From the Blue Ridges to the Sandhills:
            The History of 4 North Carolina Families

Wright & Nancy Johnson Family

Wright Johnson was born ca. 1774. His name first appears in the Surry County census records in 1820, when he was about 46 years of age, along with what would appear to be a wife, four sons, and three daughters. He appears consistently in the census and tax lists after that time, and owned land in the northeast corner of Surry County, bordering on Stokes County, North Carolina, and Patrick County, Virginia, in the area of Archie's/Archer's Creek.

Some genealogists believe that Wright Johnson's parents were John and Lydia Johnson, members of the Deep Creek Friends Meeting near the border of Surry and Yadkin Counties. Lydia's parents were Strangeman and Elizabeth Cox Hutchins, also members of the Deep Creek Friends Meeting. Wright's home was near the Westfield Friends Meeting, but there appear to be no records there mentioning him. Even if Wright Johnson's parents were Friends, (also called Quakers) he became a Methodist lay preacher.

In the late 1700's, John Wesley sent missionaries to America to spread his beliefs among the colonists. A man named Francis Asbury came to America around 1771 and traveled and preached throughout the colonies, including North Carolina. Asbury later became a bishop of the newly established Methodist Church. His influence may account for a number of communities in North Carolina being named Asbury, including one in Stokes County in the Quaker Gap township. Methodism was spread by means of camp meetings and itinerant preachers who took their doctrine into remote settlements. By the middle of the 1800's the Methodist denomination was the largest Protestant church in America. Their services were known for their exhuberant singing, shouting, and preaching.

Wright Johnson was identified in the 1860 census as a preacher, when he was 86 years old. The first record I found indentifying him as a preacher is a story in the Yadkin County News, by Bill Whitehead, of an event that took place when Wright was about 33. The story tells how a Methodist preacher named Right Johnson waded through creeks to preach at a home somewhere near Mount Airy, on "The Cold Friday" of Feb. 6, 1807. On that day the temperature did not rise above zero and set records all over the East Coast:

I recollect on the "cold Friday" that Right Johnson waded the creeks and came to our house to preach. The creeks I speak of are those crossed in traveling from Mount Airy to our house. Where can you find in this day any person who would even ride in a fine rig and go to a common log cabin to preach in such weather as the "cold Friday"?

But the old preachers of an early day had many hardships to encounter. I will mention some of their names. Of the Methodist--Thos. Bryant, Wiley Patterson, James Needham, John Hix and Right Johnson, and later on William Rawley and one of the Roberts. Of the Baptists--John Jones and Jonah Cockerham. The Methodists generally, except Rawley and Roberts, were very poor men who did the most of their traveling on foot.

The story above, repeated in a column in the Yadkin County News in 1894, inspired another reminiscence about the Methodist camp meetings of antebellum times and about the character of Preacher Wright Johnson:

Mr. Editor: As Bill Whitehead wishes to hear something about the Old Camp Ground east of Mt. Airy and as my recollection carries me back to that day and time, I will give a brief of the same...

The Camp Ground spoken of was immediately in front of the present residence of James W. Jackson, and nothing remains to indicate the spot except a bare place in the grove, surrounded with large oaks. I do not know certainly when the first meeting was held there, but understand from others that it was in the year 1844. I was at the meetings when only a very small boy...

My recollection is also very clear as to old preacher Wright Johnson, who was termed a real Holy Ghost man. Once in antebellum times he came to Mt. Airy and stopped over night with William Rawley, who at that time was selling goods in town, and he being busy at the store at night, the old man Johnson was conducted to bed without family prayer. Next morning the family, together with some boarders that were at Rawley's, were collected together in the parlor for morning worship, and Johnson, being asked to conduct the service, made a few preliminary remarks, before entering upon his formal proceedings, saying that he "once knew a good man who belonged to the Methodist church and he branched off into worldly business and became so involved in his pursuits, that he fell from grace, lost his religion and joined the Baptists and that he very much feared that some present were on the same road, as he had retired to bed last evening for the first time in 50 years without being called upon to hold family worship." This was a very stinging rebuke to Mr. Rawley, and he often told it to others and laughed heartily.

Wright Johnson's wife, Nancy, was born about 1784, in Virginia. She was living at the time of his will in February of 1866, which was probated in February of 1867. Nancy appeared in the 1870 census, living near her son, Henderson, in the Westfield district of Surry County. Wright seems to have been more prosperous than some of the Methodist circuit riders described in the newspaper article. In his will, he left substantial plots of land to several of his eight children. In addition, he left books to his sons which were no doubt quite valuable at the time--six volumes of Adam Clarke's line by line Commentary on the Bible and John Wesley's Notes on the New Testament.

The burial place of Wright and Nancy is not known. However, their daughter Jemimah Snoddy and grandson Columbus Norman are buried at Mt. Hermon Methodist Church near Archie's Creek, where their daughter Mrs. Isaac Norman and her husband's funeral sermon was preached, according to their obituary. On visiting there in March 2008, I was told that there are many old, unmarked graves which used to have upright field rocks on them, now replaced by flat, small stones which have become buried over time. Deeds show that Wright owned land bordering on Archie's or Archer's Creek.

The following transcription of Wright Johnson's will was copied from a microfilm image of handwritten Surry County court records in the North Carolina State Archives. I have attempted to be faithful to the spelling and punctuation of the original as much as possible. The document names his wife and eight children, as well as his daughter's husbands, and gives the location of property he owned and left to them. It also documents that he died between February of 1866, when the will was written, and February of 1867, when the will was proved. County Courts met four times a year, which narrows his likely date of death to the three months preceding the February 1867 term.

WRIGHT JOHNSON'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

I Wright Johnson of the County of Surry and State of North Carolina, being in sound mind and memory and calling to mind the certainty of death and the uncertainty of life do make and ordain this my last will and testament In manner and form as follows. First my will and desire is that my Executors hereinafter named shall provide for my body a decent burial suitable to the wishes of my friends.

Second that my executors shall out of my estate pay all funeral expenses and my just debts to whomsoever owing.

Thirdly I give and devise to my son Henderson Johnson a tract of land one hundred acres more or less lying in Stokes County, North Carolina. I also give him two volumes of books Clarke's Commentaries.

Fourthly, I give and devise to my son Wesley Johnson two volumes of books Clarke's Commentary. I have also previously deeded my son Wesley Johnson one hundred acres of land on which he now lives.

Fifthly, I give and devise to my son James Johnson two volumes of books Clarke's Commentary. I have also previously deeded to him a tract of land one hundred acres on which he now lives.

Sixthly, I give and devise to my son John W Johnson John Wesley's Notes on the New Testament.

Seventhly, I give to my beloved wife Nancy Johnson for her natural life or widowhood the remainder of all my estate both real and personal of every description whatsoever.

Eighthly at the death or marriage of my wife, my will and desire is that all the property which I or the remainder of all the property that I have given to her during her life or widowhood be divided among my daughters as follows.

My daughter Nancy, Isaac Norman's wife is to have forty acres of land commencing on the Stokes line extending west along the state line far enough to receive her number of acres.

My daughter Elizabeth McMillion, John McMillion's wife is to have forty acres of land so laid off as to have the old dwelling in which I now live to be on her part.

My daughter Mary, Joseph White's wife is to have forty acres of land so layed off that her dwelling will be on her part.

My daughter Jamima Joel Snody's wife is to have the remainder forty acres of land.

Ninethly, also my will and desire is that all my personal property after the death of my wife is to be equally divided among my daughters to wit Nancy Isaac Norman's wife, Elizabeth McMillions wife, Mary Joseph White's wife, and Jamima Joel Snody's wife.

And Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my Son-in-Law Isaac Norman an Joel Snody my Lawful Executors to all intents and purposes to execute and carry out this my last will and testment according to the true intent and meaning of the Same and every part and clause hereof hereby revoking and declaring utterly void all other wills and testaments by me theretofore made invoking
Whereof I the said Wright Johnson do hereby set my hand and seal
[]signed sealed published and declared by the said Wright Johnson to be his last will and testament in presence of us who at his request and with his presence do subscribe our [] as [] thereto
N Freeman
A Brim, Just
February 16th AD 1866, Wright (his X mark) Johnson, (Seal)

North Carolina Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Surry County, February Term 1867

The execution of the foregoing will and testament of Wright Johnson, decd was produced in open court and offered for probate and was duly proven by the oath of Acaberry Brim, one of the Subscribing witness thereto and is ordered to be Recorded and filed.
HC Hampton CCC

Click here to read about Wright and Nancy Johnson's eight children.

Sources for the History of Wright & Nancy Johnson & Children

From the Blue Ridges to the Sandhills: The History of 4 NC Families / Wright & Nancy Johnson Family
© 2001 by Glenda Alexander, updated June 2009        Standard copyright restrictions apply.