Harty Potter JOHNSON

Notes:

We have a picture of Great-great-grandma Harty Whitford, taken in 1912 in a five-generation group which includes her father. More recently I was given a picture of her as a young mother. These and other family pictures are posted at our family web site [www.thesorensens.net].

I have a photocopy of her original death entry in the Book of Deaths in 1917, p. 51, for the Town of Coventry. Also, her gravestone has been photographed.

I think she must have been named after Harty (Potter) Johnson, wife of her uncle Caleb Johnson.

Harty married Charles Carmi WHITFORD 25 Nov 1866, Richmond, RI. Charles (son of Jeremiah Bailey WHITFORD and Sally Williams TIBBETTS) was born 14 Dec 1834, West Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 18 Aug 1910, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The original marriage entry is at the Richmond Town Hall in the "Book of Marriages and Deaths, 1850-1910, p. 14. It says, "In Richmond, Nov. 25th (1866), Charles C. Whitford born in West Greenwich, age 31 -- a farmer, and Hatty P. Johnson born in Coventry, age 17; parents of each: Jeremiah and Sally W. Whitford, Phillip and Tryphena H. Johnson; married by Gilbert Tillinghast, Minister of the Gospel." It was the first marriage for both of them.

1. Hattie Lenora Whitford was born 4 Jan 1869, West Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 9 Jun 1945; was buried , Woodland Cemetery, Washington & Knotty Oak Sts., Coventry, RI.
2. Angeretta Williams WHITFORD was born 10 Nov 1870, West Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 12 Oct 1958, Warwick, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Woodland Cemetery, Coventry, RI.
3. Julia Erespa Whitford was born 11 Jul 1873, West Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 4 Dec 1918, RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI.
4. Lena May Whitford was born 27 Nov 1875, West Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 22 Apr 1935, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried 25 Apr 1935, Manchester Cemetery, Washington St., Coventry, RI.
5. Olive "Ollie" Louise Whitford was born 16 Feb 1878, West Greenwich, Kent Co., RI; died 12 Nov 1967; was buried , Oakland Cemetery, Maple Ave., Coventry, RI.
6. Twin Daughter Whitford was born 16 Feb 1878, West Greenwich, Kent Co.; died 25 Feb 1878, West Greenwich, Kent Co..
7. Charles William Whitford was born 27 May 1882, RI; died 2 May 1967; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI.
8. Jeremiah "Jerry" Nelson Whitford was born 2 Oct 1884, RI; died 19 Jul 1960; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Harkney Hill Rd., Coventry, RI.

Notes:

We have a nice five-generation picture which includes Philip in 1913, when he was ninety. There is another one taken around the same time in which he has Margaret Estelle Whitford on his lap. The story is that he was blind in his old age.

Philip's gravestone has been photographed. According to the RI Cemetery Database, the Maple Root Cemetery "is a very old cemetery containing many inscribed field stones for the earliest settlers in this area. Records at Town Hall indicate that the first lot in the newer section was sold to Philip Johnson on 7 Nov 1893." I would guess that this was my 3xGreat-grandfather Johnson, or else his son Philip R. Johnson.

In the 1860 Federal Census, Philip & Triphina H. Johnson are living in Coventry, RI. In the home are Hearty P. 10, Philip R. 9, and Triphina 5, as well as Persilla Johnson, 74, Philip's mother.

By 1870 Philip has remarried, and he and Phebe are at Coventry with three children in the household: Ednah P. 9, Patience J. 6, and Zilpha W. 1.

In 1880 they are still at Coventry, and two daughters are with them: Orvilla P. 24 and Zilpha W. 11. Orvilla is Phebe's daughter from her previous marriage to Isaac Paine.

Philip married Tryphena Hoxsie GREENE 25 Nov 1849, West Greenwich, RI. Tryphena (daughter of Hiram GREENE and Abigail JOHNSON) was born 19 Aug 1827; died 9 Jul 1866, Coventry, Kent Co., RI; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Her gravestone has been photographed. Her surname has been spelled as Green and Greene, as has the name of the clergyman who married them, Caleb Green(e).

"Tryphena Greene-Johnson, daughter of Hiram, m. her second cousin, Philip Johnson [Philip, Philip, Ezekiel, EIizabeth Greene-Johnson, Usal Greene, John, John]. Their children have five strains of Greene blood. Harty Johnson-Whitford, m. Carmi Whitford. Philip R. Johnson. Has a son and a daughter." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Notes:

I have a photocopy of the original record from the official book of the Town of West Greenwich for 1851, p. 77. They were married on 25 Nov 1849 by Caleb Green, Minister of the Gospel, and the marriage was recorded by John James, Town Clerk, about a year and a half later. The minister, Elder Caleb Green(e) (elsewhere it is spelled with a final "e"), was married to Lucetta Nichols, daughter of Susanna Whitford and Ambrose Nichols.

Notes:

Philip's gravestone is at Maple Root Cemetery, but he died in Ohio, so perhaps he is buried there.

According to Beaman's RI Genealogical Register, there was a Philip Johnson admitted to membership at Maple Root on 6 August 1814. This is probably the husband of Priscilla, and it was their son Philip who was born in Ohio in 1822. When, and for what reason, did they move to Ohio?

Supposedly there was another Philip Johnson admitted to membership at Maple Root on 30 June 1785, and this one died 13 July 1785. Who was this Philip? Was he an uncle, brother to Philip's father Ezekiel? Or perhaps his father wasn't Ezekiel at all, as stated in J.R.Cole's "History of Washington and Kent Counties," but rather was another Philip (?).

Ruth Nichols Reynolds, in her article titled " A Line of Descent from David Nichols of Coventry," writes that Prisilla Nichols, d/o Jonathan & Prisilla Nichols, married a Philip Johnson who was admitted a member of Maple Root on 30 June 1785 and died 13 July 1785. Where did she get this information from, that his wife was Priscilla? Could our Philip Johnson have been a son of this couple, born after the father died? If so, why does the "History of Washington and Kent Counties" say his father was Ezekiel?

What makes this confusing is that our Philip actually did marry a Priscilla Nichols, but not the one who was a daughter of Jonathan & Priscilla. She was a daughter of David, s/o Jonathan & Priscilla.

Philip married Priscilla NICHOLS Abt 1807. Priscilla (daughter of David NICHOLS and Mary GREENE) was born 30 Oct 1785; died 27 Jul 1879; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

She is named as his daughter Priscilla Johnson in the will of David Nichols, dated 8 Sept 1815, proved 6 November 1815 in Coventry. Her gravestone, located in the cemetery across from Mapleroot Baptist Church in Coventry, RI, says she died at age 93, 8 months, and 27 days.

Notes:

Apparently Hiram was married twice, but no marriage records for either marriage have been found.

According to Hiram's gravestone, he died in the 23rd year of his life.

See the following quote:

"Hiram Greene, son of Judge Benjamin and grandson of Col. Isaac. His first wife's only son died at manhood. His second wife was Abigail Johnson of Greene descent. [Abigail, Daniel, Abigail Greene-Johnson, Usal Greene, John, John]. By her he had Tryphena and Benjamin. Hiram died, aged but 23, though twice married and the father of three children." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

Also note this from Google Books (snippet view available only):

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7, January, 1846: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Hiram married Abigail JOHNSON Abt 1826. Abigail (daughter of Daniel JOHNSON and Freelove ARNOLD) was born 25 Oct 1802, West Greenwich, RI; died 12 Sep 1856, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The following is a partial quote from "Acts and Resolves of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" pub. by Henry Ward, Sec'y, 1846, p 7, January, 1846: "Upon the petition of Abigail Greene of Coventry, A. Greene, in this State, guardian of the persons and estates of Tryphenia H. Greene and Benjamin Greene, minors, children of Hiram Greene, late of said Coventry, deceased, praying for the reasons therein stated, that . . . "

Some of our family info has her name as Abigail Matteson, but a couple of online genealogies at Rootsweb have her surname as Johnson, daughter of Daniel. If that is true, I have traced her ancestry. (This needs more research. I have not yet checked the death record at Coventry.) See Lora LaMance's book on the Greene family; she says Hiram's second wife was Abigail Johnson, d/o Daniel.

According to the above official document, she was Abigail Greene on or about January 1846.

The will of Daniel Johnson of West Greenwich dated 28 Nov 1833 mentions a wife named Freelove and a daughter named Abigail Greene. For this reason and the above evidence, I have placed Abigail in this family.

Notes:

This may be the Ezekiel, Jr. who married Ruth Matteson, of Joseph, on 20 Feb 1783 by Isaac Johnson, Justice. I have assumed that these dates from the RI Cemetery Database belong to this Ezekiel. The membership list of Maple Root Baptist Church has the names Ezekiel Johnson, Mercy Johnson, and Philip Johnson for 6 Aug 1814. This may be our Ezekiel, his son Philip, and his daughter, or possibly second wife.

Ezekiel married Ruth MATTESON 20 Feb 1783, Coventry, RI. Ruth (daughter of Joseph MATTESON and Ruth JONES) was born Abt 1765; died Between 1800 and 1810. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The marriage record at Coventry identifies Ruth as daughter of Joseph.

Notes:

Ezekiel Johnson, Jr., and Ruth Matteson, of Joseph, were married at Coventry by Isaac Johnson, Justice.

David married Mary GREENE 1780. Mary was born 1762; died 1849. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Mary Nichols was admitted as a member of Maple Root in 1816.

One Greene genealogy has this Mary marrying three times: to Jonathan Joice, David Nichols, and Obed Harvey. However, Mary Greene is a very common name, and it may be that another Mary married one or two of those other men.

The same genealogy says her parents were Elder Timothy Greene & Silence Rowlands, but I am not sure about that (needs more research to confirm).

Notes:

"Judge Benjamin Greene. Born Feb 1760 or 1764. Died Jan 4 or 14, 1842. (Records vary.) First wife, Sarah Brayton. By her he had Caleb, who m. Phebe Matteson, Hannah and Isaac. By second wife, Henriette, he had Sarah, Barbara and Hiram." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

Benjamin married Harrietta Hettie Unknown Abt 1799. Harrietta was born Abt 1774; died 16 May 1837; was buried , Maple Root Cemetery, Coventry, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

He is likely the Daniel Johnson of West Greenwich, whose will was dated 28 Nov 1833, proved 31 Mar 1834. The will mentions Daniel's wife Freelove and the following children: Josiah A., James R., Arnold (dec'd), Freelove, Abigail Greene, and Sally Matteson; also a grandson Daniel, son of Arnold.

A family tree at Rootsweb's Worldconnect shows his wife as Freelove Burlingame. However, the death record of son Arnold at West Greenwich has Daniel's wife as Freelove Arnold (as per RIVR NS Vol 6 p 153; I have not viewed the original).

See the following quote:

"Hiram Greene, son of Judge Benjamin and grandson of Col. Isaac. His first wife's only son died at manhood. His second wife was Abigail Johnson of Greene descent [Abigail, Daniel, Abigail Greene-Johnson, Usal Greene, John, John]. By her he had Tryphena and Benjamin. Hiram died, aged but 23, though twice married and the father of three children." (source: "The Greene Family and its Branches" by Lora S. LaMance, Mayflower Pub Co.)

See also notes for Daniel's daughter Abigail.

Daniel married Freelove ARNOLD Abt 1792. Freelove was born Abt 1770. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Daniel's will mentions a wife named Freelove. I am not sure her maiden name was Arnold, but based on the the fact that they had a son named Arnold, and that her maiden name is given as Arnold in RI Vital Records New Series, Vol 6 p 156, I have tentatively used that as her maiden name.

A family tree at Rootsweb's Worldconnect shows her as Freelove Burlingame. However, the death record of son Arnold at West Greenwich has Daniel's wife as Freelove Arnold (as per RIVR NS Vol 6 p 153; I have not viewed the original).