History of the Johnstones, 1191-1909, with ... - Electric Scotland

UNREST ON THE SCOTTISH BORDERS 81
who brought a letter from his Chief's wife on behalf of a prisoner in English
hands. Again in Dec. 1583 "One Robert Johnstoun of Newby, a kinsman
of the Laird of Johnston, came to me with the enclosed letter from the
Lady Johnston (Margaret Scott), commending to me 2 gentlemen coming
from the Scottish Court."
Dame Margaret Scott, as she is usually called, held a position at Court,
but in 1586 fell into disgrace. Whether she or her enemies told falsehoods,
an Order from the Privy Council directs that she should be tried " for making
of leasings and telling of them, which may engender discord between the
King and his Highness's subjects." Surrounded by her son's clansmen, and
near to her powerful brother, Buccleuch, she was quite safe at Dunskellie,
so there she stayed. She was in favour again in 1592, when the King granted
her half the escheat of James Johnstoun of Lochous, Mungo Johnstoun
of Lockerbie, Thomas Johnstoun of Craigaburn, and five more, keeping the
other half himself.
The nine Lairds of the West Marches able to keep order on the Borders
in 1587, as given in the 95th Act of the eleventh Parliament of James VI.,
included the Laird of Johnstoun, John, Laird of Graitney, Lord Maxwell,
and Lord Hereis. The same were appointed Constables of the Borders in
1597, and also Johnstoun of Newbie. Graitney, whose father, George, was a
younger son of William, first Baron of Newbie, seems to have been very
efficient in preserving peace. The Johnstouns and Maxwells formed a
band of alliance on the marriage of young James, the Chief of Johnstoun, 1
with Sarah Maxwell, the grand-daughter of the celebrated Lord Hereis. One
of Johnstoun's sisters was also married to Sir Robert Maxwell of Orchardstone.
The young Laird of Newbie, whose mother was a Maxwell, was married
to Elizabeth, the widow of Maxwell of Carnsalloch, and the daughter of
Sir Alexander Stewart of Garlies, ancestor to the Earls of Galloway 2 (her
mother was a daughter of Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig). The bridegroom
had already married, when about fourteen, Marion Lidderdaill, and was left a
widower with one daughter, Janet.
The unrest on the Scottish Borders was undoubtedly sustained by the
imprisoned Queen's supporters, and Lord Maxwell went so far as to encourage
Spain to fit out the Armada for the invasion of England. In 1583 a Scotsman,
Robert Bruce, wrote to invite Philip of Spain to occupy Scotland, "and
in this way bring back the Catholic faith also to England and Ireland."
The execution of Mary at Fotheringay Castle was the sequence. A general
mourning was ordered throughout Scotland, and it was openly said that
nothing but war could blot out this stain from her shield. The Spanish
Ambassador, writing to Philip in 15S7, thinks that James had a secret preference
1 He was returned heir to his father in 1588, when four of the twelve witnesses were
Johnstouns — John of Graitney, John Johnstoun of Newbie, the merchant, the Laird of
Elphinstone, and the Baillie of the Water of Leith (of Corrie ?), James Rig of Carberry, etc.
2 There had been earlier connections between the families. Agnes, the fourteenth
daughter of Sir A. Stewart, died 1513, married a Johnstoun of that Ilk. Her aunt, Agnes
Stewart, married John, Lord Maxwell, whose daughter married another Johnstoun.
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