What would genealogy be without brickwalls.
One of my articles was titled "Living With Brickwalls." It also turned into a popular lecture.
Over the past 20 years I have pretty much solved two of my major brickwalls and made a lot of progress on the Johnson Family.
Y-DNA testing of the one direct male line has helped to determine where the family ties in with existing lines.
James Johnson supposedly married a Rebecca or Martha Jones on 30 Nov. 1808
at-DNA has shown a connection to Benjamin as Rebecca's father - I chopped down my grandmother's claim.
She had a brother Parson Thomas Jones who worked at the Planter's Tobacco Warehouse in Lynchburg.
She possibly lived in Campbell Co. VA - south of Lynchburg. Thomas lived just north in Amherst county
The family has claimed the following children, all born in Campbell Co., VA
Correspondance tie the families of William and Henry together as cousins.
Unfortunately I have a 1917 letter from my Great-grandfather who had been trying to determine the identity of his grandfather (James?) and questioning some of the claimed Ohio relationships.
Henry worked for an Uncle Thomas Jones in Lynchburg at the Planter's Warehouse
Henry then worked for an "Uncle" (Garland Johnston) in Ohio (Port William) - more likely his cousin.
See James JOHNSON for more details on the known lines of the below families.
Permelia JOHNSON b about 1809 = Peter Wilson in Bedford, VA
Mary JOHNSON b about 1810 = William Fosdick
= 2nd William Kidd
Morton JOHNSON born early 1811 (found as James M. Johnson in Census and other records)
James M. was the surety for the marriage of Mary Johnson and William Kidd
James' son William is buried on the Fosdick property
William Morrison JOHNSON b 26 Dec 1811 = Mary Ann Farmer
Thomas E. Johnston - b 3 July 1837
John William Johnston - b 23 May 1839 > Y-DNA test
Floyd JOHNSON - went West
Achilies JOHNSON - went West
Henry M JOHNSON b 1814 = Margaret Long in Xenia, OH, then to Illinois
The main Question now is
Who were John's & Elizabeth's parents?
I have disproved with DNA that the family line was not descended from the Caskieben Line as claimed by Lorand V. Johnson.
Gather more information on Rebecca Jones' family
Solved Brickwalls
Jared H. WEST or James WEST - Almost Solved
June 11, 1780 Jared West born in Lee MA to Jonathan West & Elizabeth
Vital Records of Lee, MA 1777-1801 page 39 - no marriage or death listed.
Marriage to Esther OLMSTEAD from Ridgefield, CT
1807 Athen, NY - family bible - no vital or church records available
May 7, 1833, Tuesday - NYC newspaper Wedding Announcements
Sunday Rev Edward Mitchel, Morris Raworth, son of late Dr. Raworth of Leicester England to Jane daughter of Jared Hamilton West of this City. [incorrectly indexed at Ancestry as Jane & Jared Hamilton - found searching for Raworth]
NYC Death Certificate index lists a James WEST died on Sept 5, 1835 age 55
The New York Even. Post listed a Jared WEST died on Sept. 5, 1835 age 56
1837 New York City Directory - Esther widow of Jared H. WEST
1880 Census - Jane WEST - Father born in Mass., Mother born in Conn.
Questions:
Does this confirm that she is the daughter of Jared WEST the son of Christopher WEST, Lee, MA?
Are Jared and James the same person?
Alvar Bockman
He left by Grandmother and their four children when my father was five.
Eventually Found his new identity as Alvar Anderson in Michigan and his burial place.
Solving this brickwall is described in my article "Finding Alvar, A Not So Great Dane."
Found him with his parents on a ship record leaving Nicargua to Boston.
The marriage record in New Orleans of his parent also gave me his grandparents at Ancestry & FamilySearch
Eventually Found about 50 other direct ancestors in the Danish & Holstein records online going back to four generations of Executioners in Ribe, Denmark.