Originally planned to contain John Johnson’s Nigeria content. This has evolved into the background life story of JJ. His story from North Shields to Sedbergh via Harrogate and Nigeria. Local newspaper entries, ship’s logs and the objects he left behind in his house in Sedbergh tell this story.
JJ’s working life
The 1911 census shows JJ living at 12 Madeira Terrace, South Shields. Also living there are Nellie and Evelina, JJ’s sisters. It also shows JJ, aged 17 working in the Borough Surveyor’s office. Also at no 12 is JJ’s father, John whose occupation is a butcher. On 14th July 1913, JJ is initiated into St Hilda’s lodge of Freemasons (Lodge number 240) of South Shields. Then, 9 days later JJ departs Liverpool on the liner Falaba – its destination shown as West Africa. When JJ returns from Nigeria in 1915 the passenger list shows his destination as Harrogate. It would appear that in the two years away JJ’s father retired and moved from South Shields to 8 Carlton Road Harrogate. JJ’s marriage certificate dated September 8th 1920 gives this address. The certificate also shows Mary Knowles living in North Shields at 16 Grosvenor Place.
This is the first of a number of trips to Nigeria that happen over the following 20 years. Between July 1913 and September 1932, JJ made at least 7 trips to Nigeria.
JJ’s Nigeria timeline – where known
23rd July 1913 depart Liverpool (from South Shields)
13th July 1915 arrive Plymouth (for Harrogate)
23rd February 1916 depart Liverpool (from Harrogate)
13th February 1919 arrive Plymouth ?? (for Harrogate)
8th September 1920 marriage to Mary Knowles at Tynemouth Parish Church
June 1921 [census] Mary Johnson (and her mother Elizabeth) only at 16 Grosvenor Place
September 1921 birth of John McCarthy Johnson
??? depart Liverpool
24 August 1922 arrive Liverpool
27 December 1923 depart Liverpool
October -December 1924 – Mary Johnson with JJ in Nigeria (photo evidence). No passenger log records found
19th June 1925 birth of daughter Iva Mary Johnson
8 July 1925 depart Liverpool
6 June 1928 depart Liverpool
12 February 1932 depart Liverpool
30 September 1932 arrive Plymouth destination 16 Grosvenor Place
Here the Nigeria connection seems to end. Little trace can be found of JJ back in North Shields. By December 1933 the family, including Elizabeth, had moved from 19 Grosvenor Place to 2 Promenade Terrace – located off Front Street. Evidence of this is from a dated inscription in a prayer book. The Newcastle Journal 13th March 1940 records “Mr J Johnson, 2 Promenade Terrace Tynemouth [Percy] Park’s hon secretary is hoping…”. The exact date that JJ left Tynemouth for Sedbergh is unknown.
JJ’s retirement in Sedbergh
JJ and his family moved from North Shields to Sedbergh in 1940 following his retirement. Here, the family lived in Highfield Road first staying with the Trotters at number 7. Then in 1946 JJ purchased number 3 (Pendeen) where JJ lived until his death in 1951. JJ’s memorabilia from Nigeria remained in Pendeen until the house was sold in 2016. These included brass bowls and trays, three wooden stools, some annotated photos and this caricature:
JJ Caricature unknown date
Images and descriptions of the other items from Nigeria can be found here.
Where was this sketch done? Possibilities are Sedbergh, Nigeria or Tynemouth. The latter seems most likely.
Later JJ and Mary are back at 16 Grosvenor Terrace where they live for a number of years.
This will contain summary of John Johnson’s time in Nigeria based on passenger logs; JJ’s annotated photos and images of artefacts brought back from Nigeria.
The Falaba passenger logs
The first dated reference to John Johnson’s time in Nigeria is the passenger list for the liner Falaba showing John leaving Liverpool on the 23rd July 1913 – destination West Africa. The second dated reference is the passenger list for the liner Assam destination “Liverpool and Plymouth”. Assam arrived in Liverpool on 13th July 1915. It also shows JJ, along with 90% of the other passengers, leaving the Assam at Plymouth. This must be the result of the the sinking of the Falaba in March 1915, torpedoed by a German submarine somewhere off Land’s End. JJ travelled home to Carlton Road, Harrogate.
Evidence from JJ’s artefacts found at Pendeen
Of more relevance, perhaps, is the name JJ and Mary gave to their daughter. Their daughter “Iva Mary Johnson” was born in Tynemouth in June 1925 and the unusual name Iva is a Nigerian place name. The geographic connection I believe is with “Iva Valley”. JJ worked in that location – see the links below.
Pendeen link here Pendeen Highfield Road Sedbergh
Internal links to other posts:
