Joseph Smith called the Johnsons a Royal Family

In My Life’s Review,
Benjamin Franklin Johnson states that his family arrived
in Kirtland in June 1833 and that, “Some of our wagons
and teams were traded for a home on what was then
called ‘Kirtland Flat,’ close by the schoolhouse.” That home
is the little blue house that still stands on the “Kirtland Flat”,
directly across from the visitor’s center and next to the rebuilt
schoolhouse. Although the home has been changed through the
years, some of the original timbers and frame from the original
construction remain in place. Two of Benjamin’s brothers
and two of his sisters were buried on a hill behind this home.
The only hill on the “Kirtland Flat” area is directly behind
this home. There is no information at the site, but property
records confirm that the home was originally purchased by
Joel Hills Johnson, then listed under the name of Seth Johnson,
Benjamin’s older brother who died in Kirtland, and finally
to Julia Hills Johnson prior to the family’s move to
Illinois. The home is presently owned by The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do not know what the
plans the church may have for Julia’s home. We would however
like to see if it is possible for us to create a historical
marker that would honor the family who lived there, the loved
ones they lost there, and to help visitors to learn a little more
about the contributions that the Johnson family and others
like it made to our heritage.


Benjamin’s learning
saddle making first in the East, and then while in the Salt Lake
valley, as he faced starvation on failure of his gardens and crops,
the ‘49’ers had arrived wanting to trade their wagons for speedier
horses and pack horses. He produced pack saddles for them,
which turned his fortunes around almost overnight.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson related an instance which revealed
Benjamin’s character; it was in his response to a mission
call to the Sandwich Islands at an inopportune point otherwise,
requiring him to leave his family, rent his farms and resolve his
business affairs on 10 days notice. He quoted Benjamin: “Reason
said ‘No you cannot go. It is not just to require it under such circumstances’…
I asked myself, ‘What shall I do?’ He said faith
answered…’To whom do you owe all you are, all you possess and
all you hope for but to God? Then why hesitate?’…In gratitude
to God, I said, ‘With the Lord’s help, I will go’.” Elder Christofferson
exhorted family members to be similarly fruitful trees,
yielding precious fruit in our lives.

Fairbanks House Etching
Jonathan Fayerbanke's
House
Ezekiel Johnson, father of B.F. Johnson,
was born in Uxbridge,Massachusetts
on 12 Jan 1773. His mother, Julia Hills
Johnson was born in Upton, MA, 26 Sept
1783. They were married on 12 Jan. 1801
in Grafton, Worcester County, MA.
Massachusetts, which was a major
portal for British immigrants coming to
America, was the home of many of Benjamin
Franklin Johnson’s ancestors. In
coming newsletters, we will have information
about some of the Johnson family history
sites you can still visit in Massachusetts.
In a past BFJ newsletter we talked
about Michael Metcalf, one of the ancestors
of Julia Hills Johnson, who emigrated
from England to America because of religious
persecution. When the Metcalf family
arrived in Massachusetts, they stayed with
their longtime friends, Jonathan and Grace
Smith Fayerbanke (Farbanke, Fairbanke,
Farebancke, etc.) in Dedham until they
could establish their own household. The
Fayerbankes had six children: John,
George, Mary, Jonas, Susan and Jonathan.
The Fayerbanke family had reportedly
come from Sowerby, Halifax vicarage,
Yorkshire, England, to Boston, Massachusetts
in about 1633. Family oral tradition says that they brought with them the timbers
for the frame of a house. They settled
in Dedham, Massachusetts in 1636, where
Jonathan became one of the prominent
members of the community and received
various grants of lands. On the “vpland in
his (12 acre) grant for a house Lott” Jonathan
built his first house. That house is still
standing and is considered
to be the oldest timber
frame house in North
America. It is owned and
conserved by the Fairbanks
Family in America
(www.fairbankshouse.org ).
The Fairbanks House is
located at 511 East Street,
Dedham, MA 02026-3060
and is open to visitors
(phone: 781-326-1170.)
Of note, Avard Fairbanks, the artist
who drew the composite pictures of Ezekiel
Johnson was a descendant of Jonathan
and Grace Fayerbanke.
Michael Metcalf also received land
grants in Dedham, including a 12 acre lot
where he and his wife, Sarah Elwyn Metcalf
lived with their eleven children. There
was only one other 12 acre lot between
their property and that of the Fayrbanke's
to the north. Park Street is at the southern
boundary of the Metcalf land grant. Their
son, Michael, eventually married Mary
Fayerbanke. Michael and Mary had six
children, and their son, Eleazur Metcalf
and his wife Meletiah Fisher, were the
great- grandparents of both Joseph Hills,
and Esther Ellis, Julia Hills Johnson's
parents.
Dedham was incorporated in 1636.
Thomas Fisher, Melatiah Fisher Metcalf's
grandfather received another of the original
land grants. His property was further to
the north and west on both sides of Low-der Street just north of the intersection
with Highland Street. Thomas Fisher died
in Dedham 10, Aug. 1688.
Other B.F. Johnson ancestors who are
buried in Dedham include Mary Herring
Ellis (died Feb. 16, 1651), Thomas Herring
(died June 27, 1684), Robert Ware (died
Apr. 19, 1699) and his wife, Margrett
Hunting Ware (died Aug. 26
1670). *Robert Ware had lands
granted to him in Dedham on
Feb. 12, 1642. He married
Margrett Huntinge on March
24, 1644 (or 1645). She was the
daughter of John Hunting, first
ruling elder of the Dedham
church, and his wife Esther
Seaborn Hunting. Robert Ware
was a member of the artillery
company in 1644 and was made freeman
May 26, 1647; His name stands second in
wealth in the tax list. He and Margrett had
10 children: John, Nathaniel, Margaret,
Robert, Esther, Samuel, Ephraim, Elizabeth,
Joseph and Ebeneezer. Their son,
John, married Mary Metcalf and their son,
Robert, married Sarah Metcalf, both
daughters of Michael and Mary Fayerbanke
Metcalf. But in the Ware Family it is
Robert and Margrett's daughter, Esther
Ware Man, and her husband, Rev. Samuel
Man (Mann) who are our ancestors. We
will talk more about the Man family in the
future.
- Carol Thorn Walters - Historical Sites
Committee Member
*Information from Genealogy of Robert
Ware of Dedham Mass. by Miss Emma
Ware, Milton Mass.
http://www.newenglandancestors.org/neh
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Replica home built in Nauvoo is named after Benjamin Franklin Johnson
The Hyrum Kimball Inn, LLC has honored our ancestor Benjamin Franklin Johnson by naming one of the nine homes that
make up the Hyrum Kimball Village in Nauvoo after him.
The home is one of a nine home village concept developed by Hyrum Kimball Inn, LLC in Nauvoo to provide accommodations
for individuals and families visiting Nauvoo. The Hyrum Kimball Village consists of three restored historic homes and six replica
homes built in a village style grouping surrounding a pavilion. Each of the homes has been authentically designed and professionally
decorated to have the look and feel of an 1840’s home.
The developers of the Village wanted the visitors to the village to have a connection to the
history of Nauvoo. They wanted the visitors to know and learn about some of the men and
women who lived in and were part of Church history in Nauvoo. Each of the homes will have
in it histories and pictures honoring the person after which the home was named. Some of the
criteria that the developers took into consideration in naming the homes were that the person
needed to have lived in the Nauvoo area, remained an active member of the church, impacted
the church in the west and stayed true to the church throughout their lives. In addition, they
particularly wanted to honor the ancestors of some of the investors in the project. Gary W
Fleming (a descendent of BFJ) and an investor in the project said, “When I heard about this
opportunity I knew that Benjamin Franklin Johnson deserved to have a home named after him
so I submitted his name and a short history. I was pleased later to find out that one of the replica
village homes had been named for Benjamin Franklin Johnson.”
To learn more about the Hyrum Kimball Village go to www.hyrumkimballinn.com