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

THE KING AND JOHNSTOUN 87
allowed his house to remain dismantled, when there was hardly accommodation
for himself and his wife, so that he might be unable to receive the King.
But to return to 1597, King James appears to have deposed Johnstoun,
and visited Dumfriesshire in the hope of conciliating Elizabeth and her Cabinet,
the first having just sent a very severe letter to him for alluding rather
bitterly to his mother's death when he opened the last Parliament, the record
of it having lately been forwarded to her. From Newbie he went to Dumfries
to hold a Court, and in four weeks hanged fourteen or fifteen notorious thieves,
and took thirty-six hostages from the Johnstouns, Armstrongs, Bells, Carliles,
Beatties, and Irvings, who were charged is. 46. a week each for their keep,
and were to be hanged if any further outrages took place.
The English Ambassador, writing to Cecil, Oct. 12, 1599, considers that the
Earl of Angus and Lord Hamilton, both related to the Maxwells, were the real
cause of the troubles in Annandale and on the Borders. Lord Hereis, Johnstoun,
and Drumlanrig had been arrested and imprisoned in Edinburgh. George
Murray, one of the gentlemen of the Chamber, was sent to receive Lochmaben
Castle from the Wamfrays for the King, and Johnstoun, who had held it as
Warden, was directed to send orders to that effect. He sarcastically declined
to control his dependers from so great a distance. Murray is described as
" Johnston's own."
On Nov. 12, 1599, the Ambassador writes again : " On Thursday the Laird
of Johnston brought in most of his pledges," and was to be released, having
subscribed an assurance. This was signed by himself and his pledges, Johnstoun
of Graitney and Gilbert Johnstoun of Wamfray. The Ambassador looked
forward to the day of the trial, and confronting the lieutenant Angus 1 with
Johnstoun," which will be exceeding great, and may well breed a great stir," but
the King was afraid of Angus and his relatives, and glad to settle the matter
quietly.
In 1600 a decree of the Lords in Council charged these chiefs with the
care of the Borders— Lord Home, Sir James Johnstoun of Dunskellie, James
Johnstoun of Westraw (the Laird's brother-in-law), John Johnstoun of Newbie,
Grierson of Lag, Kirkpatrick of Closeburn, Robert Gordon, apparent of Loch-
invar, John Johnstoun of Graitney, Hamilton, various Maxwells, and Scott of
Buccleuch. Before this special commission was dissolved in 162 1 Newbie and
Graitney had disappeared as separate baronies ; and the chiefs, whose lawlessness
defied the Crown, were ennobled. Buccleuch was a terror to the south of
Scotland. On a report being spread that he was marching on Edinburgh, the
shops were at once closed and barricaded. Gordon soon proved that he was
more capable of raising a disturbance than of keeping order.
Buccleuch's exploits have been told with poetic licence by the literary
members of his family. Scrope wrote that " he had ever been the chief enemy,
and still is, to peace on the Borders." When he rescued Kinmont Willie from
Carlisle Castle the prisoner was heavily ironed after a much later custom to
prevent escape when allowed exercise, and there were not the warders and
1 Angus had been made lieutenant of Southern Scotland to be superior to the Warden.