John Alfred Johnson 1892 -1916
John Alfred Johnson was born to John and Flora Johnson in September 1892 in Holyport, Maidenhead, Berkshire. In 1911, John describes himself as a farm labourer and is living with the Russ family in Stroud Copse, Warfield in Berkshire. He and his elder brother Charles had lost their mother in 1895 and John snr had remarried in 1896 to Harriet. With the new family growing up John needed to find a new home to make way.
John married Matilda Sarah Richardson in 1914 in Easthampstead and they lived in Wokingham when he enlisted into the Army, the 2nd battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment. Their daughter Rose Louisa May was born in November 1914 (she died in 1996). The Royal Berks took part in the Battle of the Somme and it was on July 1st, the bloody first day that John was killed.
John Alfred Johnson 1892 – 1916. Photo by Sarah Huxford, Ovillers Cemetery, France.
Following John’s death, Rose and her brother Harvey were to have a stepfather and their mother was, by the time the memorial was erected, Mrs Matilda Proud.
John’s family tree has been quite difficult to construct because two J A Johnson’s were born in the registration district of Cookham, in 1892. We were fortunate to have recieved help from the family; Kirsty Reid and Linda Walker. Kirsty is John Johnson’s Great Grand daughter and tells us more of the story.
“John’s marriage certificate to Matilda Richardson (Granny Proud!) shows him as being 22 years old (1914). This ties up. Their address is listed as Chapel Terrace, Binfield, which is also listed on my Nans birth certificate as the place of her birth. I wish Nan was still alive to ask her about it. My Dad is very interested in the family history but went blind 4 years ago and so I have been researching it for him/us. Just for info Rose Louisa May Johnson married a 
Reginald Davis and had two sons.
Rose was the only child of John Alfred – interestingly we had always been told that her brother Harvey was her true brother, but upon researching it seems Uncle Harvey was born several years after John died! Matilda remarried and had two further children, Dora and Robert. I believe Aunt Dora is still alive, but I haven’t seen her since my Nan died in 1996.
Cap Badge for the Royal Berkshire Regiment. The ‘Biscuit Boys’.
About two years ago I contacted a lady (Linda Walker), her Grandparents were John Johnson senior and Harriet (the second marriage of John Alfred’s Father). She already knew bits about John Alfred so it is certainly him.”
Linda tells us “John Johnson and Harriet Lewendon were my grandparents, my mother was Florence Johnson (born 1914). I have been in contact with Kirsty Reid and I hope this helps to put the record straight”.
JOHNSON
Initials: J A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Berkshire Regiment
Unit Text: 2nd Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 01/07/1916
Service No: 17024
Additional information: Husband of Mrs. M. S. Proud (formerly
Johnson), of Forest Rd., Wokingham, Berks.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IX. C. 6.
Cemetery: OVILLERS MILITARY CEMETERY
Forest Road, Wokingham (1922+)
Stroud Copse, Warfield (1911)
Rose Street, Wokingham (1916)
Interestingly I have different information! I am Rose’s Grandaughter, so John Alfred Johnson was my Great Grandfather. We have his birth certificate which shows that his Father was a John Johnson, and his Mother was a Flora Johnson, formerly Flora Bye. The other information ties up with what we have though.
Just to add, the occupations of John Alfred tie up in our records – we have him as a boarder in the 1911 census, listed as a Farm Labourer, and on my Nan’s birth certificate he is listed as a General Labourer. He is then listed as a Labourer on his marriage certificate to Matilda Richardson (or Granny Proud as we knew her as children!)
There was some discussion over the parentage of John Johnson – it possibly being a George and Rose or a John and Flora. It is very likely to be the latter as a descendant of John senior was able to recall John junior’s death in family stories. Plus a photo still exists from their family archives of the same copy we had from the Reading Chronicle. In addition the middle name of George never appeared in the death records. An easy piece of confusion because two John Johnsons were born in Cookham in 1892. Just for the record, here is my email to the family:
‘On his birth certificate does it show any middle names? On the George Rose 1901 census, it shows John G. A. Johnson. On the photo it shows a J A Johnson. lives at Rose Street. On his CWGC death record, he is listed as a J A Johnson:
Name: JOHNSON Initials: J A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Royal Berkshire Regiment Unit Text: 2nd Bn. Age: 24 Date of Death: 01/07/1916 Service No: 17024 Additional information: Husband of Mrs. M. S. Proud (formerly Johnson), of Forest Rd., Wokingham, Berks. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: IX. C. 6. Cemetery: OVILLERS MILITARY CEMETERY
On his Soldiers Died record he is listed as John Alfred Johnson:
Name: John Alfred Johnson Birth Place: Maidenhead Death Date: 1 Jul 1916 Death Location: France & Flanders Enlistment Location: Wokingham, Berks Rank: Private Regiment: Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) Battalion: 2nd Battalion Number: 17024 Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
First of all let’s note that there is no mention of a middle name of George or even a G. So if we accept that your Great Grandad had the middle name of Alfred or at least an ‘A’ (the battalion numbers match up below), we could look for a birth certificate with a John Alfred Johnson. Here is one: 2c 352 oct-dec 1892:
“Name: John Alfred Johnson Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1892 Registration district: Cookham Inferred County: Berkshire Volume: 2c Page: 352 (click to see others on page)”. Is this your certificate ?
Here is a John George A Johnson’s birth certificate reference:
Name: John George A Johnson Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1892 Registration district: Cookham Inferred County: Berkshire Volume: 2c Page: 391 (click to see others on page) ?
I suspect your birth certificate is the first one. If it is, then I think that is the match. There are no references in the two death records to a John Johnson with the name of George. Therefore the John G A Johnson in 1901 census (George and Rose) is not the same Johnson of the death records (your g grandfather) it seems.
I’ve not ever found two almost exact names born in the same year and in the same village – especially as small as Cookham.
I’d love to know the date on the birth certificate you have. If it’s Oct-Dec 1892, then I think you’ve found the right parents. (admin note: it was!)
As a matter of interest on the marriage certificate of John Alfred Johnson and Matilda Sarah Richardson, the father of John Alfred is shown as John Johnson (labourer).
Andrew Radgick, who is researching the first world war fallen around the Easthamstead area, contributes with the following information:
‘John Johnson
There was a John G Johnson whose death is registered in Bracknell in 1975. His birth is given as 28th February 1892 – this might be the John George Johnson from Cookham’.