RALPH EDWARD GODSCHALL JOHNSON:

Ralph Edward Godschall Johnson, was the eldest son of Godschall Johnson, by his first wife, Lucy Bishop.

He was born in England, though he claimed to be born in Antwerp, in 1812, whilst his father, Godschall Johnson, was serving as His Majesty's Consul to Antwerp.

He married, it was said, in London, (of which there is no confirmatory record), England, in 1832, at age 20, Eleanor Sarah Butler[i. There is a possibility though, seeing English marriage records were scrupulously kept, for the marriage to have occurred either on the Continent or in Ireland.

Ralph and Eleanor Godschall Johnson had seven children, three of whom appear to have been born in France.

The eldest was Ralph Cholmondeley Godschall Johnson, born about 1833/4, probably in London, County of Middlesex.

The second son was Charles Godschall Johnson, probably also born in London.

The third son was Frank O'Neill Godschall Johnson, born about either 1836/7, which is May Thornton's date (in which case he was probably born in London), or 1844 (another source), which places him in the middle of the French period.

The fourth son was Frederick Flower Godschall Johnson, born in 1846 at St. Omer in France.

The youngest son was William Butler Godschall Johnson, born in 1849, possibly back in England.

The daughters of Ralph Edward Godschall Johnson and Eleanor Sarah Butler were Ellen Elizabeth Ann Godschall Johnson and Frances Lucy Godschall Johnson, known as Fanny.

Ellen Elizabeth Godschall Johnson was born in 1841.

Frances Lucy (Fanny) Godschall Johnson was born in 1842 at St. Omer in France.

Eleanor Godschall Johnson died about 1853, leaving Ralph Edward Godschall Johnson a widower with seven children ranging in ages from 5 to 20.

Family chipped in to help with the children. Ellen and Fanny lived with the Thornton family at the Rectory at Bassingstoke. Frank, aged 10, and William, aged 5, boarded at a school at Chilton, Andover, four miles away, and spent the holidays at the Rectory at Bassingstoke with the Thornton household. In fact, William had started with that boarding school the year earlier, at the tender age of 4, and it is expected that Frank had already spent a number of years there by the time his mother died.

Frederick, aged 8, was billeted in Ireland with other family members, Uncle Fred and Aunt Fanny, where he was to receive further education. The education he received was Catholic, and he was expected to enter the Church, but he refused to take the vows.

Ralph Edward Godschall Johnson sailed to Australia in 1854 with his two eldest sons.

Ralph Edward Godschall Johnson died at Tank Street, Brisbane on 8 July 1876.

On the Death Certificate, his father's name was shown as Godschall Johnson, British Consul, Antwerp. His mother's name was not shown. It was also stated that he was born in Antwerp, Belgium, and had spent 22 years in the Colony.

It was also stated in the Death Certificate that he had been married in London, at age 20 years, to Eleanor Sarah Butler, and that he was survived by Ralph Cholmondeley Godschall Johnson, aged 38, Ellen Elizabeth Ann, aged 35, Fanny Lucy, aged 34, Frank O' Neill Godschall Johnson, aged 32, Frederick Flower Godschall Johnson, aged 30, and William Butler Godschall Johnson, aged 27, and that 1 male child was deceased.

Ralph Edward Godschall Johnson

Eleanor Sarah Butler, later Godschall Johnson