Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

clxviii JAMES JOHNSTONE, FIRST EAKL OF nAHTFELL, 1G08-1653.
graiid-iincle, llobert Johnstone, as his nearest heir-male, in accordance with
the law of Scotland, was served tntor to liiin on 23rd June 1G08. Eobert
Johnstone, who was also appointed tutor to thp two sisters of James John-
stone, Agues and Elizabeth Johnstone, on 21st Jamuiry 1009,^ from this time
figures in the family writs as "Eobert, tutor of Johnstone."
Descended, as the tutor of Johnstone was, from a younger sou of the
Johnstone family, without inheriting any landed property of Ills own, it was
considered that he had not suflicient position and influence to conduct his
tutory in the real interest of the minor. Sara Maxwell, Lady Johnstone, the
widow of Sir James Johnstone, and a number of the 'best friends" of the
family, at a meeting held in Edinburgh, deliberated upou this matter. The
minute of that meeting bears, that they knew the weakness of the tutor, and
that he was neither fit for the government of the "living" nor for the ad-
ministration of the other affairs belonging to it; and they foresaw that the
debt and burdens, amounting nearlj- to fifty thousand pounds, were likely to
overthrow and ruin the estate. They consequently made an offer to him
that if he would c^uit that office, the mother of the minor would administer
the living, entertain the minor and his sisters in meat, clothes, and other
necessaries, keep house for him and his friends, defray his charge in all public
emploj'ments, give him yearly five hundred merks for his purse, and pay
yearly four thousand merks of the debt. Eobert Johnstone of Eaecleuch
declined these offers, and took upon himself the office of tutor.
The peculiar circumstances in v.diich the house of Joh.istone was placed
by the |dcath of' the late chief, and the minority of his only son, induced
King James the Sixth to take a kindly interest in the minor. Between the
years IGOS and ICll his Majesty addressed several characteristic letters to
the lords of council and session, and to Eobert, tutor of Johnstone. These
letters are printed in the second volume of this work.- The import
1 Annandale Peerage Minutes of Evidence, 1S70, pp. 52, 75.
2 Vol. ii. of this work, pp. 13-10.