The Indian Mutiny medal awarded to Mr William Johnson, Uncovenanted Civil Service, attached to the Militia Battery at Agra Fort

Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (W. Johnson,) mounted on contemporary pin brooch, nearly extremely fine £500-600

William Johnson was born in Calcutta circa 1808. He was an East Indian, born in India of European parentage. Little is known of his parents but in 1831 William was employed as the 2nd Draftsman in the Military Board, Calcutta. He worked alongside Mr Wale Byrne who became one of the leading lights in the Eurasian community. Wale Byrne was also the brother in law of Colonel John Byrne, C.B., who had been A.D.C. to Lords Dalhousie, Bentinck, Auckland, and Ellenborough. It was into this melange of cultures that William Johnson worked, met and married Mary, the daughter of Colonel Byrne and his native wife Kammo Christina, affectionately known as “Beebee Byrne” on 20 April 1831, at Calcutta Cathedral.

William Johnson left Calcutta in 1832 to take up the position of Writer at the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut Court at Allahabad. While en route his wife gave birth to a daughter, Mary Henrietta Janet, on the Ganges River, who died a year later. A second child, William, was born in 1833 but only survived a few months. Two sons, Walter John and William Byrne followed in 1834 and 1835. [see footnote] Mary tragically died on 16 August 1841, at Allahabad. Sometime after the death of his wife he transferred to Agra to take up the appointment of Assistant Register in the Sudder Court, a position he held until the outbreak of the mutiny. His transfer may have been instigated by Arthur D. Johnson who was the translator in the Agra Sudder Court and also editor of the N.I. Messenger and probably his brother. At the outbreak Johnson moved into the Agra Fort where he is recorded in the Census as being present with his wife and 2 children. His second marriage is unrecorded as are the names of the children at Agra and all subsequent births. From their military records we know that Cecil Willoughby was born at Agra on 11 October 1857, some months after the census, and Samuel Wellesley was born at Agra on 12 November 1859. The death administration of Samuel Johnson in 1901 shows that he had a sister in Simla named E. A. Baldwin and his estate was bequeathed to his brother Cecil Willoughby. It can be assumed that Miss E. A. Johnson was one of the children at Agra Fort.

William Johnson is listed on the medal roll as being attached to the Militia Battery as per Govt. of India Military Dept. No.46 of 23 July 1858.
William Johnson continued employment with the Agra Sudder Court and in 1868 he is shown as Clerk to the chief Justice at Agra. Sometime between this date and 1875 he retired as by then he was working in Simla as the manager of the Simla Book Depot. In 1881 he is shown as a Government pensioner and died in Simla on 19 August 1886.

Note: Establishing the true chronological sequence of events with respect to the life of William Johnson rests on a document found in the India Office that was produced on his death. The Government of India, Home Department's “Return of Death of a European Uncovenanted Pensioner in the Punjab for the month of August 1886”, originating from Simla, shows William Johnson was from Calcutta and died in Simla aged 77. The paper also advises he had four surviving children two of whom were living in India and named as Dr. S. Johnson [Staff Surgeon Samuel Wellesley Johnson, H.M.S Ranger] and W. J. Johnson [Walter John Johnson] of Agra. By tracing Walter John back through the records the above life story of William Johnson can be told.

Colonel John Byrne, C.B., was instrumental in purchasing commissions in both the Indian and HM's armies for his grandchildren including Johnson's 4 boys and Wale Byrne's 3 boys. Upon the Colonel's death in 1851 his wife “Beebee” continued the practice. “Beebee” used her money wisely creating a large property portfolio in Simla including the Imperial property of Littlewood a large imposing property visible from the Tonga road. Suitably situated as she was also the owner of the Tonga Dak, the only means of transport from Simla down to Kalki on the plains. Money lending and loan sharking also came under her remit. She was also a great gossip renting out rooms to various army officers for assignations with the wives and daughters of absent husbands and fathers, although when dragged to the various divorce courts she was the essence of secrecy.

Walter John Johnson sailed for England in 1849 and attended Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the HM's 41st Regiment on 24 November 1854, and served in the Siege of Sebastopol. He died at Agra on 21 May 1887, where his occupation is stated as a “seaman”.

William Byrne Johnson travelled with his brother in 1849 and he was commissioned on 6 June 1854, as Ensign with HM's 55th Regiment. He was severely wounded at the final assault on the Redan where he distinguished himself by his forward gallantry. He was permitted to retire from the service by the sale of his commission in 1857. The obituary of William Byrne Johnson taken from De-Rhe Phillips' Soldiers of the Raj states that “where and how he was employed during the next ten years is unknown but from 1867 onwards he was unemployed living with his grandmother “Beebee Byrne”. He was in fact helping “Beebee” run the Tonga Dak. He died at Simla on 6 August 1876. The mysterious missing ten years can be explained by entries in the London Gazettes which show that both William Byrne Johnson and Walter John Johnson were incarcerated in Reading jail as unemployed insolvent debtors. What term of imprisonment was given or whether “Beebee” paid off their debts is unknown but it would seem clear that “Beebee” told them to ‘disappear’ for ten years and not return to India making Walter's occupation of sailor more understandable.

Cecil Willoughby Johnson was educated at Bishop Cotton's School, Simla, and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, retiring on 11 October 1912 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He married in Bombay in 1904 naming his father as William Johnson. He served in the Soudan Frontier Force 1885-6.

Samuel Wellesley Johnson joined the Royal Navy and died in 1901, with the rank of Staff Surgeon RN. At the time of his father's death he was serving on HMS Ranger in India.

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