Timeline
1819? – Estimated year of birth in Ringwood, Hampshire.
1839 – 13th January – William Johnson married Mary Ward in Ringwood, Hampshire.
1850 – 3rd October – William Johnson, 30 years old, was committed to the Dorset County Gaol and House of Correction for 14 days due to vagrancy (begging).
1850 – 17th October – William was released from the Dorset County Gaol and House of Correction.
1851 – In the 1851 census, William Johnson is serving a sentence at the Hampshire County Prison. He is described as being 32 years old, an agricultural labourer and was born in Ringwood, Hampshire.
1851 – Whilst William was at the Hampshire County Prison, his wife Mary is living in Ringwood with their four children. Whilst working, sadly the occupation is unintelligible, she, aged 38, is head of a household of 2 sons, John and James aged 11 and 3 respectively, and two daughters, Sarah and Eliza, aged 6 and 1. All are born in Ringwood and continue to live there.
1855 – 16th November – Committed to Dorset County Gaol and House of Correction for stealing a whip.
1856 – 1st January – William Johnson, a married 36-year-old labourer and father of 6, was tried at the Reading Assizes and was sentenced to 4 years after having been found Guilty of stealing a whip.
1856 – 28th February – Transferred to Millbank Prison. He is given the prisoner number 2259.
1857 – 15th March – Transferredto Pentonville Prison. He is given the prisoner number 6486 and is described as good.
1857 – 27th March – Transferredto Chatham Prison. He is given the prisoner number 870.
1859 – 5th June – Removed from Chatham Prison and transferred to Woking Convict Invalid Prison. Prisoner Number 47.
He is described as sallow complexioned with dark brown hair and grey eyes and his height is 5’2 1/2. He is noted as having a cut on the back of his forefinger on his left hand, a long cut on the back of his little finger on the same hand with that self same finger being rather crooked on the 2nd joint. He is noted as being married with 6 children, with them listed as being his next of kin.
1859 – 31st December – Released from Woking Convict Invalid Prison.
1861 – In the 1861 Census, William and his family are noted as living at Bickerley Row in Ringwood, Hampshire. William, aged 41, is still working as a labourer but his wife now has no occupation. Their children are Sarah Ann, James, Eliza, Fanny, Charles W. and Emily (misspelled as Emerly) Louisa.
1871 – In the 1871 Census, the Johnson family are still living in the same house. William Johnson, aged 50, is a farmer’s labourer, Mary his wife, aged 49, has no occupation, their daughter Eliza, aged 21, is a linen collar worker and their son Charles, aged 16, is another farm labourer. Their daughter Emily Louisa is 9 and their son Frederick is 7 months old.
1881 – In the 1881 Census, again the family are still living at Bickerley Row. William is 60 yeard old and a general labourer, Mary is also 60 and without occupation, their unmarried daughter Eliza is 30 and a needle worker and their daughter Emily Louisa, aged 20, is listed as an invalid. Frederick is aged 10 and listed as a scholar, which could either mean in work or in school.
1891 – For the final time, we see the Johnson family at Bickerley Row. William, now 71, has changed to an easier occupation of gardener and Mary, aged 70, is a charwoman, that is to say, a cleaner. Eliza still lives with them, aged 40, and unwed without a listed occupation. Frederick too still lives here, aged 20, and working as a butcher.
1899 – William Johnson, aged 79, dies in Ringwood.