The following is an explanation of how we got to the conclusion that this Henry Johnson is the father of Hiram Johnson:
Information gleaned from the Emma Davey letter (http://www.ng-tek.com/nrgen/ps01/ps01_042.html) indicates that Hiram’s father could be either a Henry or a Daniel. She says one grandparent was one and one the other. The Fink side being proven to be Daniel, it was assumed we were looking for a Henry. Emma says this family had 15 children and that Henry married Catharine Perry, and that both grandparents had children named Henry and Daniel. She says Henry was a blacksmith.

In following Hiram’s daughter, Clara, she repeatedly says in census records that she was born in New York. This is odd since she is the only one born there. So I supposed that perhaps she was born there because Hiram and Anna were visiting his parents, or one of them had died, and they journeyed there. In searching the counties in the western part of New York (which would have had the easiest access to Ohio), I discovered a Henry Johnson in Wilson, Niagara County, New York. He appeared in a county history listed as the first blacksmith of Wilson in 1824. A later article about one of his descendants goes on to explain that Henry had been born in New York, his family moving to Ohio when he was young and that he moved back to New York, specifically Niagara County in 1824 with his family. This would explain some confusion on the part of descendants claiming Hiram was born in New York or maybe Ohio. This article also goes on to say that Henry’s wife died in 1864 and that he then moved to Michigan where he died in 1872, being returned to Wilson for burial.

Censuses are not available for 1800 and 1810 in Ohio. Let’s presume the following to be correct. The 1820 census has a Henry Johnson living in Johnston Township, Trumbull County, Ohio. This family has 2 males under 10, 1 male 26-45, 3 females under 10, 1 female 26-45. This would include the Richard named in the Niagara County history, born in 1812 and possibly the Henry Jr. born around 1820. I have not discovered the names of the 3 females under 10 as yet. Hiram was born about 1822 and the family then moved to New York in 1824.

By the 1830 census, Henry’s family has 2 males 5-10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 30-40, 2 females under 5, 1 female 5-10, 1 female 10-15, 1 females 15-20 and 1 female 30-40. They are in Wilson, Niagara County, New York.

In 1840, Henry’s family is still in Wilson, with 2 males under 5 (these would be Seth and Daniel, later mentioned), 2 males 5-10 (one would be George), 2 males 15-20 (one would be Henry and one would be Hiram), 1 male 20-30, 1 male 40-50, 1 female 5-10, 1 female15-20, and 1 female 40-50. Richard is living next door with one child under 5, 1 male 20-30, 1 female 20-30.

Between 1840 and 1849, Hiram moves back to Ohio where he marries Anna Maria Fink. I am still investigating if any other of the children also moved back, or Henry may have had brothers and sisters there, or maybe still parents.

In 1850 Henry and Catharine are in Calhoun County, Michigan with sons George, age 18, Seth, age 16, Daniel, age 12. His sons Henry Jr. and Richard are both still in Wilson. Hiram is in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio.

In the 1860 census I discovered Henry in Wilson and this time, his wife, Catharine is listed along with sons Seth and Daniel. According to a Niagara County history, Catharine dies in 1864 and Henry then goes back to Michigan.

In 1870, a Henry Johnson is in Union Twp., Branch County, Michigan (the county that George was born in). He is 76 and married to Martha age 57. This same Henry dies 21 Mar 1872 in Union. According to the County History of Niagara, Henry was returned to Wilson for burial. It is possible that this is the same Henry above described. Using a birth calculator from the Henry Johnson death in Michigan, he would have been born 13 Aug 1790.

From: Pool, William, Landmarks of Niagara County, New York. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason & Co., 1897, page 159.

Johnson, Jay K., was born in Wilson, N.Y., in December, 1841, a son of Richard and grandson of Henry Johnson. Henry Johnson was born in New York State and early in life moved to Ohio and in 1824 came to the village of Wilson, where he worked at the blacksmith business for Luther Wilson, doing iron work on a grist mill. His wife died in 1864, and he spent some time in Michigan, where he died in 1871 and was buried in Wilson. Richard Johnson was born in Ohio and when twelve years of age moved to Wilson, N.Y. with his parents, where he learned the blacksmith’s trade; he died in 1885. His wife, Laura (Cole) Johnson was born in Canada… Jay K. Johnson was educated in Wilson Collegiate Institute, and worked at his trade, that of a blacksmith, from 1860 to 1895. July 4, 1870, he married Alphoretta Tower; she died August 8, 1871, and October 30, 1874, he married Eliza A. Carver, and they had four children: Arthur, Leon, Cole and Roy (deceased)… He is a Democrat and was elected justice of the peace in 1896, being the only Democrat ever elected to that office in town.

In comparing the Henry Johnson from this entry to the letter that Emma Davey sent we have the following:
This Henry Johnson had 13 children accounted for with census documents; Emma said 15, but some could have died.
Henry Johnson had two of his sons named Henry and Daniel just as Emma stated
He was a blacksmith as Emma said.
He was originally from New York, moved to Ohio and then back to New York in Niagara County. This supports the variances in Hiram’s place of birth in census records.
Henry’s wife was Catherine; thus far the surname has not been confirmed to verify Emma’s letter.

While these bits of evidence seem to point to this being the correct ancestor, it took DNA testing to help build this case. I now have more than 10 DNA matches who are descended from this Henry Johnson from other sons and one previously unknown daughter and not matching any other lines. I also have triangulated matches with collateral descendants of Henry’s father, Richard. It seemed likely that Henry’s father could be Richard since he named his first son Richard. The additional matches with Richard Johnson’s descendants also seems to indicate that this is the correct lineage. I will not go into all the technical explanations of the matching here.

As always further research is needed, but as it stands right now I believe this to be correct.

©2019 Original Narrative by Nancy Ratay

Probable:
1820 Ohio Trumbull County, Johnston Twnsp, page 634, Film M33-89
Henry Johnson 2 males under 10, 1 male 26-45, 3 females under 10, 1 female 26-45, one in agriculture, 1 in manufacturing

1830 New York, Niagara, Wilson, page 330, roll: M19_95
Henry Johnson 2 males 5-10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 30-40, 2 females under 5,
1 female 5-10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 30-40

1840 New York, Niagara, Wilson, page 119, Roll: M704_311
Richard Johnson 1 male under 5, 1 male 20-30, 1 female 20-30
Henry Johnson 2 males under 5, 2 males 5-10, 2 males 15-20, 1 male 20-30, 1 male 40-50, 1 female 5-10, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 40-50

1850 Michigan, Calhoun County, LeRoy Township, page 110, film M432-348
dwelling 841, family 862
Henry Johnson, age 57, male, blacksmith, born New York
Catharine ------ , age 56, female, born New York
George --------- , age 18, male, born New York
Seth ------------- , age 16, male, born New York
Daniel -----------, age 12, male, born New York

1860 New York, Niagara County, Wilson Township, stamped page 314, page 6, film M653-822 (taken June 18, 1860)
dwelling 56, family 51
Henry Johnson, age 68, male, blacksmith, personal value $200, born New York
Catherine -------, age 66, female , born New York
Seth --------------, age 25, male, cooper, personal value $25, born New York
Daniel ---------- , age 23, male, cooper, born New York

1865 New York State Census, Niagara County, First Election District of the Town of Wilson, p.46, taken 29 June 1865
dwelling 77, frame, value $400, family 72
Richard Johnson, age 53, male, head, born Ulster Co., married once, blacksmith
Laura Johnson, age 49, female, wife, born Niagara County, mother of 5 children
Jay K., Johnson, age 23, male, child, born Niagara County, single, blacksmith
Perry V. D. Johnson, age 20, male, child, born Niagara County, single, in the Army
Eugene Johnson, age 17, male, child, born Niagara County, single, in the Army
Orange Albers Johnson, age 12, male, child, born Niagara County, single
Henry Johnson, age 73, male, father, born Ulster County, was married once, now widowed, Blacksmith

1870 Michigan, Branch County, Union City, p.1
dwelling 7, family 5
Johnson, Henry, age 76, male, white, farmer, real estate $600, personal $100, born New York
----------, Martha, age 57, female, white, keeping house, born Pennsylvania

---------------------deceased

~1792-1810 New York [Ulster or Tompkins County??]

~1810-1824 Ohio, Trumbull County, Johnston Township

~1824-1849 New York, Niagara County, Wilson Township

~1850-1859 Michigan, Calhoun County, LeRoy Township

~1860-1864 New York, Niagara County, Wilson Township

~1865-1872 Michigan, Branch County, Union Township