Eleanor O'Brien was born 20 Apr. 1758 in Londonberry, Northern Ireland, the daughter of Timothy O'Brien and his Scottish wife Margaret Gilmore.  Timothy and Margaret were married in the Shire of Ayr, Scotland by Rev. M°Lellan, 17 April 1746.

Eleanor O'Brien married James Johnson in Novia Scotia in 1778.  James was born in Ireland also, on 4 June 1743.  He came to Nova Scotia with his parents when he was eighteen years old.  That would be in 1761.  Eleanor came to Nova Scotia in 1768, when she was only ten years old.  He would have been fifteen years older than she.

They had a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters.  The youngest daughter Eleanor, married a school teacher, Samuel Henry Lufkin, 29 Mar. 1815. 

James died 17 Jan. 1829, probably in Debert.  His widow lived with her children until her death 13 July 1848 at the age of 89 years.

In a letter written by Eleanor O'Brien Johnson to her daughter, Eleanor Johnson Lufkin in April 1835, she said she was the only survivor of her father's and called herself old and feeble.  If the dates we have are right she lived for thirteen more years.  In a letter written to Eleanor J. Lufkin by her brother James, their mother was living with him in Mar. 1845.  He said she would be 86 on April 10.