Absolom Johnson of Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana, 1829-1857

[Helen Bedford]

Hi
Help needed please!
I have an Absolom Johnson who was born about 1829 in England, and is mentioned on his mother's grave as dying in 1857 in Evansville, America.

I have found him in 1850 in Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana with his wife Lucy but no children (they were married in England in Sep 1849).

I have also found his grave, with a death of 1857 in Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana, but on the page is an entry for his wife Jane Johnson and daughter Mary Ann Norcross (Johnson), born 1852 in Indiana.

On the death certificate for Mary Ann Norcross in 1925, it states that she was born 6 June 1852 in Indiana and that her father was Absolom Johnson, born England, and her mother was Jane Slitt(or Scott?) born England.

Help please! Cannot find a death for Lucy or a marriage to Jane
Helen

[shellyesq]

There is a marriage index for that county and other various collections here - https://willard.lib.in.us/research/archives  The closest possible match I found was Abraham Johnson & Jane Gorman, who married 28 Aug. 1851.  That's pretty close to a standard pregnancy length before Mary Ann's reported birth date, so maybe?

[shellyesq]

Where did you find his burial?  On the Oak Hill cemetery database here - https://www.evansvillegov.org/city/topic/index.php?topicid=62&structureid=18 , there is an entry for Abraham Johnson, age 28, date of death - 1 Jun. 1857, internment June 1857, born England, cause of death -inflammation of bowels.

There is a death notice for Absalom Johnson, in the 29th year of his age, in a 2 Jun. 1857 newspaper.  https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99268940/  Maybe he went by Abraham and Absalom?

[shellyesq]

I wonder if this James E. Johnson could be another sibling.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44935543/james-e-johnson  He was born in the 1850's in Indiana and his death certificate seems to have his parents as Abselm Johnson and Jane Stitts.  I'm not sure if the parents they have him connected to on Find a Grave are a fit.

[oldohiohome]

If you get into the 1900's with the family, there is an index of "the obituary records of Vanderburgh County and surrounding southwestern Indiana from the Evansville newspapers: The Evansville Courier, The Evansville Press, and now The Evansville Courier and Press."

http://browning.evpl.org/

[oldohiohome]

regarding Jane Stitts/Gorman, one might be her maiden name and the other a married name. It would have been Absolom's 2nd, so possibly hers.

(I haven't looked at the records yet, just thinking after reading the posts)

[Helen Bedford]

Hi Guys
Wow! thanks for all the info! And you might have solved another puzzle for me!
Absolom had a brother William and I was never sure whether there was one or two Williams in the family as I found his baptism in 1821, but the 1841 census said he was aged 15, so born about 1826. The 1841 does round down many of the ages so I was never sure as I never found him again.
I did some checking on the 1850 and 1860 censuses, and there he was, William and his second wife Mary Stitt, together with their children, including James aged 3. So now I know where he went too!

To answer the info and questions raised by you in order:
1) I found Absolom's grave on Ancestry with a link to Find A Grave
2) The Abraham/Absolom link is possible, might be a transcription error
3) Thanks for the link to the marriage index, also found William's marriage there
4) Unfortunately I cannot access the Oak Hill cemetery link as I get a 403 (you do not have permission), but trying a workaround
5) Thanks for the clipping of Absolom's death notice
6) Thanks for the link to James E Johnson on Find a Grave, I believe he is the son of William and Mary as I believe I have found him in 1860 with William and Mary. However, I might be wrong as Absolom and Jane are both dead by 1860 so maybe William and Mary took their children into their family? To support this theory is the fact that there are two boys aged 3, whilst they might be twins, it's also possible that they might be cousins?
7) Unfortunately I cannot open the link to the obits in the newspapers as it times out on me, but trying a workaround for this too
8 ) The theory about Jane Stitts/Gorman might be possible too but nothing comes up in the Willard Index. However, that might not be reliable as Mary is there when I asked for marriages of William Johnson as Mary Stitt, but not when I asked for all Stitt marriages! Weird, maybe a broken link in the index? (added) tried Gorman too but Jane still didn't come up!

So thanks again for all the info, and just one more question, are there indexes to births and/or deaths in Evansville or Vanderburgh areas please?
If there are, might be able to sort out some more relationships
Helen

[shellyesq]

There are some links to Indiana birth and marriage databases here - https://www.genealogybranches.com/indiana.html - but they don't all go back that far.

[Helen Bedford]

Hi
thanks for that link, lots of interesting stuff.
I wonder if I could ask a quick favour please?
If you have access could you look up the death certificate of William M Johnson who died 1905 in Vanderburgh County please?
If there are parents and place of birth it would help to confirm or disprove that he is my William.
Helen