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John Campbell Johnstone (1817 - 1882)

John Campbell Johnstone
Born in Scotlandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 1859 in New Zealandmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 65 in Te Hauroto, Raglan, Waikato, New Zealandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 21 Jul 2016
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Biography

John Campbell Johnstone was the Scottish born son of David Johnstone and Lindsay Campbell. He was born in about 1817, and was well connected on his mother's side to the Campbell family.

Captain J C Johnstone emigrated to New Zealand in November 1853 having retired from military service in India. He had visited the colony twice before during his army furloughs. He settled in Raglan on 1900 acres and built a house there. He would have been about 37 years old when he settled on his isolated property with views of the sea and bush.
New Zealand
John Johnstone lived in Raglan, Waikato, New Zealand.

At the age of 43 he married[1] the daughter of another retired officer, Major Speedy of Mauku. Emelia Speedy had arrived in New Zealand in 1856. A report of their marriage was published in the New Zealander on 2 April 1859.

MARRIAGE
JOHNSTONE - SPEEDY - At The Grange, Mauku on 28th March 1859, John Campbell Johnstone, of the Haroto, third son of the late David Johnstone of Overton; to Emilia, eldest daughter of Major Speedy of the Grange.

From family accounts, diaries and letters that have been reviewed by the combined Johnstone family in writing a book about him and his descendants, John was quite a memorable character. He has been described as "patriotic, impetuous, probably imperious and headstrong and was convinced of the correctness of his ideas and actions", and his passion for his own way resulted in local arguments and court cases. He also embarked on several money-making enterprises, but upon his death left his wife and children in straitened circumstances.

An educated man, J C Johnstone wrote a book, published in 1874 titled "Maoria: A Sketch of the Manners and Customs of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of New Zealand" which can be read online in the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection. The book dedication reads: "To Mrs. Graham Johnstone. Time and distance have not with you, my dear sister, effected their usual work, and caused you to forget the absent. Let me, therefore, as a slight mark of my appreciation of your many acts of affectionate kindness, dedicate to you this little "Maori sketch," written at your suggestion. Your Affectionate Brother, J. C. Johnstone." [1] The story interweaves Johnstone's knowledge and observation of Maori domestic life and manners with a romantic tale of three lovely Maori maidens.

Johnstone was also the author "The Maories & the causes of the present anarchy in New Zealand" (1861).

Captain Johnstone is reported to have suffered from depression, which arose after the death of their daughter Lila in 1882. After an altercation (which seems to have been not a singular occurrence), and being threatened by a possible charge of assault, he took his own life at the age of 66, in 1882. [2]The circumstances of Captain John Campbell Johnstone's death can be read in the Auckland Star, 24 July 1882 [2]

New Zealand Herald 3rd August 1882 [3]
DEATHS
JOHNSTON - on June 20th suddenly, at the Hauroto, Raglan, Captain John Campbell Johnstone, (East India Company Service) formerly Commander 2nd Regiment P.I. He was the second officer in the Royal Army appointed to the command of a regiment while a lieutenant. He left instructions that his body might be burned, if possible, and that his family should not go into mourning.

John's occupation at the time of death was described as "Gentleman". His will (copy in the probate record) appeared to have been completed at the end of 1881, and certainly was before the death of his daughter Lila, as she is mentioned. Johnstone advises in his will that his widow is provided for in her marriage settlement, but this he has not been able to increase. He advised he wished to be cremated, and that his family not take up mourning. He also used his will as an occasion to criticise the government of New Zealand.

Sources

  1. "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1896," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-KHZ5 : accessed 12 April 2017), John Campbell Johnstone and Emelia Speedy, 1859; citing Marriage, New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington; registration number 1859/2476.
  2. "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1896," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24V-P5F4 : accessed 12 April 2017), John Cambpell Johnston, 1882; citing Death, New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington; registration number 1882/3438.
  • New Zealand Marriage Index -Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: New Zealand Marriage Index, 1840–1950. Microfiche. Name: John Campbell Johnstone; Marriage Year: 1859; Spouse: Emelia Speedy; Folio Number: 59/160
  • Probate - "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2XL-4WDJ : 11 January 2017), John Campbell Johnstone, 1884; citing Auckland, , record number 1298, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office.
  • "A Waikato Settler's Legacy: The Story of Captain John Campbell Johnstone and His Pioneering Descendants", printed by Bankwood Publications, written by Johnstone Family History Group. Published by Johnstone Family History Group, 2007. ISBN 0473127423, 9780473127428 On Google On Amazon National Library of New Zealand Available at Alexander Turnbull Library New Zealand Pacific and National Library of New Zealand
  • Johnstone, J C (Captain), "Maoria: A Sketch of the Manners and Customs of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of New Zealand", Chapman and Hall Limited, 1874, London, Part of: Nineteenth-Century Novels Collection [4]
  • Waikato Times article, "Settler couple's Waikato heritage" dated 6 November 2007, accessed via Stuff on 12 April 2017 [5]
  • http://woolshed1.blogspot.co.nz/2010_09_01_archive.html




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