John Johnson (clergyman) facts for kids
John Johnson (born November 15, 1769 – died September 29, 1833) was a Church of England clergyman, a poet, and an editor. He was a cousin and close friend of the famous poet William Cowper. In his later years, William Cowper even lived with John Johnson.
Life
John Johnson was born in Ludham, a village in Norfolk, England. His father, also named John Johnson, was a wealthy gentleman. His mother, Catherine Dunne, was related to William Cowper's mother.
John went to Holt Grammar School and later had private teachers. In 1788, he started studying at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, after winning a scholarship.
In 1789, John Johnson wrote a poem called Audley End. Around this time, he first visited William Cowper at Weston Underwood, Buckinghamshire. He became a frequent visitor there. John earned his first law degree in 1794 and a higher law degree in 1803.
In 1793, John Johnson became a deacon and then a priest in the Church of England. After leaving Cambridge, he worked as a curate (a church assistant) in Dereham. He lived there with his sister Catharine. In the same year, he became a Chaplain to the Earl of Peterborough and the Vicar of Hempnall.
However, William Cowper's close friend, Mary Unwin, became very ill and needed constant care. John Johnson moved her and Cowper to Norfolk so he could look after them. He then gave up his duties at Hempnall. Mrs. Unwin passed away in December 1796. William Cowper became very sad and ill after her death. He stayed with the Johnsons until he died on April 25, 1800. After Cowper's death, John Johnson exchanged many letters with another cousin of Cowper's, Harriett Hesketh. These letters were later published in 1901.
In 1800, John Johnson was appointed as the Rector (the main priest) of Yaxham and Welborne. These were church positions, also called benefices, that he held until his death.
In 1808, John Johnson married Maria Dorothea Livius. Her father, George Livius, had been an important official in British India. John and Maria had two daughters, Mary Theodora (born 1810) and Catharine Anne (born 1812). They also had three sons: William Cowper Johnson (born 1813), John Barham Johnson (born 1818), and Henry Robert Vaughan Johnson (born 1820). His sons also became clergymen or lawyers.
After the death of writer William Hayley in 1820, John Johnson organized and published Hayley's writings. These were released in 1823 as The Memoirs of the Life and Writings of William Hayley Esq.
Notable descendants
John Johnson's granddaughter, Mary Cowper Johnson, married Reverend C. F. Powys. They became the parents of several well-known people. These included the philosopher John Cowper Powys (1872–1963), and the writers Theodore Francis Powys (1875–1953), Llewelyn Powys (1884–1939), and Philippa Powys (1886–1963). Their son, Albert Powys (1881–1936), became an architect.
