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John Johnson (Loyalist)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Johnson, 2nd Baronet of New York (5 November 1741 – 4 January 1830) was a Loyalist
leader during the American Revolution
, a politician in Canada and a wealthy landowner. He was the son of Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
, who had been the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the province and accumulated much land and wealth. Succeeding his father in that position in 1774, Johnson removed to Canada during the American Revolutionary War with family and allies, as he was at risk of arrest. He led the King's Royal Regiment of New York
and was promoted to brigadier general in 1782. After the war, he was appointed by the Crown to distribute lands in Upper Canada
to exiled Loyalists, and estimated he helped resettle nearly 3800 in 1784. He also served in the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
.
, and his common-law wife, Catherine Weisenberg, a Palatine German immigrant. He was baptized as an Anglican in the chapel at Fort Hunter. William Johnson was a military commander during the French and Indian War
(Seven Years War), had promoted the British
settlement of the Mohawk Valley
and trading with the Mohawk, and founded the community of Johnstown
in Tryon County
in the Province of New York
.
of Masons
in the colonies of Province of New York
, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania
.
In 1774 at his father's death, John Johnson succeeded to the baronetcy and inherited his father's title and extensive estates, making him a wealthy landowner. He was appointed by the Crown as Superintendent-General and Inspector-General of Indian Affairs in British North America. In 1775, he was appointed doorkeeper of the New York Provincial Assembly.
, from 1765 to 1773. She was of Dutch ancestry. They had a daughter Margaret in 1765, and a son William in 1770.
On June 30, 1773, Colonel Sir John Johnson married Mary Watts (daughter of Hon. John Watts President of the King's Council, of New York
). After he escaped to Canada in May 1776 at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War
, Lady Johnson was detained that year by the Whigs of New York as a hostage for the good conduct of her husband. After she was freed to join Sir John in Canada, the couple lived in Montreal during the winter and spent the summers on their seigneury at Argenteuil, on the Ottawa River. The couple also visited in England.
The couple had ten sons and four daughters. Eight of their sons served in the British army and navy. One son, James Stephen Johnson, was killed at the siege of Badajoz
, in 1814. Their daughter Catherine Maria Johnson married Major-General Bernard Foord Bowes, who fell at Salamanca
, in 1812. Their first son Adam Gordon Johnson succeeded his father to the baronetcy. Their daughter, Anne Nancy Johnson, married Colonel Edward MacDonnell (Deputy Quartermaster General to the Forces in Canada, and one-time aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington). Their last surviving child, an unmarried daughter, died in London on 1 January 1868.
Lady Johnson died in Montreal, August 7, 1815. Her husband died in Montreal, January 4, 1830. Both are buried at Mount Johnson, near Chambly, Quebec
.
Johnson and Clarissa Putman's grandson, James E. Van Horne, and great-grandson, William Van Horne, were each elected mayor of Schenectady, New York
.
, through Captain John McDonell
, saying that he and his Loyalist neighbors had conferred about raising a battalion for the British cause. He also said he could raise 500 Indian warriors who, when used with his regular troops, could retake all of the forts captured by the rebels.
On January 20, 1776, General Schuyler
, with a force of Continental troops and the Tryon County militia
numbering around 3,000, disarmed Johnson and about 300 of his Loyalist supporters; Schuyler paroled Johnson. Hearing in May 1776 of another force being sent to arrest him, Johnson decided to flee with his family and supporters to Canada. He led about 170 of his tenants and allies among the Iroquois
Confederacy to Montreal, Quebec. Sir John's loyalty to the King
cost him his home in Johnstown and extensive property in the Mohawk Valley, all of which was confiscated after the war by the State of New York.
Johnson and his followers formed the core of the British military regiment known as the King's Royal Regiment of New York
, which had substantial action against the New York colonials under his command throughout the war. Johnson was promoted to the rank of brigadier general
in 1782. On March 14, 1782 he received the appointment of Superintendent General and Inspector General of Indian affairs. His authority extended over all northern First Nations allied with the Crown, including four of the Iroquois League nations.
was signed, establishing the independence of the American Colonies. Johnson and thousands of other Loyalists were in permanent exile
in Canada. The British had transported some Loyalists from New York and New England for resettlement to Nova Scotia
, including more than 3,000 Black Loyalists: African-American slaves whom they had freed as promised for their service during the war.
In 1784, the Crown appointed Johnson to distribute crown lands (purchased from First Nations) along the St. Lawrence River and the north shore of Lake Ontario
(what became known as Upper Canada
) to Loyalists who had come to Canada, as some compensation for their losses in the colonies. The government wanted to encourage development of this part of Canada, as it was lightly settled. The exiles faced severe conditions in the early years, as they struggled to create settlements out of frontier lands, and the British were not able to get adequate supplies to them on time. Johnson estimated that he had arranged the settlement of 3,776 Loyalists during that first year.
In 1791, Lord Dorchester recommended Johnson as lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, but London turned this recommendation down.
In 1796, Johnson moved back to Montreal
, then the seat of government, where he served in the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
and as head of the Indian Department for Lower Canada
. He held extensive land holdings in both Upper
and Lower Canada
, including the seigneuries
of Monnoir and Argenteuil
in Quebec.
Johnson died in Montreal in 1830 at the age of 88.
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
leader during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, a politician in Canada and a wealthy landowner. He was the son of Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
, who had been the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the province and accumulated much land and wealth. Succeeding his father in that position in 1774, Johnson removed to Canada during the American Revolutionary War with family and allies, as he was at risk of arrest. He led the King's Royal Regiment of New York
King's Royal Regiment of New York
The King's Royal Regiment of New York was one of the first Loyalist regiments raised in Canada during the American Revolutionary War....
and was promoted to brigadier general in 1782. After the war, he was appointed by the Crown to distribute lands in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
to exiled Loyalists, and estimated he helped resettle nearly 3800 in 1784. He also served in the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
Legislative Council of Lower Canada
The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...
.
Early life and education
Born near Amsterdam, New York, Johnson was the only son of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Colonel Sir William Johnson, 1st BaronetSir William Johnson, 1st Baronet
Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet was an Anglo-Irish official of the British Empire. As a young man, Johnson came to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Admiral Peter Warren, which was located amidst the Mohawk, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League...
, and his common-law wife, Catherine Weisenberg, a Palatine German immigrant. He was baptized as an Anglican in the chapel at Fort Hunter. William Johnson was a military commander during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(Seven Years War), had promoted the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
settlement of the Mohawk Valley
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
and trading with the Mohawk, and founded the community of Johnstown
Johnstown (city), New York
Johnstown is a city and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 Census, the city had population of 8,511. Recent estimates put the figure closer to 8,100. The city was named by its founder, Sir William Johnson after his son John Johnson...
in Tryon County
Tryon County
Tryon County is the name of two former counties in the United States:*Tryon County, New York- 1772-1784*Tryon County, North Carolina- 1768-1779...
in the Province of New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
.
Career
Sir John Johnson, who assumed office in 1771, was the last Provincial Grand MasterGrand Master (Masonic)
In Freemasonry a Grand Master is the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction. He presides over a Grand Lodge, and has certain rights in the constituent lodges that form his jurisdiction....
of Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in the colonies of Province of New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
In 1774 at his father's death, John Johnson succeeded to the baronetcy and inherited his father's title and extensive estates, making him a wealthy landowner. He was appointed by the Crown as Superintendent-General and Inspector-General of Indian Affairs in British North America. In 1775, he was appointed doorkeeper of the New York Provincial Assembly.
Marriage and family
Johnson took as a common-law wife Clarissa Putman, daughter of Arent Putman and Elizabeth Peek of Tribes Hill, New YorkTribes Hill, New York
Tribes Hill is a census-designated place located in the Towns of Mohawk and Amsterdam in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 1,024 at the 2000 census...
, from 1765 to 1773. She was of Dutch ancestry. They had a daughter Margaret in 1765, and a son William in 1770.
On June 30, 1773, Colonel Sir John Johnson married Mary Watts (daughter of Hon. John Watts President of the King's Council, of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
). After he escaped to Canada in May 1776 at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Lady Johnson was detained that year by the Whigs of New York as a hostage for the good conduct of her husband. After she was freed to join Sir John in Canada, the couple lived in Montreal during the winter and spent the summers on their seigneury at Argenteuil, on the Ottawa River. The couple also visited in England.
The couple had ten sons and four daughters. Eight of their sons served in the British army and navy. One son, James Stephen Johnson, was killed at the siege of Badajoz
Badajoz
Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain, situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana, and the Madrid–Lisbon railway. The population in 2007 was 145,257....
, in 1814. Their daughter Catherine Maria Johnson married Major-General Bernard Foord Bowes, who fell at Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, in 1812. Their first son Adam Gordon Johnson succeeded his father to the baronetcy. Their daughter, Anne Nancy Johnson, married Colonel Edward MacDonnell (Deputy Quartermaster General to the Forces in Canada, and one-time aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington). Their last surviving child, an unmarried daughter, died in London on 1 January 1868.
Lady Johnson died in Montreal, August 7, 1815. Her husband died in Montreal, January 4, 1830. Both are buried at Mount Johnson, near Chambly, Quebec
Chambly, Quebec
Chambly is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, about to the south east of Montreal.- Geography :It sits on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La-Vallée-du-Richelieu, at .-History:...
.
Johnson and Clarissa Putman's grandson, James E. Van Horne, and great-grandson, William Van Horne, were each elected mayor of Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
.
American Revolution
In January 1776, nine months after the outbreak of the American Revolution, Johnson gathered several hundred armed supporters at Johnstown. He sent a letter to Governor William TryonWilliam Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
, through Captain John McDonell
John McDonell
Captain John McDonell was a soldier, judge and political figure in Upper Canada following the American Revolution. He was elected as the first speaker for the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.-Early years:...
, saying that he and his Loyalist neighbors had conferred about raising a battalion for the British cause. He also said he could raise 500 Indian warriors who, when used with his regular troops, could retake all of the forts captured by the rebels.
On January 20, 1776, General Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
, with a force of Continental troops and the Tryon County militia
Tryon County militia
-Militia regiments:On March 8, 1772, The Province of New York passed a bill for the establishment of organized militia in each county. In 1775, at the start of the American Revolution, the Tryon County militia comprised four regiments, formed according to their geographical locations:* 1st...
numbering around 3,000, disarmed Johnson and about 300 of his Loyalist supporters; Schuyler paroled Johnson. Hearing in May 1776 of another force being sent to arrest him, Johnson decided to flee with his family and supporters to Canada. He led about 170 of his tenants and allies among the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Confederacy to Montreal, Quebec. Sir John's loyalty to the King
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
cost him his home in Johnstown and extensive property in the Mohawk Valley, all of which was confiscated after the war by the State of New York.
Johnson and his followers formed the core of the British military regiment known as the King's Royal Regiment of New York
King's Royal Regiment of New York
The King's Royal Regiment of New York was one of the first Loyalist regiments raised in Canada during the American Revolutionary War....
, which had substantial action against the New York colonials under his command throughout the war. Johnson was promoted to the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in 1782. On March 14, 1782 he received the appointment of Superintendent General and Inspector General of Indian affairs. His authority extended over all northern First Nations allied with the Crown, including four of the Iroquois League nations.
Post-war years
In 1783 the Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
was signed, establishing the independence of the American Colonies. Johnson and thousands of other Loyalists were in permanent exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in Canada. The British had transported some Loyalists from New York and New England for resettlement to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, including more than 3,000 Black Loyalists: African-American slaves whom they had freed as promised for their service during the war.
In 1784, the Crown appointed Johnson to distribute crown lands (purchased from First Nations) along the St. Lawrence River and the north shore of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
(what became known as Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
) to Loyalists who had come to Canada, as some compensation for their losses in the colonies. The government wanted to encourage development of this part of Canada, as it was lightly settled. The exiles faced severe conditions in the early years, as they struggled to create settlements out of frontier lands, and the British were not able to get adequate supplies to them on time. Johnson estimated that he had arranged the settlement of 3,776 Loyalists during that first year.
In 1791, Lord Dorchester recommended Johnson as lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, but London turned this recommendation down.
In 1796, Johnson moved back to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, then the seat of government, where he served in the Legislative Council of Lower Canada
Legislative Council of Lower Canada
The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...
and as head of the Indian Department for Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. He held extensive land holdings in both Upper
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, including the seigneuries
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
of Monnoir and Argenteuil
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality is located in southern Quebec, Canada, part of the Laurentides region. The Regional County Municipality seat is Lachute.-History:...
in Quebec.
Johnson died in Montreal in 1830 at the age of 88.
Legacy and honors
- The Sir John Johnson House in Williamstown, OntarioSouth Glengarry, OntarioSouth Glengarry is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada on the St. Lawrence River in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry.The township was created on 1 January 1998, by amalgamating the townships of Charlottenburgh and Lancaster with the independent village of...
, was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1961.
- Lac Sir John, a small lake near Lachute and Morin Heights, Quebec is named after him.
Sources
- "White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America", Fintan O'TooleFintan O'TooleFintan O'Toole is a columnist, assistant editor and drama critic for The Irish Times. He has written for The Irish Times since 1988 and was drama critic for the New York Daily News from 1997 to 2001. He is a literary critic, historical writer and political commentator, with generally left-wing views...
, 2005. - Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- The Mohawk Valley During the Revolution, by Harold FredericHarold FredericHarold Frederic was an American journalist and novelist.-Biography:...
, 1877 - Sir John Johnson Burial vault
- The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library of New York: The History of the Grand Lodge of New York
- Sir John Johnson at Montreal and Niagara, Haldimand Collection
- John J. Vrooman, "Clarissa Putman of Tribes Hill", Ancestry.com