The Richard Johnson Family

by Oliver Popenoe

Richard Johnson married Sarah Poppino, daughter of John Poppino and Christian Mary (Surname ukn). He was born circa 1729 in England.[1] He died in 1793 at Warwick, Orange Co, NY.[2]  Richard testified in the 1785 Wawayanda Patent proceedings that he was then 56 and had come into the country in 1746 from York, i.e., at about age 17.  During the Revolution he served as Ensign in the Wawayanda Company of the Goshen Regiment of the Militia.[3]  In the 1775 assessment his personal property was valued at £5/12/3 and he was listed next to Richard Kerr, so presumably they were neighbors.[4]   Another neighbor reported having seen among Mr. Johnson’s papers a memorandum of an army officer re money paid him for pasturing horses during the War.[5]  At the first town meeting after Warwick was cut off from Goshen, 1789, Richard was named one of 38 road masters.  He was also active in affairs of the Florida Presbyterian Church.  Children (all born in Florida):

 1.  Sarah Johnson, 1753 - 6 Sep 1838, married ca 1775, William Armstrong Jr. [6] Buried in Florida Presbyterian Churchyard with her husband.[7]  He received land bounty rights for service with the 4^th Regiment of the Orange County Militia.  This means he was ready to serve, not that he necessarily saw active service.[8]  In 1775 he lived very close to William Carr Sr. and Jr. as well as John Poppino; his property was assessed at £5/14/0.[9]  He also was made Warwick road master in 1789.  In 1794 he, along with Samuel Johnson, witnessed the will of John Wood, Jr., and in 1805 he was executor of his father’s will.  Children (all born in Florida):

           11  Mary (Polly) Armstrong was born on 24 Jul 1777 at Warwick, Orange, NY.[10] She married James Wood on 9 Mar 1799.[11],[12] She died on 16 Feb 1874 at was buried in Presbyterian Church graveyard., Florida, Orange, NY, at age 96.[13]

           111  Daniel Thompson Wood was born on 14 Jan 1800.  He died on 18 Aug 1859 at age 59.

      112  Sarah Wood, 1802 -1851.

      113  William Armstrong Wood, 1804 -1864.

      114  Julia Ann Wood was born in 1806.[14] She died on 15 Apr 1894.  Buried in Florida Presbyterian Church Cemetery.[15]

      115  Laura Caroline Wood , 14 Aug 1807 - 13 Feb 1847

                     116  Jane Wood, 1808 - 1892.  

                     117  Keturah Wood, 1811 - 1883.    

                     118  James Washington Wood was born on 15 Oct 1813.[16] He died on 5     May 1884 at Allentown,         Northampton, PA, at age 70.[17]    

                     119  Mary McDowell Wood, 1815 - 21 Aug 1851.  Buried in Florida Presb. Churchyard.  NY.,[18]

      11(10) Thomas Scott Wood, 1819 - 22 May 1848.  Buried in Florida Presb. Churchyard,

      11(11)  Emily Wood, 1821 - 1849

 12   Keturah Armstrong was born on 27 Aug 1779.   She died on 1 Sep 1868 at age 89. [19]

      13.  William Wallace Armstrong ,  20 Apr 1784 - 9 May 1850. Buried in Florida Presbyterian Churchyard.   He married Elizabeth Jackson on 13 Dec 1806.[20],[21]  They were divorced on 8 Oct 1834 at Orange County, NY.[22]  She was probably  a dau of Mary Poppino and James Jackson.

           131  Charles Bingley Armstrong, 3 Aug 180 - 28 Mar 1860.[23] 

      132  James Jackson Armstrong, 26 Jul 1809 -.[24]

      133  William Van Ness Armstrong, 1 Jan 1819 - , married Catherine Aspell, daughter of Christopher Aspell (great grandson of John Poppino) and Mary Vail.[25] 

      134  Mary Armstrong married Richard Montgomery Vail. She was born on 16 Apr 1820.[26]

      135  Hector Craig Armstrong,  24 Jul 1826 - .[27]  He married Sarah T. Havemeyer on 4 Dec 1856; dau of William H. Hevemeyer, ex-Mayor of NYC.[28]

 14  Thomas Armstrong, 24 Feb 1787 - 12 Sep 1865 [29] He married Christiana Miller on 18 Feb 1813 at Dutch Reformed Church, Warwick.[30],[31]

      15   Joel Armstrong, 1789 - 9 Mar 1855.[32]

                16  Elizabeth (Betsy) Armstrong, 3 Jun 1791 - 23 Dec 1868. [33]   She married Jeffrey Wisner in 1816.[34]

                     161  Gabriel Wisner, 16 Oct 1818 - 13 Jan 1872 [35]

                     162  Rennsalaer Jay Wisner, 4 Mar 1821 - 18 Jan 1884.[36]

                     163  James Wisner, 17 Mar 1822 - 23 Mar 1905.[37]

                     164  Richard Wisner, 4 Feb 1824 - 3 Jan 1908.[38]

                     165  Jeffrey Amherst Wisner, 18 Oct 1827 - 23 Mar 1908.[39]

                     166  Mary Elizabeth Wisner, 3 Jun 1830 - 8 Nov 1902.[40]

                     167  Vanessa Wisner, 15 Aug 1832 - .[41]

                17  Sarah (Sally) L. Armstrong, 1793 -  1 Mar 1875.[42]   She married  (2?) John Sutton. Charles Vail reported that Sally married John Sutton late in life.  This would be after 1847 when John's wife Bitterage died and before 1850 when John and Sally are shown together in the census.[43]

                18  Rennselaer Jay Armstrong, 13 Feb 1796 - 25 Oct 1867, [44]  married Ellen Denton.

2.  Christian Johnson, 1755 - 27 Jan 1820,[45] married James Aspell before 1781.   John Poppino's home farm was sold by his heirs to James Aspell in 1781, so logically he and Christian Johnson would be married by that time.  In 1775, James was one of the signers from Goshen precinct of the pledge of association under which a Committee of Safety and Observation was established—a first step in the Revolution.[46]  In the same year, his property was assessed at only 6 shillings—one of the poorest men in the Florida district.[47]  He served in Capt. Richard Bailey’s company of the Florida and Minisink Regiment of the Orange Co Militia.  In 1800 he was witness to the will of his brother-in-law, Joseph Totten.  Children:

                21  Christian Aspell, b > 1765.

                22  Christopher Aspell, 17 Jun 1778 – 17 May 1856. [48]   He married Mary Vail, ca 1776 – 12 May 1867, daughter of Alsop Vail.[49]; Christopher’s will, admitted to probate 4 Aug 1856, named his wife and all of his children except William, who was probably dead.  Executors were Enoch J. Poppino and Alsop V. Aspell.[50],[51]    Christopher inherited the farm of John Poppino.  The 1810 Census shows a Christopher Aspbell, over 45, and family living in the Union Corners Road area, and a Christr. Aspbell, under 45, and family, living over by the Minthorns near the King's Highway.  There is no indication that our Christopher had a son by that name.  It may be that James had a brother Christopher.   Children of Christopher and Mary:

                      221  Caroline Aspell married Enoch J. Poppino, son of Richard Poppino and Hannah Jackson. She died on 17 Feb 1887 at Goshen, Orange Co, NY.[52]

                              2211  Richard Poppino was born circa 1822. He married Elizabeth Pope on 17 Feb 1853 at Chester Presbyterian Church, Chester, Orange Co, NY.[53]

                              2212  Emily Poppino was born on 8 Nov 1828 at Orange Co, NY.[54] She married Dr. John Hudson Thompson MD, son of Benjamin Thompson and Maria Antoinette Owen, on 15 Mar 1853 at Presbyterian Church, Goshen, Orange Co, NY.[55] She died on 18 May 1854 at Goshen, Orange Co, NY, at age 25.[56]

                      222  Catherine Aspell married William Van Ness Armstrong, son of William Wallace Armstrong and Elizabeth Jackson.[57]

                      223  William W Aspell; William was a volunteer in the War of 1812, serving in the 2nd Regiment Artillery.  He moved to Milo, Yates County before 1828 and died before 1870, though his widow and two sons were still there in the 1870 census.  On 29 Oct 1828, Christopher Aspell [Sr.] appointed William W. Aspell of Milo in Gates County his attorney to lease or sell his lands. He sold them to Thomas Brown, 15 Jan 1829  (Liber 36, pp 147-8).  These were four different parcels in the general Poppino, etc. neighborhood of Florida. William married Esther (--?--).[58] He died before 1870.

                               2231  David Aspell was born circa 1822.[59]

                               2232  Samuel C Aspell was born circa 1828.[60]

                      224  Alsop Vail Aspell, ca 1810 - > 1892.[61]  . He married Emily Curtice on 1 Jan 1835 at Presbyterian Church, Florida; “By Rev. Cummings, Mr. Alsop V. Aspell, merchant, to Miss Emily, only daughter of John Curtice, Esq. all of Florida.  [John Curtice was a trustee of the Church.].[62]  ; William Van Ness Armstrong, who was married to Catherine Aspell , was a Florida merchant in business with Richard Montgomery Vail who was married to Mary Armstrong, only daughter of William Wallace Armstrong and Elizabeth Jackson.  After a couple of years, Alsop V. Aspell bought out Vail and the firm became known as Armstrong and Aspell.  In 1836 Alsop was a trustee of the Florida Presbyterian Church.  Around 1860 he moved to Jersey City where he was still living in 1892 .

                               2241  John C. Aspell was born circa 1836.[63] He married Mary Thompson on 26 Feb 1862 at Florida.[64]

                               2242  Josephine M Aspell was born circa 1841.[65]

                      225  Maria Aspell was born circa 1812.[66]   She married Daniel C. Owen on 22 Feb 1853; of Goshen.[67] She died in 1875 at Minisink, Orange, NY; In her will, the largest beneficiary was Wilmot P. Thompson, grandson of Enoch J. Poppino, $500 and all her silver spoons; there were many others but none named Owen.  The will was proved 4 May 1875.[68]

                      226  James W. Aspell; In 1832 James W. and Mary Ann, his wife, brought suit (Lis Pendens, Liber A, p 126) against the heirs of Bates Hoyt for partition of a farm bounded on the north by Quaker Creek and adjoining lands of Chistopher Aspell and Stephen Jayne.  Mary Ann was probably a daughter of Bates Hoyt.  In 1856, James W. was of Cleveland, Oswego Co;

                      227  Benjamin F. Aspell; of Little Orleans, IN in 1856;

                      228  Charles J. Aspell was born circa 1826.[69],[70]

                      229  Almira F. Aspell; Wife of William A. Wright of Chicago, IL in 1856;

                23  Peter Aspell, b ca 1795. [71]  I assume he was James' son since he was too old to be a son of Christopher.  In the 1820 Census he was shown with wife and no children.  In the 1825 Census there were two males and two females, presumably two small children.  In the 1850 Census he was listed as an innkeeper with Hannah, a 35-year old wife, probably a second one.  He died in 1875; In his will, Peter named his wife, Maria Aspell, his two daughters, Sarah E. Vail, wife of Lewis B. Vail and Christina Hoyt, wife of Lyman Hoyt: and grandsons Purdy P. Aspell, George Aspell, Henry Aspell and John H. Aspell.  The will was proved 7 July 1875 (Letter Testamentary I-104).[72],[73]

                      231  Artemus Aspell was born circa 1822.[74] He died on 8 Sep 1861 at New York City.[75]

                      232  Sarah E. Aspell

                      233  Christina Aspell

3.   William Johnson, 1756 - 18 Nov 1831, married Catherine Jayne, 1765 – 1850, daughter of Samuel Jayne Sr.[76],[77]

                31  Samuel Johnson was born circa 1794 at Warwick, Orange, NY; Tombstone said age 64.  However the 1850 census said 53, which would give birthdate of ca 1797.[78] He married Maria Mills on 8 Jul 1818 at Warwick, Orange, NY.[79] He died on 24 Aug 1858 at Warwick, Orange, NY.[80]

                      311 Julia A. Johnson was born circa 1822.[81]  She m 10 Sep 1856 Charles A Durland of Wawayanda[82]

                      312  John Johnson was born circa 1825.[83]  He married Caroline, b ca 1829.  Children:  Sarah J., b ca 1855; William, b ca 1857.[84]

                32  Christian Johnson married Lewis Mapes on 6 Oct 1818 at Reformed Dutch Church, Warwick, Orange, NY.[85]

                      321  Harriet Johnson Mapes was born circa 1825.[86] She died on 19 Apr 1845.[87]

                      322  Albert Mapes was born circa 1837.[88]

                33  Harriet Johnson was born on 15 Jan 1802 at Warwick, Orange, NY.[89] She married Daniel Conkling on 12 Apr 1830 at Warwick, Orange, NY;.[90] She died on 15 Dec 1837, buried at Old School Baptist Cemetery, Warwick, Orange, NY, at age 35.[91]

4.   Richard Johnson, Jr., 25 Aug 1762 - 25 May 1828 at Florida, Orange, NY,[92] m 8 May 1788,  Susannah Sayre, dau of John Sayre and Abigail Goldsmith.[93]    Richard was a trustee of the Warwick Reformed Dutch Church.  When Richard died he left 114.9  acres, adjoining Richard  and William Johnson’s farms, to his heirs.  In 1844, they sold it to Richard below.[94]

           41  Abigail Johnson, 13 Apr 1789 – 9 Aug 1854, unm.[95]

                42  Sally Johnson, 3 Aug 1789 – 20 Jan 1864, m Joseph Nanny, 7 Nov 1785 – 3 Sep 1864, a farmer in Warwick.  Children:

                 421  Nancy Maria Nanny, 13 Mar 1808 – d unm at Edenville, 4 Aug 1871.

                 422  Richard Johnson Nanny, 18 Jun 1810 – 14 Oct 1856, a farmer in Edenville, m Mary Fancher of New Milford.

                 423  Gardner K. Nanny, 12 Jan 1821 – 7 Jun 1874, m Adaline Arnout.

           43  Elizabeth Johnson, 27 Dec 1791 – 2 Jan 1874, m in Warwick 20 Apr 1820, Henry Pelton, 7 Oct 1791 – 26 Jul 1870.  He was a prosperous farmer, a deacon and elder in the Reformed Dutch Church of Warwick, and author of various articles about the early days in Warwick, including the recollections of where people lived in 1805, which was the basis for a map published by the OCGS.

                 431  Jeremiah M. Pelton, 1 Sep 1821 - , m Sophie Amelia McEwen

                 432  Elizabeth A. Pelton, 9 Feb 1824 - , m 12 Nov 1845,  Cornelius Henry Demarest, a farmer, President of the Warwick National Bank, and an officer of the Reformed Dutch Church of Warwick.  He was, I believe, a cousin of Cornelius S. Demarest who was married briefly to Sally Carr.

           44  Henry Johnson, 5 Feb 1800 – 27 Aug 1879, m 23 Oct 1822, Clarinda Burt, b 22 Jan 1802, daughter of  Daniel Burt III, and Sally Foght.  He was the grandson of the first Daniel Burt who came from Ridgefield, CT in 1746 and settled on a farm in Warwick, later moving to Bellvale.   Daniel III lived in Warwick until the 1830s when his whole family, 6 brothers and 3 sisters, including Henry and Clarinda, moved to Coshocton, Ohio and settled on farms there.[96]  Henry Pelton recalled from the early days that they needed a place for a parsonage for the Reformed Church of Warwick and decided to purchase Henry Johnson’s farm.  Henry was then in Ohio having gone with his family to visit his father-in-law and other friends there.  In due time a favorable answer was received and the farm purchased.[97]

           45  Marie Johnson, 14 Aug 1802 – 23 Apr 1888, m 9 Jan 1823, Henry Fancher of Warwick, b 4 Oct 1798, Darien, Fairfield Co, CT, d Warwick 6 Nov 1845.  He was a farmer in New Milford.

                       451     Amzi Fancher, b 23 Jun 1824, unm, farmer in New Milford.

             452     Mary Ann Fancher, 28 Aug 1828 – 31 Jan 1891, lived near Warwick.

                  453  Rensselaer Fancher, 14 Jan 1830 - , m 13 Jun 1860, Rachel Haynes. 

                       454  Juliet Fancher, 21 Jun 1832 -, m 30 Apr 1856, Oliver T. Nanny of Warwick

                       455  Sarah Abigail Fancher, 14 Mar 1835, m 1 Jun 1859, Dr Charles H. Wilson

                       456  Susan Elizabeth Fancher, 9 Jun 1838 – 1 Jun 1870, m 16 Feb 1870, Charles Thompson

                46  Julia Johnson, 15 Aug 1805 – 26 Sep 1840, m 13 Dec 1826, Le Grand Mead, no children.

                47  Susan Johnson, 4 Mar 1808 – 4 Feb 1883 at Trenton, m 28 Feb 1828, George Nanny.

                       471  Le Grand Mead Anway, 20 Dec 1828 at Edenville, m 6 Oct 1852, Mary McDowell

                       472  Susan Ann Nanny, 4 Nov 1831 – 7 Sep 1892 at Trenton, m 13 Sep 1854, George Obadiah Seward, son of Capt John Seward.

                       473  Sarah Jane Nanny, 18 Oct 1833 – 25 Dec 1880, m 13 Nov 1856, William Jones Sly of Amity.  No children.

                       474  Albert Harrison Nanny, 2 Sep 1836 - , m1 1 Mar 1866, Jennie Morehouse; m2, 20 Oct 1892, Lottie Louise Cooley.

                       475  Emily Nanny, 26 Aug 1840 – 26 May 1879, m 6 Nov 1867, Linn Morehouse of Glenwood, N.J.

                48  Richard Johnson, 27 May 1803 – 6 Mar 1877, m 4 Dec 1834, Elizabeth Buckbee Wood.  He was a farmer in Warwick.[98] 

                       481  Mary Wood Johnson, 6 Feb 1838 - , m 18 Nov 1858, Benjamin Demarest Bradner, a farmer of Newburgh.

                       482  Frances Ophelia Johnson, 22 May 1846 - , m 3 Dec 1867, Edward Jones Beekman.  

5.  Mary Johnson, ca 1766 - > 1831, m before 1792.[99] Ananias Rogers, 1760 –1806.   She m2 Robert Blain, and m3 Elijah Wells in 1831;.[100] The Rogers family came from Huntington, Long Island where they had intermarried with various of the other families that came from there to Warwick:  Whitman, Sammis, Wood, etc.  Ananias, the son of Augustus Rogers, served as a private in Capt. Minthorn’s militia company during the War.[101]

           51  Elizabeth Rogers, 26 Nov 1793 – 6 Jan 1832, m1 Joel Wheeler; m2 23 Oct 1824 John Wisner Vanderouf 17 Nov 1781 – 10 Feb 1867. [102] Vanderouf’s first wife was Dorothy Wheeler, sister of Joel.  Children by Wheeler:

                       511  Henry Wheeler, m Harriet

                       512  Hayden Wheeler, b 3 May 1821 in Warwick; d 12 Nov 1881 in Middletown,[103] m Joanna Ackley, b ca 1827.

                       513  Nathan Wheeler, m Elizabeth Dusinberre 

        514    Lucinda Wheeler, m Horace Thompson

        515   Mary Wheeler, m Abram Nanny

 Children by Vanderoef:

                       516    Elizabeth Vanderoef, b 16 Aug 1825, m Thomas E. Ferrier whose family had connections to the Edsalls and Carrs.

                       517  John Wisner Vanderoef, b 24 Feb 1827, m Eliza Titus Bull

                52  Richard Rogers

                53  John Rogers

                54  Augustine Platt Rogers 

5.  Juliana Johnson,  born in 1769 at Warwick, Orange, NY,[104] married Joseph Todd Jr. b 11 Feb 1765 in Warwick; d 5 Aug 1848, Bloomfield, Oakland Co, MI.[105]  He was the son of Joseph Todd Sr and Catherine Knapp, dau of Jonathan Knapp. The 1790 census shows Joseph Todd Jr. next door to his father, with two females.  This suggests he already had a wife and daughter.[106] She died on 10 Feb 1843 at Oak Hill Cemetery, Oakland, MI.[107]  Both Joseph Todds served in the Revolution; Joseph Jr. enlisted in 1781 in Capt. Peter Bertholf’s company of Col. Henry Wisner’s NY State Regiment.  Sometime before 1810, the family moved to Palmyra, Wayne Co.  After Juliana died, in 1843, Joseph Todd, 77, m Patty Lee, 66.   Children:

                51  Catherine Todd married Orrison Allen.[108]

                52  Hannah Todd 

                53  Jonathan Todd

                54  Elizabeth Todd was born in 1791.[109] She married Asa B. Hadsell in 1822.[110] She died in 1846.[111]

                55  Samuel S. Todd

                56  Jacob Todd

                57  John Todd was born on 23 Feb 1794.[112] He married Polly Smith in 1825.[113] He died in 1882.

7.   Samuel Johnson was born 1 Aug 1771 and died 28 Nov 1842.    We don’t know for sure whom he married, though a deed discussed in my paper on the Jackson Family suggests that he may have married Sarah Jackson, dau of James Jackson and Mary Poppino. Sarah --- was born in New Jersey 12 Feb 1781 and died 2 Jan 1850.  Richard Johnson in his will left his farm to his son Samuel, with the proviso that if he should die leaving no heirs, then the place was to be divided between the other two brothers.  Samuel apparently had ample heirs.  The 1820 Census shows 2 males under 10, 1 10-16, 1 16-26, and 2 26-45; 1 female under 10, 2 10-16, 1 16-25, 2 26-45, and 1 over 45. 

On 15 May 1802, Samuel and Sarah, his wife, mortgaged 112 acres between Cheesecocks and Wawayanda to Stephen Smith for £300.[114]  It looks as though they were buying this land from Smith.  It was paid off 13 June 1804.  On 7 Mar 1822, Samuel and Sarah apparently sold off the land they got from his father, in two parcels of 55 ¾ and 50 ¾ acres to Garret Onderdonk of Charles Town, Rockland Co.[115]

After 1820, Samuel, Sarah and family moved to Virgil in Cortland County where they are listed in the 1830 Census, showing again a large family: Males: 1 10-15, 1 15-20, 2 20-30, 1 60-70; Females: 1 5-10, 1 10-15, 1 20-30 and 1 50-60.  The only son of whom we have knowledge is Robert Gordon Johnson, listed in the 1850 Census for Dryden, Tompkins County, b ca  1817, wife Lucinda, b ca 1825, and son Adelbert G. Johnson, b ca 1844.[116]