Early Life.

Among his several marks of distinction Robert Johnson served both as a proprietary (1717- 1719) and royal (1731-1735) governor in South Carolina. His father, Nathaniel Johnson, had served as South Carolina's proprietary governor from 1702 to 1708. Robert was born in England in 1676. As a young child he and his parents went to the Leeward Islands where his father served as governor. After his term Nathaniel moved to South Carolina to develop property he held there. He sent his family back to England expecting to meet them shortly in South Carolina once he had made the necessary preparations. On the family's voyage to England the French intercepted their vessel and held them as prisoners for a year. The children's mother died while in captivity. Eventually the children were reunited with their father, who, apart from his original intentions to be a private planter...