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Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
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Message Board Post:
My great-grandfather was a Roswell Johnson born in 1859 in Macomb County, Michigan, HIs
father was Abner Johnson, born in New York state in 1817.. Abner may have had a brother
Roswell born about 1811 in Vermont. They are listed next to each other on the census for
Butler,Wayne County, New York in 1840. Abner left shortly after 1849 for Michigan. My
research found a John and Roswell Johnson in Lyndon, Caledonia, Vermont on the 1800 and
1810 censuses. They were the only Johnsons listed for that township. Roswell married a
Naomi Bartlett there in 1795. The second Roswell was married to someone named Lydia. I
believe that Roswell (1810) may have migrated to Hillsdale County in Michigan. He is
listed on the 1850 census as and innkeeper or tavernkeeper. At that time he had no wife
(deceased) and four sons Charles, Warren, Elijah, and Earl from ages 15 to 9. That
Roswells birth origin was Vermont and the children were all born in New York. In 1860
Roswell was married again to a Car!
oline of England and had two young daughters Ida and Lucy. They lived in Pittsford
Township in Hillsdale County. None of the sons are listed on the census of 1860. I also
found the death information on Charles Johnson for Hillsdale. He died in Brooklyn, New
York of smallpox at age 39. His parents were listed as Roswell and Lydia Johnson. Since
the Indiana border is close to Hillsdale I wondered if there might be a connection?