Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

Ixxxvl sm JOHN JOIUNSTONK, K'.sIUHT, 15C7-1DS7.
yuar ].3S1, variuus reports were made to the king tliaL the warJea
was relaxing in ilie pcrfuiniance of his duties. lie had been ordered to
hold a " warden raid" u['Oii tlie herders, and the usual muster of feucible
men had beeu sunuuoiu'd to meet liim at JJuinlries on l;Uh Dcecinhor for
executing justice ou offenders, lie does uol appear to have obeyed tliis
order, and a similar summons was issued for 15th Pebruary 1S81, which
wa=; again postponed to 20lh idarcli. 1'liese facts probably gave ground
for the reports as to the warden's laxity wldcli the king at first was slow
to believe, because of Johnstone's prcviou-. gcnjd service, but as he failed
to appear when charged to clear himself, lie was declared a j-ebel, and the
ofllce of warden was again conferred upon John, Lord ^laxwell.^
It is evident that Johnstone %vas considered a partisan of ^Morton and of
the Earl of Angus, as after the execution of the first and the fliglit of the
second into England, he was taken bound to enter in ward " bonortli tlie
water of Erne," and also to deliver r,p all the wardenry papers remaining
in his hands. The warding was, liowever, ]io>tponed for a time, as he had
certain actions depending before the pvi\'y couricil.- Liiter, lie was farther
bound under hcax-j-. penalties that he would nut intercommune witli the Earl
of Angus. An order was also issued afl'ecting his property, not Ids estates,
but his moveable goods, wliich apparently were taken care of by his clan.^
In the beginning of the year 1582, however, Jolmstone ar.d a number of
others were charged to ajipear before tlie privy council to answer inquiries as
to certain disturbances on the west marches in which some Englishmen
were concerned, " brociit in, as liis hienes is informit, be sUiU cvill disposit
personis, jinhabitantis of the said marclie, purpiosclie as apperis to the
troubling of the gude and Cjuiet estate of the curitie." * It is not improbable,
though tliere is no clear evidence on tlie point, that the disturbance referred
1 I{ugi.st