Person:Edward Johnson (4)

"4. Capt. Edward Johnson (William, John, William), joiner, of Canterbury, England, and Woburn, Mass., was baptized at St. George's Church, Canterbury, 16 Sept. 1598, was admitted freeman by birth in 1623, emigrated to New England with his wife and seven children about 1637, and settled at Woburn, Mass., where he was a very prominent citizen, holding many important public offices and commanding the local military company. He is famous as the author of the 'Wonderworking Providence of Sion's Savior in New England.' He died at Woburn 23 Apr. 1672.

"Edward (Johnson), Woburn, the famous capt. and auth. of the curious Hist. call. 'Wonder Working Providences of Sion's Saviour in N. E.' came, no doubt, in the fleet with Winthrop 1630, req. adm. 19 Oct. in that yr. and took the o. 18 May foll. [wrong E. J.; that was E. J. of Wessagusset and York] He was of Hernehill, a parish near Canterbury, wh. accounts in some degr. for the strenuous opposit. akin to the ludicr. that he always show. to the ch. of Eng. After liv. some time at Charlestown, or Salem, or other planta. to satisfy hims. he went home to bring his w. Susan, seven ch. and three serv. in 1636 or 7, and was sett. at C. 1637, bec. one of the found. of the ch. at W. rep. 1643-71, exc. the yr. 1648, and was speaker 1655, was town clk. almost 30 yrs. and did other val. serv. d. 23 Apr. 1672. See 3 Mass. Hist. Coll. VIII. 276. With his gr. devot. to the cause of relig. for wh. he aband. nat. ld. and good est. it is strange we kn. not to wh. of the chhs. here he join. bef. the gather. of his own at W. and ordin. of his min. in Nov. 1642, about all of wh. he is so very partic. in his Hist. that none can doubt his sincerity of puritan. His will, of 15 May 1671, writ. with his own hd. names w. Susan, to wh. he gives rents of his lds. in Old Eng. and mansion and lds. here in W.; his eldest s. Edward, and his s. the gr.s. Edward, to wh. one quarter of the farm in the parish of Hernehill; s. George, and his s. the gr.s. George, to have dwel. ho. and orchard at Waterham, in the same parish; to s. William, and Matthew, and Matthew's eldest s. and William, and Edward, s. of William, pt. of the farm at Hernehill, to s. John, and his s. the gr.s. John, a small tenem. in the same parish; also disting. these gr.ch. William, s. of John; Catharine, d. of Edward; Catharine, d. of George; Esther, d. of William; Rebecca, d. of Matthew; Bethia, d. of John; James, Susanna, and Hannah, ch. of s.-in-law James Prentice, whose w. was his d. Susanna; and John, s. of John Amee, or Eames, and his eldest d. whose name, I think, was Martha. I suppose George and John went to fatherland."

"Johnson. … Capt. Edward, s. of _____, [died] April 23, 1672."