Fayette County, TN Genealogy

Goodspeed's History of Tennessee -

Fayette County Biographies

William Johnson

Surnames: JOHNSON, COCKE, TATE, BLAIN

William Johnson was born in Louisa County, Va., June 22, 1824, and is a son of Thomas I. and Martha H. (Cocke) Johnson, both natives of Virginia. The father was born in March, 1800, and died in Fayette County in 1870. The mother was born in May, 1806, and died in 1868. They married in Virginia in 1823; the father was of Scotch descent, the mother, it is thought, of English. In 1838 they moved to Fayette County, locating nineteen miles southwest of Somerville, on Wolf River, in the Eleventh District. The father was always a farmer; both parents were members of the Christian Church our subject is the oldest of ten children. He had fine educational advantages, having graduated at the University of Virginia, and after completing his literary studies there, entered the law department and attended one term; then returned home and two years later married Miss Margaret V. Tate, born in Alabama in 1832. Six sons and three daughters were born to them; one son and two daughters are dead. They married May 30, 1848. Mr. Johnson has resided in Fayette County since he was fourteen years of age, with the exception of the time passed in college in Virginia. In 1848 he came into possession of a farm and turned his attention to farming. In 1871 he moved to Macon, on account of the high school for his children, and lived there five years, but running his farm also. In 1876 he moved back to his farm. He now owns over 700 acres of valuable land in Fayette County. In 1858 he was elected magistrate, and has filled the office ever since, except during the war. July 18, 1873, his wife died; she was a devout member of the Christian Church, though was formerly a Methodist. April 13, 1875, Mr. Johnson married Miss Sarah E. Blain of Fayette County; no children have been born to this marriage. They are both worthy members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Johnson is a Democrat.

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