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Popenoe/Popnoe/Poppino & Allied Families
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Chapman's
Historical and Biographical Record
of Orange County, p 880, says that Charlotte Johnson who married William
McCain before 1784, was an only daughter of
Thomas Johnson and Susannah Poppino and had 10 brothers.
Her father and brothers removed to Virginia at the close of the
Revolutionary War and later settled in Tennessee.
She used to lament that she was the only one of her family left in New
York and, although she lived to be very old, died 1846-7, and is interred in the
Amity cemetery, she never saw any of her family again.
There was no indication of where in VA or TN the Johnsons might have
gone. A
letter from Jennie A Jessup (in the Horton file at OCGS) gives some family
tradition that the ancestors of Joseph E and Albert Sidney Johnson, southern
generals, were said to have gone to Virginia and Tennessee from that part of
Orange County and might be related. She
said her father and uncle always said that Col. Richard Mentor Johnson, reputed
slayer of Tecumseh and Vice President under Martin Van Buren was related.
However, since he was born in 1781 at Bryants Station, KY it hardly seems
possible that he could be related. Similarly,
the generals were also not related; the book Generals
in Gray says that Albert Sidney Johnston was born in Washington, KY 1803,
and Joseph Eggleston Johnston was born in Farmville, VA 1807. When
I was in the Virginia Historical Society in October 1994, going through some
papers of George King, the VA
genealogist, I ran across a letter from a client that mentioned his ancestors,
the Jaynes from NY had gone to Lee County, VA.
Since there were Jayne neighbors in Florida, this seemed a clue worth
following up. Samuel Jayne Jr,
1738-1807 m Lydia Skadan and lived in Florida.
They had 12 children including Catherine Jayne, b 1765, who m2, William
Johnson, son of Richard Johnson who was not related to Thomas so far as we know,
but was married to Susannah Poppino Johnson's sister. Later
in the Library of Virginia, Archives section, I found abstracts of land sales in
Lee County in 1799 by Thomas and Susannah Johnson.
There were several other Johnsons in their immediate neighborhood. In the hope that these were the Johnsons I was looking for, I
collected a lot of data about them which is set out below. The
Jaynes In
early 1997, Elmire Conklin told me about the book Early Settlers of Lee County, Virginia, Vol. II, compiled by Hattie
Byrd Muncy Bales, Greenboro, NC 1977.
This book has a detailed Jayne genealogy though some of the data disagree
with other sources. It begins with
William Jayne I, 1676-1714 in Setauket, LI. Two of his sons, William and Samuel, moved to Florida, Orange
County. William Jayne II, 1678-1756
m Elizabeth Woodhull. His sons
Isaac and William moved to Pennsylvania after the war.
Isaac’s son Henry b 1754, married Abigail Wheeler, and moved to
Washington County, Va, where he died in 1828.
The Jaynes of Washington, Lee, etc. counties in VA seem to all be of this
line. I don’t know of anything
that connects our Thomas Johnson with this branch of Jaynes, though they
probably didn’t live very far apart in Florida. Samuel
Jayne, 1690-1765, married Dinah Tooker, and had six children including Jemima
and Samuel Jayne II, mentioned above, who married Lydia Skaden.
Jemima, b 1730 was said to be married to Jeffrey Wisner.
This seems to be wrong because the first Jeffrey I am aware of was born
in 1769 and married first Hannah Wheeler, and second, Elizabeth Armstrong, a
Poppino descendant. According
to Bales’ account, none of Samuel II’s children moved to Virginia.
Bales also lists one of Samuel’s children as Catherine Jayne, b 1765,
m1 Banjamin Jones, m2 William Thompson. This
contradicts the information in Orange
County Church Records, DAR 1940, p 149 copied from original records in the
possession of Mary S. Wheeler of Florida which states:
“Catherine b 1765 md lst Benjamin Shepherd; 2nd William
Johnson.” William Johnson’s
will, made 1832, refers to his wife Catherine.
Their tombstones in the Old School Baptist Cemetery show that Catherine
died 26 Jan 1852 at 85 yrs, 5 mos, 26 days, which would have her born in 1766.
It is possible that there were two Catherine Jaynes who have been mixed
up. The
Johnsons in Virginia Mrs.
Bales says that the Johnsons were among Russell County’s prominent pioneers
but doesn’t say where they came from. She
says Thomas Johnson married Fanny Dickenson Scott, widow of Archibald Scott who,
with their children, was killed by Indians in 1785.
Fanny was taken captive but later managed to escape and return to
Virginia. After marrying Fanny,
Thomas Johnson purchased Archibald Scott’s land on Wallen Creek but Fanny
refused to go back to it. Fanny
died in 1796. Thomas Scott had a
second marriage sometime prior to July 25, 1797 to Susannah, surname unknown.
In 1797-99, they sold various pieces of land including two tracts on the
head of Wallings Creek granted to Archibald Scott and conveyed to Johnson his
heir and administrator. After
the sale of all his land in Russell and Lee Counties, Thomas Johnson and his
wife Susannah removed to Tennessee. It
has been said that Johnson County, TN was named for Thomas Johnson. Early History of
Carter County, Tennessee 1760-1861, by Frank Merritt, says that a bill was
introduced in the State Legislature in 1835 to divide Carter County and call the
new one Johnson, in honor of Thomas Johnson, a resident for about 30 years. So
does all this support or refute the hypothesis that Thomas Johnson from Orange
County went to this part of Virginia with his ten sons and they (some of them,
anyway) later moved to Tennessee. Our
Susanah Poppino and her Thomas
Johnson were probably born no later than 1740 (her brother was born in 1726) so
by 1790 he would be 50ish and he could well have a son and namesake who married
Fanny. As will be seen below, in
the 1780s we find two Thomas Johnsons on the tax lists and we find a connection
between the Jaynes and Thomas Johnson on Wallins Creek. The
Land and Tax Records Washington
County was formed in 1777. Russell
County was created from the NW part of it in 1786, and Lee County was created
from the western part of Russell in 1793. It
would appear that some of Johnson's land was on the border with Washington
County (which is the peak line of Clinch Mountain); the land he sold in 1799 was
in Lee County, and the land where he continued to live remained in Russell
County. I do not find Cedar Creek
on my current map. Wallen Ridge and
Powell Mountain appear to be twenty miles or more to the NW.
The Land Grants indicate that he was in Russell County at least by 1786
when the first grants were made to him, possibly sooner if he bought the
warrents and then had surveys made in the usual fashion.
The earliest survey shown is 1782. Land
tax books show that a Thomas Johnson still had various pieces of land in 1813,
though he was no longer paying personal property tax, perhaps by reason of age
and infirmity (or being in another state?).
I did not have time to research the land tax records further, so do not
know when that name ceases to show up on the books. Washington
County Grant
Book 3, p
176 (microfilm at LVA) Patrick
Henry Esquire Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: know ye, that by
virtue of a Certificate in right of settlement given by the Commissioners for
adjusting the Titles to unpatented lands in the District of Washington and
Montgomery and in consideration of the ancient composition of ten shillings
Sterling paid by Thomas Johnson into the Treasury of this Commonwealth there is
granted by the said Commonwealth unto the said Thomas Johnson an assignee of
James Danalson a certain tract or parcel of land containing ninety three acres
.... bearing date the tenth Day of March one thousand and eighty three
lying and being in the County of Washington on the head of a small branch the
waters of Cedar Creek a branch of Clinch River and bounded as follows......To
have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land, with its appurtenances, to
the said Thomas Johnson and his Heirs for ever.
In Witness whereof the said Patrick Henry Esquire Governor of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, hath hereunto set his hand and caused the ...Seal of
the said Commonwealth to be affixed at Richmond, on the twenty sixth Day of June
in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty six and of the
Commonwealth of Virginia the Tenth. --P.
Henry Grants
4, p 67
(microfilm) By
virtue of a certificate on right of settlement given by the commissioners for
adjusting the titles to unpatented lands in the district of Washington and
Montgomery and in consideration of £2, paid by Thomas Johnson there is granted
to said Johnson, assignee of Jacob Lewis, 400 A in Washington Co, surveyed 6 Nov
1783, on both sides of Wallins Creek a branch of Powell river on N side of
Powells Mtn. Granted 6 June 1786. Grants
5, p 139
(microfilm) By
virtue of right of settlement etc. and payment of ten shillings by Thomas
Johnson assignee of James Danielson, 196 A in Washington Co, surveyed 6 December
1782, on both sides of the South fork of Cedar Creek the waters of Clinch River,
on line of Alexander McClanahan's patent land.
Granted 26 June 1786. Grants
18, p 192
(card index) 22
July 1788. 246 A on Little Rye
Grass Mountain and on the head of the South fork of Cedar Creek the waters of
the Clinch River. p 193 22
July 1788. 140 A on both sides of a
small branch of Lewis' Creek waters of Clinch River. Thomas
Johnson does not show up in the microfilmed Washington County tax records
examined at the Library of Virginia. The
1782 personal property tax book shows James and William Rodgers, Henry Jayne,
James and Thomas McCamly, David Kerr, Adam Kerr and, in a different precinct,
William Kerr. The
1790 NY Census shows James and William Rogers in Orange County, so these must be
different people. The 1783 list
shows on one page: James Rodgers,
Jesse Jackson, James Jones, Joseph Johnson, and William Rogers.
All common names that could be from anywhere. Russell
County Grants
28, p 2
(card) 15 Aug 1792. w/ Samuel
Ewing. Grants
28, p 510
(microfilm) Granted
to Thomas Johnston, 100 A in Washington County by survey of 9 April 1789 on the
waters of the north fork of Holstein River, etc. Granted 5 July 1793.
Henry Lee, Gov. p 511: Granted
to Thomas Johnson, by virtue of a Land Office Treasury warrent # 17,252 issued
24 June 1783, granted to Thomas Johnson in his own right for one moiety and as
assignee of Jacob Crabtree for the other moiety of 68 acres surveyed 3 March
1791 in Russell Co on the north side of Clinch Mountain etc.
Granted 10 July 1793. p 548 By
virtue of a Land Office Treasury Warrant # 9,069 issued 21 Nov 1781, there is
granted unto Thomas Johnson a certain tract of land containing 50 A by survey of
3 March 1791, in Russell Co on the north side of Clinch Mountain, beginning on a
rocky spur on the line of Johnson's 390 A tract, etc.
Granted and signed at Richmond, 10 July 1793. p 713 By
virtue of a Land Office Treasury Warrant #17,252 issued 24 June 1783, there is
granted to Thomas Johnson in his own right for one moiety; and as assignee of
Jacob Crabtree for the other moiety of a certain tract in Russell Co. containing
294 acres. Beginning on the south
side of Rye Grass Mountain corner to said Thomas Johnson's 76 acre tract...etc,
to said Johnson's 246 acre tract, etc, adjoins Hamblet Patterson's, etc.
Granted 17 July 1793. p 362 By
virtue of a certificate in right of settlement given by the Commonwealth for
adjusting the titles to unpatented lands in the District of Washington and
Montgomery, now in consideration of £1/15, paid by Joseph Johnson, there is granted 316 A in Russell Co by Survey of 22
March 1791 on both sides of Clinch River. 11
June 1793. Grants
34, p 312 (microfilm) By
virtue of land office treasury warrant # 17,252, issued 24 June 1783, there is
granted unto Thomas Johnson, 170 A in Russell Co, surveyed 21 March 1792, on the
waters of Ceder Creek, adj. Johnson's 246 A land, ...to top of little Rye Grass
Mountain...with others of his lines, etc. Granted 7 June 1796. p 314 same
warrent, 364 A in Russell Co at the head of the south fork of Cedar Creek ,
corner to Hamblet Patterson, ...Big Rye Grass Mtn...Surveyed 20 March 1792.
Granted 7 June 1796. Grant
to Hamblet Patterson. Warrent #
19,218 of 8 Sep 1783. granted to
Patterson, assignee of William Buster, 71 A in Washington County at head of S
fork of Cedar Creek the waters of Clinch River, adj Thomas Johnson.
Survey 20 Jan 1786.Granted 7 June 1796. p 337 Grant
to Thomas Johnson. Treasury
warrents 1253 and 17,252. 124 A in
Russell Co, by survey of 22 Mar 1792. South
fork of Cedar Creek. Granted 7 June
1796. Grants
40, p 378 (card) 28
Aug 1798. 49 acres on waters of
Cedar Creek. Lee
County Lee
County, Va Deed Book No. 1, 1793-1804,
Reda Thornton Duckworth, Mountain Press, PO Box 400, Signal Mountain, TN 37377.
LVA: F 232. L47 D858, 1991, p 29: p
168. Indenture, 1 January 1797
between Thomas Johnson of Russell County and Henry Lewis and John David of
Hawkins County, TN for £40 for 385 A on Trading Creek, north branch of Powells
River. Land being 2 tracts granted
to Archibald Scott conveyed to Thomas Johnson, administrator of Archibald
Scott's deed. Granted to Robert
Duff. In presence of Alex Stuart,
Jn Gibson, William Taylor. Early
Records of Lee County, VA,
Vol 2, by Ada Grace Catron, 1972. LVA:
F232. L47.C32, p 38: p
168. 1 January 1799.
Thomas Johnson and Susannah, his wife, to Robert Duff, for £900, 796
acres at head of Wallens Creek in Powell Valley, Lee Co, VA.
Place of residence not given but on 22 January 1799, in Russell County,
this indenture was examined, etc. Testes:
Henry Dickinson and C Carter. p
169. 1 January 1799.
Thomas Johnson and Susannah, his wife, Russell County, VA to Robert Duff,
Russell Co, VA for £200, 182 acres in Lee County, north side of Archibald
Scott's land in Powell Valley. Tax
Records - Russell County Netti
Schreiner-Yantis, The Personal Property
Tax Lists for the Year 1787 for Russell Co, VA: Tax
List A,
Upper district (from the mouth of Dumps Creek across to Grumbly Mt) shows the
following listed on June 8 and 9, therefore living close together:
Johnson, Joseph; Johnson, Thomas; Jones, James, Ratliff, Richard;
Rodgers, James; Rodgers, William; Jackson, James; Johnson, William.
Three names further on is Horton, John; and Jackson, Lydia, both June 11. There is a second Johnson, Thomas some distance away, June 4. Tax
List A, in
alphabetical order shows: Thos. Johnson of New Gap with 8 horses and 3 cattle,
plus a stud horse that is taxed separately.
The other Thomas Johnson is listed as a saddler.
Joseph Johnson has 3 horses and 6 cattle, and William Johnson has 1 horse
and 6 cattle. From
Anne and Ethel Albert, Russell Co VA
Personal Property and Land Tax List 1787-1810, 1973, LVA: F 232 R9 A6, and
from looking at the originals on microfilm: In
1788, the upper district land tax list shows Thos. Johnson with 400 and 300
acres. The Rodgers each have 400;
Lydia Jackson has 100. Joseph and
William are not listed, therefore presumably
have no land of their own. Ditto
James Jackson, John Horton (who later has dozens of properties), James Jones and
Richard Ratliff. For
1790, Thomas Johnson of New Gap has 400 acres.
In 1791 he has the 400 plus 300 and another 100 as assignee of Beavers.
For 1792 to 1795, he still has these three properties.
In 1796 he has: 400, 300, l00, 68, 50, 294 and, as assignee of Webb, 130
acres. In
1794 Benjamin and Daniel Johnson appear on the Personal Property tax list and in
1810 Johnsons include George, two Johns, Susanna, and William. In
1797, Johnson, Thos. is in the upper district of the Personal Property Tax List,
showing one person titheable (subject to poll tax), as before.
There is no Thomas Johnson in the lower district.
In 1798 there is a Thos. Johnson (1) in the lower district, and Susanna
Johnson (0) in the Upper. In 1799,
Thomas Johnson (1) is in the lower district, and in 1800 it is Thomas Johnson
(0). In 1802, we see Susanna (1) in the upper district.
In 1810 in the upper district we have Thomas (0) and Susanna (1).
If this is our Thomas, he probably has appealed that he is old and
infirm. Women are not subject to
tax, and if this is our Susanna, she may be listed because she is paying the
tax. Or she may have a son at home
who is subject to tax. Following
the land tax books on microfilm, in 1799 and 1802, Thomas Johnson has the
following acreages: 400, 100, 50,
556, and 124. In 1807
and 1809 he has: 14, 100, 50, 556, and 49.
In 1810, 1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814, he has 14, 100, 50, and 556. I lost access to the microfilm reader before I could follow
these any further. Bear
in mind that in 1797-99, Thomas and Susannah sold to Robert Duff three
properties of 385, 796, and 182 acres in Powell Valley, Lee County.
These would not show on the Russell Co tax lists and he would not be
taxed on them since he lived in Russell Co.
These seem to be in the vicinity of the Rodgers', etc. land. The
1810 tax lists (Netti Schreiner-Yantis, A
Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia, 1971 shows the following as
neighbors--all taxed on April 3:
White Thithables
Horses Johnson,
Thomas
0
0
one stud horse--$1.50 Johnson,
John (Gh ?)
1
3 Johnson,
William
1
3 Jones,
Jehue
1
3 Jones,
William
1
0 Johnson,
George
1
l Some
distance away, i.e., March 29, we find another John Johnson (1-0-3) and next to
him, Susana Johnson (1-0-2). Perhaps
this is an unrelated person. Or
perhaps Thomas Senior has died. James
Jayne Lee
County, Deed Book 2: p 175-6:
Richard Horn to James Jane, 258 A on Wallen's Creek. 25 Sep 1804. p
244: James Jayne to Abraham Wilson,
sells for $500, 155 A on north side of Wallings Creek.
Land granted to John Thompson and Thomas Gibbons of TN and conveyed. Grants
63, p 261: James Jayne, 200 A on
both sides of Wallins Creek adj his own land. 9 Sep 1812. Later grants to James Jayne in same area: 100 A in 1824, 31 A
in 1837, 136 A in 1843. Also
in 1809 (Lee County Deed Book 1, p 30: Abraham
Wilson, 3 Jan 1809, Stephen Jayne, witness. And
10 Oct 1799: A land transfer on
both sides of Wallin's Creek, a branch of Powell River, adjoining Thomas
Johnson's settlement. Archibald
Scott Grants
P, p 709, 20 June 1785, 396 A on south side of Wallins Ridge, adj. his
settlement Grants
Q, p 336: 5 July 1785, 182 A on
north side of his settlement. Grants
R, p 99: 5 July 1785, 400 A on head
of Wallings Creek in Powell's Valley. John
Horton had
many properties in Russell County. He
adjoined Daniel Johnson on north side of Clinch Mountain, and on the south side,
adj. Samuel Duff. He had property
on Indian Creek adj. Samuel Duff and John Drake, 6 July 1818. According to Bales, Horton was born in 1749 in Stafford
County, VA, so there doesn’t seem to be any connection with the Orange County
Hortons. Conclusion. Well,
maybe yes, maybe no. We certainly
haven’t proved that these Johnson came from Orange County but it seems a good
possibility. It would help if we
knew how the Johnsons and the Jaynes happened to go to Virginia and with whom. |
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