(c. 1715-11 July 1774), landed magnate in New York colony. Born in Ireland. Johnson came to North America in 1738, where building on the favour and the property of his uncle, Admiral Sir Peter Warren, he became a great property owner in New York colony. He acquired much influence also with the Indians, and in 1756 became by royal commission the agent and superintendent of the Six Nations Indians and their Confederates. He received the title of baronet in 1755. In 1760, during the Seven Years’ War, he travelled in the expedition of General Jeffery Amherst through Lake St. Francis along the shores of what was a little later to be known as Glengarry County. At this time he also visited “Asquesasne, a small Indian village [Akwesasne, St. Regis],” and arranged for its neutrality. More importantly, however, he is connected with the foundations of GC through the Highland Scottish settlers who came to North America in the Pearl in 1773. Some of these, who settled soon after their arrival in North America on Johnson’s lands in the Mohawk Valley in New York colony, were, in 1784, the leaders of the settlement of GC and among its first pioneers. Johnson died at his home of Johnson Hall, in New York colony, virtually on the eve of the American Revolution. He acknowledged Catherine Weissenberg in his will as his wife, though he may never have been formally married to her, and he had children by his famous liason with Mary (Molly) Brant. He was the father of Sir John Johnson. Williamstown in Glengarry County is named after Sir William Johnson.

Life of Johnson in Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol. IV and sources named there * ODict * MDict * McLean 87-90, 230 * Bibliography of Glengarry: index * Amherst journey of 1760 : see Bibliography of Glengarry p. 3 * Fintan O’Toole, White Savage: William Johnson and the Invention of America (2005); has material on the NY colony Highland settlers but nothing on the settlement of GC