Can someone point me in the right direction please?

[Sylverton76]

I'm trying to get started tracking down my great grandfather's family.  My maternal grandmother's father is William Theodore Johnson b. 10 Dec 1884, father John Johnson according to the information I have been given from living relatives.  My grandmother and her sister insist the Johnson family are originally from Sweden and in the past changed their surname from Johanson (Sp?) to Johnson.

Facts:
I have the marriage and death certificates for William Theodore Johnson.  He married Margaret Ross Carson at the register office, Poplar, London in Jan 1905 at age 21.  Both were living at 22 Stebondale Street, Poplar at the time of their marriage as this is Margaret Ross Carson's family home.  Shortly after, they moved to 146 EastFerry Road, Poplar (Since renamed 13 Spindrift Avenue).  According to the marriage certificate, William's father is John Johnson.  William Theodore Johnson died september 1962.  Both William and Margaret are buried together in the East London Cemetery, plot 16530/22.

I cannot find a birth certificate for a William Theodore Johnson but I do have a birth certificate for a Theodore William Johnson b. 10 Dec 1884 in Poplar, London.  The mother and father are listed as John Lawrence Johnson, merchant seaman, and Mary Ann Johnson.  Mary's maiden name could possibly be 'Curle' but its hard to make out.  They were living at 2 British Street, Poplar which has since been replaced by Harbinger Road.  Coincidently this backs on to Spindrift Avenue.

I have also been told William had at least one brother.  The brother I have a name for is Alfred and he had twins (boy/girl) and they are alledged to be 2 or 3 years older than my great aunt.  She remembers the girl going to her primary school and lived nearby in Millwall.  Some searching through the records this morning gives the following:

Dorothy B Johnson & Benjamin F Johnson
Registered Mar 1921 Poplar 1c 814.  Mother's maiden name Copping.  This would make the twins 4 years older than my great aunt.

Problems:
I cannot find anything conclusive concerning John & Mary Ann Johnson on the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses.  Can anyone advise me on where to look for more information on this family please?

[Mk2_Zephyr]

You can't find them on those census ? , or there was no more additional info on the census ?

Being a merchant seaman, Mr Johnson could easily have came from Sweden. Changing the name to an english version is a familiar  theme from those that want to fit into a new country.

Did you search for a marriage certificate for John and Mary Ann in the records under both Johnson and Johanson. The luck would be if Mary Ann was english. If no luck then try a search in the Swedish indexes or IGI.

[Barbara F]

I will take a look at the censuses for you. In the meantime have you seen this marriage on Free BMD?

Marriages Sep 1875
~~~~~~~~
 
CURLE  Mary Ann    Mile End  1c 1015   
FANE  James Reginald     Mile End  1c 1015   
Johnson  John     Mile End  1c 1015   
Paiba  Eleanor Margaret     Mile End  1c 1015   

Barbara F

[Mk2_Zephyr]

Well done,  Barbara.   

[Sylverton76]

Thanks very much Barbara F.  Mile End is north of Poplar and does seem to fit in.  I'll order the certificate and see what information I can get    Maybe there are other siblings as William/Theodore is born 9 years after their marriage?

With the  census I found a couple of Johnsons but none which seemed to have a wife named Mary or a son named William/Theodore in 1891.  However I'm not an expert so I maybe missing something!  I'll keep my fingers crossed.  Mk2_Zephyr I have the link for the IGI (http://www.familysearch.org/) so I'll looking there for a possible birth for John Lawrence Johnson.

Thanks again for helping.

[Barbara F]

See your difficulty with the censuses - nothing seems to fit!  However how about this, again from Free BMD

Deaths Jun 1907
~~~~~~~~
 
JOHNSON  John Lawrence  59  Poplar  1c 333

If this is the right man it gives a better idea of who to look for in the censuses.  There is John Johnson in Poplar in 1901 of about the right age - born in Sweden.  The writing is difficult to read but I will have another look at it.

Barbara

[Valda]

1901 census RG13 1642 folio 68 Hedgott's farm Matching  Essex 
John L Johnson 53 Sweden Head   Married Mariner (master)
Mary A Johnson 45 London,  Wife  Married 
William Johnson 17 London, Son Chipper in iron foundry (possibly clipper)
Ada Johnson 14  London, Daughter   
Benjman Johnson 10  London,  Son 
Henry Walker 47 South Hampton, Hampshire, Boarder Mariner (master) 

Regards
Valda

[Barbara F]

Well done Valda 

If this is the right family I have found them in Greenwich in 1891. Will send  the image if you PM me your email address.  There is a brother called Alfred which ties in with your first set of info.
Barbara

[Sylverton76]

Thanks everyone, I really appreaciate it    I think you may be right Valda.  After seeing Barbara F's post I found the following:

47 Roan Street, Greenwich in 1891:
John Johnson Age 42  (B S), Sweden.  Head.  Seaman.
Mary Johnson Age 36  Limehouse Wife.
Thomas Johnson Age 16  Limehouse Son.
John H. Johnson Age 15  Limehouse Son.
Mary A. Johnson Age 13  Limehouse Daughter.
Alfred Johnson Age 8  Limehouse Son.
William Johnson Age 6  Limehouse Son
Ada Johnson Age 4  Greenwich Daughter
Benjamin Johnson Age 4 months Greenwich Son

11 Ordnance Place, Greenwich, London in 1881:
John Johnson abt 1849  (B S), Sweden.  Head.  Seaman.
Mary Johnson abt 1856  Limehouse Wife.
Edward Johnson abt 1875  Poplar Son.
John Johnson abt 1876  Poplar Son.
Minnie Johnson abt 1878  Poplar Daughter.
William Johnson abt 1881  Greenwich Son.

NB Limehouse registers as Poplar which would fit with William/Theodore being the William Johnson Age 6 in 1891.

I've also been having a look at FreeBMD and I found the following:

Deaths Jun 1900
Johnson  Mary Ann  45  Poplar  1c 406

I've had further conversations with my great aunt and it would appear William/Theodore had another brother named Benjamin but she is unsure of his age.  She also said that her grandfather had a pig farm near Harlow in Essex so I guess everything is finally beginning to fit!