Modern English biography

American Biog. iii_ 445 (1889). JOHNSON, JOHN SAMUEL WILLES (eld. son of rev. Charles Johnson, preb. of Wells, _d._ 1841). _b._ South Stoke near Bath 3 July 1793; entered R.N. 1 Feb. 1807; commander 6 Feb. 1821, on h.p. from Aug. 1842; captain 9 Nov. 1846; served at capture of Algiers 1816 and in the first Chinese war 1841; M.P. for Montgomery district 4 May 1861 to death; author of The traveller’s guide through France, Italy and Switzerland 1828. _d._ Hannington hall, Highworth, Wiltshire 25 July 1863. JOHNSON, JOSEPH. _b._ 1791; a brushmaker in or near Manchester; tried with Henry Hunt and 8 others at York assizes 16–27 March 1820 for conspiracy and unlawfully assembling in St. Peter’s Field, Manchester 16 Aug. 1819, sentenced to be imprisoned for one year in Lincoln castle 15 May 1820; author of A letter to H. Hunt esq. relating to certain accounts. Manchester 1822, 2 ed. 1822; A second letter to H. Hunt 1822. d. Sep. 1872 aged 81. _Reports of State Trials_, _i_ 171–496 (1888). JOHNSON, MANUEL JOHN (only son of John William Johnson of Macao, China). _b._ Macao 23 May 1835; ed. Addiscombe; lieut. H.E.I. Co.’s artillery at St. Helena 1821–32, where he erected the St. Helena observatory 1828; matric. from Magd. hall, Oxf. 1835, B.A. 1839, M.A. 1842; in charge of Radcliffe observatory, Oxf. 1839 to death; made observations of double stars and a catalogue of 6,317 circumpolar stars; adopted the photographic method of registering meteorological facts 1854; F.R.S. 5 June 1856; F.R.A.S., president 1857–8; made a collection of engravings, sold for £3,359 April 1860; author of A catalogue of 606 principal fixed stars in the Southern Hemisphere observed at the magnetical and meteorological observatory, St. Helena 1835; Astronomical observations made at the Radcliffe observatory, Oxford 1840–58. Oxford 1842 etc. _d._ The observatory, Oxford 28 Feb. 1859; Johnson prize instituted 1862 and given once in 4 years to astronomers. _Proc. Royal Soc. x_ 21–4 (1860); _Monthly Notices R.A. Soc. xix_ 169–70 (1859), _xx_ 123–30 (1860); _Mozley’s Reminiscences_, _ii_ 188–99 (1882). JOHNSON, PAUL. _b._ 1789; ed. St. John’s coll. Camb., B.A. 1811, M.A. 1814; R. of Sidestrand, Norfolk 1834–72; R. of Overstrand 1841–72; author of The fall of the Yarmouth suspension bridge, with reflections. Norwich 1845; The death of the prince imperial Louis Napoleon, a poem 1879; An epitome in verse of the life of the Prince Consort 1883. _d._ Kirmington, Ulceby, Lincs. 29 Oct. 1883. JOHNSON, PERCIVAL NORTON (only son of John Johnson, at one time the only commercial assayer in London). _b._ 1793; worked with his father; assayer and metallurgist at 79 Hatton garden, London about 1816; began and carried on manufacture of German silver, and introduced it to general use in England; invented several pottery colours, amongst them the rose-pink; the first person who refined and manufactured platinum upon a commercial scale; F.R.S. 30 April 1846; of firm of John Johnson & Sons, assayers of bullion, metals and minerals, 18A Basinghall st. London, assayers to the bank of England and the Mint. _d._ Stoke house near Dartmouth 1 June 1866. _Quarterly Journal of geological soc. xxiii_ 39–41 (1867); _Proc. of R.S. xvi_ 23–25 (1868). NOTE.--He made and gave the Wollaston medals to geological society many years; they were composed of palladium, a metal discovered in platinum, which in 1867 became so scarce that it sometimes realized ten guineas per ounce. JOHNSON, PETER. Professional swimmer. _d._ of inflammation of lungs in a cab whilst going to the hospital at Prague 4 Jany. 1890. JOHNSON, ROBERT JAMES. _b._ about 1832; architect at Newcastle; had a very large practice; A.R.I.B.A. 1861, F.R.I.B.A. 1865; F.S.A. _d._ Rock villa, Tunbridge Wells 18 April 1892. JOHNSON, THOMAS MARR. _b._ Appleby, Lincs. 29 June 1826; ed. Winterton, Lincs. and at Ripon; A.I.C.E. 6 April 1852, M.I.C.E. 7 Feb. 1863; res. engineer river Nene and Norfolk estuary works; with B. Baker (under J. Fowler’s instructions) res. engineer of Metropolitan railway, superintended design and execution 1860–9; member of firm of G. Smith & Co. builders and contractors, Feb. 1870 to death; with W. Mills superintended construction of Holborn viaduct station, London. _d._ 14 Westbourne st. Hyde park, London 20 July 1874. _Min. of Proc. I.C.E. xxxix_ 268–9 (1875). JOHNSON, JOSEPH TOWERS, stage name of Edward Joseph Towers. _b._ Kentish town, London 26 March 1815; clerk to Goding and Broadwood, ale brewers; made first appearance as Claude in The Bear hunt, Marylebone theatre 1835; at the Pavilion 1835–7, at the Garrick 1839, at Surrey 1840–7, at Lyceum 1847, at Sadler’s Wells; lessee Victoria theatre Nov. 1856 to 1866; stage manager for John Coleman on the Northern circuit 7 or 8 years; the Isaac Levi and Mr. Eden in the original cast of ‘Never too late to mend,’ produced at Royal theatre, Leeds 1864. _d._ 37 Mitford place, Upper Kennington lane, London 8 July 1891. _bur._ Tooting cemetery 13 July. _Theatrical Times_, _ii_ 225, 242 (1847), _portrait_; _The Players_, _iii_ 311 (1860), _portrait_. JOHNSON, WILLIAM (3 son of James Johnson of Kendal, attorney, who _d._ 1828). _b._ Kendal 1823; sub-editor of the Glasgow Practical mechanics’ and engineers’ magazine 1845–48; started The Practical Mechanics’ Journal, Glasgow 1848, edited it 1848 to death, 16 vols.; patent agent at Glasgow; A.I.C.E. 1850; edited Practical draughtsman’s book of industrial design 1861; author of The imperial cyclopædia of machinery 1852–6; with J. H. Johnson of Abstract of the patent law amendment act 1852. _d._ Glasgow 10 June 1864. JOHNSON, WILLIAM. _b._ Cumberland 1784; ed. St. John’s coll. Camb. 1810, B.D. 1827; C. of Grasmere 1811, teacher at Grasmere sch., and a friend of Wordsworth; in charge of National society’s sch. Holborn, taught on the Bell system 1812, school removed to Baldwin’s gardens 1814; trainer of masters, travelling organiser, inspector of schools, and later on cashier and comptroller of accounts of National Soc. to 1840; called the Patriarch of National Education; R. of St. Clement’s Eastcheap with St. Martin’s Orgar, London 19 Oct. 1820 to death. _d._ 29 Martin’s lane, Cannon st. London 20 Sep. 1864. _G.M. xvii_ 526, 661 (1864). JOHNSON, WILLIAM. _b._ Hindley near Wigan, Lancs. 7 March 1831; ed. at Stonyhurst, Ampleforth and Prior park, Bath; missioner at St. Mary’s on the Quay, Bristol 1853–6 and at Chippenham, Wilts. 1856–9; assist. priest at pro-cathedral, Liverpool 1859–62; priest at Breck, Poulton-le-Fylde 1862–79 and at Lydiate 1879 to death; composer of Litany of B.V.M. for four voices 1872; Hail! holy Joseph hail! for four voices 1874; Missa de Sancta Maria 1880; Hail, thou resplendent star. Chorus with solo 1881; The lion and the bear 1878 and his other comic song obtained popularity. _d._ Lydiate 9 Oct. 1885. _Gillow’s English Catholics_, _iii_ 641 (1887); _Liverpool Catholic Almanac_ (1886) _p._ 96, _portrait_. JOHNSON, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS. _b._ 1776; ensign of a new independent company of foot 18 Sep. 1793; captain 32 foot 7 Jany. 1795, lieut. col. 17 May 1810 to 18 Aug. 1814 when placed on h.p.; L.G. 23 Nov. 1841; retired from the army 1855; M.P. Boston 1820–26, M.P. Oldham 1837–47; sheriff of Lincolnshire