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

THE FIRST MARQUIS OF ANNANDALE 163
Captain Johnstone was arrested on a charge of high treason and committed to
Newgate in 1689, just after John Johnstone, the younger of Westerhall, who
managed Annandale's estate, had acted as his cautioner for a loan of £100,
borrowed from his tailor in London, which was repaid. Westerhall also lent
him 900 marks. Annandale himself is said to have been heavily bailed to
keep him out of prison. After six months in Newgate, Captain Johnstone
returned to Scotland, and a letter, dated Moffat, from Westerhall to Annandale,
Nov. 19, 1690, says that his brother is staying with the Duke of Hamilton and
has been strongly advised to go abroad ; but it is absolutely necessary that
he should have £20 for the journey. Captain Johnstone adds a letter to the
same effect—that he has taken Westerhall's advice and does not want to be a
burden to his family, that with £20 he would go at once to Holland, and
that he has left papers with Sir John Carmichael which may be of use to
the family, for whom he should be always ready to do any service in his
power. Possibly the Secretary found the money, but the recipient used it
to go to St. Germains, not to Holland, and remained abroad long after the term
allowed for "native subjects" to make their submission. His name appears
among those rebels then in France, who were liable to prosecution, in 1695, but
it was removed soon afterwards through the Secretary's influence. In 1698
King James issued a warrant concerning him and his friend, Captain Livingston,
who had both wished to enter the service of Venice. The King speaks of
their fidelity to his cause, and that they had always comported themselves like
men of honour, and he called Johnstone "a person of the first quality in
our Kingdom of Scotland." In 1701 Sir George Maxwell lent him .£100
to save him from being imprisoned for debt in Paris. There is some proof that
he served in Prussia for a time (the Secretary had taken the Garter to the
Elector of Brandenburg), but he eventually returned to Scotland, obtained
a pardon under the Great Seal, and came to live at Stapleton as a Presbyterian.
Still his brother thought it wise to arrest him during the Rising of 1715.
This precaution enabled him to end his days in a small official post. 1
It is often said of the Scots, that, unlike the Irish, they help each other
regardless of political or religious differences. This was certainly the ex-
Secretary's case ; but on his marriage to a daughter of Lord Poulett he settled
permanently at Orleans House, Twickenham, where he was buried, May 11,
1744, being eighty-nine at the time of his death. He more than once visited
George I. in Hanover, and as he could speak Latin and German fluently both
the King and his daughter-in-law seemed to have liked talking to him; and
Queen Caroline often drove over to see him at Twickenham.
Major James Johnston was returned heir to the ex-Secretary, his father, in
1744. He married Lady Charlotte Montagu, but there appear to be no male
descendants.
Annandale was one of the first Knights of the Thistle when the Order
1 A family named Goodinge took the name of Johnstone, and claimed descent in the
female line from this John, but the marriage, which was said to have taken place in an obscure
part of London, could not be proved.