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

ELSIESHIELDS 147
fries, at the expense of the inhabitants, till Clavers became Sheriff of Wigton,
in the place of Sir Andrew Agnew, a Covenanter and they were then moved to
;
his headquarters in Kenmure Castle. Besides these mentioned, Colonel James
Douglas, Dalziell, Sir Robert Laurie, Captain Inglis, and Captain Bruce were
his colleagues; but, like Westraw, Douglas afterwards served William III.
It was in Mid-Annandale, where, according to Clavers, " they are all rebels
at heart," that some of the greatest cruelties took place. John Johnstoun of
Elsieshields is commemorated as
" The wicked Laird of Elsieshields
Who's left Lochmaben's pleasant fields,
To gang and sup wi' horned deils," etc.
The Dumfriesshire and Galloway lairds, having signed the Covenant 1
before it was opposed by Charles I., were probably afraid of fines and escheat
unless they showed especial zeal against its followers who openly defied the
Crown. In 1688 Annandale wrote that "James Johnston of Corhead informed
him that two fellows, his own tenants, were supposed to be haunting field
conventicles, by reason they were sometimes known to be long absent from
home, and the heritors informed the Commissioners at Dumfries and desired
they might be instantly apprehended."
Blanche Armstrong, the aged widow of Christopher Johnston of Persbie-
hall, was sentenced to transportation for having received two Covenanters,
James Johnstoun 2 and William Hanna, not knowing the risk she incurred, or
that they were fugitives. She pleaded for mercy, as being nearly eighty she
could not endure the penalty, and that her minister would prove that she had
lived regularly all her life. The Privy Council remitted the sentence, if
securities could be found for £2000.
Elsieshields died before the abdication of James VII. Perhaps Galabank
was fortunate that, as his father and grandfather were Romanists, he was not
likely to be suspected of Presbyterian sympathies. He was a good-natured,
easy-going man, who would not improve his fortunes by blackmailing or
showing up his neighbours ; but these troubles involved heavy expenses which
ruined him. He had borrowed money on his little property before he succeeded
to it from his relative, Robert Graham of Inglistoune ; but was fortunate
enough, in spite of his pecuniary embarrassment, to obtain the hand of Janet
Kirkpatrick, daughter to the late Laird of Auldgirth, and first cousin to Sir
Thomas Kirkpatrick of Closeburn. They were married at Dumfries on Feb. 2,
1670. The marriage contract is signed by his mother, his uncle (Graham), and
the bride's brother (Mr Thomas Kirkpatrick). John settled his property on his
bride and their children, and a few months after the wedding she made over to
him all the money she had that was not settled, including 300 marks given to
1 The Covenant, in its various forms, signed between 1566 and 16S9, bound both clergy
and laity to preserve "the absolute authority on civil matters of the State, acting through a
Monarch, Parliament, and Magistrates, all of whom in spiritual concerns were to obey the
Church."
2 Possibly the same who was released from prison in Edinburgh when starving in 1690,
there being no record of why he was there.