KINGSTON LADY DIES AT THE AGE OF ICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

KINGSTON LADY DIES AT THE AGE OF ICS.

A remarkable old lady, who had the rare experience of living in three centuries and of having been a playmate of a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, has just passed away ill a little four-roomed house at Oakleapassage, Kingstone-on-Thames, where ifor many years she resided alone. Miss Hen<ri/sfcta Johnson, who was born in 1796, and Was, therefore, over 108 years of age, enjoyed up to % few days before her death phenomenally good health, and possessed ill her mental' faculties. Born in Baltimore, she was early left an orphan, but was adopted and brought up by a Baltimore family named Caton. Whilst living with them Miss Johnson came in contact with Betsy Patterson, the beautiful woman who married Jerome, the youngest brother of the great Napoleon. Betsy .Patterson was a relative of the Catons, and a hundred ' years ago the orphan girl used to play" in the garden-with Jerome Patterson, a nephew of the French Emperor. She could recall the day when the little fellow was sent to. France, but was not allowed to land in that country because Napoleon refused to acknowledge the American marriage of his brother. Miss Johnson was appointed housekeeper to ,the Catons, and stayed with them many years. Three of the' daughters in that family married English noblemen—on the Duke of Leeds, a second the Marquis Wellesley, and a third Lord Stafford. About 1840 Miss Johnson came to England to become housekeeper to Lady Wellesley, with whom she stayed until that lady's death at Hampton Court Palace, about half a century ago. Afterwards she retire/ on a comfortable annuity granted ha by the three peeresses mentioned, and went to reside at Kingston-on-Thames. She wr- a zealous Roman Catholic, and regularly attended St. llajihad's Chapel,. J ' ' ' "