WILLIAM JOHNSON of Canterbury, Kent, England, and a painter, was probably the son of Garard Johnson who made his will in 1506. This Garard was perhaps the son of Gerard Johnson whose estate was administered in 1502/3 by his widow Katherine.
16 August 1506 the will of GARARD JOHNSON of the Parish of our Lady of Bredman of the city of Canterbury, Byerbruar [Beerbrewer] . . . To be buried in the churchyard of Holy Cross next to my children. To the high altar of the said church of Bredman 6s.8d. To the making of a new cross of silver in the church of Bredman 40d. To the friars observants in Canterbury three barrels of double beer and three barrels of single beer. To the reparation of the body of the church of Holy Cross lOs. For masses and dirges at the two churches 40s. and 7 marks. To wife Wylmyn £20. To every of my sons, namely, Richard, William and Robert, 10 marks each at twenty-one years. To the lord of St. Kat'yn in Coleyn 5 marks I owe him. To my daughter Johan 23s.4d. The residue of my goods to wife Wyhnyn whom with John Man I make executors, and to the latter 20s. . . . Overseer: William Megge and to him lOs.
Witnesses: Alexander Eljott, parish priest of Bredman, Richard Pekerell, John Smyth, hakeneman, William Maye, Richard Waren, Robert Downe. Proved 29 October 1506 by the executors (Archdeaconry of Canterbury, Volume 10:165)
4 March 1522 the will of ROBERT JOHNSON of the parish of Holy Cross of Westgate in Canterbury . . . to be buried in the churchyard next to my father and mother . . . to my sister Joan 20s. ... many bequests to various people, apparently none of them near relatives. Proved 16 May 1522.
William Johnson was born about 1500. He married first, about 1528, Alice Foreflode, daughter of John Foreflode, a hatter and a freeman of Canterbury. By this marriage William Johnson became a freeman of Canterbury in 1528. She died and he remarried to Ellzabeth who was buried at Saint George s 17 May 1575. Her burial is recorded twice. In one entry the record says, Elizabeth, wife of William Johnson", but in the second entry the words "Grandfather to William Johnson parrish clarke", have been added. William Johnson the parrish clerk and grandson probably added these words about 1598 when the register was copied. William Johnson was buried at Saint George's, Canterbury, 9 June 1575.