[3][4] At the age of twelve, he was sent to learn the printing and publishing business with the firm of Brightly and Childs, which was represented in Hull by his father, Edward.
This firm, which operated a paper mill and an extensive printing office and stereotype foundry, was established in 1795, and was for many years among the largest printers and publishers of periodical works in Great Britain.
[4] On arriving in America, Johnson secured a position in Troy, New York, with The Northern Budget, a Republican weekly newspaper.
[4] Prior to the establishment of Johnson's foundry, those publishers in Philadelphia who wanted to use stereotyping for book printing sent their orders to New York.
One of Johnsons's earliest successful efforts in stereotyping was Henry's Commentary on the Scriptures for the publishers, Tower and Hogan.
In 1833 he added type-founding to his operations when, in conjunction with George F. Smith, he bought The Philadelphia Type Foundry, originally established by Archibald Binny and James Ronaldson.
[1][6] During his tenure Johnson, oversaw several innovations in the business and made additional contributions to the art and practice of type-founding.
[2] In 1858, the firm supported a revival of William Caslon's old-style types by bringing the matrices to the United States from England.
[2] Late in his life, Johnson, along with other leading type-founders of Philadelphia successfully petitioned Congress to modify copyright law to extend protection to letter-cutters, engravers, and originators of designs.
[8] Johnson was involved in many other enterprises in Philadelphia and elsewhere, including the development of coal mining, the building of street-car lines and banking.
[4] In 1851, Johnson purchased "Lansdowne", a farm and country estate on Neshaminy Creek in Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he lived in the summer.
On 9 October 1905, his body, with those of other members of the family, was removed to St Thomas' Episcopal Churchyard, Whitemarsh, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.