The Johnson/Williams Line
Sources
-Margaret Elizabeth Williams Johnson [Kessler, Dinkins]
-Carlene Easter Johnson Mosely
-Elma Johnson Kessler
-Bernice Johnson Dacey
-Margaret Kessler Foster
-Emily Ann Mott Johnson
-Arlie Johnson
-Clan Donald [i.e. MacIain-Johnson] Genealogical Center, Isle of Skye, Scotland
-Carolina Scots, Douglas E. Kelly & Caroline Switzer Kelly
1739 Publications, Dillon, SC, www.carolinascots.com
-Ancestry.com
-Mark Mosely
-Others’ documentation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------James Edward Johnson*** M
Margaret Elizabeth Williams
B 8/3/1885 Nassau/Boulogne., FL B 11/11/1887 Charlton Cty., GA
D 1/29/1935 Chatham Cty., GA
D 5/3/1977 Chatham Cty., GA
M 6/16/1904 Charlton Cty., GA
Grandfather/grandmother
Children
Odus Edward Johnson
B 2/12/1905
Elma Marie Johnson Kessler
B 4/4/1906
J. Aubry Johnson
B 2/2/1909
D 6/12/1937
Emery Alvin Johnson
B 1/15/1912
James Ernie Johnson
B 10/18/1913
Arlie Rowe Johnson
B 11/15/1915
Alma Margaret Johnson
B 1/15/1918
Bernice Emily Johnson
B 3/2/1920
Carlene Easter Johnson*** Mother
B 1/19/1920
D 5/30/96
1.
2.
Farmer, range rider and great hunter in the Okefenokee Swamp long before it was a national wildlife refuge, as well as
coastal Georgia and Northeast Florida.
Mother, wife who lived with her husband for 31 years; worked as seamstress, sewing supervisor in WPA.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------James Irvin Johnson***
M
Emily Ann Mott #1 b
B 12/5/1841, Irwin Cty., GA
B 3/12/1846 Nassau Cty., FL
D 1/23/1922 Charlton/Folkston, GA D 3/5/1906 in Nassau Cty., FL at age 59
at age 80
M EAMott at age 19
M 12/20/1865 in Charlton Cty.,
GA at age 24
Both buried in Henry Davis Cemetery, Pigeon Creek Church, Nassau Cty., FL
M
Sydney Crawford #2
Living with Crawford in-laws in Charlton Cty., GA in
1920
Great grandfather/great grandmother
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
CSA Calvary soldier in First Calvary Division 1860-64; enlisted at age 20; had 3 horses shot from under him; spent 11
days in hospital from war wounds; had finger shot off and a crease cut through the scalp of his bald head from a Union
bullet; walked home from northern Virginia.
Lived initially near Kingsland in Camden County, later moved to Charlton County/Folkston.
Plantation and slave owner, farming many acres in North Florida along the Georgia border.
Elected first county commissioner in Charlton County, GA.
Rural mail carrier, carried post on horseback, the first carrier from Folkston to St. George, GA.
Member of Sardis Primitive Baptist Church.
Buried with Motts in Henry Davis Cemetery near Hilliard in Nassau Cty., FL
#1. Mother of 11, first four children died shortly after birth.
#2. Member of Sardis Primitive Baptist Church.
1b. Emily Ann Mott #1 b had red hair, blue eyes, light skin and said ‘her Mott people’ [ancestors] originally came from the
Scottish Highlands. The Motts are in fact a sept of the Highland Clan Stuart.
Children
James Walter Johnson
D at age 64 1930
Thomas W. Johnson
D at age 62 1932
George Ealie Johnson
D at age 61 1933
James Colia Johnson
D at age 60 1934
Elma Ursula Johnson
D 4/1923 at age 46
James Edward Johnson*** Grandfather
B 8/3/1885
D 1/29/1935
Viola Johnson 1.
B 1887
D 9/1896
1. Storm collapsed log schoolhouse on Viola, killing her at age 10 at Boulogne, Florida near Folkston, Georgia. This same storm
killed the daughter of Aunt Lilla Ramis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thomas W. Johnson***
M
Laney Powell M 12/22/1840
B 1812 around Dillon, SC
Irwin Cty., GA M at age 18
M at age 28 in Irwin Cty., GA
B 1822 in Irwin Cty., GA
D about 1890 in Camden Cty., GA?
D after 1900 +80 yrs old
Great, great grandfather
1.
2.
3.
Great, great grandmother
Fought Native Americans while building homestead in wilderness.
Owner of large plantation with many slaves.
Baptist preacher who ordained five of his elder servants as preachers; half of his parishioners were slaves; when freed
in 1864, they chose to remain on the plantation after Sherman’s march through the area; sharing and sharing alike with
Johnson family to survive, many of the oldest slaves remained until their deaths.
Children
James I B 12/5/1841 Irwin Cty., GA*** Great grandfather
D 1/23/1922 Charlton Cty./Folkston, GA at 80 years old
Joseph J B 1841
Manda B 1848
William L B 1850
John H B 1856
Abagale B 1858
Clinton B 1860
*As of 1860 US census of Irwin County, Georgia, Margaret (20), Daniel (10) and William (9) Griggers, apparently relatives from
South Carolina, were living with Thomas W. Johnson’s family.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------William Johnson
B 1790 around Dillon, SC
D before 1860 in GA
M in 1811 at age 21
Great, great, great grandfather
M
Sarah John Campbell in SC before 1812#1
B NC 1790
D [before age 50] before 1840 in NC
Great, great, great grandmother
Children
Thomas W. Johnson*** Great, great grandfather
B 1812 around Dillon, SC
M at age 28 in Irwin County, GA
D 1890+ in Camden Cty., GA
John A (lexander) Johnson
B after 1813 in NC
D before 1890
+
Two other brothers/sisters B in Johnston Cty., NC under the age of 10 by the 1820 US census
[in addition to Thomas W., who was 8 at that time, and John A].
1. William Johnson and wife Sarah John Campbell move to/with William’s father Martin and their mother, as well as brother
Abel, from around Dillon, South Carolina to Johnston County, North Carolina--sometime after 1812 and before 1820 with
William’s son Thomas W. Johnson. In Johnston County, North Carolina, Sarah and William had at least three more kids from
1812 to 1820.
2. In the 1850 US census of nearby Moore County, North Carolina William’s son John A. Johnson, age 39, was living with his
wife Sarah, a brother Daniel and six kids. Genetic research/matching indicates that [ Martin’s wife/William’s and Abel’s mother]
John A’s grandmother was a Lumbee Creek from around Moore County, NC which may account for why he resettled his family
there from Johnston County i.e. Native American and Scot relatives.
3. During the 1820 US census of Johnston County, North Carolina, William Johnson, ~age 30, had within his home, along with a
wife and four kids under the age of 10, 5 ‘un-naturalized foreigners’ a common description for Scottish emigrants throughout
South Carolina and North Carolina who were housed and aided by Scottish American (usually recent emigrants themselves)
relatives until they got settled elsewhere [see ‘Johnson Genealogical/Genetic Context’ below].
4. Johnston County, North Carolina was less than 80 miles north via direct route through New Highlands from William Johnson’s
birthplace in/around Dillon/Marlboro/Chesterfield Counties in South Carolina; our Johnsons apparently moved freely in 17801840 between these South Carolina “Little Scotland/New Highlands” counties and their North Carolina partner counties of
Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Hartnett and Johnston.
5. Sarah John Campbell’s#1 parents were:
John Campbell
B after 1770 in Scotland
D before 1850
M
Mary (Polly) Ferguson
B after 1770 in NC D 1835
M before 1790 in Moore County, NC
Sarah John Campbell’s father John (who settled in the Little Scotland region of NC) and his brother James Campbell emigrated
from Scotland around 1790. A genetically-related female relative whose grandmother is descended from the same Campbells
lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina while her grandmother and mother lived in Winston-Salem, NC. Sarah John Campbell’s
relatives i.e. Mary (Polly) Ferguson include the John Ferguson family who emigrated from Scotland and had land grants
adjoining John MacDonald on Crain’s Creek in Moore County, North Carolina. John MacDonald (son of Norman MacDonald
Donald) who was supposedly related to Murdoch Ferguson’s wife, Mary MacDonald Ferguson. [Murdoch Ferguson B. Isle of
Jura, Scotland D 1830 Moore County, NC], married Mary MacDonlad, [B 1765 D 1830 Moore County, NC] in Scotland before
later emigrating in 1802. Our/these related Campbells also lived with/were related to Bethunes, Camerons, Blacks, Pattersons and
Blues.
6. Both our Johnsons and Campbells were associated geographically with Robeson, Moore, Hoke (formerly Cumberland) and
Johnston Counties, counties that still maintain the highest concentration of Scots descendents in the U.S and originally settled by
Highlanders from the Isles of Jura, Mull and Skye in 1740-70. The Union Presbyterian congregation in mid-Moore County had a
large Skye (center of Clan Donald) element; Carolina Church near Dillon, South Carolina and near where William Johnson was
born had a strong Kintail (opposite the Isle of Skye in Scotland’s Northwest Highlands) connection; both families had ties to
North Carolina’s Barbeque community settled by Highlanders in 1758. The famous Flora MacDonald [who bravely sheltered
Bonnie Prince Charlie after Culloden ] worshipped at Union for some months during 1774 while staying with her half sister
Annabella MacDonald who lived nearby in Mt Pleasant (now Cameron Hill), North Carolina.
M
Sarah Cox in 1840 in GA#2
B 1815 in NC
Children
William B 1841
1. Sarah Cox and her brother Levi Cox came with their family from North Carolina to Irwin County, Georgia in 1836 shortly
after Abel Johnson, brother of our William, arrived in Irwin County, Georgia from Johnston County, North Carolina (before
1830). Both Sarah and Levi were 21 years old when they arrived in Georgia.
2. The Coxes, having arrived 4 years earlier than our William Johnson in 1836, were eventually ‘next door‘ neighbors to our
Johnsons as William and his son Thomas W. arrived in Irwin County, Georgia around 1840-41. William’s brother Abel Johnson
had arrived in Irwin County, Georgia years before, having left brother William in Johnston County, North Carolina by 1830
(same Abel Johnson who lived with William and Sarah in the 1850 US census for Irwin County, Georgia).
3. Sarah, age 25, married William Johnson, age 50, in 1840-41. By the 1850 US Census for Irwin County, Georgia, Sarah (age
35) and William (age 60) had a son William who was 9 years old.
4. Sarah’s brother Levi, age 21, married July Ann, age 25, in 1836. By the 1850 census they had four kids John T (age 14),
Artemisha (age 11), Elinder (age 8), and William J (age 6).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Johnson
B 1755 in Jura/Mull/Skye Scotland 2b.
M Before 1780 in SC/NC
D before 1830 in NC
M
Great, great, great, great grandfather
Great, great, great, great grandmother
Children
Abel Johnson*Great, great, great uncle
Lumbee Creek 4.
B about 1760 in SC/NC
D before 1840 in NC
B 1789 around Dillon, SC
D before 1860 in GA
M before 1811 in SC
William Johnson***Great, great, great grandfather
B 1790 around Dillon, SC
D before 1860 in GA
M before 1812 in SC
+
7 other brothers/sisters
1. Martin Johnson’s extensive family, including William, brother Abel and 7 brothers/sisters, was thriving in Johnston County,
North Carolina as of the 1820 US Census.
2a. William’s (age 30) family in Johnston County, as of 1820 census, included a wife and four kids under the age of 10. 2b.
William’s (other Johnsons’ households) also included 5 ‘un-naturalized foreigners’ as many Scottish families throughout South
Carolina and North Carolina were housed and aided by other Scottish emigrants who continued to arrive in South Carolina-North
Carolina – usually staying with other recently emigrated/related Scots. Ironically, an occasional ill-informed census taker
sometimes referred to Native Americans, some of whom remained in their native land protected from translocation i.e. Trail of
Tears through intermarriage with whites, in similar fashion.
3. As previously stated, Johnston County, North Carolina was less than 80 miles north via direct route/frontier wagon roads
overlaying Indian trails through New Highlands from William Johnson’s birthplace in/around Dillon/Marlboro/Chesterfield
Counties in South Carolina; our Johnsons apparently moved several times from 1760-1840 prior to their move to Georgia i.e.
trade and securing additional land between these South Carolina “Little Scotland/New Highlands” counties and their North
Carolina partner counties of Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Hartnett and Johnston.
4. This Johnson trade/relocation route passed directly through Lumbee lands around Lumberton, North Carolina [it is certain that
our pre-great, great, great grandfather William Johnson Scots, i.e. his father Martin, intermarried with a Lumbee shortly after
arriving in the colonies from Scotland in ~1755 as confirmed by the National Geographic Genome Project and correspondence
with a Native American relative i.e. genetic match]. Again: Johnston County, North Carolina was less than 80 miles north via
direct route through New Highlands from William Johnson’s birthplace in/around Dillon/Marlboro/Chesterfield Counties in
South Carolina; our Johnsons apparently moved several times from 1770-1840 between these South Carolina “Little
Scotland/New Highlands” counties and their North Carolina partner counties of Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore,
Hartnett and Johnston; in 1850 US census of nearby Moore County, William’s son John A. Johnson, age 39, was living with his
wife Sarah, a brother Daniel and six kids in Moore County. As his grandmother was Lumbee from near Lumberton, whose
outskirts are also home to the Johnsonville community, this could account for why John A. resettled his family there from
Johnston County.
-----------------------------------------------------
Johnson Genealogical/Genetic Context -- National Geographic Genome Project
A. William Johnson [B 1790 in South Carolina, D before 1860 in Georgia] and his son Thomas W. Johnson [B 1812
in South Carolina and arriving in Georgia in late 1840] came from the ‘Little Scotland/New Highlands’ region of
the South Carolina/North Carolina state line. As itemized elsewhere, according to research and discussions between
Great Grandmother Emily Ann Mott-Johnson [wife of James I. Johnson and a primary source] and our own
Grandmother Margaret Williams Johnson, our European Johnson ancestors were Scottish Highlanders, Clan
Donald-MacIains/Johnsons [the latter an English translation of the Gaelic former], who emigrated to South
Carolina/North Carolina during the mid 1700s. As most Highlanders at that time spoke Gaelic versus English, they
arrived in Highlander-friendly [i.e. war of independence twixt England and Scotland] ports of either Wilmington,
Charleston, or Georgetown [the latter most probable for us as both Motts and Johnsons ‘landed and headed up the
Pee Dee River to settle’* according to EAM-J and this tidal river cuts inland from the Atlantic at Georgetown, South
Carolina and great, great, great grandfather William Johnson was born around Dillon, South Carolina]. There
Highlanders settled with other Highlanders/Gaelic speakers including Great Grandmother Mott Johnson’s ancestors
who later moved to Camden County, Georgia. Our ancestors headed inland to stop most probably at/near the Big
Pee Dee River’s deep-navigable end at the colonial port near Cheraw, South Carolina. Our William Johnson [B 1790
in South Carolina, D before 1860 in Irwin County, GA] was born in the ‘New Highlands/Little Scotland’ region
straddling the SC/NC border comprised of Dillon, Marlboro and Chesterfield Counties in South Carolina; Robeson,
Scotland, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Hartnett and Johnston counties in North Carolina. Like many other clanorganized Highlanders, we know they soon intermarried with Native Americans i.e. Lumbee in 1760-1780
[corroborated through genetic marker research by Arlie Johnson’s participation in the National Geographic Genome
Program].
B. Prior to emigrating to America in the 1700s, many Highland Scots continued to fight against the English Crown
to preserve Scottish independence and property rights. Upon arrival in America, they often followed wellestablished Highlander emigrant routes to their eventual destinations. A vast majority of Highlanders did so as the
Highlander populations, unlike English and Lowland Scots, spoke primarily Gaelic versus English in/within their
everyday lives, their churches, courts, public fora, etc. With real and numerous similarities and comforts between the
Highlanders’ and Native Americans’ clan/tribal systems, intermarriage was both common and advantageous,
especially around the mid 1700s when European settlers were fewer and farther between and Scot/Native American
trade was brisk and profitable. As confirmed by genetic research/participation in the National Geographic Genome
Project, our first generation ‘American’ Johnson Scots intermarried with the Native American tribe of Lumbees
[same region, reaching to/beyond Lumberton, NC, whose name some historians feel is a anglicized version of the
Native American ‘Lumbee Town’ settlement which predated European settlement]. That intermarriage occurred
prior to 1780. The area was full of Donald/MacDonald/MacIain/Johnson families; many of which were living in
Robeson and Moore Counties near Lumberton in 1760-1780/on the Lumber River [the tribe’s cultural center]/who
associated and carried on a brisk trade with the tribe]. In addition, our Johnson Scots intermarried again with other
Creeks in Georgia prior to the tribe’s removal westward from Irwin County in the early 1800s – a natural union as
William’s mother was a Lumbee i.e. genetic research.
Genetic research corroborates: our Johnson’s geographic association and time frame with “Little Scotland/New
Highlands” Dillon, Marlboro and Chesterfield Counties in South Carolina and Robeson, Scotland, Cumberland,
Hoke, Moore, Hartnett (many of our relatives settled in Johnsonville] and Johnston Counties in North Carolina;
genetic relations/links to both Scots [Johnsons, MacDonalds, Campbells, Fergusons] and Native Americans
[Lumbee] in these areas back to 1760. This is significant for several reasons. Location, family relations and mainly
time frame of relatively early emigration indicate our Johnsons sided with the colonies in the American Revolution
and were loyal to the Revolutionary cause [Johnston County, North Carolina was initially settled by many RSA
Revolutionary war veterans from the Carolinas via land grants]. More recent Highlander emigrants who came
later/settled farther north and nearer Virginia, who were more closely tied to England for trade and had to consider
retribution against love ones still in Scotland if they did not side with the Loyalists; the time frame and acreage
increment of Johnson land holdings possibly awarded in lieu of payment to Carolina veterans and even the latest
Georgia Land Lottery [opened to non-Georgian Revolutionary veterans] in Irwin County, Georgia may have arisen
from their Revolutionary allegiance. Martin, our first Scot in America, would have been 18-22 when the American
Revolution started.
Research in 1999 by two historians at the Clan Donald Genealogical Research Center on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
corroborated the following. Numerous MacIain-Johnson families [translated ‘Johnson’ or ‘Son of John’ from the
Gaelic MacIain and used interchangeably] from Ardnamurchan (western most point of Scotland), Jura-Mull (two of
Scotland’s Inner Hebrides and home to port of Tobermory respectively) and Skye (remnants of our Clan DonaldMacIain [Johnson] of Ardnamurchan based in this area) whose destination and timeline was indeed corroborated as
Little Scotland/New Highlands reached their destination between 1755-60. This corroborates the assertions of Emily
Ann Mott Johnson, wife of James I. Johnson and mother of our grandfather James E. Johnson, whose Mott
Highlander ancestors left North Carolina to settle around Camden County, Georgia along the Georgia/Florida border
as far inland as Irwin County, Georgia and the corresponding counties across the Florida border—to intermarry with
the Johnsons many decades later.
Our Johnson Roots
Following the Genetic and Genealogical Footprints of Our Ancestors
Pre-Scotland Johnsons/MacIains were of Nordic descent; we even have direct genetic Haplogroup matches with
present-day Norwegians with a common ancestor ~800 years ago or about 30 generations who settled first in the
Shetland Islands, Scotland some time after the Viking occupation of Shetlands after 800 AD, and then the Western
Highlands/Islands of Scotland before coming to America.
+
Q (M242) haplotype of our Johnson males is very rare and, considering the pattern of matches, doubtless Norse
Viking. Basically, Johnsons migrated from: Northwestern (coastal) Norway before/around 800- 900 AD; to Shetland
Islands, Scotland (present day) 900 AD to about 1200 AD/later; to Highlands/Islands of Western Scotland [from
Skye to Ardnamurchan peninsula] 1200-1755 A.D., there intermarrying into Clan Donald; to America about 1755.
+
The Johnson Clan, later renamed to Gaelic MacIain, upon arrival in the Higlands, is prevalent in the Shetland
Islands, arriving in the 8-9 century.
+
The reason why the timing of the influx of people to Shetlands can be dated to before 793 AD is that Q is also found
in the colonies founded by Norway during earlier Viking times. The human genetic data is even supported by a
comparison of the genetics of the Norwegian Fjord horse and the Mongolian horse and the data suggests that the
migrants to Scandinavia brought with them their prized horses which became the root stock of the Norwegian
equines of today.
Corroboration from Johnson Haplogroup Ancestors
http://jashan.org/genographic
E-mails from direct matches:
*William Mc. Says:
August 18th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
My father and I are both Q M242. Our family has been in America since 1740.
We traced our family line to the Isle Of Skye [home of Clan Donald – Norse Scot] in Scotland prior to coming to
the US. Everyone in our family is fair skinned with predominantly blue eyes.
+
*Ragnar Says:
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:02 am
I’m also Q, and I’m 100 % Norwegian.
Johnsons/MacIains – Evolution of a Name by Age, Country and Language Throughout our Johnson history, our surname ‘Johnson’ has changed on more than one occasion. Permanent
surnames did not begin to be used in Scotland until around the 12th century, but were initially mainly the preserve of
the upper echelons of Scottish society. However, it gradually became necessary to distinguish ordinary people one
from the other by more than just the given name and the use of Scottish surnames spread. In some Highland areas,
though, fixed surnames did not become the norm until the18th century, and in parts of the Northern Isles until the
19th century.
In later centuries, many Scottish emigrants changed their names on arrival in their new country, as did many people
from the Highlands and Islands who migrated to the Scottish Lowlands and elsewhere in search of work.
Anglicising a Gaelic or Nordic surname, or indeed changing the surname altogether for a similar sounding English
one which would be easier to pronounce and would conceal one’s origins if need be (MacIains fought at Culloden),
were quite common occurrences. Thus the Gaelic surname Macdonnchaidh or Macdonachie becomes Duncanson,
MacIain becomes Johnson, Macdonald is anglicised to Donaldson, Macilroy becomes Milroy, and Maccowan
becomes Cowan. In our case, our surname: went from the Nordic ‘Johnson’ (or something similar); to the Gaelic
‘MacIain’ [son of John] with migration to and intermarriage with Gaelic speakers in the Scottish Highlands/Islands;
back to ‘Johnson’ with our arrival in the English-speaking American colonies.
The Johnsons’ MacIain-Clan Donald and Nordic Clan
The Norse-Gaelic Clan Donald is one of the largest clans in Scotland. Clan Donald has held territory in Scotland, the
Hebrides and Ulster. Notably, the MacDonalds were also Catholic, unlike their arch-rivals the Campbells, In
Medieval times an already archaic society in the Hebrides evolved into the Lordship of the Isles, a sea-kingdom
blending Gael and Viking under the powerful domination of Clan Donald. In the north, Orkney and Shetland were
welded into a formidable Scandinavian earldom. Both island groups preserve some of the oldest monuments in
Europe, dating back to the Stone Age.
+
Though small, another Nordic Scot clan affiliated with the MacIains was the Hendersons. They rose to prominence
in Caithness, Glencoe, the Shetland Islands, Liddlesdale, and Fordell. In Caithness, Clan Henderson associated with
Clan Gunn. In Glencoe, Clan Henderson forged a close alliance with the powerful MacIain/Clan Donald. In fact, the
Hendersons, known for their size and strength, became the personal body guards of the chief of the MacIains/Clan
Donald of Glencoe. In 1692, King William III, doubting the loyalty of Clan Donald, secretly set the Clan Campbell
upon the MacDonalds and Hendersons in the Massacre of Glencoe. Standing six feet and seven inches tall, the
powerful "Big Henderson" of the Chanters was the MacDonald chief's piper and protector, and fell with the chief in
the February, 1692 massacre. After the Massacre, many Henderson families emigrated to Ulster and North America.
+
The autonomous maritime principality known as the Jarldom (meaning Princedom or Earldom) of Orkney and
Caithness is one of the most ancient in geographical Britain. In Scandinavian terms the Jarldom included the
Shetland Islands, the Faroes, Iceland, part of Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Western Isles of Scotland and Sutherland
(the southern land of Caithness). The first recorded Jarl was the Norwegian Rognvald, also Jarl of Moeri, who was
granted the title by King Harald of Norway in 871. During the eighth century, the Norse started settling Orkney and
Shetland, many of the Western Isles, and the area known today as Caithness and Sutherland. It is from the Shetlands
that our Johnsons emigrated to the Scottish Highlands/Islands and intermarried with Clan Donald.
+
Vikings eventually settled in Scotland and east Ireland. The Scots seemed to have something in common with the
Viking and after a while intermarriages, both common and noble, with established clans took place in north Scotland
(Caithness and Sutherland) and extensively throughout the Western Isles of Scotland, called the Inner and Outer
Hebrides. To this day you can find Scottish Clans with direct Viking (Norse) descent. Clan Donald and its founder
Somerled is Norse Scot. Clan Gunn in the North (Grandma’s and Carlene’s Williams), Clan MacDonald of the Isles
(our Johnsons/MacIains) and Clan MacLeod in the west mainland and Isles, along with other Clans (such as
MacQueen and MacAulay) are of Norse Scot origin. They even spoke both Norwegian and Gaelic for several
centuries in the Western Isles. Clans of this unique heritage had a reputation as skilled fighters and were some of the
earliest in Scotland to use the long swords and employ archers in their ranks.
Viking Legacy
The Norwegian or Norse Vikings (the word Viking is believed to be derived from the Norse word "vik" meaning
bay - since the Vikings used the longships so effectively in shallows) are the specific ethnic Viking that plundered
and later settled in Scotland and parts of Ireland. In about 800 A.D. they settled Jarlshof on the Shetland Islands as
well as Lewis in the Hebrides, where over one hundred villages still have Norse names.
+
From the Scottish Western Isles the Norse Scots (Gael-Galls) settled large areas of: Ireland; Iceland; The Isle of
Skye down to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on the Scottish mainland; The Isles of Lewis and Harris (lands the Clans
MacLeods of Lewis and Harris respectively eventually settled); and many other islands in and around Scotland,
Ireland, and England. Almost all of the northeast England i.e. York, are Viking-settled areas. Vikings ceased to be a
threat in 1263 when Alexander III defeated the Norse king at the Battle of Largs. After Kenneth Macalpine united
the Scots and Picts, the lands of the Forth and Clyde became known as Scotia, and he established his capital at
Scone.
+
The English King Edward I’s invasion of Scotland in 1296 signaled the beginning of 30 years of war. During this
time, William Wallace brought victory to the Scots at the Battle of Stirling. Eventually, this early freedom fighter
was captured and taken to London where he was hanged, drawn, and quartered. His contemporary Robert the Bruce
defeated the British at the Battle of Bannockburn. Scottish independence and his kingship were affirmed in the
signing of the Declaration of Arbroath.
Ancient Origin of our Q Haplogroup
http://www.davidkfaux.org/shetlandhaplogroupR1a.html
Q (Hg1, Eu40) Q is an unequivocal Norse signature.
The Project Administrator [David Faux] was alerted to the probability of finding Q in the present work since in one
unpublished study of Shetland haplotypes, the researchers found a relatively large number (just under 10%) of
participants with haplogroup Q -- the same percentage seen with the much more common Norse I haplogroup.
Typically those with a Q haplotype will have matches in Shetlands, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands with Orkney
showing a much smaller percentage. The Norwegian Q is very rare there (about 1%) and found more frequently in
the north of the country than in the south
Norse Q. In Helgason's article on the haplotypes of Iceland, there are 13 of the 181 samples which are labelled R1b
- Branch A, but which are actually Q. Thus slightly less than 1% of this Icelandic sample were Q - similar to
Norway. A reasonable estimate for Shetland would be about 4%, making it likely that due to the "founder effect"
Shetland has more Q percentage - wise than other Norse communities.
+
On the page 26 chart of Faux’s Shetland study is outlined the Shetland results of Q mutation of R1 Haplogroup.
+
Q: The Q lineage links Asia and the Americas. It is found in North and Central Asian populations. This lineage is
believed to have originated in Central Asia and migrated through the Altai / Baikal region of northern Central Asia
and descendants with a M3 mutation moved into the Americas -- the Asian defining markers are M45 and M242
(also shared with some Native Americans via Q3). In Scandinavia north of Denmark, haplogroup Q is found in less
than 8% of the male population.
The Peoples of Our Ancient Scotland
The first people to leave clues of their stone-age existence lived in Scotland over 7,000 years ago. Broch of Mousa is
the finest preserved example of a broch or round tower in Shetland, Scotland. It is the tallest still standing in the
world and amongst the best-preserved prehistoric buildings in Europe.It is thought to have been constructed circa
100 BC, one of 570 brochs built throughout Scotland. The site is managed by Historic Scotland. Evidence of the
Romans can be found along the Antoine Wall. Near the end of the 4th century, four separate groups inhabited
Scotland, which was called Alba: Picti, Angles, Britons, and Scots. Saint Ninian established the first center of
Christianity in 397 and over a century later, Saint Columba arrived on Iona.
+
In the 8th century, Vikings were attracted by the wealth of the monasteries like silver, gold and precious manuscripts
were sources of great booty. Islands like Iona were frequent targets. In 806, the entire Iona community was
murdered and plundered. The Monks of St. Ninian's Island, Shetland, were also attacked, and the monks, prewarned, quickly buried all that was of value. The Monks’ hidden hoard of 8th century gold and silver wasn't
discovered until 1958. By the end of the 9th century the Vikings came to Scotland to raid. The most likely reason for
the massive numbers of Scandinavians looking for new lands is attributed to overpopulation in Norway, Sweden and
Denmark, but the truth is we really don't know why the Vikings struck out. The Norsemen, through their seasonal
raiding and subsequent colonization of the Western and Northern Isles, left behind aspects of their heritage and
language that endure not least in the surnames of these areas, e.g. Gunn is originally derived from the Norse and
appears in significant numbers in the North of Scotland.
+
The Vikings’ Longships gave them mastery of the seas. Their fearless style of combat, pagan belief in glory from
death in battle, and their large size for their day all made them nearly invincible foes. Although a new ship design
does not sound like much today, in the 8th and 9th centuries, this progressive design was far superior to any other
European (or any other Continental) ship ever built and the Scots benefitted from this heritage to this day. The Scots
ship building yards as in Aberdeen, where a large portion of the English fleet was built and used against France and
Spain in later centuries, owes much to this heritage.
Historical Events in Scotland’s History
1263 - Battle Of Largs
Kintyre and the Western Isles had been acknowledged as the property of the Norwegian crown in a treaty between
Edgar, King of Scots and Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway, in 1098. In 1266 the Treaty of Perth returned the Isles
and Kintyre to Scotland.
+
By the mid-12th century the Norwegians appeared uninterested in their Scottish lands, and by 1156 Somerled
[founder of Clan Donald], descended from Dalriada royalty, had become the lands’ ‘sub-king’ and son-in-law of
Olaf, King of Man.
+
1295 - The 'Auld Alliance'
With Edward I on the throne of England, John Balliol of Scotland and Philip IV of France drew up an offensive and
defensive alliance which became a treaty in 1295. Robert the Bruce renewed the alliance with the 1326 Treaty of
Corbeil. During the 14th and 15th centuries the countries assisted each other against English aggression six times.
The spreading success of the English Reformation and the quality of Scottish soldiers were among the reasons
France continued to promote the alliance, while the Jacobites of the 18th century relied heavily on French support.
With cultural as well as political associations, Scotland has taken French influence into its architecture, law and
vocabulary. In the ensuing Wars of Independence the treaty proved valuable to Scotland.
Williams
James Edward Johnson***
M
B 8/3/1885 Nassau/Boulogne., FL
D 1/29/1935 Chatham County, GA
M 6/16/1904 Charlton Cty., GA
Margaret Elizabeth Williams
B 11/11/1887 Charlton Cty., GA
D 5/3/1977 Chatham Cty., GA
age 87
Grandfather/grandmother
Joseph S. Williams (Maggie’s father) M
B 7/24/1853 in Camden Cty., GA
D 1/10/1903 in Lawtey, Florida
Easter Ann Bennett (Maggie’s mother) #1 b
B before 1865
D at age 29
Josephine Roberson #2
B 3/1871
Great grandfather/great grandmother
1. Merchant, selling general merchandise like household goods, groceries, farm machines, etc.
1b. Joseph S. Williams (Maggie’s father) said his/Easter Ann Bennett’s (Maggie’s mother) #1 b family ancestors i.e. Stephen S.
Williams ’sailed from’ Wales to U.S. via London, England before 1840); Scotland i.e. Marr, who was born before 1845 in
Scotland; and Ireland i.e. Bennett; Josephine Roberson wife #2 was of Scottish descent.
2. Was Justice of the Peace for years in Lawtey, Florida, District 1.
Children #1
Sarah Catherine Williams B 3/29, 1885
Margaret Elizabeth Williams 11/11/1887***
Easter Anne (baby) B D 12/10/1889
Children #2
Linnie Marid Williams B 8/30/1893
Thomas Van Williams B 1895 D1930
Junis Lynk Williams B 6/1897 D 1973
Joseph S. Williams Jr. B 7/1900 D 1970
Mary Williams B 9/1896 D 1904 at age 8
Stephen Samuel Williams
M
B 1840 Camden Cty., GA
D 6/1912 Charlton Cty., near Folkston, GA M
M 5/1865 shortly after war
Anne Marr Williams#1 b
B Scotland before 1845
? #2
Great, great grandfather/great great grandmother
1. CSA soldier in combat for over three years, a prisoner of Union Army the last year of the war but returned safely at end; was
with Robert E. Lee at Appomattox surrender.
1b. Anne Marr #1 b was born in/from Scotland.
2. Naval store operator; owned numerous acres of turpentine timber and large general store in Camden County, Georgia.
3. Settlers lived far apart and had to travel long distances to get supplies. Stephen and Anne had built a cabin and farm, having a
small baby. While Stephen was away, either Indians or bandits killed Anne but did not kill the baby. The child grew into a
woman and later became Maggie’s grandfathers’s wife, her dad’s mother and her grandmother (in northern Camden County, near
Silco, GA).
4. The daughter of Aunt Nancy Williams Ramis, Lilla Ramis, was in the school (log house) during the storm of 9/1896 when the
school house collapsed and broke her nose. She ran home to her mother who lived in a two storey house. The house fell on them
all, killing Lilla and a 9 month old baby in Nancy’s lap. There were no men around, working on the river running logs to a
sawmill, so some tramps came by and helped remove them. Both aunts were hospitalized.
5. Clinton Johnson B 1860 was related to James I Johnson B 12/5/1841 Irwin Cty., GA D 1/23/1922 Charlton Cty./Folkston, GA
at 80 years old, our great grandfather
Children
Jimmy R. Williams
D 1901
M
?: 3 sons Alex, Charlie, Steve
Nancy Williams Ramis 4*
D 1908
M
Bud Ramis: 3 sons, 2 daughters
Maggie Williams (Maggie’s namesake)
B 1860
D 1910
M
Clinton Johnson 5: 3 sons, 2 daus.
Johnnie Williams
M
Katie Johnson: 3 sons, 4 daughters
Frank, Chenely, Johnie
Minnie, Jessie, Ethel, Bertha
Joseph S. Williams (Maggie’s father)***
B 1853
D 1903
B 1850
D 1905
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Great, great great grandfather/great, great, great grandmother
?, father of Stephen Samuel Williams (grandfather of Joseph S. Williams [Maggie’s father] and
her great grandfather) B. before 1820 in Scotland emigrated to America before 1840, eventually
to Camden County, Georgia thereafter.
Williams Family
Following the Genetic and Genealogical Footprints of Our Ancestors
Williams Family Members,
After researching the genetic footprint of the Williams versus traditional genealogical paths, I wanted to share my
findings, perhaps the best we can attain as all of the Williams males i.e. Margaret Williams Johnson (my
grandmother) and Carlene Johnson Mosely (my mother) are deceased. That leaves us with tracing mtDNA
footprints from the Williams-descended females. I promised Grandma and my mother, before they died, that I would
trace the Williams as well as the Johnsons and have kept my word.
Williams Line
Others had extrapolated from one or two references in notes and a legend that our Williams “came over from Wales”
“they came to America from Wales.” While I am not refuting that the Williams may have ‘come from Wales’ i.e.
perhaps sailed from a Welsh port to reach America i.e. one of several ports of call before voyaging here, genetic
research regarding the Williams line places their origin in Northern Scotland.
Norse Roots
From genetic mtDNA research, Grandma’s/Carlene’s matches are: generally from the UK; most UK citizens
identified more specifically from Scotland; while some non-UK matches are in Ireland, most non-UK matches come
from the Scandanavian countries of Norway as well as Denmark and Sweden.
+
From a geographic distribution perspective prior to ~400 years ago, this indicated that the Williams were of Scottish
descent, predated by Nordic ancestors who most probably emigrated to the Scottish mainland in the Norse era ~8001200 AD.
+
Bringing these mtDNA trends more current, e-mail correspondence between females representing exact HV1 and
HV2 matches with our Williams females shared their GED-COM files or genealogical family research. In
reviewing their exchanges, the research of several listed relations to/with individuals with the surname Gunn.
Norse Scot Descent
While several of y’all might have known that, I did not. It caused me to contact the central office of the Scottish
Clan Gunn.This is what they corroborated:
-Williams is a sub clan or sept of Clan Gunn.
-Many other surnames itemized in the e-mail exchanges of females with exact HV1 and HV2 matches with
Grandma and Carlene are also sub clans septs of the Clan Gunn.
-Regarding non-UK matches in Ireland but predominantly Scandanavian countries of Norway and Denmark, Clan
Gunn is of Scandanavian/specifically Danish descent (see Clan Gunn information below).
-Clan Gunn inhabited lands in the northern quarter of the Scottish mainland, specifically Caithness and Sutherland ,
both controlled by this Norse Scot clan and their Scandanavian ancestors which emigrated to the area ~800-1200
AD.
-Again, genetic matches synch up with females who identify the surname Gunn or septs of Gunn in their family
trees.
-There are Scottish surnames (Robeson, Marr) and an Irish surname (Bennett) in Grandma’s Williams Johnson
family tree.
‘Our’ Clan Gunn
Clan Gunn has corroborated that Grandma’s maiden name of Williams: is a registered and recognized sub clan of
the Clan Gunn; Clan Gunn is a Scottish clan of Nordic descent; their primary land holdings were historically in the
northern-most quarter of mainland Scotland, specifically Caithness and Sutherland.
These facts and review of direct genetic ‘relatives’ corroborate : mtDNA Haplogroups; numerous mtDNA matches
to distant genetic relatives; genetic similarities to females with the surnames Gunn, and/or septs of Clan Gunn in
their family trees.
Accordingly I submit, based on a combination of scientific and researched genealogical sources, that the Williams
were: originally of Scandanavian descent; emigrated to nearby Northern Scotland; intermarried with Scots;
centuries later came to America where they intermarried with several other families of Scottish and Irish
descent/surnames; eventually settled in Southeast Georgia and expanded according to the Williams genealogical
record previously shared.
Sub Clans and Septs of Clan Gunn
Septs of the Clan Gunn are: Gallie, Gunnson, Georgeson, Henderson, Johnson, Jamieson, Keene, Kean, MacCorkill,
MacComas, MacIan/MacIain, MacKames, MacKeamish, MacKean, MacOmish, MacRob, MacWilliam, Manson,
Nelson, Robison, Robson, Sandison, Swanson, Williams,Williamson, and Wilson.
The Williams Sub Clan
By far the vast majority of septs of Clan Gunn are from descendants of George "the Crowner" (or Coroner of
Caithness). The Crowner who lived in the 15th century had many sons before his death at the hands of the Keiths at
St. Tayres. Previous to their removal into Sutherland, George Gun the Coroner, called by the Highlanders Fear N'm
Braisteachmore, from the great brooch which he wore as the badge of his office of coroner, was killed by the Keiths
of Caithness. A prominent line from the Crowner's son James was the patronymic Mac Sheumais-Chataich
(MacJames, Jameson of Caithness). After the Battle of St. Tears (Tayres) the Gunns gave up their castle at Clythe. It
passed first to William, Earl of Caithness (a Sinclair), then to the Keiths, much to the dismay of the Gunns. The
Crowner's eldest son, James, succeeded as chief and he it was who, with his family and the greater portion of his
clan, removed into Sutherland. The principal dwelling-house of the chiefs was thereafter Killernan, in the parish of
Kildonan, until the house was accidentally destroyed by fire about 1690. From this chief, the patronymic of Mac-
Sheumais, or MacKeamish, (that is, the son of James), which then became the Gaelic sept name of the chiefs, is
derived. From one of the sons of the Crowner, named William, are descended the Wilsons of Caithness, (as from a
subsequent chief of the same name, the Williamsons), and from another, Henry, the Hendersons. Another son,
Robert, who was killed with his father, was the progenitor of the Gunn Robsons; and another son, John, also slain by
the Keiths, of the Gunn MacEans, or MacIains, that is Johnsons, of Caithness. Gallies are also of this clan, a party of
whom settling in Rossshire being designated as coming from Gall'aobh.
Our Williams, as well as those related to other surnames e.g. Will, Wilson, MacWilliam, Williamson and Williams
(of Caithness and Sutherland), are most probably descended from William, son of the Crowner although some of
this line may have actually descended from a later chief named William (specifically the Williamsons). They
acquired lands in Banniskirk where the Commander of Clan Gunn is today (or at least his title). They were also
associated with the Henderson Gunns (as well as Rorieson and Manson) in the lowlands of Caithness.
The Clan Gunn continued to extend their possessions in Caithness until about the middle of the15th century, when,
in consequence of their deadly feuds with the Keiths and other neighboring clans, they found it necessary to remove
into Sutherland where they settled on the lands of Kildonan under the protection of the Earls of Sutherland.
Nordic Scot Roots
The Haplogroup of our Williams confirms Norse ancestry. According to Thomas Sinclair (1890), the Gunns are
descended from Gunnius, brother of Sweyn a Freswick Viking. Others say it was a Norse pirate, Gunnar, son of Olaf
the Black who ruled Orkney and the Isles during the 13th century and grandson of the infamous Sweyn Asleifsson.
The clan was based in the town of Ulbster, a few miles south of present-day Wick, an estuary town in Caithness.
The Vikings weren't the first settlers, as Caithness has evidence of pre-historic occupation including several stone
cairns and over 100 brochs. Many coastal castles, now in ruins, are Norse in origin. When the Viking settlers arrived
here somewhere around the 10th century, the land was inhabited by the Picts (even the name "Pentland Firth" stands
for "Pictland Fjord"). Bands of settlers landed in the county, sailing over from Denmark and Norway in their Viking
longboats and gradually established themselves along the coast. Many place names and surnames are Norse in
origin. For centuries, sovereignty over Caithness was disputed between Scotland and the Norwegian Earldom of
Orkney. Around 1196, Earl Harald Maddadarsson agreed to pay tribute for Caithness to William I. Since the 'Treaty
of Perth', 1266, Norway has recognized Caithness as Scottish.
One of the reasons for the clan’s decline was the evolution of Scotland itself. The Norse Vikings took the extreme
north of Scotland — notably the eastern and northern shores, Caithness and Sutherland — along with the Orkneys,
the Shetlands, and the Hebrides, from the original Pictish inhabitants in the 8th century and ruled there until the 13th
century. In the 12th century, Caithness was still within the political orbit of the Jarls of Orkney. By the 13th century,
primacy in Caithness was passing to the Scottish kings. Ragnhild’s brother Harald aligned himself with William “the
Lion” of Scotland and profited thereby. In 1263 Alexander III of Scotland decisively defeated Haakon IV of Norway
at the Battle of Largs, effectively ending Norse influence in the region. Unfortunately for families on the periphery
of emerging Scotland, the Scottish kings, descended from the 11th century English princess St. Margaret, pursued a
policy of stamping out both Nordic and Gaelic tribal culture and reorganizing the country along the lines of English
nobility.