John who gave the name Johnston in the Lordship of Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
was born circa 1150 in Normandy, France. It is thought he arrived after the reign of William the Conqueror
when many Norman nobles arrived in England from France.
II.
Sir Gilbert Johnston, Knight of Johnston. He first appears as Gilbert, son of John, after
1194 as a witness to a charter by William de Brus, grandfather of Robert de Brus, the competitor for the Crown
of Scotland. He still held that designation in an agreement dated November 11, 1218. In later writs, he is
known as Gilbert de Johnstun and Sir Gilbert de Jonestun circa 1230, when he held the rank of knighthood. He
died before 1249.
III.
Gilbert de Johnston who in July 1249 was witness to a grant to Robert Bruce.
IV.
Sir John Johnston who swore fealty to the English King on August 28, 1296.
V.
Gilbert of Johnston who was present at an inquest at Lochmaben in Annandale,
Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He is said to have died in 1370.
VI.
Sir John Johnston, one of the most active leaders on the Borders and was the warden of
the West Marshes. He made strong resistance against the English between 1377 and 1379. In 1398, he was
one of the conservators of the truce on the Borders. He died before the year 1413.
VII.
Adam Johnston of Johnston, who was Laird of Johnston before 1413. He took part in the
Battle of Sark on October 28, 1448. He married after 1433, Janet Seton, widow of William Seton. He died
before May 1455.
VIII.
John Johnston of Johnston, succeeded his father in 1455. He was in the Battle of Arkinholm
on May 1, 1455. He took part against the Douglases in the royal expedition against their Castle of Threave
in Galloway. He was engaged in the Battle of Lochmaben on July 22, 1484. His wife may have been Janet Herries. He is last mentioned in February 1492.
IX.
James Johnston of Johnston. He appears to have predeceased his father, but was married and
had issue.
X.
Sir Adam Johnston of Johnston. In 1498, he was mentioned in an attack on the house of
Glendinning. His wife was Marion Scott, widow of Archibald Carruthers. He died before November 2, 1509.
XI.
James Johnston of Johnston, who, in 1504, was probably of age. On November 2, 1509, he
received a charter from King James the Fourth of the lands of Johnston and others. In 1516, he received a
charter from King James the Fifth of the lands of Whitrigs and others in the lordship of Corrie. In 1523,
he was one of the keepers of the West Marches. His wife was Mary, the eldest daughter of John, fourth Lord
Maxwell. He died in August 1524.
XII.
John Johnston of Johnston was born in 1507 and succeeded his father in 1524. He died on
November 8, 1567. On March 2, 1542-3, he obtained a crown charter placing his lands into the Barony of
Johnston and entailing them upon himself and his sons. He is often named as responsible for his clan to
the government. He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Jardine, daughter of John Jardine and had by her,
James, John of Tundergarth (see John of Tundergarth below),
and Robert. Elizabeth Jardine died in December 1544. His second wife was,
Nicola Douglas1,
daughter of James Douglas of Drumlanrig.
XIII.
James Johnston, the Younger was born in 1539 never succeeded to the estates. He died
before May 1552, when his widow, Margaret Hamilton married David Douglas of Cockburnspath. He left a son,
John Johnston.
XIV.
Sir John Johnston of Johnston, Knight of Dunskellie succeeded his grandfather in 1567.
In 1584, he was made a knight. In 1585 his house in Lochwood was burned by the Maxwells along with his
charter chest and family possessions. He died on June 5, 1587 from a broken heart. He married Margaret
Scott, daughter of Sir William Scott, younger of Buccleuch, who survived him for many years.
XV.
Sir James Johnston of Johnston, also of Dunskellie, was born about 1567 and succeeded his
father in 1587. He married Sara Maxwell who lived until 1636. He was made a knight at the coronation of
Queen Anne in 1590. He and Lord Maxwell endeavored to establish friendly relations, but their feud burst
out more fiercely than before and culminated in the Battle of Dryfe Sands on December 7, 1593 when the
Maxwells were defeated and John, the eighth Lord Maxwell, was slain. In 1602, the feuds with the Maxwells
were renewed and on April 6, 1608, at a meeting to reconcile their differences, Sir James Johnston was
treacherously murdered by John, the ninth Lord Maxwell.
XVI.
James Johnston of Johnston was born in 1602 and succeeded his father in 1608 when he was
still a minor. In 1633, King Charles gave him the title of Lord Johnston of Lochwood with limitation
to male heirs. In 1643, he received the titles of Earl of Hartfell, Lord Johnston of Lochwood,
Moffatdale and Evandale also with limitation to male heirs. He was married three times. His first wife was
Margaret Douglas by whom he had issue. He died in April 1653.
XVII.
James Johnston, Earl of Annandale and Hartfell was born 1625. He died on July 17, 1672.
He married Lady Henrietta Douglas, daughter of William, first Marquis of Douglas on May 29, 1645.
XVIII.
William, Second Earl of Annandale, etc. was born on February 17, 1664. He succeeded his
father, while still a minor, in 1672. On June 24, 1701, he received the title of Marquis of Annandale
with limitation to male heirs. He died at Bath on January 14, 1721. He married twice.
First to Sophia, the only daughter of John Fairholm and secondly, Charlotta Van Lore, the only daughter
of John Vanden Bempde.
XIX.
James, Second Marquis of Annandale, etc. He succeeded his father in 1721 and died at
Naples on February 21, 1730. He never married.
XX.
George, Third Marquis of Annandale, etc. He was born May 29, 1720. He changed his surname
to Vanden Bempde in order to inherit the Vanden Bempde fortune. He became deranged and on March 5, 1747 was
declared incapable of managing his affairs. He died unmarried on April 29, 1792.
DUE TO THE DEATH OF THE 3RD MARQUIS WITHOUT LEAVING ANY HEIRS, THE TITLES OF THIS LINE BECAME DORMANT.
THE JOHNSTON PEERAGE TITLES REMAINED DORMANT FOR 193 YEARS FROM 1792 TO 1985. IN 1985, THEY WERE AWARDED
TO PATRICK ANDREW WENTWORTH–HOPE JOHNSTONE, WHO RECEIVED THE TITLE OF 11TH EARL OF HARTFELL AND ANNANDALE
THROUGH THE FEMALE LINE OF HENRIETTA, THE DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM, THE MARQUIS AND 2ND EARL OF ANNANDALE.
1 "It appears that on 28th June 1576, Nicola Douglas, as relict
and executrix of her husband, sued John Johnstone, his eldest son, for intromitting with the personal effects
of her late husband." [Evidence in Annandale Peerage, 1576, p. 44]
PEERAGE CONNECTION TO IRELAND AND AMERICA
1.
John of Tundergarth, is in the 1585 "Lists of
lands and tenants over which John Maxwell, Earl of Morton was
superior."2 He died after 1585. He left a son, James.
2.
James of Tundergarth, married, Jennie MacDonald, the daughter of the 8th Laird of Glencoe.
He died in the Battle of Dryfe Sands and left a young son, John. In 1602, his widow sold the lands in
Tundergarth and Dumfriesshire and removed to Ireland where she had purchased lands in both County Fermanagh
and County Tyrone. Son, John.
3.
John "Old Lurg", born circa 1590. Died after 1641 in County Fermanagh, Ireland. He married
a Miss Irvine and had two surviving sons, John and Samuel. John got the estate in Clare, County Tyrone.
4.
John, married Mabel Graham. He had sons, James, Arthur, Charles, Francis, Lancelot and
John. The eldest son, James got the estate of Drumkeen, County Fermanagh.
5.
James, married on May 1st, 1684, Mary Irvine, daughter of William Irvine of Ballindullagh,
County Fermanagh. She was the niece of Sir Gerard Irvine of Castle Irvine. Son, James.
6.
James, of Bannagh, County Fermanagh, married Grace Mansfield, daughter of George Mansfield, Esq. of Killygordon.
Son, James.
7.
James, married Grace O'Donnell, daughter of Hugh O'Donnell, the Earl of Tyrconnell.
(Grace O’Donnell's mother was Margaret Montgomery, daughter of Col. Hugh Montgomery of Derrygonnelly,
second Earl of Mount Alexander). James and Grace's children were; James, John,
Hugh Montgomery3, William, David O'Donnell and Dr. Lancelot.4
2 December 10, 1585 Parliamentary Register, Linlithgow, Scotland.
3 At the time of his death, Hugh Montgomery Johnston was preparing
to claim the lapsed peerage of his family. He was commonly called "The Marquis".
4 Note: James, John and Hugh Montgomery Johnston died in Ireland.
Brothers, William, David O'Donnell and Dr. Lancelot Johnston all immigrated to America. David and Dr. Lancelot
arrived on September 13, 1769. David was born in 1745 and died in 1829 in Williamson County, TN. Dr. Lancelot
was born in 1748 and died in 1832 in Caswell County, NC. They both served in the Revolutionary War. It is
thought that William arrived sometime before. Not much is known about him.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Evidence of Annandale Peerage. - 1576.
Parliamentary Records of Scotland. - 1585.
Johnston, Hugh Montgomery, Written manuscript.
Johnston, Dr. William, Letter written in 1849. Wilson Library, Chapel Hill, NC.
Earl of Belmore, The History of the Corry Family of Castlecoole. London and Dublin 1891.
Johnston, G. Harvey, The Heraldry of the Johnstons. Edinburgh and London 1905.
Honey, Russell C., The "Gentle" Johnston/es. 1996.
Fraser, George MacDonald, The Steel Bonnets. London 1971.
Fraser, Sir William, The Annandale Family Book of the Johnstones, Earls and Marquises of Annandale.
Volume I - Memoirs and Charters. Edinburgh, 1894.
Trimble, W. Copeland, The History of Enniskillen, Vols. I and II. 1919.
