Edmund Johnson was born in England about 1612. He died in Hampton, NH, 10 March, 1651. His wife's name was Mary, but her maiden name is unknown to us. After Edmund's death, his widow married 11 July 1651 Thomas Coleman. She died in Hampton, NH 30 January 1663.

Edmund and his wife, Mary, came from Romsey, England, in July 1635 on the ship James. They were one of the first comers to Winnicunet, later called Hampton, NH. It is interesting to note that the Rev. Stephen Bachiler, another of our ancestors, also settled in Winnicunet. Edmund received several grants of land there: a house lot, two lots of fresh meadow, sixteen acres of salt marsh, twelve acres of upland, an orchard, and three shares in the cow common. He and his wife were assigned seats in the Meeting House, Edmund in the first row of seats at the west end of the table with the younger men and Mary with the women in the second seats at the east end of the south side.

Edmund was about thirty-nine years old when he died and left an estate of about one hundred eleven pounds. Administration was granted to his widow, Mary, on April 8, 1651. Each of the children shared in the division of the estate with Mary's second husband giving a bond of eighty pounds assuring the apportionment of Edmund's property to Edmund's children and that the children would be taught to read and write.

Edmund and his wife, Mary Johnson, had four children:

• Peter, bpt. in Winnicunet in 1639; m. Ruth Moulton, daughter of John Moulton.
• John, bpt. 16 May 1641; d. in Rhode Island before 5 Oct. 1692.
• James, b. aobut 1643; m. Sarah Daniels.
• Dorcas, birthdate unknown; m. 6 April 1672 Samuel Pearson, son of Deacon John Pearson of Newbury.

We are descended from both Peter and James Johnson. Peter's great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Shepherd, married James' grandson, Joseph Johnson, which brought the two lines together again.

Peter Johnson, at age twenty-one, received a deed of land in Hampton, NH in June of 1660, from his stepfather, Thomas Coleman, as the eldest son of his own father, Edmund. He was a millwright by trade, and in 1672, built a grist mill. In 1668, he sold one share of the Cow common which he had inherited from his father. Peter, with James Philbrick, was drowned in the Hampton River in 1674.

Peter and his wife Ruth (Moulton) Johnson had four children, all born in Hampton, NH:

• Mary, b. 7 April 1663; m. Samuel Ayer, son of Robert and Elizabeth (Palmer) Ayer.
• Ruth, b. 13 July 1666; m. (1) Timothy Ayer, son of Robert and Elizabeth (Palmer) Ayer; m. (2) Samuel Dow, son of Stephen Dow.
• Edmund, b. 3 July 1671; m. Abigail Green, daughter of Abraham Green.
• Peter, b. 25 Nov. 1674; m. Esther Hobbs, daughter of Morris Hobbs.

James, like his brother Peter, was a millwright and lived on "the easterly end of his father's homestead" in Hampton, NH. He seems to have moved back and forth from Hampton, NH to Maine. C. T. Libby of Portland, ME says, "He probably learned his trade of Henry Saywood in Hampton, NH, and removed with him to York as one of his workmen." In 1669, he is described as of York, ME, in a grant of land to Henry Saywood, James Johnson, and Thomas Patty. A document, signed by him on December 23, 1670 gives his residence as Hampton, NH. "On May 28, 1683, James Johnson of Hampton, millwright, bought of John Shapleigh of Kittery, one-fourth of a mill on Spruce Creek." Oct. 26, 1699, Enoch Hutchins of Kittery, ME, deeded property to Mr. James Johnson, of the same place, millwright.

James left no will, but his heirs made a division deed of the property according to his known wishes. His son, Samuel, received all his Kittery, ME, lands. His homestead, lands in Hampton, NH, and his personal property went to the other children.

James and his wife Sarah (Daniels) Johnson had nine children:

• James, Jr., b. 4 Feb. 1677; m. Elizabeth Mason, dau. of John and Elizabeth (Ward) Mason.
• Samuel, b. 18 Aug. 1678; m. Elizabeth Haskins.
• John, b. about 1679; d. 6 Jan. 1680.
• Dorcas, b. 16 June 1681.
• Hannah, birthdate unknown; m. Joseph Shaw, son of Benjamin and Esther (Richardson) Shaw.
• John, b. 16 July 1687; died young.
• Mary, b. 4 Nov. 1688; m. Edward Shaw, son of Benjamin and Esther (Richardson) Shaw.
• Benjamin, b. 22 Nov. 1691.
• John, b. 27 Oct. 1694; m. Martha Redman, dau. of John Redman.

We don't have much information about this James Johnson other than that he settled on part of his father's home lot.

James, Jr., and his wife Elizabeth (Mason) Johnson had seven children, all born in Hampton, NH:

• Dorcas, b. 19 Dec. 1699; m. Nathan Philbrick, son of James Philbrick.
• Benjamin, date of birth unknown; m. Bethia Marston, dau. of John Marston.
• Jonathan, b. 6 May 1706; d. 25 Dec. 1752; unmarried.
• Joseph, b. 9 March 1709; m. Elizabeth Shepherd, dau. of John and Hannah (Ayer) Shepherd of Haverhill, Ma.
• James, b. 7 May 1713; m. Leah Taylor, dau. of Jonathan Taylor.
• Mary, b. 22 Feb. 1717; m. John Lamprey, son of Benjamin Lamprey.
• Elisha, b. 27 March 1720; m. Elizabeth Kenniston.

Joseph and his family lived in Hampton, NH, "a little back from the Academy Road, near the old cemetery."

Joseph and his wife Elizabeth (Shepherd) Johnson had nine children, all born in Hampton, NH:

• Joseph, Jr., b. 10 April 1734; m. Anna Lane, dau. of Deacon Joshua Lane.
• Hannah, b. 10 June 1736; d. 9 March 1752.
• Ruth, b. Aug. 1738; d. 21 Sept. 1738.
• Samuel, b. 12 Sept. 1739; m. Lydia Roberts of Northwood, NH.
• John, b. 23 Dec. 1741.
• Timothy, b. 30 March 1744; joined the army from which he never returned.
• Moses, b. 13 April 1746; m. Mary ----- of Northwood, NH.
• Elisha, b. 22 Feb. 1748; lost at sea; unmarried.
• Nathaniel, b. 13 Nov. 1749; m. (1) Ruth Sanborn, dau. of Zadoc Sanborn; m. (2) Mrs. Sarah Marston, widow of Daniel Marston.