James Skillman Johnson, a resident of Keyport for more than half a century, died on Sunday, March 17th, aged 91 years. He had been failing in health for several years, but a hemorrhage was the immediate cause of his death. He was born at Spottswood and moved to Keyport in 1827, where he had since lived. When he first moved to Keyport he started a mail and passenger route by stage from Keyport to Navesink, stopping at Keansburg, New Monmouth and Chapel Hill. Keansburg was then known as Waykake, New Monmouth was known as Chanceville and Navesink was known at(sic) Riceville. Mr. Johnson conducted this route for a number of years.

Mr. Johnson graduated from Rutgers college in 1831 and at the time of his death he was the oldest living graduate of that college. He had been an elder in the Keyport Reformed church since 1834 and for many years he took an active interest in the church's affairs. He was twice married. His first wife died in 1847 and his second wife died in 1895. Two daughters by his first wife survive him. They are Mrs. Mary Ely of Englishtown and Mrs. Elizabeth Rue of Princess Anne, Maryland.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Apr 3, 1901

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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