Thomas
Johnson was born about 1685, probably in
Cecil County, Maryland.
There are a number of
Thomas
and
Edward Johnson's appearing
in land records, wills and church records between 1700 and 1748.
They appear to be from the same area of Cecil County. However,
the specific relationship has not yet been established. So I do
not know who his parents were.
The Johnson family or possible different families owned many tracks of
land in Cecil County. Julia Mortenson created a document listing
the Johnson Lands in an attempt to connect the various family members
logically. It is a work in progress. This will link it to a
recent version:
Johnson
Lands.
Thomas Johnson wed
Milliscent Hyland July 1, 1722
recorded at St. Mary Anne’s parish records of North East Maryland.
The records were compiled into
Early Anglican Church Records of Cecil County by Henry C. Peden, Jr.,
page 80. She was the widow of
Nicholas Hyland, who lived very
close to Thomas Johnson. Her maiden name is unknown.
However, there was a Milliscent named in a will in 1707, the
daughter of
Thomas Hitchcock.written
Oct 12, 1707. Probate Feb 25, 1707/8
in the Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 3, page unknown. The will
just said dau Millycent. Our Milliscent married Nicholas Hyland
about that time. The name is unusual enough, the time and place
or appropriate for
Millycent Hitchcock
to have been the wife of first
Nickolas
Hyland and then
Thomas Johnson.
However, documentation is needed. Her first child was
Nicholas Hyland said to be born
about 1709. He married 1730, so
the dates work.
The family lived on the Johnson estate
Triumph on Elks Neck on the Elk
River. The family included
Milliscent's two sons by her
marriage to
Nicholas Hyland:
Nicholas Hyland
born about 1709
John Hyland born
about 1711
By the will of
Nicholas Hyland
the senior he left his land on the
Elk River to his son
Nicholas and land on the
Susquehanna River to
John. He also directed that
his sons to be brought up by the rules of the church of England.
This is recounted in the
History of
Cecil County written in 1881 by George Johnston page 524.
Mr. Johnston went on to surmise that
Milliscent,
as executrix rigidly adhered to this because Nicholas the younger was a
member of the House of Delegates from this county almost continuously
from 1751 to 1766, where he always favored legislation against the
"Popish Priests and Jesuits". I do not have the will of
Nicholas Hyland. - yet
Thomas and Milliscent Johnson had 3 children. Their births were
recorded in the
St. Mary Anne's
Parish Records, and in the Peden Book, page 80
Elizabeth Johnson
born April 6, 1723. She died as infant Sept 6, 1723
Milliscent Johnson born Oct 14,
1724 "about 8 of the clock in the evening"
Edward Johnson
born March 20, 1726
Millicent Johnson, wife of
Thomas Johnson died Aug 6, 1734,
buried
Aug. 9 1734. Recorded at St. Mary Anne’s.
pg 80 of Peden. She was
buried next to her first husband
Nicholas
Hyland. Her grave stone still exists and has been cared
for by her descendants to this day.
Photo
Link Her son
Nicholas
was already married and probably living on his inherited land Harmony
Hall.
John may still
have been at home. He did not marry until 1739.
It appears that
Thomas Johnson
quickly marries again to
Rebekah,
last name unknown. That record is not in the church records but
the following is all in
St. Mary
Anne's and Peden Pages 60 & 61.
Rebekah Johnson " born Oct. 11
1735 about 10
o’clock in the morning."
Thomas Johnson Jr.
born Sept 1737. He died and was buried Nov 5,1738.
Thomas Johnson died Jan 7,
1738. It is not known where he is buried. It is in
the
St. Mary Anne's Records and
Peden page 61 “Thomas Johnson father of Thomas Johnson Jr. died
buried Jan 7, 1738.
By the
direction of Thomas’ will,
Edward
Johnson, who was 12-years-old
when his father died was to “remain and be under the care and
guardianship of my beloved brother
Edward
Johnson until he shall be one and twenty years of age.”.
It is not known where young Edward’s uncle lived
Milliscent Johnson was 14-years-old
at
the time and was to “remain under the Guardianship of his wife Rebekah
until she was 16-years- old.
Rebekah and Thomas’ 3-year-old
daughter, also named
Rebekah Johnson
was not named in the will but would have
also remained with her mother. The widow, Rebekah was given the
plantation with permission to sell, if needed to pay debts. If
she did not sell, she could live there and upon her death the estate
reverted to his son Edward.
There is a very strange deed,
Cecil
County Deed Book 5, page 531 whereon June 12, 1739
Rebekah Johnson buys ??? Triumph, 1000 acres for 30
pounds from
William and Mary
Jones. I can find no record of how the Jones ' came to
own Triumph. It was an indenture. I've never completely
understood that words. Could it have been mortgaged to them for
30 pounds after Thomas died and this is her paying off the mortgage??
Then
Cecil County deed Book 6, page
21 does show that she sold
Triumph "formerly purchased
by my deceased husband
Thomas Johnson
on May 12, 1730 from
Thomas Crouch.".
She sold it to
Simon Wilmer of
Kent County Maryland
on June 11, 1740
I don't know whether Rebehak married again. On Aug. 15, 1764
Rebecca Johnson, seamstress bought
14 acres of
Resurvey on St.
John's Manor from Nicholas Hyland. Cecil county Deed Book
10, page 25. St. John's Manor is just upstream on the elk from
Harmony Hall and I believe Triumph. This could be either the wife
or daughter of Thomas Johnson. Nicholas Hyland would have been
the brother or nephew of Thomas' daughter Rebekah. I
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
If you know the answer please
CONTACT
US
1. When was he born?
2. Who were Thomas' parents?
3. Look at original St. Mary Anne’s church records. and get it's page
documentation.
4. Where were the various land holdings of the Johnson and how do they
play into the story?
5. What was his wifes maiden name? or confirm that it was Hitchcock.
6. Where was Thomas buried?
7. Was there a Johnson family burial plot on one of the land
tracks?
8. What became of Rebekah?
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Date Last Edited: 1/12/2009
