Louisa Johnson Harmon

Louisa Johnson, wife of William H. Harmon, was the daughter of James Johnson and a mother, who I suspect was Sarah Kelly: I personally suspect that Sarah Kelly was the first wife of James Johnson. That couple – or should I say “a” James Johnston married Sarah Kelly on 1 Jun 1843 in, what was still, Kanawha County. (By the way, Johnson and Johnston were used interchangeably in the early records).

James Johnston appears in the 1850 Putnam County Census at the age of 35 with his second wife, Mary Ann Lanham, 21 years old, with the eldest child, Sarah E. Johnston, aged 11. The eldest son is Zachariah Johnston, aged 1. (Note the big age gap there). Also listed in the household are Mary Ann’s sister Miana/Milana, aged 19, and Levin Lanham, probable father of the two Lanham sisters, aged 53. Missing from this household is James Johnston’s daughter, Louisa.

I address Sarah E. Johnston in a separate post but for now, let’s do some math. It stands to reason that Mary Ann Lanham is 21 years of age but Sarah E. Johnson is 11 years old. Eleven from twenty-one is 10, meaning Mary Ann Lanham would have been 10 years old when she gave birth to James’ oldest daughter Sarah. I don’t believe that’s likely. Therefore, James Johnson had a wife that died prior to his marriage to Mary Ann Lanham.

Onto the 1860 Putnam Census. We find J. A. Johnson, aged 45 (properly 10 years older than the last census), wife M. A., aged 31, and a female “L. Johnson” aged 17. This is whom I believe to be Louisa Johnson, now 10 years older making her approximately 7 years old in 1850 (and me with no clue as to why she was not listed in the previous census). But lets do some more math: Subtract Louisa’s age from “mother” Mary Ann’s age. 31 minus 17 is 14, meaning Mary Ann would have been about 14 years old when she gave birth to Louisa. Possible but is is probable? I don’t think so.

Now let’s hop to the 1870 Census of Putnam County: Louisa is married now (I assume they’re married but I cannot locate a marriage record) to W. H. Harmon. In that household we find 24 year old William Harmon, 27 year old Louisa, their 4 year old son James and who? Sarah E Johnson aged 29, two years older than her sister, Louisa. The father’s name for both girls on their death certificates is James Johnson (Louisa) or J. A. Johnson (Sarah).

I completely comprehend that you don’t need to be married to create babies but given that James Johnson had two daughters 6 years old and under when he married 18 year-old Mary Ann Lanham in 1847 tells me he was previously married. It is likely the girls’ biological mother, who I assume was Sarah Kelly, died shortly after Louisa’s birth.

Louisa and Sarah E. would have thought of Mary Ann Lanham as their mother as both were raised by her. Its doubtful that they had many, if any, memories of their biological mother. So it stands to reason that Mary Ann Lanham is listed as Louisa’s mother on her death record (no mother is listed on Sarah E’s death record).

Louisa Johnson Harmon was my 2nd Great Grandmother on my maternal side through her daughter Mary Ethel Harmon. Louisa and William H. Harmon had 8 children that I can document: James Winston, West B., Thomas H., Victoria Ann (“Aunt Vic”), Melissa Francis (“Aunt Melissa”), Charles Alexander (“Uncle Charley”), Mary Ethel (“Mommy Phalen”), and William Alfred Harmon.

Death Certificates:

  • Sarah E. Johnson: “West Virginia Vital Research Records – Record Image”. 2025. Wvculture.Org. https://dach-image-proxy.digital-relativity.workers.dev/?film=1953773&frame=01055
  • Louisa Johnson Harmon: “West Virginia Vital Research Records – Record Image”. 2025. Wvculture.Org. https://dach-image-proxy.digital-relativity.workers.dev/?film=1953103&frame=01031

 

 

 

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