John Rosamond Johnson (1873 - 1954)

Born 11 Aug 1873 in Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Nora Ethel (Floyd) Johnson — married about Jul 1913 in London, England, United Kingdom

Died 11 Nov 1954 at age 81 in New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

J. Rosamond Johnson is Notable.

J. Rosamond Johnson was born in August 1873 in Florida. In 1880, he was living with his parents and brother in Duval, Florida. ^[1] By 1900, he was working as a music teacher, unmarried, and living with his parents, older brother, maternal grandmother, and extended family members in Florida.^[2]

J. Rosamond trained at the New England Conservatory and studied in London. He was a public school teacher in Jacksonville, Florida. He went on from there to New York and began a career as a songwriter, actor and composer.^[3]

J. Rosamond married Nora Floyd in July 1913, shortly before his 40th birthday. Their marriage notice in The New York Age stated, "On July 3, J. Rosamond Johnson, until recently a member of the vaudeville team of Hart and Johnson, and at one time a member of the widely-known team of Cole & Johnson, was married to Miss Nora Floyd of Jacksonville, Fla. The marriage cememony was performed at the Bloomsbury Registry Office, London, England. The bride left her home in Jacksonville the latter part of June and reached London only a few days before the date set for the wedding. As Mr. Johnson's work will keep him in Europe for some time the bride and groom are undecided when they will come to America."^[4]

By October 1914, J. Rosamond was noted as supervising the opening concert for the Music School Settlement for Colored People in New York.^[5] "The program opened with Rachmannoff's 'Prelude in C Sharp Minor' by J. Rosamond Johnson. Mr. Johnson's selection was a happy choice and the prelude proved a splendid vehicle for the display of his rare gifts, both musically and technically. His style of playing is so unaffected, so chaste in its simplicity, that a better performance of Rachmannoff's 'Prelude' could scarcely be imagined."

He served in the U. S. Army during World War I. ^[6] He recieved a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 15th Regiment. ^[7]

By the 1920 census, J. Rosamond was living with his wife Nora and their young daughter, Mildred, on West 131st Street in Harlem, New York City. He's listed as being a theatrical performer.^[8] In 1925, at about 52 years old, he and Nora are living with their daughter and a relative in New York, New York. ^[9] In 1930, the family was still in Manhattan, New York, in the same place on West 131st Street, and he was noted as working as a musician in the orchestra industry. ^[10]

He was the composer of "Lift E'vry Voice and Sing," also known as the black national anthem, written by his brother James Weldon Johnson^[11] and hundreds of other songs. He traveled the nation and the world performing spirtuals, vaudeville and classical music programs.

In 1940, he was still living in New York with his wife and daughter Mildred on West 131st Street. His occupation was listed as music composer (own business) and as having graduated high school.^[12]

He died in 1954.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ 1880 United States Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/5836602:6742 Name: John R. Johnson; Age: 7; Birth Date: Abt 1873; Birthplace: Florida Home in 1880: Precinct 7, Duval, Florida, USA; Dwelling Number: 251; Race: Black; Gender: Male; Relation to Head of House: Son; Marital Status: Single; Father's Name: James Johnson; Father's Birthplace: Virginia; Mother's Name: Helen Johnson; Mother's Birthplace: Nassau, West Indies; Neighbors: View others on page; Household Members, Age, Relationship: James Johnson, 48, Self; Helen Johnson, 38, Wife; James W. Johnson, 9, Son; John R. Johnson, 7, Son
2. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/54424588:7602 Name: John R Johnson; Age: 26; Birth Date: Aug 1873; Birthplace: Florida, USA; Home in 1900: Jacksonville, Duval, Florida; Ward of City: 8; Street: Lec Street; House Number: 138; Sheet Number: 17; Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 467; Family Number: 477; Race: Black; Gender: Male; Relation to Head of House: Son; Marital Status: Single; Father's Name: James Johnson; Father's Birthplace: Virginia, USA; Mother's Name: Helen Johnson; Mother's Birthplace: New Providence; Occupation: Music Teacher; Months Not Employed: 0; Can Read: Yes; Can Write: Yes; Can Speak English: Yes; Household Members, Age, Relationship: James Johnson, 62, Head; Helen Johnson, 57, Wife James Johnson Jr, 29, Son; John R Johnson, 26, Son Mary Barton, 76, Mother in Law; Agness Edwards, 38 Adopted Sister Victor Lewis, 17, Nephew
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Rosamond_Johnson
4. ↑ U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/60012808:62116 Name: J. Rosamond Johnson; Gender: Male; Employer: Hart and Johnson Employer 2: & Johnson; Marriage Date: 3 Jul 1913; Marriage Place: Bloomsbury; Spouse: Nora Floyd
5. ↑ The New York Age (New York, New York)15 Oct 1914, Thur, Page 6
6. ↑ New York, U.S., Military Service Cards, 1816-1979 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/117451:2340 Name: John Rosamond Johnson; Birth Date: 11 Aug 1873; Birth Place: Jacksonville, Florida; Type: Officer Card; Collection: World War I and inter-war Era Officers
7. ↑ https://dos.myflorida.com/cultural/programs/florida-artists-hall-of-fame/john-rosamond-johnson/
8. ↑ 1920 U.S. Census Name: John R Johnson; Event Type: Census; Event Date: 1920; Event Place: New York City, New York, United States; Event Place (Original): New York, New York; Sex: Male; Age: 46; Marital Status: Married; Race: Mulatto; Race (Original): Mulatto; Birth Year (Estimated): 1874; Birthplace: Florida; Father's Birthplace: West Indies; Mother's Birthplace: West Indies; Relationship to Head of Household: Head; Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head; Sheet Letter: A; Sheet Number: 9; Household, Role, Sex, Age, Birthplace: John R Johnson, Head, Male, 46, Florida; Nora E Johnson, Wife, Female, 27, Georgia; Mildred L Johnson, Daughter, Female, 5, Florida
9. ↑ New York, U.S., State Census, 1925 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/14761129:2704 Name: Rosmond J Johnson; Gender: Male; Color or Race: Black; Age: 52; Birth Date: abt 1873; Birth Place: USA; Residence Date: 1925; House Number: 154; Residence Place: New York, New York; Relationship: Head; Number of years in US: 52; Assembly District: 19; Line Number: 03; Page number: 21; Household Members, Age, Relationship: Rosmond J Johnson, 52, Head; Nora E Johnson, 34, Wife Mildred L Johnson, 11 Daughter; Nadine Owens, 29, Relative
10. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/43262919:6224 Name: John R Johnson; Birth Year: abt 1875; Gender: Male; Race: Negro (Black) [Black]; Age in 1930: 55; Birthplace: Florida; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House: Head; Home in 1930: Manhattan, New York, New York, USA; Map of Home: Manhattan, New York, New York; Street Address: West 131 Street; Ward of City: 19th Assembly District; Block: A; House Number: 154; Dwelling Number: 4; Family Number: 41; Home Owned or Rented: Rented; Home Value: 75.00; Radio Set: Yes; Lives on Farm: No; Age at First Marriage: 38; Attended School: No; Able to Read and Write: Yes; Father's Birthplace: Virginia; Mother's Birthplace: Jamaica; Able to Speak English: Yes; Occupation: Musician; Industry: Orchestra; Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker; Employment: Yes; Veteran: Yes; War: WW Household Members Age Relationship: John R Johnson, 55, Head; Nora E Johnson, 36, Wife Mildred Johnson, 16, Daughter; Ruth Pasour, 12 Lodger
11. ↑ https://www.naacp.org/naacp-history-lift-evry-voice-and-sing/
12. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/11876379:2442 Name: Rosamund Johnson; Age: 66; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874 Gender: Male; Race: Negro (Black); Birthplace: Florida; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head of House:Head; Home in 1940: New York, New York, New York; Map of Home in 1940: New York, New York, New York Street: West 131 Street; House Number: 154; Inferred Residence in 1935: New York, New York, New York; Residence in 1935: New York; Sheet Number: 6A; Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 47; Father's Birthplace: Florida; Mother's Birthplace: Florida; Occupation: Music Composer; Industry: Own Business; House Owned or Rented: Rented; Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 50; Attended School or College: No; Highest Grade Completed: High School, 4th year; Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 60; Class of Worker: Working on own account; Weeks Worked in 1939: 52; Income: 0; Income Other Sources: Yes; Native Language: English; Social Security Number: No; Usual Occupation: Composer; Usual Industry: Music; Usual Class of Worker: Working on own account Neighbors: View others on page Household Members Age Relationship: Rosamund Johnson 66 Head; Nora E Johnson, 46 Wife Mildred Johnson, 25 Daughter; Donald Mansfield, 7 Lodger Yolanda Dubois, 5 Lodger
13. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85826870/j-rosamond-johnson