By John D Ellis
John Johnson was admitted as a Royal Navy out-pensioner to Greenwich Hospital in May 1813. On admittance it was noted that he was “Black”, and his last ship had been HMS Blonde.(1)
By 1813 there had been five Royal Navy ships bearing the name Blonde. It is not known which vessel John Johnson had served on, but it is likely to have been the fifth Blonde, a 38-gun frigate captured from the French, which had participated in the ‘Actions of December 1809’ in the Caribbean. John Johnson had lost his right arm whilst serving, and this action seems to be the most probable cause.
John Johnson’s life between 1813 and 1844 is unknown, but in July 1845 he was admitted as an in-pensioner to the Ramillies ward of Greenwich Hospital.(2) On admission he was 61 years of age, 5 feet 1” tall and had been born at Point Peter (Pont-a-Pitre), Guadeloupe. Having served as a Seaman in the Royal Navy for 13 years he had been discharged (in 1813) due to the loss of his right arm. Prior to being admitted he had been a resident of Commercial Road (near the East and West India Docks, Tower Hamlets), and was a widower and father to one child (a girl).(3)
John Johnson remained an in-pensioner for just less than one year, leaving to wed at St Alphege’s (Alfege’s) Church, Greenwich in July 1846, when he married Mary Ann Charlton (nee Jones), “an American woman of colour”.(4)
John, a bachelor and pensioner of Skinner’s Court, identified his father as being John Powell, whose rank or profession was given as “negro slave” with “Guadeloupe” being scored out.(6) It was noted that the name John Johnson had been “assumed on coming to England”.(7) Although if this was to aid assimilation, shake off the memory of a ‘enslaved name’ or to avoid identification and re-capture remains a matter of conjecture. It does though demonstrate the problems identifying and cross-referencing individuals in different records faced by researchers of Black History. Once the name ‘John Johnson’ had been “assumed” (or perhaps imposed by the Royal Navy), it is unlikely that it would be changed. For pension purposes, continuity of service between ships in the Royal Navy had to be proved – changing names would have made this difficult. Additionally, it was not a comedic or ‘slave name’ – which possibly made it more bearable.
Mary Ann, a widow, also of Skinner’s Court, identified her father as John Jones, a “Mariner”.(8) Both John and Mary Ann marked the marriage certificate, as did the two witnesses – Sarah Lewis and James Lamb.(9)
Unfortunately, the marriage was short lived, with Mary Ann Johnson dying in January 1847 following a violent altercation in December 1846 which received much attention from the local press:
DEATH FROM ALLEGED VIOLENCE
On Wednesday, and inquest was held pursuant to adjournment from the 8th inst., before C.J.Carter, Esq., coroner, at the Eight Bells, Church Street, Greenwich, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of Mary Ann Johnson, aged 44, an American woman of colour, wife of an out-pensioner of Greenwich Hospital.
John Johnson, deposed to the identity of the body, and that he married the deceased in August last, at which time he belonged to the Ramillies ward, in the Royal Hospital, after which he became an out-pensioner, and resided in Skinner’s Court, Greenwich.
Thos. Oak Mitchell, Esq., surgeon, Circus Street, Greenwich, deposed that he had attended decease about ten years. He had made a post mortem examination of the body of the decease, by direction of the coroner. Witness was sent for previous to death, on 30th December, when he found her speechless and insensible; believed she was labouring under concussion of the brain and treated her accordingly. There were external marks of violence, her head was swollen and inflamed, bruises over the shoulder and a black eye. On making the post mortem examination, he found on removing the scalp a bruise extending through the integuments (size of half-a-crown), to the back part of the skull, death ensued from the concussion of the brain, on the 8th inst.
Thos. Obering, deposed, to great disturbance taking place in Skinner’s Court, Greenwich, the 30th ult,. Saw deceased foaming at the mouth striking at an elderly woman, named Humphries. A young woman named Martha Humphries, a daughter of the old lady came up and struck deceased over the shoulder, while she was in the act of opening the street door.
John Johnson, husband of deceased, was re-called, and said that his wife layed two hours on the bed insensible after she came into the house, and said that the “Skinners” would be her death, and that she thought that “tall Mary” would be the last person to strike her.
Joseph Sinnot, deposed, that he saw Martha Humphries give deceased a blow and knock her bonnet off. One of the Humphries’s gave her a muzzle, and deceased said she did not think that Mary would have struck her; deceased staggered to her door, but did not fall. Amelia Humphries struck deceased in the face, Johnson afterwards came out and took his wife in.
Dr Mitchell said deceased was quite sober, and was sure she had not been drinking on the day of the occurrence.
Jane Acres and Louis Fleming, deposed to seeing Martha strike deceased.
Harriet Deal, a married woman residing in Skinner’s Court, proved that Martha Humphries struck deceased the last blow and called her a B____ old bitch, it was between 19 and 12 o’clock in the forenoon of Wednesday, 30th December. Old Mrs Humphries abused and used deceased most cruelly, the words used were most foul, deceased left and returned to the court an hour or so afterwards, when Mrs Humphries used deceased as badly as before; deceased held up her stick and said by God she would put up with it no longer. Amelia Humphries then came behind deceased and gave her a violent blow on the head. Deceased reeled without falling. Deceased said she had been shamefully used. Amelia struck deceased twice and her sister Martha once. Saw tall Mary rub deceased mouth. Amelia struck as hard as she was able.
Ann Sutton, proved that Mrs Humphries and deceased quarrelled. Saw Martha strike deceased with open hand on side of her head. Deceased appeared quite sober.
Mary Ann Humphries, widow, was called in, and admitted that she was not sober on the day in question. She quarrelled with deceased about 15s, her husband owed for rent and money lent,- told deceased she was an ungrateful woman and that she kept her from starving. No blows were struck by witness of her daughters – her daughters merely pushed her bonnet off.
Mary Cleoox and several other witnesses, proved that blows were given to deceased by the two young Humphries’s but only with the open hand.
Amelia and Martha Humphries both made voluntary statements to the effect that they struck deceased for threatening their mother, but only with their hands. Deceased said “kill me”, “kill me”, and was in a great passion foaming at the mouth.
Dr Mitchell, surgeon, said death must have ensued from a fall or blow from some hard substance. The hand could produce no such result.
Mr Carttar (Carter), the coroner, concurred in this opinion.
The inquest-room was then cleared for the jury and coroner to confer, and after nearly an hour had elapsed, the doors were thrown open, when the coroner announced that the jury not being satisfied with the evidence, he had determined to adjourn the inquiry for a month, when it was hoped that important facts would be disclosed.(11)
Postscript
Mary Ann Johnson, (aged 52 years and a resident of Skinner’s Court) died on the 7th of January 1847, and was buried on the 12th of January at St Alphege’s Church, Greenwich.(13) Despite the coroner adjourning “the inquiry for a month, when it was hoped that important facts would be disclosed” no further actions can be identified relating to the death of Mary Ann Johnson.(14)
John Johnson was re-admitted to Greenwich Hospital as an in-pensioner in August 1847.(15) He was discharged to out-pension in 1849, and his fate is uncertain. John Johnson was not an uncommon name amongst Royal Navy pensioners, nor the wider population. However, it is believed that he died in July 1851 and was buried in the Greenwich Royal Naval Hospital Old Burial Ground.(16)
References
1)The National Archives (TNA) ADM 22/307.
2)TNA ADM 73/060, ADM 73/061 and ADM 73/069. West Kent Guardian, 16th January 1847. findmypast.co.uk
3)TNA ADM 74/047. ADM 73/060, ADM 73/061 and ADM 73/069. Neither his wife nor his daughter have been identified.
4)West Kent Guardian, 16th January 1847. findmypast.co.uk
5)www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol6/pp190-205
6)London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936. St Alphege 1842-1852, Greenwich, Kent. London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). ancestry.co.uk His father’s name was transcribed as ‘John Vincett’ by ancestry.co.uk
7)London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936. St Alphege 1842-1852, Greenwich, Kent. London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). ancestry.co.uk
8)Ibid.
9)Ibid.
10)Ibid.
11)West Kent Guardian, 16th January 1847. findmypast.co.uk The incident was also reported in: Globe, 16th January 1847. Morning Advertiser, 16th January 1847. Surrey Mercury, 19th January 1847. Kentish Mercury, 19th January 1847. findmypast.co.uk
12)EIGHT BELLS Pub of Greenwich (dover-kent.com) The website www.dover-kent.com identifies the ‘Eight Bells’ of Church Street, Greenwich being used for inquiries four times by the coroner during the 1840s.
13)Burial: Mary Ann Johnson. 12th January 1847. St Alphege’s Church, Greenwich, Kent. By Coroner’s Warrant. London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). P78/ALF 074. Page 71. Entry 565.
14)West Kent Guardian, 16th January 1847. findmypast.co.uk
15)TNA ADM 6/254. ADM 73/047. ADM 73/061. WO 4/888.
16)Burial. 18th July 1851. John Johnson. Aged 68 years. Greenwich, Anglican. Kent: Greenwich, Greenwich Hospital (Anglican): Burials. TNA/RG/8/16 and TNA/RG/4/1675. findmypast.co.uk