A Julia A Jones m. Joseph W Johnson on 12/27/1852, all parties being from San Jose, CA (ancestry.com CA marriages). From San Francisco Genealogy on the web: "JOHNSON/JONES--Dec. 27th, by Rev. A.M. Winn, Joseph W. JOHNSON to Miss Julia JONES, all of San Jose." Source: Alta California, 5 Jan 1853. Transcribed by Martha Richards.
From the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office website: "Joseph W. Johnson, our second Sheriff, was born in North Carolina on the 29th day of October 1818. At the age of 31 years, he left New Orleans by ship and sailed to California, arriving here October 10, 1849. During the year of 1851 and early 1852, Johnson held the positions of Bailiff and Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff John Yontz. Johnson took office on April 5, 1852, beating W.B. Thompson in the September 1851 election. During Johnson's short career as Sheriff he was responsible for the hanging of two men at the county jail. Ramon Romero was hung on November 26, 1852, for Grand Larceny, probably horse stealing. Then an Indian named Guadalupe was executed on December 17,1852 for the murder of another Indian. Johnson left the Sheriff's office on October 3, 1853. Horse thieves and murderers were running wild in the early days of the county. On one occasion in 1853, Sheriff Johnson and a posse of men sought out two Mexican bandits who were holding out in a home near San Jose. The Sheriff was able to seize one of the banditos without a struggle. As he was leading the extremely large prisoner out the door, the bandit threw off the Sheriff and started running. The Sheriff's pistol miss fired as he tried to draw down on the fleeing murderer. Another posse member mounted his horse and quickly caught up with the bandit. The man refused to surrender, forcing the deputy to shoot him dead.
After leaving office, Johnson continued to serve the people of San Jose and Santa Clara County. He became an attorney, a County Judge, and the ninth Mayor of San Jose from 1863 to 1867. He held the position of Justice of the Peace until his death in 1880. On Tuesday, March 22, Johnson went to the Bank Exchange Saloon on First Street and after a brief conversation with the proprietor ordered himself a drink. Within minutes he collapsed and died. He was 61 years old." The Federal Census Mortality Schedule for 1880 says b. ~1812, d. 3-1880 in San Jose of heart disease, occupation lawyer.
In 1860 J W Johnson 39 b. NC, justice of the peace, lived in San Jose with Willie C 4 b. CA and Nellie H 2 b. CA. In 1870 Joseph W Johnson 51 b. NC, justice of the peace, lived in San Jose with Willie C 14 and Nellie H 12. Evidently the Julia A Jones to whom he was married died between 1858 and 1860.
In the 1852 CA census, Joseph W Johnston [sic] 31 b. SC, last resided in Louisiana, sheriff, lived in San Jose. His entry, on p. 98 of the microfilm, appears nine names after the Frances Jones family.
His obit appeared in the 3/25/1880 San Jose Mercury. An earlier article appeared in the 8/1/1872 San Jose Weekly Mercury. SJLibrary.org California Room Database Probate Papers: d. 23/23/1880, wife Mary F, children William, Nellie Hyers [sic], Joseph. Obit in the San Francisco Bulletin (published as the Daily Evening Bulletin, 3-24-1880, v. XLIX, issue 143, p. 4) contains material abstracted above, and in addition "He came to Santa Clara County in 1849. He was one of the proprietors of the old Bella Union saloon and lodging-house, which occupied the present site of the Auzerais House." This was undoubtedly the lodging-house at which Frances Jones worked.103