Johnson family. Johnson family of Newbury, Vermont papers, 1775-1886.
Title:
Johnson family of Newbury, Vermont papers, 1775-1886.
This collection contains the Revolutionary War-era papers of Thomas Johnson (1742-1819) of Newbury, Vermont, and other documents collected by his son, David Johnson (1778-1865). The first series includes correspondence, journals, and related papers of Thomas Johnson arranged chronologically and covering the period 1777 to 1812. Included in this series are two journals Johnson made while he was a captive of the British in Canada in 1781, accounts of his espionage/intelligence activities, and manuscript copies of letters to George Washington. Many of these items had been bound into one volume labeled "Thomas Johnson's Manuscripts;" the binding has been preserved in MSA 426. The second series includes muster rolls, account books, or military documents arranged chronologically. This series is comprised of documents created by both Thomas and David Johnson in their various civic roles. Included in this series are several muster rolls, a deposition concerning the forceful entry by militia into Johnson's house and removal of liquor in 1781 while he was in captivity, the "wine account" for the Vermont General Assembly in 1787, postage account books, town and school taxes, and related documents. The third series contains primarily documents related to financial transactions. Among these are slips of paper containing inventories of livestock and time pieces owned by Newbury residents for the purposes of imposing taxes in the years 1822, 1823, 1824, 1833, 1834, 1844, and 1845. The series includes other town records such as petitions for road construction, 1830-1839 and 1840-1845. The series also contains Newbury post office records, with related items in Series V, Bound Manuscripts, vol. 1, items 66, 67, 71 and vol. 2, items 9 & 59. Other records related to this series, such as school records, 1794-1833; meeting house accounts, 1789-1793; and court house building records, 1801; are also in Series V, Bound Manuscripts. The fifth series is a varied group of records that did not fit within the three previous categories. Contained in this series are David Johnson's meteorological observations from 1823 until 1864 but also including a small weather journal from 1773-94 that predates David Johnson's birth. David Johnson's history of Newbury, Vermont, is included in this series. The first 93 pages of this volume are copied from the Annals of Newbury written by Rev. Clark Perry. The rest of the volume is assorted items, evidently copied by David Johnson, including a number of letters to George Washington from Gen. Jacob Bayley of Newbury, 1781-1783, the journal kept by Thomas Johnson while a captive in Canada, and many other Thomas Johnson letters that are in series I of this collection. Also included in this miscellaneous series is an account of work done on the Ryegate Meeting House, a broadside for a political election in Bennington County ca. 1795 written as an analogy to a horse race, and record books for Newbury Tippecanoe Club (1840) and the Sons of Temperance (1849-51). The series includes papers relating to the erection of a monument to "Old Joe," the Indian guide, in Newbury in 1886. An interesting item in this series is a collection of manuscript copies of Civil War letters written by Evelyn H. Farnham, Jr, of Newbury. Farnham enlisted June 1, 1861, and was discharged due to disability Nov. 4, 1862. He served in the 3rd Vermont Regiment, Company C. His letter of Sept. 11, 1861, tells of William Scott, of Groton, Vermont, about to be shot for sleeping on duty. According to the letter, "...a guard brought Scott on the ground...all we know is that three cheers were given by those nearest them, and word was brought to us that Pres. Lincoln had pardoned him. The poor fellow was dreadfully scared." The fifth series contains documents collected by Thomas Johnson and bound into two volumes. The subject matter of these records overlap with the previous four series but could not be moved into those series. Most relate to the history of Newbury, but other documents relate to events in Corinth, Peacham, Barnet, Guildhall, and Danville, Vermont, and Haverhill, New Hampshire.
ArchivalResource:
3 linear feet.
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