William was the son of Robert and Isabell Johnston. He was the great-nephew of North Carolina's Royal Governor, Gabriel Johnston, and the nephew of North Carolina's "first acting non-royal Governor" Samuel Johnston of Edenton, who was a Revolutionary War Leader.
By 1756 William Johnston was in North Carolina where he acquired 150 acres in Orange County. Soon afterwards he was sheriff of Granville County and a member of a commission named to divide St. John's Parish in that county and, with others, to erect public buildings in Bute County, which was formed from Granville.
By 1767, he had established a plantation known as Snowhill, on the Indian trading path by Little River, about fifteen miles northeast of Hillsborough, where he was a well known merchant who had established a general store and served on the earliest board of commissioners. After making Richard Bennehan a partner, his Little River Store served a large area of that part of the colony. In partnership with James Thackston, Johnston also opened a store in Hillsborough. In addition to these stores and his extensive land holdings, Johnston engaged in trade as far away as Wilmington and Cross Creek and operated grist mills on some of the creeks in the region.
During the 1771 Regulator uprising in Orange County, Johnston informed Governor William Tryon of conditions there, and he was referred to as a colonel. Although Johnston was given funds to be used in raising troops, nothing suggests he participated in military action.
About 1774, William Johnston, Richard Henderson, and the brothers Nathaniel Hart Sr, David Hart, Thomas Hart III; as well as Leonard H Bullock, James Hogg, John Luttrell and John Williams, all became involved in land speculation with the Louisa & Transylvania Companies, when they sought illegal conveyance for millions of acres of land between the Kentucky & Cumberland Rivers, when shortly after, Fort Boonesborough was settled by John Henderson and his chief architect, Daniel Boone.
"To the memory of William Johnston and Ann his Wife. A worthy pair."
Said to be, the oldest marked gravesite in Durham County, the marker of William & Ann Johnston, denotes where more than one Johnston family member is buried without markers, as five of their children who died very young, would also rest here. The tombstone was erected by their daughter and son-in-law, Walter and Amelia (Johnston) Alves.
Johnston declared in his will that money be provided for a marker erected on his grave
". . . purchase and erect a plain but decent monument to the memory of my late beloved wife and children who are interred at the Burying Place on my plantation at Little River in the county of Orange...I wish to be there interred." Note: this was prior to Durham being formed from Orange. Though William also stipulated he wished a one acre plot around the grave and used as a family graveyard. It's unknown whether additional burials took place, as his daughter's family left for Kentucky, in the Early 1800s.
Biography compilation by Mark Hayden.
By 1756 William Johnston was in North Carolina where he acquired 150 acres in Orange County. Soon afterwards he was sheriff of Granville County and a member of a commission named to divide St. John's Parish in that county and, with others, to erect public buildings in Bute County, which was formed from Granville.
By 1767, he had established a plantation known as Snowhill, on the Indian trading path by Little River, about fifteen miles northeast of Hillsborough, where he was a well known merchant who had established a general store and served on the earliest board of commissioners. After making Richard Bennehan a partner, his Little River Store served a large area of that part of the colony. In partnership with James Thackston, Johnston also opened a store in Hillsborough. In addition to these stores and his extensive land holdings, Johnston engaged in trade as far away as Wilmington and Cross Creek and operated grist mills on some of the creeks in the region.
During the 1771 Regulator uprising in Orange County, Johnston informed Governor William Tryon of conditions there, and he was referred to as a colonel. Although Johnston was given funds to be used in raising troops, nothing suggests he participated in military action.
About 1774, William Johnston, Richard Henderson, and the brothers Nathaniel Hart Sr, David Hart, Thomas Hart III; as well as Leonard H Bullock, James Hogg, John Luttrell and John Williams, all became involved in land speculation with the Louisa & Transylvania Companies, when they sought illegal conveyance for millions of acres of land between the Kentucky & Cumberland Rivers, when shortly after, Fort Boonesborough was settled by John Henderson and his chief architect, Daniel Boone.
"To the memory of William Johnston and Ann his Wife. A worthy pair."
Said to be, the oldest marked gravesite in Durham County, the marker of William & Ann Johnston, denotes where more than one Johnston family member is buried without markers, as five of their children who died very young, would also rest here. The tombstone was erected by their daughter and son-in-law, Walter and Amelia (Johnston) Alves.
Johnston declared in his will that money be provided for a marker erected on his grave
". . . purchase and erect a plain but decent monument to the memory of my late beloved wife and children who are interred at the Burying Place on my plantation at Little River in the county of Orange...I wish to be there interred." Note: this was prior to Durham being formed from Orange. Though William also stipulated he wished a one acre plot around the grave and used as a family graveyard. It's unknown whether additional burials took place, as his daughter's family left for Kentucky, in the Early 1800s.
Biography compilation by Mark Hayden.
William was the son of Robert and Isabell Johnston. He was the great-nephew of North Carolina's Royal Governor, Gabriel Johnston, and the nephew of North Carolina's "first acting non-royal Governor" Samuel Johnston of Edenton, who was a Revolutionary War Leader.
By 1756 William Johnston was in North Carolina where he acquired 150 acres in Orange County. Soon afterwards he was sheriff of Granville County and a member of a commission named to divide St. John's Parish in that county and, with others, to erect public buildings in Bute County, which was formed from Granville.
By 1767, he had established a plantation known as Snowhill, on the Indian trading path by Little River, about fifteen miles northeast of Hillsborough, where he was a well known merchant who had established a general store and served on the earliest board of commissioners. After making Richard Bennehan a partner, his Little River Store served a large area of that part of the colony. In partnership with James Thackston, Johnston also opened a store in Hillsborough. In addition to these stores and his extensive land holdings, Johnston engaged in trade as far away as Wilmington and Cross Creek and operated grist mills on some of the creeks in the region.
During the 1771 Regulator uprising in Orange County, Johnston informed Governor William Tryon of conditions there, and he was referred to as a colonel. Although Johnston was given funds to be used in raising troops, nothing suggests he participated in military action.
About 1774, William Johnston, Richard Henderson, and the brothers Nathaniel Hart Sr, David Hart, Thomas Hart III; as well as Leonard H Bullock, James Hogg, John Luttrell and John Williams, all became involved in land speculation with the Louisa & Transylvania Companies, when they sought illegal conveyance for millions of acres of land between the Kentucky & Cumberland Rivers, when shortly after, Fort Boonesborough was settled by John Henderson and his chief architect, Daniel Boone.
"To the memory of William Johnston and Ann his Wife. A worthy pair."
Said to be, the oldest marked gravesite in Durham County, the marker of William & Ann Johnston, denotes where more than one Johnston family member is buried without markers, as five of their children who died very young, would also rest here. The tombstone was erected by their daughter and son-in-law, Walter and Amelia (Johnston) Alves.
Johnston declared in his will that money be provided for a marker erected on his grave
". . . purchase and erect a plain but decent monument to the memory of my late beloved wife and children who are interred at the Burying Place on my plantation at Little River in the county of Orange...I wish to be there interred." Note: this was prior to Durham being formed from Orange. Though William also stipulated he wished a one acre plot around the grave and used as a family graveyard. It's unknown whether additional burials took place, as his daughter's family left for Kentucky, in the Early 1800s.
Biography compilation by Mark Hayden.
By 1756 William Johnston was in North Carolina where he acquired 150 acres in Orange County. Soon afterwards he was sheriff of Granville County and a member of a commission named to divide St. John's Parish in that county and, with others, to erect public buildings in Bute County, which was formed from Granville.
By 1767, he had established a plantation known as Snowhill, on the Indian trading path by Little River, about fifteen miles northeast of Hillsborough, where he was a well known merchant who had established a general store and served on the earliest board of commissioners. After making Richard Bennehan a partner, his Little River Store served a large area of that part of the colony. In partnership with James Thackston, Johnston also opened a store in Hillsborough. In addition to these stores and his extensive land holdings, Johnston engaged in trade as far away as Wilmington and Cross Creek and operated grist mills on some of the creeks in the region.
During the 1771 Regulator uprising in Orange County, Johnston informed Governor William Tryon of conditions there, and he was referred to as a colonel. Although Johnston was given funds to be used in raising troops, nothing suggests he participated in military action.
About 1774, William Johnston, Richard Henderson, and the brothers Nathaniel Hart Sr, David Hart, Thomas Hart III; as well as Leonard H Bullock, James Hogg, John Luttrell and John Williams, all became involved in land speculation with the Louisa & Transylvania Companies, when they sought illegal conveyance for millions of acres of land between the Kentucky & Cumberland Rivers, when shortly after, Fort Boonesborough was settled by John Henderson and his chief architect, Daniel Boone.
"To the memory of William Johnston and Ann his Wife. A worthy pair."
Said to be, the oldest marked gravesite in Durham County, the marker of William & Ann Johnston, denotes where more than one Johnston family member is buried without markers, as five of their children who died very young, would also rest here. The tombstone was erected by their daughter and son-in-law, Walter and Amelia (Johnston) Alves.
Johnston declared in his will that money be provided for a marker erected on his grave
". . . purchase and erect a plain but decent monument to the memory of my late beloved wife and children who are interred at the Burying Place on my plantation at Little River in the county of Orange...I wish to be there interred." Note: this was prior to Durham being formed from Orange. Though William also stipulated he wished a one acre plot around the grave and used as a family graveyard. It's unknown whether additional burials took place, as his daughter's family left for Kentucky, in the Early 1800s.
Biography compilation by Mark Hayden.
Inscription
To the memory of WILLIAM JOHNSTON And ANN his wife A Worthy pair
This Monument is Erected by Walter and Amelia Alves
She died in 1769 Aged 42 Years
He died May 3, 1785 Aged 48 Years
Here also lie interred five of their children who all died very young
Family Members
Spouse
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