Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

JOHN .iu]ixstoNj-; ok JOHX.STONK, llDl-HOS. xvii
Johnsto)!'? of Uiat illc, as his I'lollier, Lut lu/ihiiig furtlier is liirovni ol'liis
history, and he also aiHiaiently died wiLhoiit issue.
b. William, who apparently possessed or occupied the lands of Upper BrylT-',
and who is referfcd to I'^twccn 1475 aiid 1481 as then deceased. His
eldest brother, John, was in possession of these lands after the death of
William Johnstone, who apparently died without issuc.^
YJII.
—
John Joiixstoxi; of Joiixstoxe, 1454-140".
'I'lie position cif tlii.s liead and eliief of the Johnstone family, as veil
as ih.il of his ehlcvt son, Jainos Johnstone, lias been inisundersLood. It
lias been slated that John Jolinstone was iufeft in tlifi lauds of Joluhslone in
1455, that he died on or before 13th September 14S4, and tliat he was
succeeded by his son, Jaines Johnstone of Johnstone, who did not long
.survive liis father, having died before May 14 38.-'' To prove tiiat James
Johnstone was the eldest son of John Johnstone of Johnstone, and that
he had sasine of tlie lands of Johnstone in 1484, reference is made to an
iustrument of sasine dated 13tli September 1484. In a modern pedigree of
the family of Johnstone, dated ITGCi, produced by Sii- llarcourt Johnstone
on 4lh ^\pril 1S78, it is stated that John Jolinstone was not piTsont at the
fiunous battle of Arkin, near Langholm, as it is .supposed that lie was attend-
in,:; hi.s fallicr Adam, tlien on his deathbed.^ These statements are Cjuitc at
variance with the ascertained facts relating to this John Johnslone and his
eldest .son Janics.
The fust notice of John occurs on 8th November 11,' 8 as witness to a
liotaiial instrument relating to the marriage of Cluu'les Murray of ]ie\e!, in
which he is designated John Jtihniloue, son and heir of Johnslone of that
i!k. As he must have been of age to be a witness to such a formal instru-
' MmutesofEviJeuce, Anuand.ilo Peerage, Johnstone uf Wc>torhan, Earoiict, 1ST;">, I'p-
^!^:G), p. 90. 9, SO.
* Jbid. 18S0, vol. ii. p. 1002. • Minutes of Kvi.leiice in Aunaiul.ilc Peer-
' t'.ise for Siv Frederic John Willi.im age^). 7U, No. 331.
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