Thomas Benjamin Johnson was the son of George L. Johnson and Elizabeth Hill who had emigrated from England in the late 1830s or early 1840s. It is not known whether George and Elizabeth married in England or Canada; however, the first of their ten children was born about 1844 in York County, Canada West where they had settled on a farm. Benjamin who was the couple's eighth child was born on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 1860 in their one storey frame farmhouse.
A few years later the family had relocated to a farm in Downie Township. By the late 1870s George had retired and moved the family to Stratford where they lived in a house on the north side of Albert Street, four doors east of Nile Street. Benjamin's father died in 1880. The 1881 census records that Benjamin lived with his mother and five of his siblings at the Albert Street house. By this time Benjamin had become a butcher. His older brother George Jr. and younger brother Alfred would also become butchers.
On September 4, 1889, Benjamin married twenty-four year old Mary Ann (Minnie) McCurdy in Toronto. Minnie was the daughter of Alexander and Ann McCurdy, who were born in Ireland. It appears the McCurdy's knew the Johnson family, perhaps when they lived in York County, because Minnie was a witness at the wedding of Rebecca Johnson, a sister of Benjamin, which was held in Stratford in 1886. Benjamin and Minnie had two children: Jennie (b. Oct. 5, 1891) ; and Henry (b. Jan. 7, 1896), who followed in his father's footsteps as a butcher and after service in World War Il became the Governor of the Stratford-Perth County Jail.
Benjamin's business appears to have prospered. Commencing during the mid-1880s, he and his older brother George rented two stalls on the ground floor of the original Market and Town Hall building constructed on Market Square in 1857.
Like many merchants in Stratford, Benjamin dabbled in real estate. In 1887 he purchased land on Albert Street from John and Robert Forbes. The Forbes brothers were well known stable keepers and livery men in
Stratford. Indeed, Robert Forbes was the first occupant of No. 4 Waterloo Street North, which would become the home of renowned Canadian actor, William Hutt.
In 1888 Benjamin completed construction of 185 Albert Street, which he used as an income property. His first tenant was an Albert Thompson, who was listed as a Traveller (i.e. Travelling Salesman). Mr. Thompson lived in the house for a short time.
On November 24, 1897 fire broke out in the Town Hall and Market building, which not only destroyed the
Council Chamber and Public Library but also businesses on the ground floor including Benjamin's and George's butcher stalls. While they lost everything, they were able to recover and Benjamin's butcher business continued until he retired.
In 1906 Benjamin built 173 Elizabeth Street and he and his family lived there until 1915 when they moved to their Ellice Township property. In 1907 they had acquired 20 acres in Ellice just outside the city at the corner of what is now Mornington Street and Quinlan Road. There they ran an abattoir. He and Mary Ann later severed five lots from the property facing Mornington Street.
Mary Ann died in October 1941 and Benjamin in June 1942. They are buried in Avondale Cemetery.