Charles O. Johnston is a third-great grandparent through my paternal line. Charles was the last child of seven known boys born to Exum and Alice (Unknown) Johnston. His parents were both from Virginia, though I have been unable to confirm from where. Several online genealogies list the couple from Isle of Wight County, but I haven't be able to find any proof. Since revisiting this family, I have also found information stating the Exum was married at least three times. Therefore, I do not have proof the the children below are with his relationship with Alice or with another spouse. However, these are children that I feel relatively certain belong to Exum.
The family were farmers and according to the 1850 census, Exum owned 2500 acres, a large farm in my mind.
Charles is listed on censuses as a shoemaker. That is a first that I have found in my research. Though he would have been approximately the right age to have served in the Civil War, I have found no reference to military service. Charles married Louann Lightner in Howard County, Indiana on April 22, 1863.
Soon after, the couple moved to Hobart, Lake County, Indiana where they lived until their deaths.
The couple's youngest son, Adrian Lightner Johnson, was an avid genealogist and tracked the Lightner family line back to the Mayflower. However, I have been able to find little to no research from Adrian on the Johnston line. This is an interesting line in that I can't find much proof of anything. One issue could be the age old problem of spelling: Johnston versus Johnson. That "T" can make a big difference!
To do list:
1. Find an obituary for Charles
2. Find a death certificate for Charles
3. Research more on extended Johnston family.
This post is part of my on-going goal of 2013 to research each of my 32 3rd great-grandparents more in-depth. Charles is #15 on my list.
No comments:
Post a Comment