Background
Johnson was the second son of the Reverend Richard Johnson, rector of Lavenham, Suffolk.
Johnson was the second son of the Reverend Richard Johnson, rector of Lavenham, Suffolk.
Johnson attended school in Bury Street Edmunds and was admitted to Clare College, Cambridge in 1853, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1857 and an Master of Arts
In 1861. He studied law at Lincoln"s Inn and was called to the bar in 1861. He also played for Cambridgeshire and for the Marylebone Cricket Club. At one time he was living in Stalham in Norfolk, and was a Justice of the Peace for Norfolk.
He was appointed on 23 July 1872 and served until 23 November 1892, when he resigned.
He later returned to England and lived in Exeter. He was the father of Peter Randall Johnson, who was born while he was living in New Zealand.
He also had a daughter named Constance. He had a younger brother, James Woodbine Johnson, who also emigrated to New Zealand (in 1866) and died there in 1899.
He lived for a time in New Zealand, in Poverty Bay, and was a member of the Legislative Council from 1872 to 1892.