John Johnston (abt. 1615 - abt. 1662)

I think the information written on Sir John Johnston and Sir Samuel Johnestoun of Elphington, knight baronet and Sheriff of Haddington has completely misrepresented this branch of the family. They were merchants in Edinburgh and amongst their ancestors, were true early religious Reformers. Sir Samuel Johnestoun was a Justice of the Peace and commissioned under the Signet to conduct courts of law.

The main reasons why they went broke in 1650 was that having mined coal for well over a century (nothing to do with horse thieving) was the fact that successive Governments had imposed near unworkable restrictions on the sale and exporting of the coal they mined and with the application of high taxes. They attempted to maintain a certain living standard and wage for their tenants, but were constrained by successive governments. Plus having successive generations of Elphinstone's attempting to overthrow Agnes Elphinstone's rightful inheritance for well over a century did the earlier Johnstouns of Elphinstone little favors.

On the 18 Jul 1615 at Tranent a christening record indicates that Samuell Johnstone had a son named Johne.

• Event Type: Christening
• Event Date: 18 Jul 1615
• Event Place: Tranent, Haddingtonshire, Scotland; Event Place (Original): Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland
• Sex: Male
• Father's Name: Samuell Jonstone

It seems most unlikely that John was born c.1585 as this would have meant that he was aged about 50 years old when he married Margaret Keith who was aged about 17-18 years old at their wedding in 1635.

The christening records at Tranent indicate that Sir Johne Johnstoun had sons named William (born c.1638) and John (born c.1643), (see https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk):

• JOHNESTOUN WILLIAM M 10/08/1638 Parish no. 722/ Ref. no. 10 110 Tranent
• JOHNESTOUN MARGARET F 21/11/1639 Parish no. 722/ Ref. no. 10 118 Tranent
• JONSTOUN JEANE F 30/05/1641 Parish no. 722/ Ref. no. 10 132 Tranent
• JOHNSTOUN JOHN M 22/06/1643 Parish no. 722/ Ref. no. 10 147 Tranent
• JOHNSTON ---- F 22/11/1644 Parish no. 722/ Ref. no. 10 162 Tranent (was named either Elizabeth or Anna),

There are no baptism records for the next 15 years at Tranent.

The Elphinstone book, indicates that John was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Sir James Johnstone. John's Will dated 19 January 1664 indicates that Margaret, Jean, Elizabeth and Anna were his only next of kin.

Sir James was either born between the years of 1635-38, which is possible. However, the History of the Johnstones 1191-1909 on page 15, suggests that Sir James was probably not a lawful heir and as a suit was being carried out against Sir John's daughters it was worth no one's time in trying to prove otherwise.

Dame Margaret Keith's Will written two years prior to her husband John and dated 12 January 1662 gives reference to a James Johnstone, younger in her will, which might imply that there where two sons named James or they interchanged the names John and James and that the younger was the son of John. From the christening records, one would think that the reference to James would be that for John who was christened in 1643.

The Elphinstone book, indicates that Sir John Johnstone of Elphinstone granted a bond of provision in favor of his children, Margaret, Jean, Elizabeth, John, and Anna Johnstone, for sums of money as their portions, dated 12th September, and registered in the Books of Session 4th December 1664. This seems to have been done posthumous as John had died two years earlier. Three of the daughters named, Margaret, Jean, and Anna, resigned their portions to Sir Archibald Primrose by assignations dated June 1666 and 23rd July 1674. Incidentally, Sir Archibald Primrose was their uncle, as his wife was Elizabeth Keith and sister to Dame Margaret Keith.

Sir John Johnstone of Elphinstone, Knight, and Dame Margaret Keith

The lands of Elphinstone were inherited by Agnes Elphinstone, the heir of line, or the heir-female of the family, in the middle of the fifteenth century. She intermarried with Gilbert Johnstone, one of the Johnstone’s of Annandale, and their descendants continued in possession of the lands of Elphinstone until the middle of the seventeenth century and were known as the Johnstone’s of Elphinstone.

Having possession of the estate of Elphinstone until the year 1650, Sir John Johnstone of Elphinstone, knight, and Dame Margaret Keith, his spouse, at that date were in pecuniary difficulties. They had large coal fields in East Lothian. Sir Archibald Primrose of Carrington, the Lord Clerk Register befriended the Knight of Elphinstone. Sir Archibald and Sir John were brother-in-laws through their marriage to sisters Elizabeth Keith and Margaret Keith. Sir Archibald advanced money to him for the purpose of discharging the claims of certain of the creditors. For the money so advanced Sir Archibald obtained bonds over the estate in security. On the death of Sir John Johnstone, in the embarrassed state of his affairs, he was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Sir James Johnstone.

Sir Archibald Primrose powerful assistance and endeavor to preserve the estate of Elphinstone to the Johnstone family, was found impossible. As a last resort, it was arranged that the estate should be absolutely disponed of Sir Archibald Primrose. This was done, and the disposition in his favor narrates the several debts and diligences in the person of Sir Archibald Primrose upon the lands of Elphinstone. It further narrates that by virtue of the rights made in his favor, Sir Archibald had the heritable and irredeemable right to the lands of Elphinstone. The legal reversion of the apprising was expired, and the money paid and to be paid by him for redeeming “wadsetts” far exceeded the value of the irredeemable right of the lands. Still Sir Archibald out of his goodwill had given to Sir James Johnstone considerable sums of money for his subsistence and "outreik" In return for this, in honor, duty, and conscience, Sir James conceived himself obliged to make a suitable recompense so far as it was in his power, and to dispone in favor of Sir Archibald his right, which he had to the lands of Elphinstone, with his love, favor, and blessing.

Therefore, Sir James Johnson of Elphinstone disponed to Sir Archibald Primrose and his heirs the lands of Elphinstone, the Tower and fortalice, etc., with a procuratory for obtaining the disponer infeft as heir to his father or grandfather, and a procuratory of resignation with the ratification of all rights standing in Sir Archibald's person and a precept of sasine. The disposition is dated 10th April 1666. Following upon the resignation by Sir Archibald Primrose, a charter was granted by George, Earl of Winton, as superior of Elphinstone, dated 28th September 1666.

Sir John Johnstone of Elphinstone granted a bond of provision in favor of his children, Margaret, Jean, Elizabeth, John, and Anna Johnstone, for sums of money as their portions, dated 12th September, and registered in the Books of Session 4th December 1664. Three of the daughters named, Margaret, Jean, and Anna, resigned their portions to Sir Archibald Primrose by assignations dated June 1666 and 23rd July 1674.

Sir Archibald Primrose and Sir John Johnstone were related through marriage, as their wives were Elizabeth Keith and Margaret Keith, respectively who were sisters along with Anna Keith and co-heiresses of Sir James Keith of Benholm, who was a son of Earl George Keith, (4th Earl Marischal of Scotland) and nieces to William Keith (5th Earl Marischal of Scotland).

References:

THE ELPHINSTONE FAMILY BOOK OF THE LORDS ELPHINSTONE, BALMERINO and COUPAR. BY SIR WILLIAM FRASER, K.C.B., LLD Vol. 1 - Memoirs, Edinburgh 1897, Pages: xiv-xvi

Paul, James Balfour. "The Scots peerage : founded on Wood's ed. of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom", Edinburgh: David Douglas,,1909, Vol. VI, Pages 53-54.

1662 Keith, Margaret (Wills and testaments Reference CC8/8/70, Edinburgh Commissary Court) Image 706. https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Baptism records of several children to parents Sir John Johnstone and Margaret Keith of Elphinstone at Tranent between the years 1640-50 on https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Johnstone-3015 and Johnston-21042 appear to represent the same person.

Hi, I think that the two should be merge, with the name changed to Johnstone, as this is how the surname was spelt on his wife Dame Margaret Keith's will dated 1662 in Edinburgh. Her will also shows a James Johnstone, younger indicating that there was most likely two sons named James Johnstone.

I had created the other profile due to their assumed difference in age and spelling of their names, but have since found the name of Samuel Johnstone, which according to my records was John’s father.

The marriage between John Johnstone and Margaret Keith was on 9 Feb 1635 in Tranent, and so if we assume that he was the same John Johnston then evidently he was quite a deal older, if your dates of his birth are correct than his wife Margaret Keith. On what I have read in the Bio it indicates that this has partly been quoted from the secondary source, The Elphinstone family book of the Lords Elphinstone, Balmerino and Coupar and ignored the information on his wife and children. On pages xiv-xvi in that book it indicates that his wife was Dame Margaret Keith and also has several of their named children on page xv. The baptism records of several of these children are on the Scotlands People website thus confirming their existence.