Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

RECKXT COXTPJr.t'TTOXS TO nOlIDKR HTSTOin*. rrrii
aUainiueiits.was. made 11' KuighC of tlio Thistle. Sir AVilliaiu printed in the
year 1875 "The Cartnlaiy of rollok-]\rax\veir' in one volume quaito. In
(lie six qnra'to volumes yov/ desciibed the detailed history and abundant
muniments of the great Eoider house of j\la.\.\vell have been more fully
vecorded tlian almost any other l^order surname.
Poliowing at a shuit inter\nl, " Tlie Scotts of r.uccleuch" formed the
subjeet of the distiiicniishod Jiorder House of IJueuk-ueh, in tvro largo quarto
volumes ]irin(ed in the year 1878, profusely illustrated with portraits, charters,
corrospondenec, and other illustrations, all betokening tl;e nninificence of the
late Duke of Euecleueh and Qneensberry, K.G-., who was in his day such a
commanding figure in the Scottish Border.
Another great Border book under the title of "Tlie Douglas Book," in
four large quarto volume,'?, with numerous iliustraliuns of chaiters and corre-
spondence, was completed in the year 188.5 for the late Earl of Home, Baron
Douglas of Douglas, and his son and successor the present Eiirl. The history
of llic noble houses of Douglas and Angus, who were so prominently con-
nected v.ith the Borders as wardens and otherwise, are fidly lecordeJ in these
four quarto volumes.
The ]uiv;itely-printed books now referred to chiefiy relate to (he Scottisli
side of the Borders.^ But there is one book vrliich refers muiiily (o the
' Kone o? these works, nor rny of the
Bonlor liistorits published by Jlr. Itedpalh,
iu the year 177G, and other subsequent
writfTS, inalce any special reference to llie
Jolmstous in AberdecD.shire. Iu IS'S2 Mr.
Alexander Johnston, ^vriter to the signet,
published .a genealogical account of the John-
stons of Caskieben in the shire of Aberdeen.
It is clued}- compiled, as he explains, from a
iii.-inuscript history of the family by an un-
kno'.vn author, v.-ritteu about the j-ear IGJO.
'i'he iirst-nrLrned member of the family men-
tioned in their oldest writs, dated iu the year
I'iSO, is "Stivcne Clerk." He acrjuircd the
laud? of Cashieben v.'ith the heiress, Margaret,
daughter of Sir Andrew Garioch of Ca.skie-
ben, knight. Jtlis descondauts afterwards
changed the name of the lands to Johnston,
and took the designation of Johnston of that
Ilk, as if they irere the chief or head of all
the Johnstonts in Scotland. But the inves-
tigations made in the present history of the
Johnstones, Ear's and Marquises of Annan-
dale, show that the alleged conncetion !ie-
tsveen the two families is fabulous. The
reputed ".Stivcne Clerk" is not mentioned
iu any rauniment of the A.nnandale family,
which existed for at least live generations