Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

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JoIIX JUJINSTi.'XK, Kil;ST WAllDl.X, 152^-1 .jG7.
Icgolhi'r, so tliut Ihoy luigUt act eiUior fov or riijaiust Kii;^;.iU'l, I'ul llicir
iiieliiKitioiis wi-vu iu favour of tlioir own country.'
]n June 1545 Jolinstoue was a nieuibov of the pailiauieut lieW at Stirling,
.which. wiUioul one disscntieul jilcdgeJ tlie couiilry to a)i .'illiance with
France against England, and to the invasion of tlie latter country.- At the
same time Johnstone, with .several other.-^, became .suretj" for Kobert, ilaster
of ]\[a.\wtll, that he would keep the castles of Carlaverocl:, Lochmabcn, and
Tlu'icvc for the cjuceu and governor again.vt the English, until Lord 'Max-
wcUs return fruni England, N\here he was again a prisoner, or until an over-
whelming English force was brouglit against him. The sureties also bound
then.iselves to have no intelligence nor intercourse with Englanl.'
The ilasler of I\Iaxwcl], lKn\e\'er, was unfortunately talccn prisoner in
September 1545, and Lord Maxwell, who was liberated, was coerced into
giving up Carlaverock to the English, who took possessioi^ of it iu October of
the same year. The tower of Langbtilm was already in their hands, but
efforts to recover it v/erc made by the neighbouring barons, amorig wliom
Johnstone was especially active. We learn this from the correspondence of
the English wardens, and in October Lord Wharton reported that Johnstoue,
with the lairds of ])runilanrig and Lochinvar, was keeping a great watch, by
sea and laud, day and night, round the castle of Caiiaverock. Another letter
slates that Johnstoue and his colleagues had received a letter from the Scottish
regent tlianking them for their ser\'ices against the defenders of the castle of
Car]av(;rock, and exhoriiug them to be of good cheer, as he meant to join
them soon and reward them. The expedition referred to was delayed, but
ended in gaining the castles of Lochmaben and Thrieve for the Scottish
interest.^ Wharton wrote at the same time that Locliinvar and Johnstone
were the greatest enemies of Lord Slaxwell in the west of Scotland, their
' Hamilton Papurs, vol. ii. pp. -JOS, JOl. ^ Kogi.slor of tnc Privy Coiii.oil, vol. i. [i. '.).
* Diurnal of Occarreuts, p. -tl ; ,St:\te
- Acts of tilt rHvliaiiicuts of .Soothui'l, Papers, vol. v. pp. 401, r>5C. ; The Pook of
vol. ii. p. j05. Cailiucrock, vol. i. p. 20'J.