William Augustus Johnson

Lieutenant-General William Augustus Johnson (15 October 1777, Kenilworth – 26 October 1863, Witham on the Hill, Lincolnshire) was an English soldier and Member of Parliament.

He was the eldest son of The Rev. Robert Augustus Johnson, who was a descendant of Robert Johnson, Archdeacon of Leicester, and Anna Rebecca, the youngest sister of Lord Craven. He was educated at Rugby School.[1]

He inherited the Georgian manor-house,[2] Witham Hall, in Lincolnshire, from an uncle in 1814, whereupon he left active military duty on half-pay to manage its estate. His relation The Rev. Woolsey Johnson had built Witham Hall, which is mentioned by Nikolaus Pevsner in Buildings of England,[3] as a private residence in 1752.[4] His ancestor Archdeacon Johnson's family had resided in the adjacent village of Witham-on-the-Hill.[5]

He married Lucy Foster (1815–1890) on 17 February 1835.

Military service

He was commissioned as an ensign of foot in 1793, and promoted to captain in 1794.[6] He served in the Peninsular War in 1808 and 1809, as a major in the 32nd Regiment, and was present at the battles of Roliça, Vimiero, and Corunna. He then served in the Walcheren expedition in 1809. In 1810 he became lieutenant-colonel of the 3rd Ceylon Regiment.[1] He was promoted to colonel in 1819,[7] and to major-general in 1830, and to lieutenant-general in 1841.[1] He retired from the army in 1842.

Political career

He served as Member of Parliament for Boston between 1821 and 1826, and for Oldham between 1837 and 1847.[8]

He was a magistrate, deputy lieutenant of Lincolnshire and of Northamptonshire, and sheriff of Lincolnshire for 1830.

When slavery was abolished in 1833, he received compensation for the loss of slaves in Antigua.[9]

He died, when aged 86, in 1863, after a fall at his home.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 History of Parliament Online article
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Witham Hall and three archways (Grade II) (1240121)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus (1964). The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire: Entry for Witham Hall, in Witham-On-The-Hill. Penguin Books. p. 715.
  4. ↑ "History, Witham Hall School".
  5. ↑ Needle, Rex. "Village history".
  6. ↑ The London Gazette; Publication date: 6 May 1794 Issue: 13652 Page: 415
  7. ↑ The London Gazette Publication date: 12 August 1819 Issue: 17505 Page: 1443
  8. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 231. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  9. ↑ "William Augustus Johnson". Legacies of British Slave-ownership. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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