johnson brothers rushed back to the grave and discovered three men who had unearthed the coffin and were lifting the corpse from it. Seeing the Johnsons approaching, they fled.
On other occasions, religious leaders would taunt the Johnsons saying that if the new religion was so miraculous, why couldn't someone of the Mormon faith heal Nancy of her broken hip? Many would say, if they could see Nancy healed, they would all believe.
Because of all the persecutions and the desire to move nearer the Church leaders, Joel and Benjamin walked the entire way to Amhurst, Ohio in the early spring of 1833. The rest of the family followed them to Ohio later in the summer.
Ezekiel and the rest of his family met the Prophet and for a time, the family believed that their father was favorably impressed and to all appearance was becoming confirmed in the faith and truth of the gospel. However, their faith in this soon died, for it became obvious that Ezekiel was becoming bitter toward the Church. Previously, in the fall of 1832, Ezekiel had sold his property in New York and had traveled to Chicago with the intention of purchasing land there. Before leaving he told his wife that he would send for the rest of the family before the first of June. When Julia had not heard from him by then, she took her family to Kirtland and there traded their team and wagon for a home on "Kirtland Flat". When Ezekiel returned to New York, he found that the letters he had written telling of the quarter section of land which he had purchased, had not arrived. Since his family was settled and did not want to leave, Ezekiel decided to move to Kirtland with them, but his disappointment caused him to become bitter.
In spite of great opposition, persecution, trials and many sacrifices required to live with her decision and the demands of moving west with the Church as one of the early pioneer families, Julia never questioned the decision or wavered in her faith. The true gospel was restored and to her it was always simply a matter of paying the price and doing whatever the Lord required or put upon her.
These events had just the opposite effect upon Ezekiel. Because of the tragic influence of alcohol, his pride and stubbornness, Ezekiel refused to unite with his family in the Church in Ohio and he separated from Julia and most of the family still living at home. From this time on, he was seldom with his family again, which brought him, Julia and all the children, much sorrow.
Benjamin remembered that in the summer of 1832, "My father was not so bitter about the Church and he went to Ohio to see the Prophet. He decided to sell his home and come to Chicago, which was then a small town, but all hope that he would join the Church soon vanished. What little light there had been, soon disappeared and for whatever reason, he soon seemed to be possessed of the devil. Most men knew him as a good and honest neighbor and as a parent and husband, he had been the most loving and kind. But his habit of intemperance changed his whole nature."
Benjamin Franklin was baptized in 1835 at the age of 17 and George, age 13, William Darby age 12 and Esther Melita age 8, were baptized April 9, 1836. The youngest, Amos Partridge, was baptized sometime in 1836. Julia Ann who married Almon Whiting Babbitt was (re) baptized 21 Oct. 1854 at the age of 46.
In Ohio, Ezekiel found shelter in the home of his daughter in Mentor, a town located not far from Kirtland. As his daughter looked after his needs and comfort, he half -heartedly dabbled in his carpenter trade. From the terrible anger that boiled within him, he constantly ranted about the hated religion and the effects it had had upon destroying his once united family. He did not seem to ever consider the toll his past drunken condition had taken upon the happiness of his family but rather credited all his unhappiness and disappointments to his family's membership in this hated church. Benjamin wrote of his father, "My father for a series of years had wrestled with the herculean task of clearing off the forests, but worn with incessant labors and the care of so large a family, he sought for a stimulus, and in my earliest childhood became addicted to the use of ardent spirits. Neither his labors nor his love for his family seemed to diminish, yet the fiend of unhappiness had entered among us and destroyed the happiness of our home."
When Julia moved with the family to Kirtland, Ohio, Julia assumed the full weight of the responsibility of caring for her large family. She provided a comfortable livelihood by manufacturing men's neckwear (called stocks) and palm leaf hats and she found comfort in her Church duties ministering to the poor and needy and nursing the sick. She taught her daughters in all the skills of making hats, neckties, and needlework. The entire family gave everything they had, including much labor, to the building of this first temple in this dispensation. Their home was close to the schoolhouse where Susan and Seth taught.
Julia and Ezekiel's two oldest sons, Joel and Seth, and their son-in-law, Lyman Royal Sherman, assisted in laying the cornerstone of the temple. Julia herself aided materially in it's construction by toiling industriously to help provide food and clothing for the builders, considering this an inestimable privilege.
Julia's testing was now to begin in earnest. During these strenuous times, David, her third son, now twenty-two years of age and unmarried, measuring six foot three inches, worked through the damp and cold to secure wood for the temple brick kiln. He took a severe cold which quickly developed into tuberculosis. Before they realized how really ill he was, David died on October 30, 1833.
Julia was soon to learn that this was only the beginning of her deep sorrows. Before another four years had elapsed, three more graves lay side by side in the Kirtland cemetery. Seth, a member of the school faculty, weakened by over-exertion, attempted to continue to teach school while also volunteering labor on the temple construction. He had suffered from the effects of cholera while participating in Zion's Camp and had never fully regained his health from that experience. On February 19, 1835, Seth also died. The following month, on March 16th, daughter Susan passed away at the age of twenty two years and seven months. She had been a loving daughter and faithful to the tenants of her new faith.
Ezekiel and Julia's daughter, Nancy, had been involved in an accident in August of 1831 and had been thrown from a horse. Her injuries from that accident had left her with a severely damaged hip which never healed properly. She had struggled with the crippling and painful condition the accident left her in until after the family moved to Kirtland. An Elder Jared Carter had healed her of her hip condition by performing what is generally recorded as one of the first miracles performed after the Church was organized. Elder Carter had commanded her in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to lay down her crutches and walk and she had been able to do so. Shortly after this miraculous healing, Nancy, at age thirty three and unmarried, became ill and died. Her death date was exactly three years after her brother David. She died 30 October, 1836. Nancy, like her brother Seth, was one of the Kirtland school faculty. She had also achieved considerable success as a seamstress and was an accomplished artist with oil paints. With Nancy's death, four of Julia and Ezekiel's children, all of marriageable age, had departed this life.
Yet, even though the hearts of those bereaved were heavy and torn with grief, they remained steadfast in their beliefs. The testimony of the Gospel burned deep in their souls and even those on their death beds had borne theirs again urging the rest to remain true to their teachings.
Julia's life was now completely tied with the Church. In the Spring of 1838, after mob violence became very great in Kirtland, Ohio, the Saints were compelled to leave their beloved temple and move west, and Julia and family followed. The Prophet had asked the presidency of the Seventies, Joel being one of them, to supervise and assist the remaining Saints on the trek from Kirtland to Missouri. This group, consisting of about 520 included the Johnson family, became known as Kirtland Camp. Sixty teams and wagons were found to carry the needed supplies. Money was very scarce and all were of poor circumstances. The trip was a hard and trying one. They were often without food and there was much sickness among them. They stopped at Dayton, Ohio for a month where many died of typhoid fever. While there, Julia traveled to Cincinnati to visit her brother's family and to take the gospel message to them one last time.
In late fall, when approaching Springfield, a Brother Samuel Hale and wife fell victims to the severe elements and poor living conditions and their ten year old daughter, Mary Ann, was left to Julia's care. But Julia willingly complied. Her arms were warm with compassion and she opened them wide to take in Mary Ann to live with their family. This act of compassion was to have eternal effects on the family, for six years later, in 1844, Julia's son, Benjamin, would marry Mary Ann Hale as his second wife.
In this same camp, Julia's son-in-law, L. R. Sherman also died, leaving his wife Delcina and two children, Alby and Susan. Julia herself and younger son, George, also barely escaped death from illness.
On March 13, 1839, Julia wrote a letter to her sister from near Springfield, Illinois.
"Dear Sister, Having an opportunity of sending a few lines to you or rather to send them where we last heard of you, we improve it. It is now six years since we heard from you in any way. We have written several times, but have been moving about so much that we could not have received one even though you had written. You must know we have been very anxious to hear from you as the last news we heard was that you have lost your husband. Oh! My dear sister, how shall I use words to express my feelings when I look back to the time when we saw each other, the last change in our situation and circumstances in life, the change of seasons, places and nations, the commotion of the earth and the disposition of men, deceiving and being deceived -- The signs of the last days, the fulfillment of Scriptures, etc. -- I will say we are all well who are with us as usual. And though strange it may appear, I am happy to inform you that we have the misfortune (if it may be called one) to belong to that poor deluded (as the world say) despised sect of being called Mormons or Latter Day Saints, who are verily persecuted for righteousness sake. We left the state of New York about six years ago and went to Kirtland, Ohio where the Lord saw fit to afflict us by taking from us four of the elderly members of my family; Nancy, Seth, David and Susan. They were all taken from us within four years. How shall, How can I express my feelings? "But the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the name of the Lord.
"We have suffered a great deal of sickness, I was very extremely sick last fall in this place with the fevers almost unto death, but the Lord saw fit to spare my life and measurably restore me to health. Joel is about one hundred miles west of here with his family, Julia and Almera are married, they both did very well, married respected men. Delcina has lost her husband. He died last winter -- 27th of January. She is in Missouri, we expect her here soon. I have three sons, unmarried, men grown up, Joseph, Benjamin and George. Two of them are with me, the other with Delcina. I have two daughters with me, Mary and Esther.
"I went to Cincinnati last summer and there found Nancy and Rhoda. Rhoda is in Newport across the river from Cincinnati, they are all well. {Nancy would have been Julia's full sister.} I have not time to write much more. The gentleman who is expected to bear this is one of those Mormons and as yet has never preached a sermon, but probably will before you receive this. I beg, I pray and entreat you as one who loves you, to search into these things, "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good." Study the scriptures the prophecies and then you will learn that the Lord in the last days will bring forth His work, His strange work, His act, His strange act, that truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from Heaven. That Zion will be builded, the Saints gathered and possess the land promised to their fathers and build Jerusalem again, etc. Recollect that the Lord's work was always a strange work in the eyes of the people, that he chooses the poor, the weak, the illiterate of this world, to confound the wisdom of the wise and bring to naught the wisdom of the world. Therefore, I will close by begging you to inquire into the truth of these things. Ask the Lord in sincerity to show you the right way. As for persecution, the Lord has said he that liveth Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution also whom the Lord loveth him He chastiseth, etc. Never-the-less these seem not for the present. Joyous but grievous -- Look unto the Lord and not to man "Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his aim" -- Write immediately on the reception of this. Direct your letter to this place, give all our respects to our friends of your acquaintance. I remain in affliction, Your sister. Julia Johnson."
Leaders of the camp were now seeking a suitable place to settle, and at Joel's recommendation, Commerce, a small village at the Mississippi river rapids was chosen. The Prophet, along with the rest, was enamored with it's climate and possibilities, and although much of it was swamp land and unhealthy, the industrious Saints were not long in draining it, and within seven years, this city that is now a ghost of it's former self, had been converted into a city of health and beauty, second to none in Illinois. Beautiful solid brick homes had been erected. The mansion house, occupied by the Prophet and his family, where visitors were entertained, was up and the sacred temple was in the course of construction. The name, too, had been changed to Nauvoo, meaning "City Beautiful".
An inquiry in the 1950's of an aged non-Mormon, dwelling in Nauvoo, as to the cause of the town's deterioration, even to it's soil, brought forth the surprising but inspired statement, "I don't know", he said, "unless God was with those people, and when they left, He went with them!"
After the Saints settled in Nauvoo, Julia, whose vision was always broad, conceived the idea of taking up land and creating a little village of their own. Consequently they became settled in Ramus, twenty miles farther east of Nauvoo, and she and her children began to seek out industries and products that they could produce and sell to sustain themselves. The family banded together, supporting each other, each striving to add to the family resources.
Later, the name of Ramus was changed to Macedonia after the Bible city mentioned by Paul, when in vision the urgent plea came, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." Joel became Macedonia's first stake president.
While enroute to Macedonia, Benjamin, Julia's fifth son, following his successful Eastern mission and subsequent marriage to Melissa Bloomfield LeBaron, was in the process of joining the rest of his family. He was accompanied by his father, Ezekiel, and sisters, Delcina and Julia Ann. They met with an unforgettable experience in Sunday travel that compelled them ever after to a more sacred observance of the Sabbath.
Traveling in beautiful weather with good roads, they should have had a safe and pleasant journey, but their animals were young and spirited and they were often in great danger. They had just crossed over the Illinois line in the prairie country and it was a Sabbath day. They had driven hard all that week and needed rest. They were so close to home, they hitched up their wagons and drove on until noon when they crossed a deep creek. On the opposite bank was an open space of beautiful grass surrounded by timber and high brush. The teams were very tired, and on the entire trip, had given no cause to suspect them subject to fright or disposed to run away. So, driving into the tall grass, the teams were released from their bridles. Immediately, they began to plunge and started to run. Ezekiel was just undoing the horse pulling his buggy and the girls were unhitching the span of horses pulling the family carriage. All the horses immediately began to bolt and broke away and every one of them ran away leaving the entire party afoot. Those still attached to wagons and carriages dragged them pell mell through the thick woods and brush. Every vehicle was smashed and goods and harnesses were strung across three quarters of a mile in all directions surrounding them.
At first, Ezekiel and Benjamin presumed that it would be impossible to reconstruct even one of the vehicles or recover even a portion of their belongings. But, they set about gathering up and putting parts together and labored hard for the next full week. By noon the next Sunday, they felt they had repaired all that could be repaired and they again hitched up their recovered stock to the repaired buggies and wagons and drove 15 miles where it was again determined they would camp for the night. But just as they began to unhitch the draft animals, they again bolted and as though the Devil himself was chasing them, they again crashed through the trees and undergrowth and didn't stop until they had retraced the days 15 miles and reached their camp of the previous week.
Benjamin writes that the one horse that had not run away was used to follow their teams and recover them at their earlier camp. He said that he found the frightened and fatigued livestock in terrible condition. Their legs were terribly lacerated by the tug chains and streaming with blood and sweat. Gathering them up and leading them all in a group, he arrived at their new camp just before sunset. Ezekiel and Benjamin were up all night bathing the bruised legs of the animals and tending to their wounds. Benjamin made a promise to himself that he would never again break the Sabbath. Because of his deep spiritual nature, Benjamin believed that the troubles of their trip were the Lord's way of teaching him a lesson.
We don't have any sources that recorded Ezekiel's feelings on this particular experience, but we can't help but wonder if his heart was softening somewhat towards the special spiritual feelings his beloved children had for their new religion. He may not have been fond of this strange new church that demanded obedience to its beliefs and leaders, but we do not question that he dearly loved his own children.
The tired and battered group arrived in Ramus on July 1, 1842 and were reunited with the rest of the family.
Benjamin had recently returned from a mission to the Eastern regions of the United States and Canada where he had labored under the most trying of circumstances. He had been extremely ill most of the time and had left home almost penniless because the funds he had saved for his mission expenses had been spent to care for the sick and poor he encountered before reaching the mission field. He had originally been called to go to England with Brothers Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball but his health was so poor, they had to go on without him. During his mission travels, he visited Kirtland, Ohio, and the areas in and around Fredonia and Pomfret, New York where he preached to many of their old neighbors and friends from his youth. While preaching in Erie County, Pennsylvania, he ran across some members of the Spaulding family. It was Solomon Spaulding of the Spaulding Manuscript story that had been encouraged to parade his writings to try to refute the Book of Mormon. Benjamin had baptized the family of John Spaulding who was a brother of Solomon.
After completing his mission, Benjamin had determined to stay with his sister and brother-in-law, Almon Whiting Babbitt in Kirtland, to earn enough money to return to Illinois and the church and establish himself in some sort of business. While staying with the Babbitts, he met and married his wife, Melissa LeBaron. Just previous to Benjamin's mission return, Almon Babbitt had had a falling out with the Prophet Joseph Smith because contrary to counsel of the Church leaders, he did not leave Kirtland. There had been some hard feelings over Babbitt's business dealings and accumulation of wealth, possibly at the expense of other members of the Church and the Church itself. Almon Babbitt had brought many notes and claims against the Prophet and the Church and was in a position to do both great harm. Benjamin had gone into partnership with Almon and they purchased a small law library and both studied law together. Benjamin loved him so much that he had made it his goal to try to use his influence to get him to return to the folds of the church. He had finally succeeded in smoothing the wounds to Almon's ego and while Almon had remained to conclude some business arrangements, it was agreed that Benjamin would take his father, his wife and Julia and Esther, his sisters, to Nauvoo. Almon was to follow a little later, bringing the goods to start a merchandise business. Ezekiel had to have known what was going on and watched the healing processes taking place. What were his feelings? Did he encourage Benjamin in his peacemaking efforts? Did he express any of his own hurtful feelings to his son-in-law concerning the Church and its leaders? We can only guess. Perhaps this was also a healing time for Ezekiel.
Especially during the Nauvoo period, Julia and her family became very close to the Prophet Joseph Smith and his family. When Emma Smith was instructed to select songs for the Church Hymn Book, she chose one of Julia's own writing:
We praise Thee, O God, for the joy and the song Which unto us this beautiful season belong; We love and adore Thee, for light and for love, And for all the rich blessings that come from above. The gates are wide open, and they beckon us all. Each to follow and serve at the sound of Thy call; Thro' portals of praise and thro' Zion's fair gates We will pass on with songs to the work that awaits. At last in that city, with it's glories untold, With its gates all of pearl and its streets of pure gold, We'll give to the Savior, who dwelleth in light, All the power and dominion and wisdom and light. Chorus: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! O the joy of the song! With happy hearts and merry voices We the glad strain prolong.
At one occasion, the Prophet gave Julia a special blessing in which he promised:
"For your faithfulness and acceptance of so unpopular a doctrine, and bringing such a numerous family into the Church, that when the crown should be made for your brow in the Eternal World, everyone of your jewels (children) will be there." While it is a blessing short in words, it is long in promise and has great impact on everyone of us who are of her posterity. As with all blessings, this one is conditional upon each individual descendant being worthy.
With their usual ingenuity and resourcefulness, Julia and her daughters aided greatly in the family's maintenance by the manufacture of Palm leaf hats and men's fine neck wear, in vogue at that time. But on May 9, 1842, Julia was again prostrated with grief. Amos Partridge, her baby, only thirteen years of age, became ill and died. Then again, it seemed to Julia the very foundation of the earth was shattered with the martyrdom June 27, 1844 of the Prophet Joseph Smith. But these heart breaking tragedies, appearing so cruel at the time were but the means of disciplining, polishing and perfecting - drawing the family closer and closer into an insoluble bond with their Maker.
Julia's daughter, Almera Woodward Smith, had been a plural wife of the Prophet Joseph, living as such for a little over a year. Delcina Sherman Smith, another of Julia's daughters had also been a wife of the Prophet following the death of her husband, L. R. Sherman. Two of her own daughters were left widows at the death of Joseph Smith. Ezekiel was a father-in-law to the Prophet of the Lord. He loved his children and they seemed to continually express their love and acceptance of him. He must have had some social or community experiences in the presence of Joseph Smith. Did he share kind feelings to this man who loved two of his own daughters?
Remaining a widow, Delcina passed away in Salt Lake, ten or twelve years later. A year and a half after the Prophet's death, Almera was persuaded by James Reuben Barton to become his wife. With Barton, she bore five children, all girls. These five daughters, unmarried and childless, passed away leaving her crushed and barren of descendants. Delcina's posterity on the other hand, through her two Sherman children, still continue to grow and multiply upon the earth.
Almera was rendered even more lonely and forsaken by her separation from Barton, who despite his deep feelings for her, became an apostate. After their separation, he penned her a love poem expressing his unwavering adoration, but the breach remained unhealed.
Esther Meleta, the youngest of Julia's daughters, who at sixteen years of age, had also been very much desired by the Prophet, was later wedded to David T. LeBaron and the two, with Esther's brother George W., were appointed care takers of the Nauvoo Temple, which was eventually destroyed by fire. The keys of the exterior doors of this sacred building remained in the possession of the LeBaron family and have been passed down through the family members as prized keepsakes.
Esther was the mother of twelve children, but like most of Julia's children, her days were cut short. She died in her forty ninth year.
On June 11, 1847, tragedy again struck the Johnson family. Julia's gentle daughter, Mary Ellen, wife of George D. Wilson, died following the birth of her second child. Julia carried on and perhaps was somewhat comforted when she took Mary's two year old son, David, to raise in her own home. David Wilson remained with Julia until her death.
Ezekiel, at age 74, had been making his home with daughter, Esther and David LeBaron. His venom had continuously pointed to the new religion. Now, with the tragic death of the Prophet, he seemed to become a changed person. Rebellion melted from his soul and he was incensed at the brutality and now defended the Mormons as earnestly and spiritedly as he had heretofore contemptuously denounced them.
The government of the state of Illinois had set the date for the expulsion of the Mormons from the state of Illinois but some of the members of that illustrious government body and leaders of some of the state militia, had decided to stage a surprise attack on the City of Nauvoo to speed up the expulsion. Rumors flew wildly on both sides and every night when the sun set, the Saints must have felt like darkness covered not only the land but their hearts as well. When word came that the militia was attempting to enter the city of Nauvoo in a treacherous surprise attack, Ezekiel sprang into action and rode furiously through the night to meet the troops on the outskirts of Nauvoo. Ezekiel, entirely alone and without thought of his own safety, was there carrying his trusty rifle "Old Bess", and commanded the militia to halt!
Crashing out of the woods in the darkness, he charged into the road ahead of the mounted militia. He poured forth such a bitter tirade of fury and abuse for their treachery that they reined in their startled horses. Ezekiel told them they would have to cross his dead body before they entered further into the city and ordered them to retreat or he would blow the head from the captain. The group was taken completely by surprise. Realizing the deadly earnestness of the man, the company hastily withdrew, but only to attempt a side street entrance into Nauvoo.
Ezekiel, anticipating their intentions, was again there ahead of them, every bit as threatening as before. Promising violence and vengeance every bit equal to that of the previous non-Mormon mobs, Ezekiel succeeded and the militia abandoned their attempt to take control of the city. But Ezekiel had made dangerous enemies and his name and face was well known. To avoid mob violence, Joel finally persuaded his father to come stay with him in Knox County. Joel's small cabin was already bursting at the seams with his own family members so Ezekiel cut short his stay and determined to return to the home of his daughter, Esther and David LeBaron.
On his return trip, Ezekiel walked straight into a mob of men who had gathered to do mischief to the Mormon citizens. He was recognized and beaten so badly that he never recovered from the assault. Ezekiel died in Nauvoo, January 13, 1848, at the age of 75 years. For a year or more, Ezekiel had indeed been a changed man. He had conquered the curse of alcoholic drink and been sober for over a year. His conversion to the new Gospel was complete. He desired baptism and he and the family members waited anxiously, hoping that he would become well enough that he could be baptized. This was not to be. He died before the ordinance could be performed. He was buried in Nauvoo.
Benjamin was recovering from a severe illness, having crossed the frozen Mississippi River after his exodus from Nauvoo at Bonaparte, Iowa, when he received the sad news of the death of his father in Nauvoo on January 12, 1848. It was Ezekiel's seventy-fifth birthday. But with this great grief, there was much consolation, for during the last year of his life, he had ceased to use ardent spirits, and had realized the great wrong done himself and family by his opposition. He knew the gospel was true and had asked for baptism.
President Wilford Woodruff declared that Ezekiel was one of the first martyrs to the cause of Christ in this dispensation. By permission of the First Presidency of the Church, Julia and his children were sealed to him in 1926 with his work being done by his grandson, Milas E. Johnson.
Julia was a woman of literary inclinations and in her spare time, composed poetry and lyrics for music. The song previously included in this paper, was printed in the L.D.S. song books for over one hundred and thirty years. Many of her children were similarly endowed. Evidence of this is shown in poetry and songs, written by her three sons, Joel H., Joseph E., and George W., whose compositions also appeared in Church publications. The prose of Benjamin F., one of the most spiritual-minded of her children wrote many essays on Church doctrines and the teachings and his associations with the Prophet Joseph Smith and other early church leaders. Joseph E., who had prepared himself to teach but instead found a career with the newspaper industry, edited newspapers throughout much of his life. He was especially gifted in poetry. George W. was the author of a volume "Jottings By the Way". These were verses he jotted down as they came into his mind.
After becoming a widow, Julia again entered into matrimony. She became the wife of John Smith who was an uncle to the Prophet and the father of President George A. Smith.
We know that Julia and most of her family did leave Nauvoo with the exodus of the Saints and for a time, they lived in the camps set up by the Church, in Council Bluffs in the Iowa Indian Territory. In the 1850 Federal Census of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, just across the river from Omaha, we find Julia Johnson, age 67. Her oldest son, Joseph E. Johnson is also listed in that same census. Joseph was at that time, editor of the newspaper, "The Council Bluffs Bugle." He had a farm a short distance from Council Bluffs. The temporary camp of Council Bluffs, swelled to a population of 15,000 in 1846 and 47. They were mostly new members of the Church, all awaiting the means and assigned time to embark on a journey that would take them all to a new home in the far western deserts, where each hoped to find a peaceful place to build their homes and worship God as they pleased, in safety.
By July of 1846, the Mormons had launched 3,000 wagons, 30,000 cattle, horses, mules and sheep. The last wagons passed through Council Bluffs in 1852 when word came that the railroad was coming. Some enterprising citizens of Council Bluffs located a new town site a short distance from Council Bluffs and called it Crescent City. Joseph Ellis Johnson took his newspaper press to Crescent City and began printing the "Crescent City Oracle." It was printed for two years, in 1856 and 1857. The town grew, but then word came that the railroad would lay tracks through Council Bluffs, not Crescent City as had previously been planned. At this time, Johnson moved his press back to Council Bluffs. When the first Pottawattamie County Agricultural Society was organized in 1856, Joseph E. Johnson was elected treasurer. Apparently Joseph E. did not plan to move West with the Church, but things did not work out as he had planned. He decided at some point, to move his family to Buffalo County, Nebraska.
The 1860 Federal Census shows him living there and Joel Hills Johnson, his brother had come to pay a visit, for he is listed on that census and a resident of Salt Lake. Also at "home", was a daughter, Mary I. Johnson, age 19, Margaret Threlkeld, age 18. Joel, is listed as a farmer, age 54, born in Vermont and having $500 worth of property. Joseph E. Johnson is listed as editor and farmer, age 43, born in New York and with $1,500 worth of property. Margaret Threlkeld became a wife of Joel. Eliza Sanders, age 19 and Almon Babbitt Jr., age 13, are listed as living two houses away. Eliza Sanders became a plural wife of Joseph Ellis Johnson.
Julia Ann Johnson's husband, Almon Whiting Babbitt, had been elected State Secretary to the Utah Territory. He was killed by Indians somewhere in Nebraska on the trail between Salt Lake and Council Bluffs. After his death, Julia Ann, his wife, came back to Crescent City from Salt Lake to take care of some business related to her husband's death. She died 23 October,1857 while in Crescent City approximately one year after her husband. She had been accompanied on her trip, by her two young sons, Almon Jr. and Don Carlos. She left five children to mourn her untimely passing. Julia Ann was especially praised for her big, generous heart.
Julia Hills Johnson died May 30, 1853, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, just four months short of her seventieth birthday. Her son, Benjamin Franklin Johnson was filling a mission in the Sandwich (Hawaii) Isles when he received word that his mother had passed away. He wrote of her, "Such a God-fearing, patient and loving mother, few others ever could have known."
No headstone has been found for her. It is presumed that she died in or near Crescent City, Nebraska. A headstone for Mary E. Sherman, daughter of Lyman R. Sherman and Delcinia Johnson was found. She died August 19, 1850 at the age of 19. She is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Council Bluffs. This is a very early cemetery that dates back to the Mormon Pioneer times. Julia may have been buried in this same cemetery, near her granddaughter. Strangely, no one in the Johnson family seemed to have recorded where they buried this special mother. Julia was living in the vicinity of Council Bluffs, (or across the river in Crescent City, Nebraska which is now part of greater Omaha) at the time of her death.
Julia's letters, of which a number have survived and are in the possession of many of her descendants, indicate a cultural background as well as a free use of accurate spellings. Julia was also a woman in whom hope sprang easily, and in all of her afflictions, she acknowledged the hand of the Lord. Her girlish form grew heavier in old age. At the time of her death, only seven of her sixteen children were still living. Five sons of Ezekiel and Julia went west to Utah. They were: George Washington, Joel Hills, Benjamin F., Joseph Ellis and William Darby.
Three of Julia and Ezekiel's children, Joel, Almera and Benjamin, were permitted to reach their eightieth year before death overtook them. Joel died at eighty, Almera at eighty four and Benjamin at eighty seven. Benjamin, Joel and William Derby were ordained Patriarches of the Church, and Benjamin had the distinction also of being appointed to the Council of Joseph Smith, a body composed of much older and more experienced men. He was also a member of the Utah State Legislature for many years.
Benjamin was the father of forty-six children. His seven mates in the order of their marriage were: Melissa Bloomfield LeBaron, Mary Ann Hale, Clarinda Gleason, Harriett Naomi Holman, Sarah Melissa Holman, Susan Adelaide Holman and Sarah Jane Spooner.
On his hundreds of acres in Santaquin, Utah, a village colonized and presided over by himself, Benjamin introduced and supervised numerous industries that his children's needs and desires might be supplied principally through their own efforts, thus habituating them in industry and thrift. He died in Mesa, Arizona.
Joel's five mates included Anna Pixley, Susan Bryant, Lucina Alsina Bascom, Janet Fife and Margaret Threlkeld. These brought him thirty-one children. Like the rest of his brothers and sisters, Joel was a leader. He was also an important factor in helping to build up God's Kingdom.
Joseph Ellis was married three times and his children numbered twenty-nine. His wives were Harriett Snider, Hannah Maria Goodard and Eliza Saunders. Among other things, the scholarly Joseph was a horticulturist and through his generous efforts, southern Utah grew and expanded in beauty. Through a period of his life, he also acted as postmaster. He died in his sixty fifth year.
George W.'s wives, Maria Jane Johnson of Tennessee, Eveline Burdict, and Clarissa Robertson, gave him eighteen children. Clarissa lost her eye sight in later life. George studied and practiced medicine, acted as postmaster and like his older brothers, held prominent positions in the church as well as playing a great part in laying out towns and aiding in the colonization of Utah. He was seventy seven when he died.
William Derby and his one wife, Jane Cadwalader Brown, were the parents of an even dozen children. During their residence in Utah, William was in the merchandising business, operating an all-purpose store. His integrity was unquestioned. He died at the age of seventy-two, the result of kidney trouble.
Three of Julia's children, Joel, Julia Ann and Benjamin, were each blessed with twins. Each of the three pairs were surprisingly, of opposite sexes.
Joel's twins were Joel H. and Mary and came through his second wife, Susan Bryant.
Benjamin's twins were John Angus and Sariah Agnes born to his sixth wife, Sarah Melissa Holman.
The twins of Julia Ann and her husband, A.W. Babbitt, were called Ann Caroline and Don Carlos. Ann died in infancy.
Since their passing, many descendants have written about these two interesting ancestors. The author has tried to take all of these various sources and compile them into one account of the life story of Ezekiel and Julia Hills Johnson.19
1. No pictures were ever taken of Ezekiel Johnson as far as the family knows. This portrait of Ezekiel Johnson was produced by Dr. Avard Fairbanks many years after Ezekiel's death. Avard Fairbanks was a well known artist and sculptor. He was also a Professor of Sculptor at the University of Utah. Joseph E. Johnson, son of Ezekiel, once told his daughter Rosemary Johnson Fox, that a portrait of William Henry Seward, a member of Pres. Abraham Lincoln's cabinet, looked more like Ezekiel Johnson than any other picture he'd ever seen. Rosemary J. Fox gave the said picture to her daughter, Beatrice Maude Fox who married Dr. Avard Fairbanks. Beatrice asked her husband to do a portrait of her great-grandfather. Dr. Fairbanks used the picture of Mr. Seward and many pictures of the descendants of Ezekiel to come up with this portrait of Ezekiel. Dr. Fairbanks felt this was a worthy representation of Ezekiel Johnson. This information was taken from the booklet, "Ezekiel Johnson" written by Clara S. Johnson in 1960.
2. In the 1810 U.S. Federal Census for Westford, Chittenden County, Vermont, Ezekiel Johnson is listed with 3 boys under the age of 10 and 3 girls under the age of 10. This means that 6 of his children had been born by the time the 1810 census was taken. This does match up with the six oldest of Ezekiel and Julia's children. We know for a fact that the oldest child of our Ezekiel, Joel Hills Johnson, was born in 1802. On the 1810 Census record, Ezekiel recorded he and Julia were between the ages of 26 and 45, making them born between 1765 and 1784.
In the 1820 Census, eleven children are living in the Ezekiel and Julia Johnson home in Pomfret, New York. This also matches the birth dates of the eleven oldest Johnson children. Joel, the oldest, was listed as being between the ages of 16 and 26, making him born between 1794 and 1804 and again, this is verified by the fact that Joel was born in 1802. All eleven children's known birth dates also fit exactly within the ages and consequent dates given in the 1820 census. Ezekiel lists his age as 45 and up which means he was born by 1775, also allowing that the child in the 1773 Uxbridge court record could be our Ezekiel.
In the 1830 Census of Chautauqua County, New York, Ezekiel lists himself as between 50 and 60 years, making him born between 1770 and 1780, which isn't much help in pinpointing his birth year but does make a birth year for Ezekiel of 1773 possible.
3. In September, 1773, Bethiar Gansee of Uxbridge, of the County of Worcester, Massachusetts appeared in court to answer charges of a Grand Jury accusing her of committing the crime of fornication at Uxbridge, with a male person, name unknown to the jurors, on the last day of May Anno Dom 1772 which resulted in her giving birth to a bastard child. Bethiar pleaded guilty and was fined five shillings to the King.
The sex and name of the child are not given in this court record, but possibly the baby had not been named at the time of the court appearance. It was not uncommon at that time, for many parents to simply refer to a child under a year of age as "baby", and they were sometimes not given a name during their first year. It has been suggested that the natural father may have paid Bethiar's fine and sometime later, the baby was given his father's name. There did not appear to be any further court documents related to this case. {I myself wonder if Bethiar refused to name the father in court and paid a fine rather than do so, because she did not want the name of the father publicly known. Perhaps it would have created an embarrassment to herself and family, or the father and his family. Perhaps he was already married or a member of a prominent family whose social standing would be compromised if his promiscuous deed were common knowledge.} The fact that she paid a fine and refused to name the father in court seems incompatible to me that she would then turn around and name the child after his biological father so that everyone would now know who the father was. If she didn't want the name of the father known, why would she give that very name to her child? However, if she did determine herself pregnant after the young man who was responsible for her pregnant condition had already left to go to war, she may have thought he would return to marry her but apparently he didn't. However, if she is paying a fine in 1773, this precedes the Revolutionary War by three years. Since none of us can actually know what really happened and where she got the child's name, we can only guess. We do know that she did not give him her own surname or the name of her own father or step-father.
Did she use the name of the child's father or choose it because she read it in a book or liked the way it sounded? There is always the chance the young man gave Bethiar a name he had made up for whatever reason and she never knew any different.
Who reported the "crime" to the Grand Jury in the first place? Was it Bethiar's step-father, hoping to force the father of the child to come forward and marry his daughter and support her and the child? Did a law-abiding "Christian" neighbor figure it his duty to see this errant young woman pay her just dues to society and the courts for her indiscretions before the community and God?
4. The record is found in a book called Worcester County, Massachusetts Warnings 1737-1788, written by Francis E. Blake: "The towns issued warnings against new comers and recorded the names with the court. One warning was issued in Douglas, (Mass) 27 November, 1775 and was answered on the 2nd of January, 1776 to the following: SMITH, Ebenezer, wife Bethiah, children: Sarah, Patience, Lewis, Abel, Bethiah Gansey, and her child, Ezekiel Johnson." {This must be our Ezekiel, and his mother living in the home of her mother, step-father and brothers and sisters?}
5. If Ezekiel was born 1773, we can assume that he was about three years old when his mother married Jonathan King in 1776. In the Douglas, Massachusetts Vital Records, the intention to marry was recorded Jan. 1, 1776 for Jonathan King and Selhthiah Garfeel. We must admit that this is an extreme variation of the spelling of Bethiah Gansey, but it is easier accepted when we also recognize that the court records were copied from the originals into a new book and then the originals destroyed. Copying accurately from hand written records is sometimes very difficult just because of the hand writing and deterioration of very old records. The letter "S" hand written in the 1700's often looked exactly like the letter "F", as in the "f" to "s" in Garfeel/Gansey. If the error was in writing "Garfeel" when they were actually hearing "Gansey", we can somewhat understand how it happened. The "B" in Bethiah could have been interpreted as an "S" with curly ques and flourishes. The recorder may have had a hearing problem and Bethiah may have sounded like Sethiah. Also, there are no other entries of the Garfeel surname either in vital records or land records in this geographical area surrounding Douglas, Mass. It does seem pretty safe to assume that Selhthiah Garfeel is simply an error on the part of those who copied the names from original records into the current vital records on file today or a hearing problem and the name actually should have been copied as Bethiah Gansey.
The deed also states that Jonathan King and Sethier are husband and wife. The vital records only show marriage bonds, or intent to marry. They are not followed by a record of an actual marriage. This was a war year and often complete and accurate records were not kept in war years possibly because officials were busy surviving. Perhaps the church official that married them, if there was one, failed to record the actual marriage anywhere other than in his personal records. It is always possible that the paperwork got lost in transit between the church and the courthouse before it could be properly entered in the official vital records.
6. Jonathan King purchased 100 acres and a homestead in Douglas, Massachusetts June 5, 1780 from William Aldrich and Dinah Aldrich for the sum of 240 pounds. Douglas, Mass. forms the northern border of Providence County, Rhode Island. A little later, Jonathan King purchased property in Ashford, Connecticut and Jonathan states that he is of Douglas {it is actually spelled Dugles}. In 1754 in Douglas, William Aldrich married Dinah Aldrich. Abigail Aldrich married George Brown in 1770 and Sarah Aldrich married George Brown's brother, James Brown in 1768. Both of these marriages were performed in Douglas. Perhaps Hallelujah Brown, Jonathan King's first wife, was a sister to these two brothers and so perhaps the William Aldrich that sold the Douglas property to Jonathan King was sort of an in-law. Likewise, if it was a Brown rather than a Drown, that purchased Bethiah's inherited property, this also could have been a relative of some sort of Jonathan's first wife. Certainly, it would appear that Jonathan King was a man of substantial means and a well established resident.
7. Some of the descendants of Julia and Ezekiel's oldest son, Joel Hills Johnson, have said that Joel himself had stated that "the Ezekiel Johnson family was related to other Johnson families now in the Church", meaning they felt the father of our Ezekiel was actually known, but not acknowledged and that other descendants from Ezekiel's real father had been known to each other. I have not found anything myself, to substantiate this claim.
On page 302 in "My Life's Review", by Benjamin F. Johnson, he states: "To my father's genealogy, I had obtained no clue, my grandfather being killed in the battle of Bunker Hill, and my father, his only child, leaving home in boyhood, and his stepfather King removing to Canada, has left to us no direct trace of Johnson kindred. My two nephews, Bishops Nephi and William D., Jr., together searched the archives of various towns and cities in Massachusetts and elsewhere for parental genealogy, but found no certain evidence of relationship with any living family; but evidence seemed positive that our forefathers were of the Plymouth Rock pioneers of early 17th century. From which dates they had obtained some hundreds of names with necessary dates. I wrote and asked for the results of their labors in the east, and had received from Nephi this list of names. In this report I felt great disappointment...so I left the matter and took up another labor. (pg. 308) I had obtained no knowledge of my father's family and kindred, and my heart yearned anxiously for the privilege of becoming a savior to my father's house... in conversing with Brother Farnsworth, Temple Secretary, (St. George Temple) he asked me why I did not take up the Johnson list of nearly 1,000 names, all of Massachusetts, and their genealogy from early 1600 down to near my father's time. His question aroused new thoughts, and the spirit of them filled me, and as a vision it was opened before me and I saw they were my forefathers...I knew it was a revelation from the Lord." (Benjamin then proceeded to perform the temple ordinances of these Johnson "progenitors".)
The name Ezekiel does not appear anywhere in the family or ancestry of Bethiah Gansey and she continued to openly use her maiden name after giving birth to Ezekiel. To explain the absence of a father, Bethiah may have made up the story of him being killed during the Revolutionary War. Some accounts suggest that he died at the battle of Bunker Hill, but that battle and all details and names associated with it, have been thoroughly researched by historians and the name of Ezekiel Johnson does not appear among any of the casualties. Perhaps the story of him being a soldier is true and he was serving in the area surrounding the home of Bethiah or was passing through and she met him as he stopped for a couple of days for military activities. They met, had a very brief romantic encounter and then he moved on. Maybe he expressed his undying love for her and promised to return at his first opportunity and she never saw him again or did not know where to find him. Maybe he told lots of girls the same story, and maybe even left a few others in a pregnant situation, never to return to accept any "fatherly" responsibilities. Maybe he did love her briefly, then after their separation, met someone else, fell in love and married. Maybe he was a young soldier, left her pregnant but planned to return and died in an accident or from a short illness and just didn't return to Bethiah. Maybe after waiting for his return for a year, she went ahead and named the child after his father and decided to get on with her own life.
In the National Archives, there is a Private Ezekiel Johnson who did fight in the Revolutionary War. He was given an order for a Bounty Coat or its equivalent, which was dated 9 November, 1775. He enlisted 2 May 1775 and served for three months and seven days. Plymouth and Roxbury are mentioned in connection with his service. It appears that this Ezekiel Johnson soldier did not die in the war.
An Ezekiel Johnson, born in 1754, married Elizabeth Crossman in 1785 in Bellingham, Mass. She was the daughter of Dr. George and Sarah Crossman. The bride and groom were both living in Stoughton, Mass. at the time of their marriage and their first children were born there. Later they moved to Canton, six miles northwest of Stoughton, where more children were born to them as recorded in the Vital Records. Perhaps they never actually moved, but the town boundaries may have been moved as both towns were once part of Rehoboth, Mass. Bellingham was partly in what is now Rhode Island according to a map of 1750 and partly in Wrentham up to 1719. Uxbridge and Upton were set off from Mendon, all of which are located slightly northwest of Providence, R.I. This Ezekiel Johnson certainly lived in the area nearby the home of Bethiah Garnsay. If Bethiah really did give her child his father's name, this Ezekiel Johnson would seem a prime candidate. How would we ever know for sure?
Much research has gone into trying to find a father for our Ezekiel. I personally feel that we can never know with certainty, the name of his biological father. However, since we only have the name she gave her child, family over the years has tended to insist that his father must have also had the same name, Ezekiel Johnson. Out of credit for the many hours of research that has produced data on the Ezekiel Johnsons of New England at the time of our Ezekiel Johnson's birth, I include the following as possible fathers for our Ezekiel:
The Ezekiel Johnson, born January 21, 1754 at Hingham, Plymouth County, Mass. was the son of John Johnson and Mary Cushing. He enlisted in the American Army on May 2, 1775 at the age of 21, in the Plymouth/Roxbury area. He was given an order for a Bounty Coat on Nov. 9, 1775. He served 3 months and 7 days. He married Elizabeth Crossman in 1785 at the age of 31. She was born Jan. 18, 1761 in Bellingham, Mass and was the daughter of Dr. George Crossman and his wife, Sarah.
Ezekiel and Elizabeth were both living in Stoughton, Mass at the time they married and their first children were born there. Later, they moved to Canton. According to the Canton Vital Records, more children were born there. It may be that they never moved, as both Stoughton and Canton were a part of the township boundaries of Rehoboth at one time or another.
Bellingham was partly in what is now Rhode Island as found on a map of 1750. It was partly in Wrentham up to 1719. Uxbridge and Upton were set off from Mendon. Norfolk County was at one time included in Suffolk County. Boundary lines between Bellingham and Franklin were not definitely established until February 23, 1832. In fact, all of the various towns Ezekiel and Julia Hills lived in were all very close to each other. It would be very difficult to search records just because it is so hard to determine boundary lines at specific dates.
Ezekiel Johnson, born 1754, however, can be easily traced. He is in the U.S. Census records and the location of his residence is stated at the time the record was taken. His census records are as follows:
Ezekiel Johnson - age 45 and up in 1810 in Canton (born before 1765)
Ezekiel Johnson - age 45 and up in 1820 in Canton (born before 1775)
Ezekiel Johnson - age 70 to 80 in 1830 in Canton (born 1750 to 1760)
Ezekiel Johnson not listed in 1840 - vital records show he died in 1832
This Ezekiel would have been about age 19 when our Ezekiel was born.
Clara Johnson, who did some research for the Ezekiel Johnson Family Organization in 1960, expressed her opinion that she thought it was generally known who Ezekiel's father really was. She stated that Joel Hills Johnson, the oldest son of Ezekiel and Julia Hills had often made the statement that Ezekiel, his father, had told him that all of the Johnson's in the Mormon Church were related, thus making the Johnson family, the largest family in the Church. Clara felt that there must have been a general knowledge of how they were related because members of the Oliver Johnson family, a family separate from the Ezekiel Johnson family, claimed that both lines had a common ancestor. Clara said that the Oliver Johnson family members claimed that Ezekiel Johnson, born 1754 and Oliver Johnson born 1757 were distantly related so they must have been implying that Ezekiel Johnson, born 1754 was somehow related to our Ezekiel Johnson. If this was so, Clara felt that it must have been general knowledge that our Ezekiel was indeed through the lines of Ezekiel Johnson, born 1754. Clara quotes the ancestry of Ezekiel Johnson, born Jan. 21, 1754 at Hingham, Plymouth, Mass, son of John Johnson and Mary Cushing. John Johnson was born Jan 18, 1731 in Plymouth, Mass and his wife, Mary was born March 8, 1749 or 50, also in Plymouth, Mass. John was the son of Joshua Johnson who was born October 28, 1701 in Plymouth, Mass and he married Lydia Ward on April 29, 1730. Joshua was the son of Benjamin Johnson who was born 1657 who married Rebecca Hersey June 11, 1683. Benjamin was the son of Humphrey Johnson who married Ellen Chenry and Humphrey was the son of John Johnson who married Margery ___? John came to America with Winthrop and landed at Salem on June 22, 1630. He settled in Roxbury, Mass and was made a freeman along with his son-in-law, Richard Mowery on March 18, 1631. John had five children: Isaac, Mary, Humphrey, Elizabeth and Sarah who were all born in England.
Clara Johnson states that she found proof in the library at Worcester, Mass. that Ezekiel Johnson, born 1754, is the third cousin to Oliver Johnson who was born in 1757. She says that both of them are descendants of John Johnson who immigrated from England, but I could not find where she actually showed the relationship on family charts.
Ezekiel Johnson born June 25, 1750 was the son of Isaac Johnson and Susanna Thayer, and was born in Bellingham, Mass. He filed intentions to marry Rachel Merrifield of Holliston, Mass. These Marriage Intentions were published December 11, 1773 and Ezekiel stated that he was "of Grafton, Mass." On March 10, 1774, a baby boy was born to Rachel Merrifield in Holliston and he is "reputed" to be the son of Ezekiel Johnson. This Levi Johnson died July 16, 1820 at the age of 46. Apparently Ezekiel never married Rachel Merrifield because she is still using her maiden name, Merrifield, when she died in Holliston on August 15, 1825 at the age of 69. Census records also support this. In 1820, Rachel Merrifield, age 45 and up, is living alone in Holliston, Mass. Did the same Ezekiel father a child by both Bethiah and Rachel Merrifield and perhaps promised marriage to both women and failed to marry either? This Ezekiel would have been 23 when our Ezekiel was born to Bethiah.
Ezekiel Johnson born about 1807 in New York, had a wife named Polley. He was age 43 in the 1850 Fed Census and age 52 in the 1860 Census, and age 63 in the 1870 Fed Census. He was living all this time in Ionia County, Michigan and was a shoemaker. In 1850, living two houses away, was a man named George W. Geurnsey, 40 years old, also a shoemaker, and a woman, Anna Geurnsey, age 79, who was probably his mother. Ezekiel was born after our Ezekiel was born but the nearby neighbors bearing the name of Geurnsey certainly makes him interesting in our quest for clues.
8. The following deed is recorded in Gloucester County, Mass. January 31, 1779. Jonathan King and his wife Sethier King of Ashford, Connecticut (husbandman) are selling twenty acres in Freetown, Bristol County, in the state of Massachusetts Bay to Jonathan Drown of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts Bay. The document describes the land as having been inherited by Sethiar from her honored father, Seth Ganzey, lately deceased of Rehoboth, who had gotten said piece of land as a tenth lot that had been in the possession of Sethier's honored grandmother, Hannah Mansfield.
The deed gives us yet another spelling of the name of Bethiah, but It is a pretty safe assumption that this truly is our Bethiah because her father's name listed here matches up as does the grandmother's name. The deed also states that Jonathan King and Sethier are husband and wife.
It is also interesting to note that the man purchasing the twenty acres from Jonathan King and his wife may have been Jonathan Brown, rather than Drown. {Although the record clearly is written as Drown, not Brown.} It may have been hand copied from earlier records. A marriage record of Jonathan King to Hallelujah Brown, 20 May, 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island Vital records may have been the same Jonathan King later married to Bethiah Gansey. It is not known if they had any children and Hallelujah's death record has not been found. On the marriage record of Jonathan and Hallelujah, both of them are listed as being residents of Gloucester, the place where their marriage was performed. A census taken in 1774 lists a Jonathan King as a resident of Cranston, Rhode Island which is immediately next door to Gloucester, Mass.
9. Some of the stories that came down through the Johnson family have indicated that Jonathan King and Bethiah Gansey raised a large family but no records of any children born to these two individuals has been found. There are also some traditional stories that claim that Ezekiel grew up in the King home in Ashford, Connecticut. On the 6th day of February, 1776, Jonathan King purchased 100 acres and a house in Ashford, Windham County, in the Colony of Connecticut for 750 pounds from Susanna Williams. Two years later, Jonathan King sold this same property to Benjamin Horton for 300 pounds on December 4, 1777. Although no record is found that he purchased more land in the Ashford area, when he and Bethiah sold her inherited property in 1779, they list their residence as being "of Ashford". Perhaps they were living on property owned by other family members or possibly they rented property in the Ashford area. In the 1790 census, there is a Jonathan King listed as being head of a family in a small town not too far from Ashford. Possibly this was the same Jonathan King who bought and sold the Ashford farm. At this time, Ashford was a rather busy and important place with a major road intersecting it. Perhaps Jonathan King did move to a nearby place but still used his place of residence as "of Ashford" because it was readily recognized by name.
Probably Ezekiel did spend at least some of his early years in Ashford as he would have only been four years of age when the farm in Ashford was sold. It is entirely possible that he was still living in or near Ashford when he decided to run away from home. We do not know where or what Ezekiel was after he ran away but we do know that in 1800, he showed up in Grafton, Massachusetts where he met and married Julia Hills. Grafton is only about 30 miles from Ashford which is in Windham County and Windham Co. borders Worcester County of Massachusetts where Grafton is located. In fact, it would appear that Ezekiel was born and raised and married, all within a 30 mile radius. He did have papers in his possession which were apparently signed in Albany, N.Y. in March of 1797 by a gentleman who owed Ezekiel money. Albany, N. Y. is quite a distance from Grafton, Mass. Possibly, from the time he ran away from his childhood home in Ashford, Conn. until he married Julia in Grafton, Mass in 1801, he may have traveled extensively around the Eastern Seaboard with his business.
Jonathan King purchased land in Ashford, Northeastern Connecticut from Susanna Williams in February of 1776. He sold that piece of land in December, 1777 to Benjamin Horton. No record of a new purchase of land in the Ashford area is found, but he must have been living somewhere near Ashford because as stated earlier, when he and Bethiah sold her land in 1779, he lists them as being "of Ashford".
10. One of the family stories says that Bethiah and Jonathan King conducted an extensive search for her son. After many years of not finding him, Bethiah and Mr. King moved "across the river into Canada." I question this statement as it is pretty much agreed that the family was probably living in Ashford, Conn. at this time. There is no evidence that the King family ever lived in Canada. They did move to New London, Con., but that is even further away from Canada. There is no river separating Connecticut from Canada. Also, if Ezekiel never saw his mother again, where would he have gotten the information that she had searched for him and then moved to Canada? Ashford, Conn. is only about 27 miles from Uxbridge, Mass., the place where Ezekiel married at the age of about 28. If he had run away taking money belonging to his hated step-father, you would think that he would have put a lot more distance between the two of them, considering that he could have been charged with stealing. Perhaps he did take the purse and the money, but maybe he was older than 13 and considered it money owed him for labor performed for Jonathan King. Maybe Jonathan understood the money was owed to Ezekiel and also accepted the fact that Ezekiel was going out to make his way in the world. Maybe Ezekiel obtained employment somewhere in the vicinity of his childhood home, and just never moved back home again; maybe coming as a relief to both Ezekiel and Jonathan King. JHC}
11. Providing that the names of the individuals have not been confused with another couple that happened to bear the same names, records seem to verify that by 1800, Jonathan and Bethiah King were living in Waterford in Southeastern Connecticut, which at different boundary line changes, was either in the township of Waterford or New London. Jonathan King and his wife appear in the 1800 US Census Records of New London, Conn. This would mean that when Ezekiel and Julia were married, Ezekiel's mother was no longer living nearby in Ashford, Conn., but had moved down to the New London area of Connecticut, which is just a couple of miles from the Atlantic Coast. In the 1810 Census of Waterford, Conn, Jonathan has apparently died because Widow King appears instead of Jonathan. Jonathan does not show up on any records after the 1800 Census. Bethiah King is listed in the Waterford, Conn. census of 1820, again in 1830 aged 70 to 80 and for the last time in 1840 with a female in the household aged 50 to 60 and another female aged 80 to 90. Also, in the 1840 census, the house next door is occupied by the Isaac Chapel family.
Isaac Chapel married Elizabeth King in New London 2 November, 1783. Clara Johnson states that she thinks this Elizabeth King may have been the daughter of Jonathan King by his first wife, Hallelujah Brown.
It is possible that Jonathan and Bethiah had moved to New London before 1800 and he had died after 1800 but before 1810. Bethiah must have continued to live in the New London area for the next 40 years based on the information found in the Census records. The U.S. Census Records on these two individuals are as follows:
1800 - New London, Conn. - lists Jonathan King
1810 - Waterford, Conn - lists "Widow" King
1820 - Waterford, Conn - lists _____? King
1830 - Waterford, Conn - lists Bethiah King aged 70 to 80 years of age
1840 - Waterford, Conn - lists Thyes (?) King with two females,
one aged 50-60 and another aged 80-90.
- Also lists next house as occupied by Isaac Chapel family
Waterford and New London, Conn. are approximately 50 miles south of Ashford, Conn. Whatever the circumstances of the move, maybe Ezekiel did not know where his mother moved and therefore never saw her again, or possibly 50 miles distance on horseback or foot on unimproved roads presented too great an obstacle to traverse for a struggling young man even if he did know that they had moved south of their previous location. Or maybe as the family prepared to move, he chose to leave home and strike out on his own and subsequently severed ties with family members he chose not to stay in touch with. We can only wonder what prompted the move of Jonathan and Bethiah and if Ezekiel did or did not know they were making such a move. If he did try to visit his mother in later years only to discover she had moved without sending word or leaving word for him, this may have added to the anger Ezekiel displayed when in later years, his own family under similar circumstances, moved without informing him.
12. There is a tombstone {no. 246} for Bithiah King in "Ye Ancient Burial Place" in New London, New London County, Conn. The cemetery covers an entire city block and is no longer used for burials but is maintained. The headstone reads:
This would make Bethiah born in 1756 instead of 1754 which is her generally accepted birth date based on other records. However, proceedings were started to settle her estate on May 9, 1842 and Philip Morgan was named to handle the settlement of her estate at that time. No kin objected to his appointment. The settlement was closed 14 Mar, 1843 and two named men were each paid $2 apiece for the two years they worked on the evaluation and sale of the estate property and personal property. It does not seem probable that Mr. Morgan would have been named to handle the estate only two days after her death. This usually did not occur for up to one year after the death. The headstone date would probably be more reasonable if it read May 7, 1841.
The following is a partial listing of the inventory and value of Bethiah's personal property in her estate:
Item Value feather bed $ 8.75 old satin cloak $ 0.50 9 pounds of pewter $ 0.54 1 large and 6 small silver spoons $ 4.50 2 pair of cotton sheets $ 0.34 3 geese, 10 hens $ 3.16 1 cow and a yearling $ 20.00 1 lot and house $100.00 separate lot $ 60.00 1 old fashioned dress and 1 calico dress $ 0.50 1 brass kettle $ 0.25
The estate settlement states that her personal property was only sold for $152.35 so her property was sold at auction to the highest bidder to settle her debts. Lucretia and Mary Rogers purchased both parcels of land.
It is known, from the land records of Waterford, that Bethiah King did own two parcels of land at her death. She bought two acres in 1820 from James Read. A deed for her purchase of another parcel of land could not be found, but it is assumed that she probably inherited the parcel upon which her house stood, from her husband, Jonathan King, when he died. Perhaps, if the next door neighbor of Bethiah was actually a daughter of Jonathan King, maybe the daughter and the wife inherited split shares of his Waterford land. Isaac Chapel married Elizabeth King in New London on 2 Nov., 1783. They lived next door to Bethiah King for many years according to the Census records of Waterford, New London County, Conn. for 1810, 1820, 1830 and 1840.
There is also a record showing an Almon King married in 1885 in Ashford, Conn, at the age of 21. Possibly this Almon King may also have been a son of Jonathan King. There is also a grave of Jonathan R. King, born in 1808, in a newer New London cemetery than Bethiah is buried in. This Jonathan R. King is a son of John King who lived in a town near New London. Perhaps John King was also a son of Jonathan King, husband of Bethiah Gansey. If Jonathan did bring children of his first marriage into his marriage to Bethiah, maybe this created some sort of conflict or family relation problems between his children and Bethiah's son, Ezekiel, providing another reason for his dissatisfaction with his childhood years. Of course, this is all based on a whole lot of supposition almost 200 years after the fact!
The headstone and death record of Jonathan King, husband of Bithiah King, has not been found, however, there are only sketchy written records for this particular cemetery and there is space for several graves next to Bithiah and the broken base of a headstone. Possibly this could have been the headstone for Jonathan King.
13. A month later, on April 5, 1802, Ezekiel bought forty nine and one half rods of land in Uxbridge from Ezekiel Wood for $50. This land had a dwelling house on it. Ezekiel listed his occupation as a housewright (builder of homes) and Ezekiel Wood was a blacksmith.
One day after this transaction, Ezekiel sold this $50 land to Thomas Thomas who was a shoemaker. The selling price was $220 but it was not paid in cash. Ezekiel and Mr. Thomas agreed that Thomas would give Ezekiel 50 pairs of marketable calfskin shoes in 60 days and he signed two notes. One note was for $52.67 payable with interest, in 6 months and the other note was for $66 payable with interest, in one year. If Mr. Thomas failed to pay any of these three items, the farm land was to revert back to Ezekiel. Thomas was from Upton and apparently delivered the shoes as agreed. On June 26, 1802, Ezekiel sold the two notes to Jonathan Hayward, Jr. for $120. At the date Ezekiel made this agreement with Thomas Thomas (6 April, 1802), he again listed his occupation as housewright and being of Uxbridge. However, when Ezekiel sold his notes to Jonathan Hayward, on June 26, 1802, he lists his occupation as a carpenter and being of Grafton. For those days, housewright and carpenter are compatible terms as most homes were built of stone by a stonemason, or of wood, by a carpenter. The note was redeemed for proper payment by Jonathan Hayward, Sr. who collected the payment for the estate of his deceased son, Jonathan Hayward, Jr. in cash, on 31 Oct. 1804. (At this time of his life, our Ezekiel would appear to be a very industrious "wheeler and dealer" of various skills and business dealings.)
On the 18th of April, 1803, Ezekiel listed himself as a housewright and spinner of Northborough, Mass. and he signed a deed selling 16 acres and 80 rods of land in Grafton, to Jonathan Stow for $120. This land adjoined property owned by Nancy Hills and is listed as land Julia and Nancy had inherited from their father's estate. The father is listed as Joseph Hills. This deed is signed by Ezekiel and Julia.
14. Although family records list Nancy as being born in Northborough, no record of her birth has been found in the vital records of that area.
15. Again, family records show Royalston as the place of Seth's birth, but that birth is not found on the vital records of Royalston and surrounding area. The vital records of this area and time period are made up from several sources and recorded from these varied sources many years after the fact. For some reason, they weren't recorded by the government in the early 1800's.
16. Six weeks after Seth's birth, on April 1, 1805, Ezekiel sold their 20 acre farm in Royalston to Silas Fay for $240. Two weeks before Seth was born, Ezekiel had purchased another 40 acre farm in Royalston, Mass. from Joel Hills, the brother of Julia, his wife. The purchase price was $250 and the date on the deed is 1 Feb., 1805. Ezekiel lists himself as a carpenter of Royalston, Mass. Although it is known that Ezekiel and his family did not live very long in the Royalston area, the deed that would show him selling this particular piece of property has never been located. Possibly, it just never got recorded, or it might have been a "gentlemen's agreement", or maybe the transaction was reversed by Ezekiel and his brother-in-law shortly after they made it. By 1806, the Ezekiel Johnson family was living in Vermont.
17. Around 1790, Meletiah Ellis {Julia's mother's sister}, who was married to Amos Partridge, moved to Westford, Chittenden Co., Vermont. Amos and Meletiah were married June 17, 1765. Their first six children were born in Franklin, Norfolk, Mass. but their seventh and last child, Samuel Partridge, was born in Westford, Vermont. They must have written of their satisfaction of the area and it made an impression on Ezekiel and Julia, for when Julia's fourth child, Delcena Diadamia was born November 19, 1806, they were living in Westford, Chittenden Co., Vermont.
Ezekiel and his growing family are listed in the 1810 Federal Census as living in Westford, Vermont. Eleven houses away lived Amos Partridge Jr., and his family. He was the oldest son of Meletiah and Amos Sr.
The vital records of Vermont list Meletiah as dying in Westford in 1821 and her husband, two years later. Both are buried in the Brookside Cemetery there in Westford. By the time Julia's aunt and uncle passed away, Ezekiel and Julia had moved to New York.
18. The vital records of Chittendon County, Vermont contain many of the Partridge records but there are no records of the Ezekiel Johnson children's births. No record has been found showing that Ezekiel purchased land in Vermont. Did he farm and make his home on land owned by Julia's uncle or did he rent a house and pursue a livelihood building homes? Maybe the Vermont records are not complete and accurate.
19. Personal knowledge and family records and histories of many family members including
Beulah Gibson, Rose Openshaw, Homer LeBaron, Clara Johnson and Jesse Jolley Terry were used as resources to compile this history of Julia Hills and Ezekiel Johnson.
My thanks to them for all their efforts and contributions.
Information was also taken from
Benjamin Franklin Johnson's journal, "My Life's Review", and
"Benjamin Franklin Johnson Colonizer, Public Servant, and Church Leader" written by E. Dale LeBaron.
US. Federal Census Records as follows:
1790 Ashford, Windham County, Conn.
1800 Waterford, New London County, Conn.
1800 New London, New London Co., Conn.
1810 Waterford, New London Co., Conn.
1810 Westford, Chittendon County, Vermont.
1820 Waterford, New London Co., Conn.
1820 Pomfret, Chataqua County, New York
1830 Waterford, New London Co., Conn.
1840 Waterford, New London Co., Conn.
Vermont, New York, Massachusetts
Ashford and New London Connecticut
Providence and Cranston, Rhode Island
Douglas, Uxbridge and Grafton, Worcester Co., Mass.
Ashford and New London, New London and Windham Cos., Con.
Gloucester and Bristol, Bristol Co., Mass.
Douglas, Uxbridge, and Grafton, Northborough and Royalston, Worcester Co., Mass.
1774 local census of Cranston, Rhode Island
Records and research of the Battle of Bunker Hill of the Revolutionary War.
New London, New London, Conn.
Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie Co., Nebraska
New London, New London, Conn. up to 1842
Early Records of Warnings to Newcomers to the Community for Worcester Co., Mass.
Family Genealogical Records of the LDS Church as recorded in the Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
CHILDREN of Ezekiel JOHNSON and Julia Ellis HILLS:
1. JOEL HILLS b: 23 Mar 1802; Grafton, Worcester,
Massachusetts.
md: 2 Nov 1826; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
Anna PIXLEY
md: 20 Oct 1840; Macedonia, Hancock, Illinois.
Susan BRYANT
md: 25 Oct 1845; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Janet FIEFE
md: Oct 1845; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Lucina Alzina BASCOM
md: 11 Oct 1860; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Margaret THRELKELD
d: 24 Sep 1882; Johnson, Kane, Utah.
2. NANCY MARIAH b: 1 Aug 1803; Northboro, Worcester,
Massachusetts.
md: 8 Feb 1827; Grafton, Worcester,
Massachusetts.
Joseph J CLARK
d: 30 Oct 1836; Kirtland, Lake, Ohio.
3. SETH GUERNSEY b: 14 Feb 1805; Royalton, Worcester,
Massachusetts.
md: 4 Apr 1824; , Worcester, Massachusetts.
Sophia STONE
d: 19 Feb 1835; Kirtland, Lake, Ohio.
4. DECENA DIADEMIA b: 18 Nov 1806; Westford, Chittenden, Vermont.
md: 16 Jan 1829; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
Lymon Royal SHERMAN
md: 1842; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Joseph SMITH
md: 26 Jan 1846; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Almon Whiting BABBIT
d: 21 Oct 1854; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
5. JULIA ANN b: 9 Nov 1808; Westford Chittenden, Vermont.
md: 23 Nov 1833' Kirtland, Lake, Ohio.
Almon Whiting BABBIT
d: 23 Oct 1857; Crescent City, Pottawattamie,
Iowa.
6. DAVID PARTRIDGE b: 10 Sep 1810; Westford, Chittenden, Vermont.
d: 30 Oct 1833; Kirtland, Lake, Ohio.
7. ALMIRA WOODWARD b: 12 Oct 1812; Westford, Chittenden, Vermont.
md: 1 Aug 1843; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Joseph SMITH
md: 16 Nov 1845; Nauvoo, Hancock, Utah.
Reuben BARTON
d: 4 Mar 1896; Parowan, Iron, Utah.
8. SUSAN ELLEN b: 16 Dec 1814; Ponfret, Chautauqua, New York.
d: 16 Mar 1636; Kirtland, Lake, Ohio.
9. JOSEPH ELLIS b: 28 Apr 1817; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
md: 6 Oct 1840; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Harriett SNIDER
md: 1849; , Hancock, Illinois.
Hannah Marie GODDARD
md: Jun 1856; Saint Louis, Saint Louis,
Missouri.
Eliza SAUNDERS
d: 17 Dec 1882; Tempe, Maricopa, Arizona.
+ 10. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN b: 28 Jul 1818; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
md: 25 Dec 1841; Kirtland, Lake, Ohio.
Melissa Bloomfield LeBARON
md: 14 Nov 1844; Macedonia, Hancock, Illinois.
Mary Ann HALE
md: 3 Feb 1846; Nauvoo, Hancock Illinois.
Flora Clarinda GLEASON
md: 17 Mar 1850; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Harriet Naomi HOLMAN
md: 3 Feb 1856; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Sarah Melissa HOLMAN
md: 8 Feb 1857; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Susan Adeline HOLMAN
md: 5 Apr 1857; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Sarah Jane SPOONER
d: 18 Nov 1905; Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona.
11. MARY ELLEN b: 7 Feb 1820; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
md: 14 Jul 1842; Macedonia, Hancock, Illinois.
George Deliverance WILSON
d: 11 Jun 1845; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinnois.
12. ELMER WOOD b: 26 May 1822; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
d: 14 Sep 1822; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
13. GEORGE WASHINGTON b: 19 Feb 1823; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
md: 14 Apr 1844; Macedonia, Hancock, Illinois.
Maria Jane JOHNSTON
md: 1 Oct 1851; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Eveline BURDICK
d: 22 Jan 1900; Moab, Grand, Utah.
14. WILLIAM DERBY b: 27 Oct 1824; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
md: 9 Nov 1848; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.
Jane Cadwalader BROWN
d: 13 Apr 1896; Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico.
+ 15. ESTHER MELITA b: 12 Jan 1828; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
md: 28 Mar 1844; Macedonia, Hancock, Illinois.
David Tully LeBARON Sr.
d: 15 Mar 1875; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
16. AMOS PARTRIDGE b: 15 Jan 1829; Pomfret, Chautauqua, New York.
d: 9 May 1842; Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois,
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