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Slavery

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Penny

Penny Report 18 Jan 2008 09:04

Would anyone be able to help me find my gg grandfather William Johnson. He was born in Sierra Leone c1848 and died in Kent in 1925. He came to England because he joined the Navy when boarding HMS Nimble in 1873. I think he may have been working for Naval ships on and off during his life and then made a decisioin to join up.

I have been told that Johnson is a notorious slave name, but how do I find records from Sierra Leone - there does not seem to have been any plantations in Sierra Leone?

Regards
Penny

Staffs Col

Staffs Col Report 18 Jan 2008 10:19

Sierra Leone's main contact with the slave trade is that it is the British colony that freed slaves returned to from the late 1700's Bearing in mind that the slave trade was abolished in 1807, I think you would need to go back further in history to find any connection between slavery and your ancestors.

Heather

Heather Report 18 Jan 2008 13:21

Its a very common name isnt it - have you tried National Archives just in case anything comes up?

Heather

Heather Report 18 Jan 2008 13:23

Do you have these? Looks like he was already a sailor in 1861:

William Johnson
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838
Relation: O Seaman (Seaman)
Gender: Male
Where born: Sierra Leore

Civil Parish: Vessels
Town: At Sea
County/Island: Misc Ships At Sea or Abroad
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View Image

Registration district: Misc Ships
Sub-registration district: Misc Ships
ED, institution, or vessel: Southern Bell
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 1
Household Members: Name Age
Walter Hays 24
William Johnson 23
Samuel Karnes 25
Thomas Lewis 21
Louis Rowe 28
John Davis Saunders 19
John Snow 26
George Southgate 28
William Todd 29
Charles White 28
John Willcocks 25


In the 1891 he is married to Sarah - have you bought their marriage certificate for his fathers details???

Name: William Johnson
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1853
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Sarah
Gender: Male
Where born: Leonc, Sierra Leone

Civil Parish: Minster in Sheppey
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Sheerness
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Sheppey
Sub-registration district: Minster
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Alice Johnson 3/12
Mabel Johnson 8
Sarah Johnson 29
William Johnson 38
William Johnson 3