Anthony Johnson arrived in Virginia in about 1621 aboard the ship the James. He became an indentured servant to the Bennett Family. The institution of chattel slavery did not exists yet (that would be created in the 1660s). Indentured servants were immigrants who had to work for people who paid them. It was common to work off one’s debt in about 4 to 7 years, at which point one would become free. During the very early part of the 17th century indentured servants could be black or white.
Anthony came from Angola in Western Africa, likely from the Kingdom of Ndongo. The Portuguese had started raiding the area to obtain slaves as early as the 1520s. In 1610 the Portuguese formed an alliance with a militaristic, nomadic group in West-Africa called the Imbangala. This resulted in several violent raids between about 1617 and 1622. In 1617 the King (called Ngola in their native language) of Ndongo, Ngola Kiluanje Mbande, was murdered. He was succeeded by a son named Ngola Kilomba Mbande. It would have been during the reign of Ngola Kilomba Mbande that Anthony was captured and ended up in the hands of the Portuguese slave traders.
Interesting side note is that in 1622 the king sent his three sisters to negotiate with the Portuguese. Their names were Njinga, Kambu (Barbara) and Funji (Graca). Njinga Mbande (also written as Nzinga Mbande) would rise to power and seize the throne herself in 1624. This Queen is famous enough that an Angolan movie was made about her in 2013, and a 2023 Netflix docudrama series was made where historians were interviewed and dramatic recreations were used to show her rise to power and her fight against the European slave traders. Her rise to power coincides with the capture of both Anthony Johnson and his wife Mary, who also came from Angola.
1. Anthony (b. 1600 – d. 1670) and Mary Johnson
Some historians believe that Anthony may have made the trans-Atlantic voyage in 1619. He was likely forced onto the Portuguese slave ship São João Bautista. The Portuguese slave-ship was intercepted by English privateers (an fancy word for Pirates?) and moved to a ship called the Treasurer. He may have landed in Virginia, but then have been taken to Bermuda for a short time to labor on a tobacco plantation. In late 1621 Anthony arrived in Virginia on the merchant ship the James and was put to work on a plantation called Bennett’s Welcome. On March 22, 1622 the plantation was attacked by Powhatan Indians and 53 colonists were killed and survivors were forced to relocate to Jamestown. Anthony survived the attack, and later returned and continued working on the plantation.
Later that year a woman captured in Angola named Mary arrived. Both Anthony and Mary would have been indentured servants who would expect to earn their freedom after generally 4-7 years of hard work (it appeard to have been slightly longer for Anthony and Mary.). It is not clear exactly when Anthony and Mary gained their freedom, but it appears to be in approximately 1635. They married during the time they worked at the plantation and had at least 4 children .
- John Johnson, born in about 1632. He married a woman named Susanna and they had 5 children.
- Richard Johnson, born about 1633. He also married a woman named Susan. They had 2 sons named Frances and Richard. Frances and Richard are described as “mulattos” which strongly suggests that Susan was white.
- 2 daughters whose names were not recorded.
2. John Johnson and Susanna. They married in about 1649 and had at least 5 children:
- John Johnson (b. 1650)
- Anthony Johnson (b 1655)
- Joan Johnson (b. 1660) married a native American named John Puckram in 1682/3.
- [son, name not recorded] (b. 1667)
- Comfort (b. 1680)
John was accused in 1683 of murdering his wife Susan, but was acquited when there was no evidence.