John Johnston of McIntosh Bluff Alabama
The area known as Mississippi Territory was organized in 1798. It was bounded on the south by the 31st parallel (the 31st parallel forms the northern present day boundary of Florida), on the west by the Mississippi River, on the north by a line east from the mouth of the Yazoo River (now Tennessee's southern boundary), and on the east by the Chattahoochee River( Georgia). The lower part of present day Alabama & Mississippi was West Florida. Before 1798 the boundaries changed often with the lands under Spanish, French & British rule. The first English settlements in the area was the Tombigbee Settlements in about 1777. Most of these early settlers were Tories or Loyalist refugees of the American Revolution. The Commandant of the Tensaw Settlement on the Tombigbee River was John Linder, Sr., another of our ancestors.
It is from the many documents left from these early settlements that we know that our ancestor John Johnston was an active member of the pioneers of Alabama and can verify that he settled there before 1786. Among the 62 signers of a petition from the English inhabitants, dated 15 January 1787, of the Tombigbee and Tensaw Valley are John Johnston, Daniel Johnston, and Daniel Johnston, Jr. Because the area was under the rule of the Spanish, then British, then American many land grants had to be proven several times. The Johnstons had been living there for many years when they had to go back and get another grant from a different government for the same land they had been farming. One such grant was dated 9 Feb 1788. The grant was for 20 arpens of land on the Tensaw River. Another dated 10 June 1795, was for land 17 leagues from Fort St. Stephens. Another dated the same, granted land to Daniel Johnston next to his father. A treaty with Spain in October of 1795 settled a dispute over possession and borders of Spanish controlled Florida. The United States acquired the territory above the 31st parallel between the Mississippi and Chattahoochee Rivers. It took four years before the surveying was complete and in February 1799 the Spanish garrisons in the Mississippi Territory were all turned over to the United States Government. The population at the end of 1796 included 84 adult whites, 106 white children and 97 Negro slaves. Of the adult whites, 89 percent came from the United States, two Spanish families, one German family, two Irish, and three French. Over the next years, the citizen of the area had to re-establish their claims for the land they were farming, elect county officials and set up a local government. Washington County was the first official County in the Mississippi Territory. It encompassed 25,000 square miles. Today that area includes 26 counties in Alabama and Mississippi.
John Johnston and his large family were prominent in the formation of the government and the protection of its citizen. John Johnston was appointed Justice of the County Court in June, 1800 and Justice of Quorum in 1805. Over the next years, several Johnstons held public office, one was a sheriff, others are named on juries, committees, and other public posts. John Johnston wrote his will in 1820 and it was probated after his death in 1821. He left a sizable estate, naming his wife, children, grandchildren, (children of his oldest son, Daniel, now deceased). There are still many descendants of John Johnston living in Washington County today.
We have found many records where the family names are linked prior to them coming to the Mississippi Territory. In Georgia, John Johnston and William Powell are listed as having their estates confiscated. On "A List of Refugees to East Florida form Georgia" dated 18th July 1783 we find John Johnston, William Powell, and John Linder. John Johnston and his family are listed on 1787 "List of Inhabitants of Mobile District".
On 6th of November 1788, John & Joyce Powell Johnston had their son, John Jr. baptized by Rev. Miguel Lamport in the Church in Mobile. They are listed as Anabaptist. On 8th March 1789, their son, James was baptized.
John Johnston of St. Stephens, Washington Co. was given a grant to his land bounded by William Powell on 10th June 1795 by Carondelet. This land was previously granted by the British to William Tradgely on 13 Mar 1776.
Deed Book "A" of Washington Co, AL
Page 21 - 27 Jan 1800. James Bilbo and his wife Mary, of the River Tombigby and Mississippi territory sold a Mulato girl named Bine to John Johnston of the same place for $250. Wit. Thomas Meredith and Cornelius Rain.
27 May 1802 - J Johnston sold to Frederick Kimball a negro man named Frank for $475. Wit. James Scurlock.
26 Apr 1805 - Cornelius Rain, Washington County, Mississippi Territory sold several slaves to John Johnston, Sr. county and territory aforesaid. wit. Thomas J Strong, Amos T Reed, John Johnston, Jr. and John Dease.
2 Jul 1805 - John Johnston Sr, of the Mississippi Territory, County of Washington conveyed unto his daughter, Elizabeth Rain, the slaves he bought from Cornelius Rain on 26 Apr 1805. Also, he conveyed some cattle to her with the brand C R. Wit. Thomas J Strong and Ed Smith.
J Johnston was listed several times as a witness.
Although I have found no proof of John Johnston, Sr. parentage but we believe he is the son of William Johnston and Honor Killingsworth. As of yet no research has been done on the family. In her book on the RAIN Family, Mrs. Elouise Redditt, related information collected by Mrs. Paul McCormick of Mobile. This statement was dictated to Stella Hunt by her aunt, Clara Kelly, in 1916.
"Sir William Johnstone of the Johnstone Clan, with his family took part with Charles Stuart in his attempt to gain the throne of Scotland in 1745. After the fall of Charles Stuart, he immigrated to the United States settling at St. Mary's Florida where he married Honor Killingsworth, an Irish noblewoman, by whom he had six sons. John Johnston, one of his younger sons, born about 1865, was married to Joyce Powell of Georgia, then moved to Pensacola Florida until four sons were born. Joseph Johnston was the youngest and born in 1791. From Pensacola, John Johnston moved to McIntosh Bluff in the Territory of Mississippi, where Joseph Johnston married Clara Cato, daughter of Sterling Cato and Abigail Brewer Cato, said Abigail being descended from the Cromwell family of England."
Children of John Johnston & Joyce Powell:
i. Daniel (1777?-1816)
ii. John Jr. (Col. John Johnston)
iii. Elizabeth mar. Cornelius Rain
iv. Honor mar. (1)?? Jones (2) William Shaw
v. Joseph Calloway mar. Clara Cato
vi. Isaac mar. Susan Bates - descendants in Marshall TX by 1850
vii. James mar. (2)Elizabeth Linder Johnston
viii. Sarah mar. Joseph D. Lister - Joseph & son in Marshall TX in 1850.
Johnston Home Pedigree Charts Deeds Wills Court Records Family Photos