In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1815
From History of Coshocton County, Ohio: its past and present, 1740-1881. Containing a comprehensive history of Ohio; a complete history of Coshocton County ... a history of its soldiers in the late war ... (1881)
JOHNSON JAMES, Frankhn township; born in Boston, Massachusetts, March 10, 1815; son of John and Rebecca Johnson. In 1818, his father, a weaver, moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and seven years later to Utica, New York James remained here till he was twelve years old, then worked on the Erie canal till he was twenty-five, when he learned the cooper trade, working at it, in Newark, Wayne county, and Phelps, Ontario county. New York, till the fall of 1848. He then moved to Roscoe, this county, and followed his trade till the spring of 1852, when he moved to Franklin township. He built a cooper-shop at Conesville, doing the cooper work for the distillery, and also shipping his barrels. About 1868, he quit coopering and engaged exclusively in farming. He was married, in 1841, to Matilda Cornell, daughter of John Cornell. His two children were named John and Sarah Minerva.
As printed in History of Coshocton County, Ohio: its past and present, 1740-1881. Containing a comprehensive history of Ohio; a complete history of Coshocton County ... a history of its soldiers in the late war ... (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name James Johnson: Benjamin Banks (b. 1821)
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.