John Johnson was born circa 1588 at Wilmington, Kent, England. John Johnson was born in 1588 at Herne, England. John Johnson was born circa 1590 at England. He married
Mary Heath, daughter of
William Heath and
Agnes Cheney, on 21 September 1613 at Ware, Hertfordshire, England. John Johnson immigrated in 1630 to Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; he came from Herne, Kent, England with the Winthrop Fleet. He served on the Coroner's Jury on 28 September 1630. He held the position of a constable on 19 October 1630 at Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. On 18 May 1631 John Johnson was listed as a freeman at Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He served on a committee to view ground and set bounds for Charlestown and Newton on 7 November 1632. He married
Margery (Unknown) before 1633. John Johnson served on a committee to put a cart bridge over Muddy River on 6 August 1633. He held the position of Deputy for Roxbury to the General Court between 1634 and 1657. On 1 April 1634 He paid 20s. toward the building of the seafort.
He was admitted to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1638. On 1 December 1640 He took in a servant, Samuel Hefford, for three years.
In the earliest list of Roxbury inhabitants, about 1642, John Johnson's valuation of £15 12s nad £6 8s. with six goats and four kids, was one of the highest in the town. He was assigned the duty of distributing the gunpoweder to the major towns in the colony "taking into serious considerations the present danger of each plantation by the desperate plots and conspiracies of the heathen" on 8 September 1642. He held the position of Surveyor General of Arms and Ammunition on 8 September 1642. On 7 March 1643/44 Richard Davenport, Captain of the Fort of the Massachusetts at Castle Island, was instructed to demand at any time from John Johnson, surveyor general, for every soldier on suffiecient musket, sword, rest, and pair of bandiliers with tow fathom of match for each musket.
On March 1645 A great tragedfy to the Johnson family as well as the town of Roxbury occured when John Johnson's house, with a substantial supply fo the colony's gunpowder therein, caught fire and burned.
He served on a committee to settle impotent aged persons or vagrants on 14 May 1645. On 14 May 1645 John Johnson was granted £40 "for his service done to the country diverse years past."
He petitioned with others for the land formerly granted them between Dedham, Watertown, and Sudbury; Johnson was to receive four hundred and thirty six acres on 7 October 1646. He served on a committe to purchase lands for the Indians "to live in an orderly way amongst us." On 4 November 1646. He served on a committee to review colony defenses on 26 May 1647. He held the position of arbiter in Saltonstall vs. Watertown on 27 October 1647. John Johnson and others were to receive lands formerly granted between Andover and Redding "in the place whereabouts the bridge should be built" on 18 October 1648. He held the position of paymaster for the building of Boston prision on 17 October 1649. He sold one hundred acres to Richard Parker on 24 May 1650. John Johnson received land in Roxbury from Thomas and Dorothy Hawley on 22 June 1652. On 20 July 1652 He signed a report of the committee concerning the rebuilding of the castle and batteries on Castle Island.
In the Roxbury land inventory in the early 1650's John Johnson held thirteen parcels, six fo which had been granted to him by the town: "his house, barn and house lot on the back side of his orchard, together with liberty to enclose the swamp and brook," eight acres, three acres of marsh; twenty acres of mowing ground; ten acres fo woodland; four acres by Rocky Swamp; one hundred and ten acres and one quarter in the last division, first and third allotments; fifty-one and a half acres in the thousand acres near Deaham, bought of Edward Porter and John Pettit; six acres bought of John Morgan; sixteen acrecs and a half bought fo Richard Goad; and acre and a quarter lately the land of Thomas Lamb; three acres of woodland lately the land of John Stebbins; four acres of fresh meadow "lately bought of John Parepoynt"; and thirteen acres and twenty rods of land, wood and pasture bought of Thomas Gardner. He married
Grace Negus before May 1656. John Johnson John Johnson and Eleazer Fawer were instructed by the General Court to divide the estate of Banabas Fawer equally so that Johnson's third wife Grace (Negus) Fawer, and her son Eleaze Fawer received half each in May 1656. "Mr. John Johnson having been long serviceable to the country in the place of surveyor general, for which he hath never had any satisfaction, which this Court considering of, think meet to grant him three hundered acres in any place where he can find it." Within the year, Johnson sold this land to Mr. William Parks. On 6 May 1657. He served on a committee to properly supply ministers on 6 May 1657. He left a will on 29 September 1659 at Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
"John Johnson of Roxbury" bequeathed to "my beloved wife" my dwelling house and certain lands "I have already given" during her natural life according to a deed, also £60 for her household furniture "which house and lands, after my wife's decease, I give unto my five children to be equally divided, my eldest son having a double portion"; to "my two grandchildren who lived with me, Elizabeth Johnson and Mehitable Johnson" £5 each; to "my sons Isaak Johnson and Robert Pepper" confirm the parcel of lands of fifty-five acres in the third division "I have formerly given" them; residue to "my five children equally divided, my eldest son having a double portion"; sons Isaac Johnson and
robert Pepper executors; "my dear brethren Elder Heath and Deacon Park" overseeers; "If my chlidren should disagree in anything I do order them to choose one man more to these my overseers, and stand to their determination."
He died on 30 September 1659 at Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He was buried on 1 October 1659 at Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The inventory of "John Johnson late of Roxbury" was presented October 15, 1659 and totalled £623 1s 6d, of which more than £350 was real estate:"20 acres of meadow," £80; "the house and and land about it," £190; "one lot near Stoney River let to John Peairepoint for four years," £40; "in the Great Lots on pasture of about 20 acres," £40; and "about ten acres of land near the Great Lots and twelve acres bought of Thomas Garner," £(blot). Among the many domestic luxuries in this inventory wer a comsiderable number of linens, cushions, rugs and blankets. His personal military accoutrements included "two fowling pieces and on cutlass, £2."