Welcome to the Johnson-Witt genealogy website.

This site explores the connections to our ancestors and their families, many of whom 
arrived in North America in the early 1600s and others who arrived in the 1800s and 
early 1900s. The experiences of our early immigrant ancestors paralleled the events 
that culminated in the founding of America and contributed to what has resulted in 
our unique American traditions. As a nation of immigrants, our customs and way of 
life have been influenced in a significant way by our immigrant ancestors.

Like many Americans, our ancestry includes a variety of nationalities. Some of our 
ancestors arrived in America centuries ago (Huguenots from France, Puritans and 
Quakers from Great Britain, and Dutch and Danish immigrants who settled in New 
Amsterdam in the 1600s). Others arrived relatively recently (immigrants from Germany, 
France and England in the 1800s and Finland in the early 20th century).

This endeavor represents a partial listing of our Johnson and Witt ancestors and 
relatives. It contains original research and material compiled from published 
sources. Source information is provided.

Among those who arrived in the 1600s in New England, many of whom came with the 
Winthrop Fleet in 1630:

Connecticut: BELDEN, BOSTWICK, BRINSMEAD, CARTER, CURTIS/CURTISS, FERRIS, FROST, 
GRAY, GROVES, HARDY/HARDEY, HOBBY, HOLMES, HUSTED/HUESTED, HUTCHINS, JORDAN, 
KITCHELL, KNAPP, LLOYD, LOCKWOOD, MEAD, MITCHELL, NORMAN, OSBORN, PARDEE, PEAT, PECK, 
PORTER, SCOFIELD, SHEAFE, SHERMAN, SMITH, TURNER, WATERBURY, WHITE, YALE.

Massachusetts: BROWN, CARTER, MEAD, NORMAN.

New Jersey: KITCHELL, SCHOLEY/SCHOOLEY.

New Amsterdam/New York: ANDERSON, BLANCK, BOSCH/BUSH, OSBORN, SMITH, WILLEMS.

Among those who arrived in Virginia in the 1600s: WITT, DAUX.

French Huguenot ancestors who arrived in Carolina (which became the South Carolina 
Colony in 1721) in the 1680s: DUBOSC/DUBOSE/DUBOSQ, COUILLANDEAU, FOUGERAUT.

Our ancestors who arrived more recently immigrated from England and France 
(GODSMARK and MORRIS-DEVERE), Germany (BOLZMANN, GALL, GRASSMAN), and Finland 
(JOHANSSON-BÄCKMAN, surname changed to JOHNSON after immigration).

The family line that I have researched most thoroughly is the MEAD line through my 
immigrant ancestors William Mead (1592-ca. 1660) and his son John Mead (ca. 1628-
1699). My earliest documented Mead ancestor was Richard Mede/Mead, (born around 1515) 
in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. He was buried at Watford on March 2, 1559/60. His 
estate inventory was executed there on October 26, 1560.

I am descended through two sons of the John Mead-Hannah (Brown?) Potter Mead family 
of Fairfield County, Connecticut: John (circa 1658-1693; married Ruth Hardy/Hardey) 
and Ebenezer (1663-1728; married Sarah Knapp).

Participation in surname research groups - such as the Mead/e, DuBosc/DuBose, Johnson-
Bäckman, Scholey/Schooley, and Witt/Whitt forums - has helped focus our research 
through communication with persons who share a particular surname and who graciously 
and eagerly share their family and genealogical research.

DNA research is a useful adjunct to traditional genealogical research. Through the 
combination of Y-DNA testing and Witt/Whitt family genealogical research provided by  
the W(h)itt Surname Project, we were able to determine that our family's 
immigrant "Witt" ancestor was John Witt/Whitt, who was born in 1645 in Herefordshire, 
England. After immigrating to Virginia, he married Ann Daux circa 1673 in Charles 
City County, Virginia. Our specific Y-DNA results indicate that the Y-DNA haplogroup 
is I1A (a haplogroup that occurs at greatest frequency in Scandinavia, with rapidly 
decreasing frequencies toward the edges of the historic Germanic-influenced world) 
and that the mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplogroup is U5a (an early and Europe-specific 
haplogroup). Information about DNA research can be obtained from many sources, 
including the books written by Dr. Bryan Sykes, a geneticist at Oxford University in 
England. His Oxford Ancestors website is: http://www.oxfordancestors.com.

Please note that this genealogical information is for personal use. As a professional 
courtesy, please provide research credit and source citations if you use this 
research.

This family history is a work in progress. Any corrections or additional information 
about the families listed here would be greatly appreciated.

We hope that this website will be of value to those of you who are interested in our 
Johnson, Witt and related ancestries.

Sandra Johnson Witt, Ph.D.
Gainesville, Florida
November 4, 2009