Treasure Chest Thursday~Joseph Henry Johns

 
It's Treasure Chest Thursday and today’s treasure is the death certificate for my Great Grandfather Joe Johns who died 8 April 1929 in Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina. 

My Great Grand Father Joseph Henry Johns¹ was born in Apr 1849 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.^{2 3 4 5 6 7 8} He died  from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 8 Apr 1929 at the age of 80 in McFarlan, Anson, North Carolina.⁹ He was buried on 10 Apr 1929 at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.^{10 11}

Circumstantial evidence indicates that Joseph Henry Johns married Laura Driggers, about 1882. She died about 1898 at the age of 29 due to complication related to childbirth.

Joseph Henry Johns and Laura Driggers had the following children:

i. Walter Joseph Johns Sr., born 2 Aug 1883, died 31 Jan 1964, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
ii. Julius Johns, born 4 Mar 1887, died 16 May 1937, Monroe, Union, North Carolina.
iii. Annie Bell Johns, born May 1888, died 22 Jul 1923, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iv. Samuel Johns was born about 1890.¹²
v. Nellie Johns, born Jul 1891, died 18 Jan 1928, Columbia, Richland, South Carolina, United States.
vi. Fanny Belle Johns, born Jul 1892.
vii. Ida B John was born about 1893. ¹³
viii. Mamie John was born in Jul 1898;¹⁴ she died before 1910. 

It is not known why; but, the information on this death was given by a non-family informant. R. E. Lee Northcutt was the informant and it’s obvious he didn’t have any knowledge of my great grandfather’s vital statistics.

The death certificate shows cause of death as gunshot wound of thorax, and external and internal hemorrhages. 

CONFEDERATE VETERAN COMMITS SUICIDE
Mr. Johns, of McFarland Community, Shoots Himself -- Buried Yesterday
--Other McFarlan News.
McFarlan, April 10 - A horrible tragedy occurred this (Wednesday) morning
when an old Confederate veteran, Mr Johns, committed suicide. He was 87 years of age and had been in ill health for some time. Mr. Johns was making his home with his son, Walter Johns of McFarlan. It seems that early in the morning after his sons had gone to work and the children were outside Mr.
Johns took a shotgun and fired through his heart, death being instant. The deceased is survived by several children in Anson and Chesterfield counties.
The Johns family had been living in the McFarland section only since the first of the year. The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon, and interment was in Pleasant Grove cemetery, Chesterfield County, between Cheraw and Chesterfield.

Article on JOSEPH HENRY JOHNS death on 8 April 1929 states that he was a CIVIL WAR VETERAN. [Note: No proof found to substantiate this claim of Civil War Service, his father -Shadrach- did serve in the Civil War with the Co. H, 24th Alabama Infantry. Joe was only 16 years old when the War ended, so I doubt that he served.] The Messenger-Intelligence, Wadesboro, NC, 11 April 1929.





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1. , The Messenger and Intellengence, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, .
2. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 109A, Line 11, Dwelling 161, Family/161, Household of Shadrach JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
3. Ibid.
4. 1860 U. S. Census, Russell County, Alabama, population schedule, Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 893, Line 7, dwelling 238, family 227, Household of Shadrick Johns; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_22.
5. 1880 U. S. Census, Marlboro County, South Carolina, population schedule, Marlboro County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #108, page 460A, Line 22, Dwelling # 43, Family #43, Household of Shade JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9_1235.
6. 1900 U. S. Census, Marlboro County, South Carolina, population schedule, Bennettsville, Marlboro County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 87, page 55A, dwelling 365, family 383, Household of Joseph John; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm  T623_1536.
7. 1910 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Courthouse, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #0037, page 149, dwelling 400, family 400, Household of Joe John; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm  T624_1455.
8. 1920 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #36, page 95B, Line 99, dwelling 735, Household 736, Household of Joseph Johns; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T625_1690.
9. Joseph Johns, death certificate #1929 (1929), Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
10. Ibid.
11. The Messenger and Intellengence, 11 April 1929.
12. 1920 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, ED #36, page 95B, Line 99, dwelling 735, Household 736, Household of Joseph Johns.
13. 1910 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Courthouse, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, ED #0037, page 149, dwelling 400, family 400, Household of Joe John.
14. 1900 U. S. Census, Marlboro County, South Carolina, population schedule, Bennettsville, Marlboro County, South Carolina, ED 87, page 55A, dwelling 365, family 383, Household of Joseph John.