Clan Johnstone
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Clan Johnstone is a Lowland Scottish clan. They were involved in many battles on the Scottish borders.
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[edit] History
[edit] Origin of the Name
The first known person of this name was John Johnston who in 1174 gave his name to the lands of Annandale in Dumfrieshire which he had been granted. 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. Sir John Johnstone signed the Ragman Roll of King Edward I of England in 1296.
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.
[edit] Wars of Scottish Independence
The Clan Johnstone fought against the English armies at the Battle of Solway in 1378 and also at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388.
[edit] 15th Century & Anglo-Scottish Border Wars
However it was the fighting Johnstons of the Western Borders who would become most powerful. Sir John's great, great, grandson Adam was Laired of Johnston in around 1413. In 1448 the Johnstons victoriously fought against the English at the Battle of Sark during the Anglo-Scottish Border Wars.
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.
[edit] 16th Century & Clan Conflicts
There had been a long running feud bettween Clan Johnstone and the Clan Maxwell. The feud came to a head on the 7th 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 horse back 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 exadurated 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 accumilated with murder of the Clan Moffat chief, Robert Moffat. The Clan Johnstone then went on to burn the building with the most important members of the Moffat family inside and slaughterd 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.
[edit] 17th Century & Civil War
During the Civil War the Clan Johnstone supported the Royalist cause of King Charles. In 1633 King Charles I had created the Johnstone chief; Sir James Johnstone the Lord Johnstone and ten years later 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 thrown, King Charles II rewarded the Johnstones loyalty by creating Lord Hartfell the Earl of Hartfell and Annandale, Viscount of Annan, Lord Johnstone of Lochwood, Lochmaben, Moffatdale and Evandal.
[edit] 18th Century
By the 1700's the Clan Chief of Johnstones had been raised from the rank of Lord to Earl of Annandale and Secutary of State. John the second of the Wester Hall branch was made a Baronet of Nova Scotia.
