Henry Johnson c1795

[Barb M]

I wonder if anyone can be of help as I am trying to find out more about my Great Great Grandfather Henry Johnson born in Nottingham c1795 & in the 1841 census he was a Merchant on Old Street Sheffield.

 

His first two children were born at Owsten Ferry, Lincolnshire in 1831 & 1834 then the next six children were born in Sheffield. His last three children were born in Doncaster where he & his wife Jane Pearson were Innkeepers at the Black Swan Inn, New Street, Doncaster according to the 1851 census.

I don't even know when & where he married Jane Pearson who was born at Wilsic Doncaster in 1811.

 

His next to youngest daughter Ann Ballard nee Johnson b 1849 - 1952 was my Great Grandmother.

 

It's his early life in Sheffield that I am interested in, what sort of business he had in Sheffield & where he was born in Nottingham.

 

I have joined the website " Nottstalgia.com " to try & find out where he was born in Nottingham , but no news yet.

This is also of special interest to me because we were licensees in Sheffield, Rotherham & Bedfordshire & my parents were managers for Whitbreads.

 

Anyone with any ideas & info on where to look etc will be much appreciated as I am struggleing with this one !!!

 

Cheers, Barbara

[DUFFEMS]

Have you tried here:

http://www.sheffieldindexers.com.

[retep]

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

 

http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/

[smary]

Looking on the IGI there is only one Henry Johnson born about that time - christened 21 June 1793 Cossall, Notts. Father Henry mother Mary. A marriage in 1827 Henry Johnson and Jane Pearson 31 December 1827 - Clarborough, Notts

[hillsbro]

Hi Barb M - the 1841 census gives Henry's age as 40. As the census was taken on 6 June 1841 and the age of adults was rounded down, he could have been 40-44 years old, and so born between 7 June 1797 and 6 June 1801. This conflicts with the date of birth of the Henry Johnson shown in the I.G.I. So either the age as given in the 1841 census is wrong (quite possible) or this is a different Henry. Do you have any precise information on Henry's date of birth?

 

An old friend of mine has an 1840s street-by-street directory of Sheffield. I'll ask him to look up the Henry Johnson "Merchant" of Old Street in case it gives any more details..

[smary]

I have checked the 1851 census the the Henry Johnson born Cossall is also listed so I don't think he is your Henry(1897) - back to the drawing board!!

[smary]

there are several people on Ancestry with Henry Johnson in their trees

[hillsbro]

...An old friend of mine has an 1840s street-by-street directory of Sheffield. I'll ask him to look up the Henry Johnson "Merchant" of Old Street....

My friend Frank replied promptly, and it seems that Henry was a potato merchant. Here is what Frank emailed to me:

 

Pleased to help. On p124 of the 1841 Sheffield Directory there is:

 

Johnson Henry, potato merchant, Old street, Park

 

On p248 for Old Street:

 

2 Elliot M. shopkeeper

15 Mosely B. button mfr

Monks G. shoe maker

Johnson H. potato dealer

21 Urton H. victualler

Smith A. button mkr

 

On p319 there is a heading ‘Potato Merchants’ and he is one of 11 listed.

 

Best wishes, Philip..

[retep]

There are baptisms for two children at http://www.sheffieldindexers.com/ParishBaptismIndex.html

Henry is listed as a grocer.

 

Possibles,

listed in pigots 1834 dir under shopkeepers & grocery dealers

Johnson Henry, Westbar green

 

1837 white dir.

Johnson Henry shopkeeper & potato merchant 2 Bridge Street

Johnson Hy. 30 Westbar Green

Johnson Hy. merchant house Glossop Road

[Barb M]

Thankyou so much Duffems,retep,smary,hillsbro & Frank hillsbro's friend for all your information .

 

I have checked into some of it already & found two of Henry's children on Sheffield Indexers Maria 1835 & William 1838 & the info from Frank is spot on too.I also think the 1834 Pigots entry is correct & the first one of the 1837 entries in Whites is right also because of the birth of his third daughter Maria in 1835 in Sheffield.

 

 

I am going to send for the wedding certificate because its quite possible the marriage in Clarborough is correct as it is not far away from Owsten Ferry where the first two daughters were born even if Jane was only 16 at the time !!

 

I am also going to get in touch with the person who sent me the info about Henry being born in Nottingham & see if he knows anything else & check out the historical directories web site as I hadn't heard of that one before.

 

All in all it's been a success & I will let you all know what else I find out.

 

Again many thanks,

 

Barbara