Descriptive Summary
ABRAHAM JOHNSON PAPERS
1778-1848
Accession Number: Ms79-004
Repository: West Virginia State Archives, Charleston WV
Creator: Abraham Johnson
Title: Abraham Johnson papers, 1778-1848
Date: 1778-1848
Extent: Two flip-top document containers, 17 letter folders, 1 notebook of transcriptions.
Name of Creator's: Abraham Johnson and Colonel Reasoner
Language: English
Citation: [item, collection number], [collection title], West Virginia Archives and History, Charleston, WV.
Processing Information: Processed by Kimberlyn Dyer, April 2026
Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open for research use.
Copyright: Copyright restrictions may apply.
Administrative Information
PROVENANCE
This collection was donated to West Virginia Archives and History at The Cultural Center by Ella Mae Johnson in June 1979.
PROCESSING NOTES
Collection accessioned 24 January 1979. Donor/transfer card completed June 18, 1979. Folders replaced and labels typed, June 18, 1979. Collection reprocessed by Kimberlyn Dyer, April 2026.
HISTORICAL NOTE
Records of Abraham Johnson from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, Hampshire County, Virginia (Mineral County, West Virginia), United States. Contents were found in a paper bag in preparation for burning, but were found after the Johnson home was sold following the death of the immediate family. Colonel Reasoner transcribed the collection before returning to war. Original records about the immediate family were withheld by the donor.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
Correspondence, land grants, promissory notes, court orders, receipts, summonses, and bills of sale for slaves. Persons represented include Abraham Johnson, Samuel Kercheval, Nathanial Kuykendall, Ebenezer McNary, Nimrod McNary, John Pearsall, Garret Reasoner, Jacob Reasoner, John Reasoner, and other early settlers of Hampshire Co., Va. (later Mineral Co., W. Va.)
Papers found in the home of Abraham Johnson, justice of the peace and high sheriff of Hampshire County; gift of Ella Mae Johnson, Maplewood, Mo.
The repository also has typewritten transcripts of the papers.
ARRANGEMENT
Collection in original order of transcriber (Numerical).
Not organized into series.
INVENTORY LIST
Box 1 contains folders 1-11.
Box 2 contains folders 12-17.
Notebook 1 contains transcripts for corresponding documents (1360).
1:1 (nos. 1-50; missing: 5, 11, 12, 22, 31, 32, 38, 46-48).
1:2 (nos. 51-100; missing: 52, 69).
1:3 (nos. 101-150; missing: 101, 123-125, 130-142, 146-150).
1:4 (nos. 151-200; missing: 151-157, 162, 188-191, 197-200).
1:5 (nos. 201-242; missing: 201, 204, 217, 218, 229, 234, 235).
1:6 (nos. 243-283).
1:7 (nos. 284-314).
1:8 (nos. 315-402).
1:9 (nos. 403-492).
1:10 (nos. 493-546).
1:11 (nos. 547-585).
Box: 2
2:1 (nos. 587-659).
2:2 (nos. 660-827).
2:3 (nos. 828-989).
2:4 (nos. 990-1201).
2:5 (nos. 1202-1360).
2:6 (nos. unmatched pieces).