Clan Johnstone
Clan Johnstone is a Lowland Scottish clan. They were involved in many battles on the Scottish borders.
History
Origin of the Name
Johnstone does not come from "John's stone," and certainly not "John's son." It comes from "John's toun."
"Gillibertus de Johnistoun" appears in Annandale between 1194 and 1214. His father John, first laird of Lochwood, lived in the latter half of the 12th century. Presumably, therefore, John gave his name to the town he settled, and then his son Gilbert took his name back from it.
So, the first known person of this name was John of Johnston who in 1174 gave his name to the lands of Annandale in Dumfrieshire which he had been granted. [1] His son called Gilbert Johnstone appears on records from 1194 onwards. Gilbert's Grandson called Sir John Johnstone was a Knight of the county of Dumfries. [2] Sir John Johnstone signed the Ragman Roll of King Edward I of England in 1296. [3]
At this time Perth was known as St Johnston and Johnstonburn in East Lothian was then called Jonystoun. From these two areas records record the Clan Johnstone family. A third area of Johnstons which came from Stephen the Clerk and Margaret the heiress of Sir Andrew Garioch used the family name of Johnston.
Wars of Scottish Independence
Sir John Johnstone, grandson of the aforementioned Sir John, was a highly active leader on the border and resisted the English quite well from 1377 through 1379. [1] The Clan Johnstone fought against the English armies at the Battle of Solway in 1378 and also at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388.
15th Century & Anglo-Scottish Border Wars
However it was the fighting Johnstons of the Western Borders who would become most powerful. The elder Sir John's great grandson Adam (son of the younger Sir John) was Laired of Johnston in around 1413. In 1448 Adam and the Johnstons took part in the victorious fight against the English at the Battle of Sark during the Anglo-Scottish Border Wars. [2]
Adam's son supported King James II of Scotland in putting down the Clan Douglas. They won their lands of Buittle and Sannoch near Threave Castle as a reward.
John Johnstone the eldest son of Adam was progenitor of the Annandale branch and his brother Matthew who married the daughter of the Earl of Angus was progenitor of the wester Hall branch of Johnstones. John's offspring would become the main chief Johnstone family.
16th Century & Clan Conflicts
There had been a long running feud between Clan Johnstone and the Clan Maxwell. The feud came to a head on 7 December 1593 at the Battle of Dryfe Sands near Lockerbie. The Clan Maxwell army approached the Johnstone town of Lockerbie. Johnston kept most of his men hidden, just sending a handful of men out on horseback to taunt and provoke the Maxwells. The Johnstones attacked taking the Maxwells by surprise. The Clan Maxwell fared badly that day and their chief Lord Maxwell, who was one of the most powerful people in southern Scotland, was slain. It is said that 700 Maxwells were killed but this may have been an exaggerated number. Many were wounded by downward sword strokes known as "Lockerbie Licks".
Later in 1608, Maxwell's loss was avenged when a meeting took place between his son, the new Maxwell chief and Johnstone himself. Maxwell killed the Johnstone chief. However Maxwell was later captured and executed by hanging.
The Clan Johnstone also had a long feud with the Clan Moffat who were another Scottish border clan who were raiders and reivers, and conducted long-running feuds with their neighbours. Their greatest enemies were the Clan Johnstone. The feud accumulated with murder of the Clan Moffat chief, Robert Moffat. The Clan Johnstone then went on to burn the church with the most important members of the Moffat family inside and slaughtered anyone who tried to escape. In one blow the powerful Clan Moffat was almost wiped out. Seventy years later all of the Moffat's lands were passed to the Johnstones due to the Moffats having massive debts.
17th Century & Civil War
During the Civil War, the Clan Johnstone supported the Royalist cause of King Charles. In 1633, King Charles I awarded lordship to the Johnstone chief, Sir James Johnstone, as the Lord Johnstone; ten years later Charles made him the Earl of Hartfell. After King Charles I was defeated in the Civil War, both the Johnstone chief and his eldest son were imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle and Edinburgh Castle. However, after the Stuart Monarchs returned to the throne, King Charles II rewarded the Johnstones' loyalty by granting Lord Hartfell the titles of Earl of Hartfell and Annandale, Viscount of Annan, and Lord Johnstone of Lochwood, Lochmaben, Moffatdale and Evandal.
18th Century
By the 1700's the Clan Chief of Johnstones had been raised from the rank of Lord to Earl of Annandale and Secretary of State. John the second of the Wester Hall branch was made a Baronet of Nova Scotia.