Thumbnail Genealogy:

First Generation:
In 1710, William "Billy" JOHNSON, a Scotsman in the North Essex Regiment of Massachussetts, was sent with his regiment to form part of the British Garrison at Ft. Anne, Port Royal, Acadia. The British had just obtained Acadia from France under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht.

There, in Port Royal he met and married an Acadienne, Isabelle CORPORON, daughter of Jehan Corporon and his wife, Francoise SAVOIE. They had five children:

Marie JOHNSON, b. Sept. 9, 1713 (m. John DAVIS, the local innkeeper);

Jean-Baptiste JEANSONNE b. Nov. 1, 1715 (m. Marie Josephe LAURE).

William ("Billy") JEANSONNE, Jr. b. August 1722 (m. Marie Josephe AUCOIN)

Thomas JEANSONNE, b. June 15, 1719 (m. (1) Marie Josephe GIROUARDE (she died during the Acadian deportation), and (2) Marie Josephe GRANGER

Charles JEANSONNE, Jr. b. July 10, 1725 (m. Marie AUCOIN)

Generation Two:
Marie married an Englishman and cast her lot with the British side of her ancestry. In contrast, the sons of Billy Johnson, Sr., became thoroughly Acadianized. By deciding upon a French rather than British cultural identity, the Johnson boys were subject to deportation along with the rest of the Acadian population. They fought back, and Billy Johnson, Jr. became a famous guerilla fighter against the British.

His descendants and many of those of Jean-Baptiste Johnson moved to Quebec, to New Brunswick and the State of Maine after the deportation, whereas the children of Charles Sr. (Jean, Charles Jr., Marie and Paul), two of the sons of Jean-Baptiste (Louis and Joseph) and possibly one or more of the children of Thomas came to Louisiana.

Third Generation:
Most of the data we have at this point concerns the descendants of Charles Jeansonne, Jr. Charles, Jr. was the son of Charles, Sr. (Some genealogies show him as either the son of Thomas or Jean-Baptiste, but we believe these theories to be false.) He came to Louisiana in the 1760's, after the deportation, as did his brothers Jean (m. Anastasie Prejean) and Paul, and sister Marie. (m. Paul Langlois). They settled in Opelousas. Charles, Jr. married Marie Rose Brasseau(x), daughter of Como Brasseau and Isabelle Thibodeau. In 1776, he served in the Opelousas militia, and is listed in the DAR Patriots' Index.

Fourth Generation:
Charles Jeansonne, Jr. and Marie Rose Brasseau(x) had the following children:

Francoise JEANSONNE, b. May 5, 1777 (m. James ("Santiago") CLARK)

Auguste Louis ("Louis Marie") JEANSONNE, b. 1779 (m. Lise DESMARETS)

Charles JEANSONNE, III, b. June 28, 1781 (m. Josephine GUILLORY)

Jean-Baptiste JEANSONNE, b. September 28, 1783 (m. Judith (or Julia) BROUSSARD)

Joseph JEANSONNE, b. June 28, 1784 (m. Sophia GUILLOT)

Marguerite JEANSONNE, b. July 21, 1789 (m. Alexandre PONTHIEU)

Marie Louise JEANSONNE, b. 1792

Dionisa ("Elise") JEANSONNE, b. July 13, 1794 (m. Augustin GUILLOT)

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