Amy Koch Johnson's Page

Lisbon, Portugal: Thirty years ago I was a civilian Ordinary Seaman, 12-4 watch helmsman aboard the Navy Research Lab's USNS Mizar, T-AGOR 11. We put into downtown  Lisbon from the dock Christopher Columbus allegedly sailed from. We arrived the day adults are fee to act "crazy", whatever it is called? Akin to our "April Fools Day". I knew nothing of their custom and said to myself, there were mental cases on the street here than even in New York--but the joke was on me.  Ancestor, the Hon. Francis Yonge, Lords Proprietors Surveyor-General of the Bahamas, Carolinas, and Georgia, had earlier lived Lisbon while he was His British Majesty;s Commissioner of Ordnance for the fortification of Gibraltar. His son, the Hon. Henry Yonge, Sr., Loyalist, H.M. Surveyor-General of Georgia, was born there. My two quality, all-wool, reproduction "oriental" rugs, now in the living room; I brought back on that voyage. Loved Lisbon.

Greetings: My great, great grandfather, Shadrack "Shade" Wooten of Johnson's Mills, Pitt County, N.C.; his grandfather there was Shadrack Johnson from circa 1700's southeastern Virgina, just across the N.C. line. Never gone back beyond that. The first African-Americans (I have no known African forebears) to Jamestown arrived not as slaves (though they were captured and sold in Africa, often sold by blacks to whites. Alas today's news said in Somalia, captured Christian children were still being enslaved to black Muslims), but as (like whites) indentured servants (slavery quickly evolved). One's indenture (had to work a period of years to repay the cost of passage) was sold to an early successful Jamestown white farmer, Mr. Johnson. The black took Johnson for his own name, and married the white Johnson's daughter, quickly worked off his own indenture, and purchased the indentures of later Africans who quickly evolved into his slaves. The story did not go beyond that, but my hunch is their mulatto children "married-up" (with whites" rather than "down", with now slaves). Perhaps three or four generations of whites, these Johnson would look "white", may no longer know of black forebears, or is still knowing; easily conceal such. It's possibly my Shadrack Johnson, knowingly, or un-knowingly could have been of that Johnson lineage? This African Jamestown "Johnson", should qualify as a "FFV", "First Families of Virginia" if early arrival time alone is the determining factor.

Hi Amy - are your Koch's from Northampton Co PA? I have an Anna Barbara Koch who married a John Kleckner. They are buried in Mifflinburg, Union Co PA Thanks Jim Avery

Hi Amy,

Looking forward to the Harvey information. Go ahead and post it in my Harvey Family Genealogy page, please.

Hi Amy,

I'm not sure to what you are referring when you stated, "I am not sure why you believe that man who wrote that one page?"

Which man and which page?

I'm going to list some information and think my way through this, as it has been years since I have looked at this line. From FHL microfilm 0,504,431, item 2, is the marriage at St. Pancras Chichester, Sussex, England on 7 Nov. 1653 of William, son of William Clayton of this parish and Prudence Lanckford of peters the lease daughter of William Lanckford of Broughton, Hants married after purpose thrice published in Chichester Market on 19 Oct, 26 Oct. and 2 Oct (sic, Nov.).

This would be our William and wife Prudence. Now having married in 1653, they had children:
1. William b. ca. 1655 (apparently died young as another son William was born in 1665).
2. Prudence b. 20 8mo 1657.
[others I won't list here, including Mary who married John BEALS, our mutual line]

William was baptized 9 Dec. 1632 at Boxgrove, his parents (William Clayton and Joan Smith) having been married there 30 Oct. 1631. As listed above this William (the immigrant) married Prudence Lanckford.

As indicated from the 1653 marriage record, plus his baptismal record, William (the immigrant) was the son of a William Clayton, not Thomas Clayton as listed in your blog. His father William Clayton wrote his will in 1658 (I have a copy). There are extracts from it at:


Note that he named his grandchildren, William and Prudence, children of his son William.

The Thomas Clayton of your blog did have a son William, but he is not our William (the immigrant), and this Thomas and his ancestry did not live in Sussex. As listed above, the records show our William was the son of a William (not Thomas). See for some background on where this incorrect listing of our William started.

Note that while on this page she refers to a 1630 (probated 1631) will of Thomas that some allege as the great-grandfather of William the immigrant (as listed on the second link listed by J. G. Moore) as having a wife Margaret, I believe the actual wife's name in the will of this Thomas is an Elizabeth.