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

124 GRAHAMS OF BLAATWOOD
John, a burgess of Dumfries, who married Agnes Carlile, 1681. This branch is
supposed to be extinct.
Raecleuch borrowed money from his brother, the parson of Annan, and
one of the Wamfrays in 1619 ; his cautioners, Robert Fareis of Mylnfield and
William Gillespie, and the witnesses, Edward Carruthers of Wormanbie, Abraham
Johnstoun of Mylnbie, and John Johnstoun, " callit Mylnfield."
As the young Laird was in Edinburgh when Raecleuch died, Robert, the
late Mungo's son, with his sister, Barbara, took possession of Newbie Castle as
a creditor. There was almost a repetition of the events of 1605 and 1618, for
again Edward of Ryehill was ordered to turn them out, which he did, assisted
by Captain James Johnstoun of Lochous, young Edward of Mylnfield, and
others. Barbara was hurt in the scuffle, and, though obeying an order from the
Privy Council, the assailants were " put to the horn"; but the Laird paid the
sum due to the late Mungo to his son, Robert. The same year (1626) Edward
of Ryehill, Sir J. Charteris, Sir William Grierson, and Maxwell of Kirkconnel
were directed by the Privy Council to turn Christie Irving and his brother out
of Stapleton, the abode of Fergus Graham of Blaatwood, Ryehill's nephew and
Raecleuch's son-in-law, and to restore it to Graham. The Irvings had captured
the house, and, as the summons says, " crammed it with victual and ammunition,
intending to keep it as a refuge for breakers of the law." Two months later
another commission was given to the Earls of Nithsdale, Roxburgh, Buccleuch,
Murray of Annandale, Lord Hay, Lord Cranstoun, Sir W. Seton, and the Lairds
of Traquair, Drumlanrig, Lochinvar, Lag, Amisfield, Bombie, Closeburn, and
Sir John Hay to expel the Irvings, and they did so ; but the Johnstoun
sympathies were with Christie, for the Laird acted the next year as cautioner
for two of his near relatives.
Graham appears again twenty-two years later with his wife, Sara Johnstoun,
in an action against the Earl of Annandale, to whom he had sold his land, to
compel him " to provide sustenance for them and their eleven poor bairns."
Most of the children were of age, but the trouble was connected with a famine
which resembled the terrible scarcity in 1630, when an edict of the Piivy
Council enacted that no food of any description should be allowed to leave
Scotland under very severe penalties. " Forasmuch," it began, " as it has pleased
Providence to visit this Kingdom with a most unseasonable, untymous, and late
harvest, so that the corn has been universally evil win, and in many parts not
yet win at all." This explains the apparent inconsistency of the law, first
encouraging, then prohibiting, the trade, which was all in food, between Scotland
and England. 1
In 1648 Fergus, James, Arthur, and George Graham are among the moss-
troopers found living in the Debateable Land. Probably these were some of
the " poor children," if Blaatwood was not there himself, for the Civil War was
in progress, and they had all taken the side of Charles I.
1 So late as 1649 a law was passed in Scotland to insist on abstinence from meat in Lent,
but sanitary and economical reasons were given for reviving a practice which, through "men's
gluttony," so it stated, "was being disused."