Stephen Henry Johnson

Male11 August 1846–31 May 1862

Brief Life History of Stephen Henry

When Stephen Henry Johnson was born on 11 August 1846, in Lee, Penobscot, Maine, United States, his father, Stephen M. Johnson, was 38 and his mother, Harriet G Lee, was 27. He lived in Penobscot, Maine, United States in 1850. He died on 31 May 1862, at the age of 15, and was buried in South Cemetery, Lee, Penobscot, Maine, United States.

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Family Time Line

Stephen M. Johnson
1807–1895
Harriet G Lee
1818–1883
John L Johnson
1839–1862
Charles R Johnson
1843–1889
Stephen Henry Johnson
1846–1862
Mary Jane Johnson
1850–
Amanda M. Johnson
1854–1862
Llewellyn L Johnson
1859–1888

Sources (8)

  • Henry S Johnson in household of Stephen M Johnson, "United States Census, 1850"
  • Stephen H. Johnson, "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900"
  • Stephen Johnson, "Find A Grave Index"

Parents and Siblings

Siblings (6)

+1 More Child

World Events (1)

1851 · First State to Attempt Prohibition

Age 5

"In 1851, Maine outlawed the sale of alcohol, allowing exceptions only for ""medicinal, mechanical, and manufacturing purposes"". This made Maine the first state to experiment with prohibition. Neal Dow, mayor of Portland, believed that alcohol was linked to slavery and was also convinced by the Christian temperance movement. Dow ran into problems later for his anti-immigration rhetoric against the Irish, and also for breaking his own prohibition laws; although not a designated ""purchaser"", Dow personally purchased alcohol to distribute to local doctors, violating a technicality. As the citizens turned against him, Dow eventually ordered soldiers to fire on protesters. This marked a sharp decline in Dow's political career, and the Maine Law was repealed by 1856. Aspects of the law would remain in tact, however, and ultimately paved the way for the 18th Amendment, which prohibited alcohol on the national level."

Name Meaning

English and Scottish: patronymic from the Middle English and Older Scots personal name Johan, Jo(h)n (see John ) + -son. It was often interchanged with Jenson and Janson . In North America, this surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Norwegian, Danish, or North German Johnsen , Johannesen , Johannsen , Johansen , Jansen , Jantzen , and Jensen , Swedish Johnsson (see below), Johansson , Jonsson , and Jansson , Dutch Janssen , German Janz , Czech Jansa 1, and Slovenian Janša (see Jansa 2) and Janežič (see Janezic ). Johnson (including in the sense 2 below) is the second most frequent surname in the US. It is also the second most common surname among Native Americans and a very common surname among African Americans.

Americanized form (and a less common Swedish variant) of Swedish Johnsson: patronymic from the personal name John, a variant of Jon (see John ). Compare 1 above.

History: Surname Johnson was brought independently to North America by many different bearers from the 17th and 18th centuries onward. Andrew Johnson (1808–75), 17th president of the US, was born in Raleigh, NC, the younger son of Jacob Johnson and Mary (or Polly) McDonough. Little is known of his ancestors. The 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson, dates his American forebears back seven generations to James Johnston (sic) (born c. 1662) who lived at Currowaugh, Nansemond, and Isle of Wight counties, VA. — Noted early bearers also include Marmaduke Johnson (died 1674), a printer who came from England to MA in 1660; Edward Johnson (1598–1672), a colonial chronicler who was baptized at St. George's parish, Canterbury, England, and emigrated to Boston in 1630; and Sir Nathaniel Johnson (c. 1645–1713), a colonial governor of Carolina, who came from County Durham, England.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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