Johnson, William & Ellen

William Chester Johnson (1886-1918) and Ellen Brown Johnson (b.1895)

Walpole, NH; Keene, NH

On July 23, 1917, William Chester Johnson married Hattie Ellen Brown in Walpole, NH. As a 31 year old Black resident of Walpole, this was Will’s second marriage, having been divorced from his  former wife.  According to the marriage record, Will was working as a herdsman and had lived in the area for about one year.  

Prior to that he resided in Nelson County, Kentucky where his mother Mary (Smith) Johnson was born and had died.  The marriage record also indicates that Will was born on January 2, 1886 in Mexico.  Most likely his birthplace was the unincorporated town of Mexico in Crittenden County, Kentucky but primary sources don’t make that distinction.  

Will’s father, William C. Johnson Sr. was reportedly born in London, Ontario, Canada and worked as a lawyer until his death at the age of 67.  No records have been discovered, to date, to verify this information; it’s possible that Will Sr. was born in London, Kentucky.

The bride, Hattie Ellen Brown, was a 22-year old Black woman born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. She worked as a domestic servant in Walpole and it was her first marriage. Ellen’s father, a farmer named John H. Brown died in Jamaica before 1917 as did her mother Rachel (Balt) Brown.  

Within a few months of their marriage, Will and Ellen Johnson moved to Keene where they resided close to downtown at 318 Elm Street.  Will continued to work in Walpole but also found work as a farm laborer for Renouf Russell, caring for his vegetable gardens.  

In January 1918, William C. Johnson was called in to testify in a court case involving Russell.  The “food hoarding committee” accused Russell and another farmer in Keene of purposefully freezing their potatoes in an attempt to drive up the cost of potatoes.  Johnson testified that he had been ordered to cover the potatoes with hay or straw, which he did, but approximately 275 bushels had frozen anyway.  The frozen potatoes were later moved to the cellar of Russell’s house to feed to the livestock.

In September 1918, William Chester Johnson completed his World War I draft registration card.  The document described Johnson as white, medium height, medium build with gray eyes and brown hair. William’s left arm was paralyzed and his first and second fingers on his left hand were broken.  At the time, he worked as a teamster for the NH state highway department.

A later death notice in the Keene Sentinel newspaper provides further work information for William Johnson.  According to the notice, he worked for Dr. B. C. Russell at the Hedges in Keene for a short time before leaving to take a job working on state roads.  

Within a few weeks of completing his draft registration form, William Johnson caught pneumonia.  After five days of battling the illness, Johnson died on Oct 8, 1918 and was buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Keene.  His wife Ellen was about 8 months pregnant at the time.  

Ellen Johnson gave birth to Sarah V. Johnson on November 10, 1918 in Keene, NH.  Dr. John J. Brawsnahaw, MD, delivered the baby. According to the birth record, Ellen was a widow who had recently relocated to 87 Water Street. She was 22 years old.  

Two years following her husband’s death and the birth of her daughter, Ellen N. Johnson moved back to Walpole, NH.  The 1920 census reveals her position as a domestic servant in the home of Thomas B. Buffam of Union Street.  Her 1 ½ year old daughter, Sarah V. Johnson lived with her as well.  Ellen most likely kept house for Dr. and Mrs. Buffam who were in their 50s and at home, not working.  

No further information is known about Ellen (Brown) Johnson and Sarah V. Johnson’s life.

GENEALOGICAL SUMMARY

WILLIAM CHESTER JOHNSON was born January 2nd, 1886 in Mexico, [KY], to WILLIAM CHESTER JOHNSON SR. and MARY SMITH. William was married sometime between 1905 and 1916 but divorced. He married 2nd HATTIE “ELLEN” N. BROWN on July 23, 1917 in Walpole, NH. Ellen was born in 1895 in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies to JOHN H. BROWN and RACHEL BALT. William and Ellen Johnson had one child: SARAH V. JOHNSON on November 10, 1918 in Keene, NH. William died on October 18, 1918 in Keene, NH.

SOURCE MATERIALS

Frizzell, Martha McDanolds, A History of Walpole New Hampshire (1963) - Archives.org

Keene Sentinel newspaper 8 Jan 1918, p.3

Keene Sentinel newspaper 9 Oct 1918, p.5

NH Vital Records, Births, Keene, 1918 - Ancestry.com

NH Vital Records, Deaths, Keene, 1918 - Ancestry.com

NH Vital Records, Marriages, Walpole, 1917 - Ancestry.com

U.S. Federal Census, 1920 - Ancetry.com

World War I Draft Registration Card, 1918 - Ancestry.com