From Gauss and his Children

Contents 1 Letter 2 Source 2.1 Transcriber's Notes 3 References

Letter

New Madrid, Missouri
December 16, 1944

Dear Mrs. Salisbury,

My sister, Virginia Gauss, sent your request for information concerning t5he Johns family history to me as I have the various papers and letters at the present time. I understand that that you are particularly interested in the record of Thomas but I shall have to give you the scraps of information that I have. Most of it may be what you already have, I am afraid.

From a letter written by my sister, Anne Gauss, who died in 1932. Some of it is information which she received from Mrs. T. T. Parrish (Willie Johns Cregar ) of Roanoke, Va.

There is the story that three Johns brothers came to America, one settling in Pennsylvania, one in Maryland, and one in Virginia. It is not known whether they came from England or Wales.

John Johns	married	Elizabeth Winston (or Glover!)
b. October 14, 1746 Feb. 28, 1765		B. Oct. 30, 1749 D. June 16, 1784 (or 17
	their children;
William Johns	b. January 10, 1766	Mrs. P. gives the middle initial M.
Edmund Winston Johns	b. May 24, 1767	This name not in all lists, perhaps because he spent a great deal of his time with his grandfather, Judge Edmund Winston in Richmond.
Glover Johns	b. Dec. 25, 1769	This was my great-grandfather.
Anthony Johns	b. March 11, 1771	Mrs. P. gives him the middle name of Benning.
Martha Johns	b. Oct. 27, 1772
Mary Johns	b. May 4, 1775	--- Mrs. P. gives January 4.
Samuel Johns	b. Sept. 28, 1777
Elizabeth Johns	b. March 24, 1779
Sarah Johns	b. March 12, 1781,	married Feb. 1, 1804
Anne Johns	b. March 6, 1783	--- Mrs. P. gives 1782
John Johns	b. June 3, 1784

According to my grandfather, John Jay Johns, John Johns died jan. 12 1868 and Mary Johns died Dec. 28, 1852. ( My sister wrote that this may have been his wife as it did not fit his sister, who died leaving small children.)

John Johns and Elizabeth Winston, m. Feb. 28, 1765, lived at New Store, Buckingham county, Virginia. Elizabeth Winston was the daughter of Judge Edmund Winston. Her brother, George Dabney Winston, married Dorothea Spottswood Henry, daughter of Patrick Henry and his second wife, who was the daughter of Governor Spottswood. (My sister thought Patrick Henry’s mother was a Winston.)

A few items about the above children:

Anthony Benning Johns married Sarah Oliver. Some of his descendants live in Danville, Virginia, also in North Carolina.

Anne Johns married a Lawson.

Judith Johns married Governor Winston of Alabama.

Mary Johns married a McCormick, relative of Cyrus.

Edmund’s daughter, Martha, married a Wm. Greyson Clark, of the Lewis-Clark family.

Mrs. Parrish has some old silver marked Johns that her grandmother inherited from her uncle Hobson Johns of Danville; also an old beaded bag of Elizabeth Winston and the jewel box of Martha Johns.

She stated that John Johns (b. 1746) was three times married. His first wife was a Miss Gordon. His second wife, Polly Elizabeth Winston, whose son, Edmund Winston Johns, was a pioneer minister in Virginia and preached the doctrine of “ free kirk” and but for his connection with the Henry and Spottswood families would have been imprisoned. His third wife was the widow of Judge Manley. Mrs. P. did not mention her maiden name.

Mrs. Parrish wrote that three members of the Virginia branch, Thomas, Matthew and William, all served in the Revolution, in the Virginia militia.

Mary Johns (b. 1775) married a McCormac (Mrs. P. spelled it McCormick). Both parents died when their children Thomas Winston and Sarah were infants. Sarah was adopted by her uncle Anthony Benning Johns. Thomas Winston McCormack was adopted by another uncle, John Johns Jr. (b. 1784), and his name changed to Johns, his mother’s name. His uncle John had no children, I believe. Thomas Winston (McCormack) Johns was the grandfather of Thomas Winston Johns of Bristol, Virginia. This adopted son of John Johns was a first cousin of my grandfather, John Jay Johns, and the two were playmates in boyhood.

(Copy of an old newspaper clipping)

JOHNS --- [this is really smeared – I can’t make it out –SDC]

this life at his residence,

in the county of Appomattox, on

December, 1867.

had been for more than forty years a

of the Presbyterian Church; and during

greater part of that time had filled the

of an elder. His membership was first

formed at Buckingham Court House, under the early ministry of the Rev. Jesse S. Armistead. He was subsequently a member and elder of New Store church, and took an active part in the erection of the church edifice there; and then, from the time of his removal, in 1837, to the upper part of Buckingham, - now Appomattox, - held the same affections to Union church.

To the age of nearly 84, at which he died, he retained in a remarkable degree his bodily and mental faculties. But he was subject, during the last two years of his life, to attracts [sic.] of a serious and painful disease, which only a constitution of uncommon powers could have withstood so long. During those attacks, including the final one, he exercised exemplary patience, and expressed the most uniform resignation, faith, and hope, while he acknowledged his deep sense of sinfulness and unworthiness. As death approached, these Christian feelings manifested themselves more and more strongly to the last. Every one who ever made the acquaintance of Colonel Johns,- and especially every one who ever visited his hospitable and pleasant mansion, - will long remember him as a man of bland countenance, dignified and courteous bearing, and excellent sense,- such as made him a Virginia gentleman of the old and good type. And having, for so many years, lived as a Christian, his end was the calm sunset of a long and uncommonly favored life. He lived to see the beginning of a happy restoration of the interests of the Presbyterian Church and the cause of Christ, in his vicinity; and he will long be missed in the congregation at Appomattox Court House, where he was so marked as a listener and worshipper, as well as in the circle of his kindred and the community at large.

Thus has passed away one of the most venerable citizens and Christian men of this region,- the last relic of a generation of revered contemporary kindred and friends. And every one of us, looking at the termination of his life on earth in connection with its antecedents, may in regard to it, “ Let my last end be like that “

Appomattox Court House, Va.

This is copied showing the manner in which the clipping is torn on both sides at the top. No doubt this is John Johns, youngest of the family of John and Elizabeth Johns, and uncle of my grandfather, John Jay Johns, as well as your ancestor, who was, I feel sure, Thomas Winston.

This is about all that I can give you about the Johns family history. I hope it will be of some help to you. M sister, Anne, wrote in one of the letters that she had no names farther back than John Johns b. 1746. She was the one in our family who gathered together the family history that we have. It is very interesting to me and if you get hold of any additional information, I should like very much to have it and would appreciate it if you would send it to me.

How are you related to Cousin Ella Talioferro, whose maiden name was Venable? She visited you home some years ago, and our family thought she resembled my Aunt Martha Johns who died several years ago. Anne thought she was a granddaughter of “ Tom Johns” as my grandfather called him. Also, how are you related to Thomas Winston Johns of Bristol, Va.?

We have kept the Winston in our family also. I had an uncle, Shirley Winston Johns, a cousin is named Winston Johns, and one of my sisters named her youngest daughter Lois Winston. Her last name is Simmons.

I have written this letter on the typewriter though you can see that I am far from expert, because I thought it might be easier to read the names and dates if the record.

It is a pleasure to become acquainted with more of our relatives and I shall be so happy to hear from you. My husband is the Presbyterian minister here in New Madrid

Very Sincerely,

Source

Typewritten carbon copy in the private collection of the Chambless family. Transcribed to softcopy by Susan D. Chambless, January 12, 1999.

Transcriber's Notes

The original must have been signed by Minna Waldeck Gauss Reeves -- SDC.

References