Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

Ixviii SIR JOHN JniiX-STuNE, KNIGHT, ]:'G7-1587.
It was ill the Jaiiiu',1} fullowiiig tlie.su {irocceiliii^s tlm* the I'egeut
Miirniy was aosassiuateJ by Haniiltoii of BolliUfllliaiv^'h. at Liulilhgow.i
llis death was a tiiuniph to tlic party which favoured Queen ^fary, and they
at once took nioabLUVs whiLh jilun.^ed the country into civil war. Tliey also
showed tlicir displeasure at the iulerferencc of the English queen in Scottish
afTtiirs, hy joining witii rebels against lier authority, while constant and
destructive raids were made ovcr tlic English boiiler. In these commotions
of the period we find Sir Johii Johnstone playing a considerable part. Even
before the death of JIurray, his sympathies continued with Queen Mary, and
he is mentioned, along with Lord liome, the lairds of Buccleuch, Fernyhirst,
and others, as a sujipoiter of the conspiracy against Qiucen Elizabeth, headed
by the Eurls of Xorfhundjerland and "Westmoreland. In the beginning of
January 1570 Sir Johii Forster wrote to the Earl of Susse.x, intimating that
W'fslmoreliuid was in Scotland, and that he and vaiious other fugitives were
sheltered by Ker of Fernyhirst and otlicrs. He adds that "if tiiey hear of
any force of England to pursue them, tlicy purpose to take the sea at Fast
Cast.le, or the AVest Marches by helji of the laird of Johnstone." ^ This
attitude, hov.'ever, was suddenly abandoned for a more active policy, and on
the morning after the regeiit's death the Ivul of Westmoreland, v^ith his
allies, the lairds of lluecleuch and Fernyhirst, and Johnstone, invaded
England %\ith three hundred horsemen, destroying the country as far as
^lorpeth.^ This raid is said to have been conducted with special cruelty,
for v^b!eh, ho'.ve\'er, not the Scots, bvit the rebel English were held re-
sponsible. A few weeks later another rebellion took place in the northern
counties of England, headed by Leonard Dacre, a younger son of Lord Dacre
of Gilleslar.d, but it was quickly defeated, and Dacre and his biother were
' The musket vvitL which the regent was - Caleiu!.''.r of State Paper-s, AilJenda,
shot long reuiaiiieJ Id the fanaly of Gener;il l.iljU-loTy, Lfttor 7th Jauuary l.)70.
Il;imilt'jn of Ot'iiistou The general jiresenttd ^ Calendar of St.ite r.iper.s. Foreign, Lrt-
tlic wt;i[j.)n to A]>,-.\aniler, Duke of Haniiltca, ttis, Lord Hunsd